Off Da Glass

This is the second video from Big Boi’s Sir Lucious Leftfoot album, for which he’s said he has shot a video for almost every song.

Props to HoodBoss & Drumma for sending this over.

No DJ track as heard on Supplya’s Gift Wrap mixtape and DJ Spinz’ recent Heart of the City 9 (New Atlanta). 

This studio video came out a couple weeks ago as well as Alley’s DOFS mixtape. Here’s the No DJ track. Also check the interview where Eldorado explains the Young Jeezy reference.

At least he’s trying to get better… The DeAndre Way album drops on July 28th.

Off Creekwater’s Back 2 Briefcase 2: The B-Side mixtape.

B.o.B. presents The Adventures Of Bobby Ray drops on April 27th.

Produced by DJ Montay. Off of Baby D’s upcoming Fresh Out mixtape.

Strap, Ali, Quez = Travis Porter

Randy posted some video footage a few blogs down, but it didn’t include photos of Travis Porter & their goofy faces. Plus he didn’t really comment on the movie. Anyway, the short film was pretty good. Very nice camera work, and although the storyline was a tiny bit hard to follow, the movie painted a good picture of who Travis Porter are as individuals. These guys are like my lil bros so I wasn’t too comfortable seeing them all half neked, but the teenage girls in the audience were. Screams everywhere. Check out the rest of the pics here >>>

They do this on purpose

DJ Spinz & Ali (The Ultimate Face Maker)

Travis Porter & Lil Jon

HoodRich Bitch!

Recently Block Ent held a listening session/meet & greet at their studio. In attendance were Gorilla Zoe, Supplya, Jody Breeze, Zaytoven & The Eragance, Princess, DJ Scream, DJ Scorpio, a ton of bloggers/media/A&Rs, and some of the best catering from Justin’s (mmmm macaroni & cheese). Supplya got a lot of good feedback from the audience, many of whom were just meeting Supplya for the first time. Check out the rest of the pics when we continue….

Supplya & Rip

Jody Breeze

Princess

Sonny Digital & Supplya

We first premiered this song over the summer, and since then Soulja Boy added a verse and the song is playing on the radio. They shot the video on Friday and we were there for some behind the scenes footage. Check the rest of the pics when we continue

FULL PHOTO GALLERY HERE

This was supposed to leak at 5pm…but yeah.

Spotted by the NMC

G Fella hooked up with Gorilla Zoe, and Supplya for this in the studio performance from one of Gorilla Zoe’s 28 mixtape’s with DJ Burn One.

The first video from Skeme’s “All Rap’d Up” mixtape hosted by DJ Ill
Will and DJ Rockstar directed by Get Noticed Media.

Travis Porter’s movie premiere and concert were this past weekend in Atlanta. Anyone that missed it can get a quick recap courtesy of Two Fifty video.

And if you missed the show, you missed Travis Porter performing “All The Way Crunked Up” with Lil Jon, but you can catch footage of that after the jump.

New video from one of our newest Patiently Waiting alums. Video directed by Clevis Harrison.

In Case You Missed It: Patiently Waiting – Lil Brod

This interview will appear in Ozone’s upcoming Sex Issue

Freaknik Resurected
Adult Swim is Bringing Freaknik Back…but is it welcome?
By Maurice G. Garland

Even though Freaknik has been retired for a decade, the mere mention of its name still draws a bevy of emotions. Whisper the word around the city of Atlanta and you get a spectrum of responses ranging from “ah man, good times” to “oh lord, good riddance.” What stared off as a small gathering amongst Atlanta University Center students in 1982, grew into a city wide party that became both legendary and notorious.

Very similar to the Spring Break celebrations in Miami, Cancun and Daytona Beach that often made it to MTV, Freaknik was the Black version where students from Historically Black Colleges and Universities convened on Atlanta for a weekend of partying. Unlike the other celebrations though, Freaknik did not take place on beach, but rather in the confines of a major city. Gridlocked traffic was a common occurrence as party seekers often made a party out of the situation, making many other Atlantans late for work, weddings and even emergency hospital visits.

