Interviews

OJ Da Juiceman is quickly making a name for himself in the music world. Not only has the 28-year dominated the underground hip-hop scene with his classic street records, “I’m Getting Money” and “Make the Trap Say Aye”, The Atlanta native is down with Gucci Mane and has landed huge features with Jadakiss (“Who’s Real”), Mariah Carey (“H.A.T.E.U. remix) and R. Kelly (“Supaman High”)… all before his official major release, The Otis Williams Jr. Story.

Check out our interview and learn more about OJ’s lifestyle, favorite fashion brands, his debut release, and much more!

JimmyJazz.com: Even before it was public that you had diabetes, you were shot. Mentally and physically, what has it done to you as an individual?

For more info on OJ Da Juiceman, please visit MySpace.com/ojdajuiceman.

Trazz, a upcoming hip-hop star from Buffalo, took some time to talk to us about his music, lifestyle, and most importantly his region: Upstate, NY. Trazz, who was influenced by Big L growing up, is currently heating things up with his single, "All They Wanna Talk About". Additionally, he's also collaborated with some of our favorite hip-hop/ r&b artists, such as Pitbull, Akon, Colby O' Donis and others. Read up on Trazz and DON'T SLEEP ON BUFFALO!

JimmyJazz.com: Are you familiar with Jimmy Jazz?

Trazz: Defiantly! You guys are one of the biggest [urban] retailers. Every time I’m in the city I stop through.

JimmyJazz.com: Where are you from and what do you represent as an artist?

Trazz: Trazz is the name and I’m currently signed to Fix Your Face Music/ Property Music Group.  I’m from Upstate New York… the biggest misconception about Upstate New York is that people never associate us with New York City, because we’re at least 6 hours away. But the thing is, we’re still part of New York State, but we have our own identity. My city [Buffalo] is one that really gets over looked a lot. We haven’t had a major artist come out of Upstate New York since Rick James. Rick James is our pride & joy here, but for me, I’m one of the artists to come out of the region and have major collaborations with a lot of industry artists. I’m ready to put the city back on the map, man.

JimmyJazz.com: In regards to lifestyle, does your overall fashion style reflect Buffalo? Which by the way is home to New Era Cap.

Trazz: I try not to consider myself as having a style. Glasses are something I have a fetish for. Some people it may be shoes, sneakers, jeans or whatever. I literally own over 50 pair of designer shades. So, that explains that. But as for style, Buffalo has it’s own style. It’s [Buffalo] influenced so much from TV… it has a lot of Southern influence; it has a lot of Canadian influence, since we are right by the border.  So, I try not to put myself in a bubble, I just kind of do what comes natural to me.

JimmyJazz.com: Your collaborations with Pitbull, Akon, Colby O’Donis and others have party themes, what more can we expect from your music?

Trazz: The thing about it is, I originally got my start by radio music. My manager, DJ Noodles, his record that got him a lot of recognition was the “Lean Back” record with the Biggie vocals on it. He [DJ Noodles] has been in radio for over 15 years and he saw a lot of potential in me. We started off making music that everybody could feel… I think party & club music is universal. No matter where you are, everybody wants to have a good time. That’s the most appealing kind of music across the board. So we wanted to make music that’s appealing to everybody, which people can listen to on the radio and also go to the club and have a good time with.

JimmyJazz.com: How does an indie artist like yourself manage to get these major artists on your tracks? Considering that you are from Buffalo.

Trazz: You have to go outside of your box. This is not Atlanta [Georgia] or Miami [Florida]. So we don’t have the major recording artists in our backyard. You have to travel out and you really have to network. Fortunately for me, because I have a strong team behind me and a lot of members of my team are industry affiliated, it’s rarely ever that I’m ever here in Buffalo. Since I’m always in a different city trying to make moves and network.

JimmyJazz.com: Specking of being on the road, do you have any shows lined up for this Fall?

Trazz: Right now, I’m schedule to perform in Tampa [Florida]. This is actually November 16th. Every year, they throw a show, The Last Dance. It’s basically the last show of the year. In the past they featured other artists such as Plies, The Game, E-40…. I’m actually scheduled to perform on the pre-show.  There’s also a tour being put together for Fabolous and Serani… I’m hoping I can get on that tour.

JimmyJazz.com: As far as Serani, you’ve also collaborated with reggae great Wanye Wonder on “Gonna Love U”….

Trazz: Wayne is phenomenal. He was such a good choice for the collaboration, because outside of him having national fame, he’s an international superstar. He has that Caribbean vibe to him. Like I had mention to you before, we try to make music that everyone could vibe with. Not knocking any national stars here [USA] that don’t have any international exposure, but we thought Wayne had that appeal that we can get shows in the Caribbean, based on the strength of that record [“Gonna Love U”]

JimmyJazz.com: Are you currently looking for different ways to leverage your music into different avenues?

