Ozone Magazine

Growing up in the same neighborhood in Long Beach, CA, Terry Kennedy and Fuzzy Felix’s history goes way back. So it only made sense that when business came their way, they’d become partners. The crew’s third member, H.I.T., is T.K.’s cousin. “Fuzzy and I have been doing music together for a long time,” adds H.I.T. “The initial grind started with a record called ‘Drama’ that drove T.K. to take things to a new level.”

(more…)

Nipsey Hussle, DJ Whoo Kid, Johnny Shipes & The Empire
Bullets Ain’t Got No Names Vol. 3
Out West, Nipsey Hussle’s Bullets Ain’t Go No Names has his name on the tip of everyone’s tongue, and the much-anticipated Vol. 3 in this popular series further makes Nipsey a name to know out of the Golden State. “Strapped” is the aggressive Nipsey that fans know, whereas the introspective “Tha Hustle Way” and “Shed a Tear” feature Nipsey rhyming on less combative beats but still with assailing lyrical content. And on “Speak My Language” Nipsey lyrically stands tough alongside Lloyd Banks and Cory Gunz. Bullets ain’t got no name, but Nipsey has a name that’s rightfully gaining rap fame. – Randy Roper

(more…)

He’s touted as one of most talented up-and-coming producers/rappers on the West Coast. After producing tracks for Snoop Dogg and playing saxophone in the Dogg Father’s Snoopadelics band, Terrace Martin is ready to propel his sound far beyond the city of angels.

(more…)

If you thought African American rappers have a hard time breaking through stereotypes in Hip Hop, imagine what it’s like to be a Mexican American rapper. Without wearing blue bandana or red flannel, people see the color of their skin and just assume you’re just gangbanger looking for trouble. Chicano rap vet Down aka Kilo hopes to dispel this idea.

(more…)

I used to daydream a lot when I was a teenager catching the bus and walking around the streets of Oakland. I had dreams of driving the best cars and fucking the finest women, just like any other aspiring player. I practiced on the lil girls in the hood and rapped about it on homemade cassette tapes I used to make with my rap partner Freddy B. I used to see the ballplayers, the big time drug dealers, the pimps, and the successful businessmen, and there was no doubt in my mind that I wanted to be a pimp. I wanted a new Caddy every year and a bunch of long-haired bitches calling me Daddy.

(more…)

Let’s talk about the perception of the media. I’m usually the one who has a “who gives a shit?” attitude towards what people think, but the misconceptions always bother me, for some reason. Maybe it’s because whenever people think of you as “media,” they pass judgment, thinking that you’re only into gossip and drama. But that’s where I draw the line with my media coverage.

(more…)

If you’re old enough to remember, the name Lee Majors should ring a bell. He was a widely popular actor in the 70s and 80s mainly known for his characters Steve Austin the Six Million Dollar Man and Colt Seavers the Fall Guy.

If you don’t remember, no worries. Bay Area rapper Lee Majors is about to re-introduce the name to you in a major way. With his upcoming album Music For The Mob hitting stores this fall, Majors is poised to cash in on a career that he’s spent nearly 15 years building.

(more…)

From the Fab Five of the early 90s University of Michigan basketball team to the Bad Boys of the Detroit Pistons, the state of Michigan has been known for producing some of the best five-man teams the world has ever seen.

Now, production unit the Olympicks hope to keep that tradition going as they make a name for themselves in the music industry. Comprised of Jay Fab, Knoxville, BP, PC, and Flawless, this squad of producers are quickly carving a lane for themselves. they have produced tracks for Rick Ross, Young Jeezy’s CTE CREW, Lil Mama, Young Dro, and Jim Jones, just to name a few. Now with a freshly inked deal making them in-house producers for Rick Ross’s Maybach Music label, the Olympicks will be running rings around the competition for years to come.

(more…)

Typically speaking, quality tends to diminish as time wears on an artist. Days on the road are exhausting, time in the studio takes a backseat to time on the stage, and somewhere between pleasing record label execs, taking pictures for fans, and juggling a non-stop schedule designed to make a dollar, an artist tends to lose touch with their craft. But then there are the exceptions – the ones that crystallize, rather than crack, under pressure. Trey Songz is that exception. With the release of his third studio album, Ready, Songz shows us that progress is in his nature, and with each effort he improves. Still in the middle of a hectic promo tour, Trey takes a moment to discuss where he comes from, where he’s going, and why he’s built for the long haul.  

(more…)

THE SON OF SOUTHERN RAP PIONEER AND RAP-A-LOT FOUNDER J PRINCE, JAS PRINCE IS BOTH CONTINUING THE FAMILY LEGACY AND STAKING HIS OWN CLAIM TO FAME AS A YOUNG CEO WITH A SHARP EAR FOR FRESH TALENT. JUST ASK DRAKE AND LIL WAYNE.

(more…)

In the fickle world of rap it’s easy to forget about artists, especially now in a time where songs and artists are only as good as their last blog post. While you have to admit that some artists are worth forgetting, there are just as many that deserve to be remembered. Whether due to personal issues or label disputes, a lot of artists fall off the map (or take themselves off of it). We here at OZONE wanted to bring you up to speed with what a handful of some of your favorite (and maybe some not so favorite) artists have been up to, in case you hadn’t heard from them in a while.

(more…)

Plies no longer claims to be real. by now, we all know. From his 2007 debut The Real Testament to his follow-up The Definition of Real all the way to his third outing The RealIst, Fort Myers’ Plies has constantly re-iterated his realness. Now, with his brother Big Gates home from prison, Plies feels it’s about time to pivot from his once ubiquitous “real” philosophy and bring the world Goon Affiliated.

On his fourth album in 2 years, Plies is promising to do it bigger than he’s ever done it. He guarantees a classic or your money back, and is confident that his latest effort will be far better than any of its predecessors.

(more…)

This past weekend you hit the streets again. What was your mindset at the time you found out that you were gonna actually be released?
It felt like a dream, with me being in them conditions for so long, and the amount of pressure and problems that’s going on inside those places. I think everybody out there knows that [prison] isn’t the best conditions to be living in. So it’s just me coming out and seeing my brother, seeing the rest of my family and being able to be free. I can’t really describe the feeling – overwhelming joy is the best way to put it. It’s like winning the lottery for $500 million. How would you feel, you know what I mean? I really don’t think you could tell me.

(more…)