While traffic was a tolerable nuisance, Freaknik’s reputation for lewd and sometimes violent behavior was not. Reports of rapes and robberies often times overshadowed the benefit concerts, celebrity basketball games and even job fairs that were also associated with the weekend celebration. Couple this with the fact that the thought of 250,000 Black people being in one place at one time can look threatening to some, the City of Atlanta acted swiftly to start thwarting the party.
City officials blocked off streets, boosted police presence and littered the streets with tickets the same way that patrons did with empty food and drink containers. From 1992 to 1997 Freaknik became a thing of folklore that had popular rappers not only name dropping it, but making plans months in advance to attend. But by 1998, the party was strangled to death and eventually disappeared completely by 2000.

Party promoters have attempted numerous times to resuscitate the festival, but none have succeeded. However, Cartoon Network’s late night programming block Adult Swim has found a way to bring Freaknik back, as a ghost.

Last night Freaknik: The Musical debuted on Adult Swim with T-Pain voicing the part of Freaknik. A ghost with skin made out of dollar signs who wears an outrageous gold chain with a charm that is a likeness of himself. Surprisingly, this probably isn’t the most outrageous element of the cartoon.

The show will revolve around a four-man rap group that goes by the name Sweet Tea Mobsters. They hail from fictional Sweet Tea, Florida and are on a mission to get to the Freaknik celebration in Atlanta so that they can participate in the Battle of Trillest (think Battle of the Bands for rappers) where the grand prize winner will receive a lifetime supply of money, clothes and hoes.

By now, you’ve probably already formed an opinion about Freaknik: A Musical. Which is fine, that’s what the show creators want you to do, on top of have a good time watching it. Ozone caught up with the shows co-creators, co-writers and co-executive producers of the show Nick Weidenfeld (Head of Development at Adult Swim) and Carl Jones (co-executive producer of The Boondocks) to have them explain the cartoon’s origins and intentions.

Start off by telling us where this idea originated from.

Nick: We actually started off working on another cartoon that was more about race and politics and a Return of Freaknik episode was just going to be one of them. It was about a character that embodied spring break and the personification of the best party in the world. Who better than T-Pain to be the voice of the party? As I started to work on that idea, we went away from politics and went to fun. I started working more with Pain and he got more involved in the show. From there I started working with Carl Jones from The Boondocks and decided to create a show around the Freaknik character.

I loved the idea of A Charlie Brown Christmas special and thought it would be funny to have a spring break special. So it’s a road trip about a group of rappers growing up in a town called Sweet Tea, Florida called the Sweet Tea Mobsters. Rick Ross, Cee-Lo, DJ Pooh and T-Pain’s artist Young Cash are the voices. They are a group of struggling rappers that want to get put on. They are hustling hard and they are holding a Battle of the Bands that’s called the Battle of the Trillest and the winner gets a lifetime supply of money, clothes and hoes. They are desperately trying to get from Florida to Atlanta. Along the way they run out of gas and wind up at a white frat party. Then they end up in the trap where they meet Trap Jesus who is played by Lil Wayne. The story is about their struggles to get there and the people they meet who both help and distract them. Tha Bizness produced the music so its real funny and it has some bangers.

Carl: To clear up confusion, a rumor leaked out saying that Lil Wayne is playing Jesus, that’s not true. The character he is playing is like Jesus. We actually went through several name changes. He’s not the Jesus from the Bible, but he represents a Christ-like figure because he has a flock of dudes that always following him, but he runs a trap house. In their journey the Sweet Tea Mobsters wind up on the wrong side of the tracks in a bad neighborhood and Trap Jesus give them…useful tools for their journey.

What went into selecting the artists that are doing the voice work on the cartoon?

Nick: When I met T-Pain he was the biggest fan of Adult Swim. Its on his rider that he has to have Cartoon Network. Big Boi had to be apart of it, George Clinton and Bootsy had to be apart of this. Rick Ross has good relationship with Pain and he has great voice for cartoons. Cee-Lo and Lil Jon, we wanted to get as many dudes from Atlanta as possible. We wanted people who made it authentic and with a sense of humor.