Trazz: By trade, I’m actually an actor. Music is something I’ve been doing since the age of 5. I attended New York Film Academy for 2 years. I was actually in the first hip-hop gospel play to ever hit theaters. It was called Rise, It was written by Play (from Kid & Play) and Salt (from Salt-N-Pepa). Acting is something I’ve enjoyed just as much as music. So I always look for different avenues. I think music is my pride & joy and #1 priority, but it’s only a piece of the puzzle. I feel once I get in, I can showcase my acting ability. Acting is something I’ve been doing to fuel my music career and fund my lifestyle.

JimmyJazz.com: Going back into collaborations, if you could work with one artist, doesn’t matter the genre, who would it be?

Trazz: [Short pause]. That’s a difficult question. I’m such a huge fan of Jay-Z. In my opinion, the best to ever do it. But, I grew up and was influence by Big L. If he was still around, I think my dream would be do a collaboration, something crazy with Big L. If he were still around, he would be my first choice. I grew up knowing every verse he ever wrote.

JimmyJazz.com: I can kind of see that. You both have that flamboyant wordplay.

Trazz: The younger generation they never heard of Big L. He was someone that definitely died before his time; he never reached his peak of potential. To a lot of the young kids reading this article, make sure you do your homework on Big L. He was definitely one that influenced a lot of these MC’s out here.

JimmyJazz.com: Are you giving back to any upcoming artists from Buffalo?

Trazz: I feel that my region, not only my city, but my region has been overlooked. From Rochester to Syracuse… us as a region. There so many talented artists from my region that have there own niche. It’s going to be the domino-effect that St. Louis had, once one person comes out of there, all of the A&R’s and everyone’s attention is gonna be on. Once I give fuel and attention to this area, people are really going to see what we have to offer here. That will be a dream to me, to put my city on the map and give other people in my city [or in my region] an opportunity.

JimmyJazz.com: What’s one thing we don’t know about Trazz?

Trazz: Trazz is about to have a baby. That’s one thing that the fans don’t know. So it’s ‘Go Time’ even more. I’ve been pursuing my career as hard as I can up till this point, but I think the fans will expect a super surge from me. I have to provide for someone other than myself, and it only motivates me more.

JimmyJazz.com: Congrats on that ….

Trazz: I Appreciate that.

JimmyJazz.com: Last, how can fans get in contact with Traz?

Trazz: Fans can log-on to MySpace.com/TrazzMusic. They can also go to TrazzMusic.com, which will take you to the MySpace page. Also, if they want to learn about the team surrounding me, they can go to FixYourFace.net.

While on The Young Money Presents: America's Most Wanted Tour, Gudda Gudda took a moment before hitting the stage at Denver's Fiddler's Green Amphitheatre. Aside from being Lil Wayne's best friend, the New Orleans rapper is well known in the underground for being a fierce lyricist and former member of Lil Flip's Squad Up camp. From mixtapes to a winning verse on "Every Girl" (produced by Tha Bizness), Gudda has come a long way. Read our interview and find out how the New Orleans rapper stays comfortable the tour bus, his upcoming mixtape (Guddaville), how he hooked up with Lil Wayne, and much more!

JimmyJazz.com: What's your favorite part of Young Money Presents: America's Most Wanted Tour?

Gudda Gudda: Just performing every night and going in front of 20-30 thousand people every night. It's really different for me. I started doing underground music, so for me to go out in front of 20,000 people every night, it's a different look for me.

JimmyJazz.com: What's been your favorite state to perform in front of?

Gudda Gudda: Ahhh, I got a couple of them. Los Angeles and anywhere in Texas. And of coarse New Orleans, but we haven't been to New Orleans yet.

JimmyJazz.com: Speaking of New Orleans, a lot of fans know you from your earlier Squad Up movement through Lil Flip. What's been the biggest difference between Lil Flip's Squad Up and Lil Wayne's Young Money?

Gudda Gudda: It's just bigger [Young Money]. Young Money is a whole new wave of fans and everything. It's just a different era. When we were doing the Squad Up mixtapes, that was the grinding mixtape era, This right here [Young Money] is a new era.

JimmyJazz.com: You and Lil Wayne are from the same hometown, New Orleans, LA. How did you guys get linked with one another?

