Tori Alamaze has been in the music industry for nearly a decade – but her experience has proved to be both a blessing and a curse. She started in the mid-90’s as a makeup artist, touring with artists like Xcape, Blaque, Outkast, Monica, and Da Brat. Over the years, she developed relationships with everyone from T.I. to Ashanti. But, when she decided to parlay her knowledge of the business into her own music career, she was frustrated with her peers’ response. “I have some serious issues,” she laughs. “I was a makeup artist, so when you step outside of that box, people don’t believe you. They have to see numbers before they take you seriously. A promoter told me the other day, ‘Congratulations, I heard you got signed. Can I get a copy of the single?’ I gave him the single eighteen months ago, but he wasn’t paying attention!” Even though Atlanta is known for breaking new artists, it took a West coast DJ to “discover” Tori. While recording with Daz at Jermaine Dupri’s studio, Tori’s demo fell into the hands of DJ Felli Fel, who said her single “Don’t Cha” was a “no brainer.” The song was an instant success at radio, generating over a thousand spins weekly. She signed with Cee-Lo’s production company, Radiculture, who signed a distribution deal with Universal Records. Now that they’re preparing to shoot her video, Tori will be back on the set – but not as a makeup artist. “The beauty of coming from behind the scenes is that I’m really involved,” she says. Now that she’s got the numbers, everyone is ready to take unique brand of soulful, funky R&B seriously. – Photo and words by Julia Beverly, jb@ozonemag.com

“I’m a real street nigga, shawty,” Oowee brags, puffing on a cigarette. “A real street nigga is any man that’s willing to hold his own under any circumstance and be true to his word.” Of course, this is a standard claim coming from any rapper. But Oowee can back it up – even though he’s only nineteen, he’s already got stories for days. Still a teenager, he confidently approaches grown women with a swagger and demonstrates the mannerisms of a grown man. Oowee’s always been ahead of his time. At age thirteen, he was already driving. He recalls a situation where he’d picked up an older friend and they got pulled over. “I got caught up in some stuff that I ain’t got nothing to do with,” he remembers. “I didn’t even know he had work on him. I almost had to do a bid. He finally told ‘em [the drugs] had nothing to do with me.” Despite the street influences around him, Oowee was able to get focused on a more positive career by making use of his musical talents. Born and raised in North Carolina, he moved to Atlanta a year later at age fourteen – alone. He quickly became the flagship artist of Bogard Music, who signed a deal with Warner Bros’ “incubator” for independents, Asylum Records. His single, “Chain Swangin’,” features fellow Cak-A-Lak native Petey Pablo and has been getting play on radio stations throughout the Southeast. The video, in which Oowee and Petey party side by side in a club he’s probably not even old enough to get into, also appears on BET Uncut. His upcoming album, the appropriately named Mannish, will be an ample platform for the young’un to flex his superstar skills. – Photo and words by Julia Beverly, jb@ozonemag.com


“I got a whuppin’ for having an Eazy E tape ‘cause it had cussin’ on it,” K.I.D. laughs, recalling his introduction to hip-hop. Born in Houston, he describes his upbringing as “the typical hood story.” With an absent father, his mother tried to keep him out of the streets and in the church – six nights a week. Still, he was intrigued when he started hearing records from EPMD, Bizmarkie, Doug E Fresh, the Geto Boys, and MC Lyte. Melding his religious background with a love for the game, K.I.D. developed his own style. “My music gives the perspective from both sides – there’s a spirituality which touches you, but it’s not preachy. I’ve been on the block too, so I could speak from a hustlin’ perspective.” He became a part of DSMC, a rap group described as the “Houston Wu-Tang.” While shopping their project, it became clear that the labels were more interested in him as a solo artist. A chance meeting at a Radio Shack between his producer and one of the CEOs of New York-based Hardkore Entertainment led to his record deal. A self-contained indie label, Hardkore has ties to RPM’s Rene McLean, who’s cosign on the project is beneficial. K.I.D.’s single, “How We Roll,” has already generated spins throughout Louisiana. Although he respects the Houston tradition of slowed down, screwed & chopped music, K.I.D. prefers to rip opponents in East coast battle arenas like Fight Klub. “With the exception of ‘Face and UGK, a lot of cats in the East wasn’t tryin’ to hear a Texas MC,” he says. “Now, they’re opening up their ears. No disrespect to anybody, but they still ain’t heard a Texas MC yet.” While there are many acronyms for K.I.D., perhaps it can be summed up in one: Kid Is Dangerous. – Julia Beverly, jb@ozonemag.com (Photo: Kayven Jahson)