With some of the potentially offensive elements you’ve named in the cartoon, it would take person with a special sense of humor to take part in this.

Nick: We picked people who wanted people to have fun. There are people who had real fun at Freaknik either performing or participating. A lot of people don’t like it, but a lot of people liked it. It wasn’t the worst thing in the world, we’re just trying to say, have a good time.

Carl: The media really put a spin on Freaknik. Anytime when you bring a lot of people together, there’s always an opportunity for things to go wrong. But for the most part people came to have a good time. Even economically, it was beneficial to the community. It was a good experience for the city of Atlanta but I think the racism that still exists in the South is what got it shut down.

Are you expecting any backlash from the show, even though you say your intentions are to simply have a good time? You have to know some of the elder statesmen ’s men in our community may have something to say about this. Freaknik was a very racially polarizing event in Atlanta.

Nick: Its going to be a show that is not for the elder statesmen. Its supposed to be funny and fun. If you look up the story about Freaknik: The Musical in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution you’ll see that the headline is a joke saying that Freaknik is back. If you read through the comments, it generates into basically the most terrible, racism with people attacking each other. It quickly snowballs into that. This cartoon is here to celebrate having fun. Obviously bad things happen when you get a ton of people together. The same things can be said about Woodstock and the Puerto Rican day parade. The core of it is supposed to be fun. Matter of fact, the bad guys in the show are the elder statesmen, the Boule. This has been talked about before, there was said to be a group of Black professionals or the Black upper class. We don’t get too deep into that, but we do have a jokey version of it to show that its true that there is a group of people that don’t want kids to have fun and make sure that Freaknik doesn’t exist. The real Freaknik made a lot of money for Black Atlanta, but they might not have supported the business that the government wanted them to. We don’t disregard the other things that revolved around Freaknik. We know people want to watch just to hate on it. Its dealt with on the show.

Carl: When you do something black or urban, we are judged differently. You’ll have Steven Speilberg do a movie with violence and negativity and nothing is said. But we are held to be responsible on a whole ‘nother level. We’re not trying to change the world with a cartoon. We’re just trying to be honest. You got people that are going to be mad. I feel like there is an honesty in what we saying, that’s why it strikes people in a negative way. People shouldn’t get mad at us for putting things on TV, get mad that they exist in our society. We’re giving an honest interpretation of what Freaknik was. If we we’re showing people something that we don’t do, it wouldn’t be a problem, but because we’re putting light on something we actually did, it is. This is a part of who we are, this is a part of our culture. Everybody went to Freanknik to have a good time, it’s about the freedom of expression.

What did you think about Freaknik: A Musical? Funny? Entertaining? True? Offensive? Leave your thoughts.

SOLDIERS OF LOVE
This article appears in the newest issue of OZONE Mag featuring Trae tha Truth & Birdman on the covers.
Words by Julia Beverly
Photos by Erick Anderson & Julia Beverly

Paul Wall and DJ Smallz accepted their mission with pride: boost morale amongst American troops deployed in Afghanistan. OZONE tagged along for an unforgettable ride through the war-weary Middle East.

Wait.

Where am I?

Seven days in, the thought finally hits me. This is crazy. How did I end up here? I’m weighted down by military-issue body armor, hovering several thousand feet above ground in decidedly unfriendly skies. Mere inches from my left shoulder, a gaping hole where the door should be (photo at left) allows a bird’s eye view of the dry desert and the scenic mountainside of Afghanistan quickly falling away beneath the chopper.

A handful of us are on board the helicopter, including Houston rapper Paul Wall and Florida representative DJ Smallz, but I appear to be the only one suddenly smitten with panic. A four-pronged seatbelt strapped over my bulletproof vest seems to be the only thing separating me from sudden death-by-gravity, as I cling tightly to my cameras and gear with both hands. And a tall, heavily-armed soldier named John Tuerck, strapped in facing me and intently eyeing the ground through the scope of his assault rifle, appears to be the only thing separating me from mid-air death-by-Taliban.

Verbal communication is limited by the overpowering roar of the rotor blades overhead, but Tuerck has clearly spotted something of concern. He motions to one of the other four soldiers accompanying us. They both grip their weapons tighter, aiming at the location of possible enemy fire coming our way.

You could be home right now, I tell myself. You didn’t have to come here.

It’s barely 7 AM. On any normal day back in the States at this hour, I’d likely still be in bed hitting the snooze button repeatedly, enjoying the comfortable hum of central air conditioning and unable to resist the pull of my warm bed and soft sheets. Just a typical lazy, spoiled American civilian. But not today. This week, I’m literally on the other side of the world, getting accustomed to the military lifestyle. Having already dragged myself out of a stiff bunkbed at 4:30 AM, ran four miles, showered, and scarfed down a low-calorie breakfast at the DFAC (Dining Facility, or more simply, the chow hall; one of an infinite number of military acronyms), we’re now en route to a tiny FOB (Forward Operating Base) in the Mizan Valley of Afghanistan. Aside from the VIPs, Paul Wall and DJ Smallz, our cargo consists of boxes of frozen Pizza Hut personal pan pizzas, a luxury gift for fifty soldiers living literally in the middle of nowhere.

TIL EVERYONE COMES HOME

The USO has served the military for over 67 years, since before World War II. It’s a non-profit organization dedicated to lifting the spirits of U.S. troops all around the world who are sacrificing daily and doing their part to ensure that America remains the land of the free and the home of the brave. In addition to working with private organizations like the USO, the U.S. military also employs internal staff dedicated to improving the “quality of life” for deployed troops. The term “quality of life” includes things like professional gym equipment, calling centers where troops can reach out to their families back home, computers with internet access (usually extremely slow, and social networking sites like Myspace and Twitter are often blocked), and dozens of other privileges that we as private citizens take for granted.

The USO’s entertainment division brings entertainers and celebrities from all genres to perform for the troops, just to raise their spirits, bring them a taste of home, and remind them they aren’t there fighting alone. Traditionally, country singers (Toby Keith), rock bands (Flyleaf), comedians (Steven Colbert, Jamie Kennedy), actors and actresses (Christian Slater, Tichina Howard), and athletes (Anna Kournikova, Drew Brees of the New Orleans Saints) have been actively involved with the USO and similar programs. “I like a little country music, but we need some rappers to come out here. Y’all need to come out here and visit us. I know ya’ll ain’t that busy,” one young soldier we encountered, Private Lopez, pleaded while showing off his “chain” (an assault rifle). “Y’all’s chains don’t compare to my chain,” he joked.

Convincing a rapper to spend 10 days overseas performing for free while living in military barracks with no liquor, weed, or civilian women is slightly more difficult. But it’s a trip that’s well worth the experience. With a strong new wave of Army recruits from the Hip Hop generation serving our country with pride (many of whom are stationed at Fort Hood, just a few hours from Paul Wall’s native Houston, TX), it’s only right that we show our support in return. “I think the main two reasons Hip Hop artists don’t come [over here] is because of inconvenience and fear,” theorizes Paul. “It is inconvenient – it’s a long flight, it’s hot, we don’t get paid. But these are people that supported you and they’re out here fighting for our freedom and civil liberties, and we have an obligation as artists to fulfill. As far as ‘fear,’ it is a war zone, but we’ve got the best security in the world right here watching out for us.”

Despite the million scenarios running through my head in the helicopter en route to Mizan, my fears turned out to be unsubstantiated. We all made it home safely and in one piece after an incredible 10 days in the Middle East. The experience made the phrase “boosting morale” a reality and not just a cliché. The service we were providing was evident on the faces of troops we encountered everywhere throughout the tour. DJ Smallz and Paul Wall, who both have family members in the military, hope the time they contributed will inspire others in the Hip Hop community to follow suit. “I’m doing my duty as a patriot for my country. My job as an entertainer is to come out here and entertain the troops. And it’s your job as the editor of a magazine to cover it,” Paul tells me. “Whatever your job is, you have an obligation to fulfill your duty. We all play a role.”

KUWAIT CITY

It all started calmly enough. Aside from the mandatory checkpoint at the entrance to the Kuwait City hotel, where security guards instructed me to stop filming while they popped the hood of our SUV and searched diligently near the engine area for explosives, our initial arrival into the Middle East was uneventful. Unsure what to expect after a fourteen hour flight, I was pleasantly surprised when our hotel turned out to be nothing short of a five-star luxury resort, even by spoiled-American standards. The oceanside facilities included basketball and volleyball courts, an expansive pool, a large fitness center, a fine-dining steakhouse, and an impressive breakfast buffet for only $15 Kuwaiti Dinar (we did not realize until long after departing that this converted to over $50 American dollars each).

Computers in the hotel lobby with internet access were also a welcome amenity – until Paul Wall’s sidekick/DJ/road manager Cat joked on Twitter, “I’m at the [hotel] in Kuwait, come thru.” Disclosing our location was of the absolute no-no’s in the USO tour handbook. He was immediately reprimanded via email, and the lobby computers thereafter denied access to Twitter.com (“that’s okay, I still got BlackPlanet,” Cat joked), an incident which spawned plenty of conspiracy theory jokes for the remainder of the trip. Cat was also chastised by hotel staff for chewing a Mentos in the hotel lobby. During Ramadan, a 30-day Islamic holiday, visitors are asked to refrain from eating or drinking in public, which includes things like drinking water or chewing gum.

The August heat was unbearable. The humidity (“wetness in the atmosphere”) in Kuwait City – or al-Kuwayt, to the locals – regularly spikes above 60% in the summertime, with temperatures reaching 118 degrees and hovering, on average, around 101. By way of comparison, the average temperature in Miami, FL in August is 85 degrees, with similar levels of humidity. Just picture yourself in Miami… lounging in a steam room, fully clothed, and you’ll have a pretty good idea of how Kuwait City feels in August. A quick tour of the premises with Paul and Cat left the three of us literally dripping with sweat in 30 seconds flat. Smallz, having put in double-time in the studio before departing the States, used the brief stopover in Kuwait to catch up on some much-needed rest.

“I asked them at the front desk if they had jet skis, and they looked at me crazy,” Paul laughed, surveying the beach. “Now I see why. This water is like Galveston [TX] water.” Although the roar of the waves at night could easily transport you mentally to South Beach, by daylight the Kuwaiti surf bore no resemblance to the clear blue water of popular tourist destinations in Florida or the Caribbean.

Over breakfast, Paul reminisced on his previous USO trip to Iraq. He’d been fascinated by his lodgings at Saddam Hussein’s former domain, a 500,000 square foot palace which has been under American control since 2003. “Gold plated-everything; marble floors. It’s the real deal. [Saddam’s palace] even has a manmade lake,” Paul remembered. “He had scientists genetically engineer his own fish, called Saddam Bass. Google it. They’re the size of rottweilers but they’re like piranhas. The rumor is, he used to throw people in the water to torture them or to kill them, so they wouldn’t find remains. He was like our generation’s Hitler. He was an evil person.” Further evidence of Saddam’s cruelty could be seen in one of the back corridors, added Paul. “There’s an elevator called the Bloody Hands Elevator. It’s an old elevator that used to lead down to the torture chamber. There are [bloody] handprints all over the elevator where people tried to fight their way out. It’s a little spooky.”

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Spotted @ RR.

Produced by Clinton Sparks.

Official remix.

If You Missed It: All Star cover story – Bone

Produced by Tha Bizness.

Yo Gotti’s new album Live from the Kitchen is coming soon.

Produced by J.U.S.T.I.C.E. League.

Sorry for the tardiness in posting Drake’s new single off his Thanks Me Later debut album, but Comcast was trippin’ earlier.

Curren$y and up and coming producer/MC Nesby Phips hook up for this heat rock.

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Off his 23rd mixtape Welcome To My Block , produced by JeeVan Beatz.

Download Here.