Gudda Gudda: I meet him a while back. He [Lil Wayne] use to hang out with one of my homeboy's that I grew up with. I was around 17 years old and he [Lil Wayne] was probably 15. He was coming out with his first album, and he use to come through my neighborhood all the time with my homeboy. And we use to shoot dice by my house. We ended up gambling one day and ended up being cool from there.

(Pictured below): Gudda Gudda with Lil Wayne. Gudda sports a Polo hat with matching red scarf. 

JimmyJazz.com: While on tour, MTV's Sway interviewed Lil Wanye. In the piece Wayne mentions how he wrote your first verse. If it weren't for that first moment, where would you [Gudda] be at this moment right now?

Gudda Gudda: Probably still gambling, hustling [short pause], where he [Lil Wayne] found me at. Same place he found me at, probably.

JimmyJazz.com: In a recent interview with Lil Wayne fan site, NewLilWayne.com, you mentioned that Jadakiss, Beanie Sigel, and Hov are your favorite artists -all who hail from the northern east. We wanted to know, growing up in the New Orleans, were you influenced by the talent from your hometown? Such as Cash Money and Soulja Slim?

Gudda Gudda: Soulja Slim, defiantly and the whole Cash Money movement [short pause], Outkast, Goodie Mob... Eight Ball & MJG, those are all the main ones.

JimmyJazz.com: Young Money is currently leading the music charts with the hit single, "Every Girl". What's the next single? What will top that momentum?

Gudda Gudda: I really can't speck on it right now, but we got another coming, it's hot. But we gon' keep it going with this one ["Every Girl"]. Might be even bigger.

JimmyJazz.com: As far as Young Money, is there a release date?

Gudda Gudda: We really don't have an official release date, but sometime in November, I believe.

JimmyJazz.com: Recently, Young Money President/ Artist, Mack Maine released a statement on Twitter.com, announcing the release of Omarion from Young Money. Do you care to speck about that?

Gudda Gudda: I mean, I don't care. I really don't have anything to do with that. I ain't tripping about that. Big up to him [Omarion], more power to him, but that ain't none of my business.

JimmyJazz.com: Everyone on Young Money is extremely talented. Nicki Minaj, Drake, Mack Maine, Jay Millz and yourself. What's the overall harmony with the group? Do you guys record together?

Gudda Gudda: Most of the time we go out to Miami and record together. We vibe and just knock joints out. There's no problems, everybody knows where they fit in at... where they don't fit in at. So if a song comes on and I feel I don't need to be on it, I fall back. Likewise for everybody else. Everybody just plays their position.

JimmyJazz.com: You have a strong mixtape following. Do you have any immediate plans to release a tape?

Gudda Gudda: I'm working on a mixtape right now, called Guddaville. I'm in the middle of it right now, just waiting on a few features from a few people. Probably next month it will be ready. The only reason it'll be next month is because I'm on tour right now; if I weren't on tour it would have been ready next week.

JimmyJazz.com: Outside of the Young Money camp, if you could grab some features who would they be?

Gudda Gudda: Gucci Mane, he's making a lot of noise right now. I would not mind working with him. Of coarse [Young] Jeezy. I would love to work with Eminem, of coarse Jadakiss, [Beanie] Siegel. You might hear something from me and Siegel on the tape, you might hear something from me and Gucci [Mane] on the tape. Everything is in the works right now.

JimmyJazz.com: So, on the road... what's the most comfortable thing to wear?

Gudda Gudda: I got every color Polo pajama you could name [short laugh].

JimmyJazz.com: [Laughs].

Gudda Gudda: All colors Polo pajamas you could name. All colors. With the thermal or the Polo tee, slippers. That's how you stay cool on the bus without doing too much. But all Polo [Laughs]. Gotta be Polo underwear, all day.

JimmyJazz.com: Last, where do you get your fashion sense?

Gudda Gudda: I just like different stuff. Some of it I get from home [New Orleans], some of it. A lot of it comes from traveling... being around and being in different cities and different stores and different malls... they got different things out there. I get to see different stuff, that helps me with my fashion.

For years, hip-hop music has been dominated by different regions. When we think of New York, the city is synonymous with a Jay-Z or Nas, Atlanta to T.I., Miami to DJ Khaled, and so forth. But, what about Alabama? Yeah, Rich Boy showed us how to ‘throw some d's', but who got next in the Confederate state (aka the Bama)? Read our interview with up-and-comer, Lil Haze and then head over to our Music Room and listen to his current heater with Ray-J, "Work That Body". 

JimmyJazz.com: What's up, Haze? How you doing?

Lil Haze:  I'm fine, bro. How about yourself? 

JimmyJazz.com: Good, thank you. It's good to see someone from Birmingham [Alabama] make noise. We all wish you the best.

Lil Haze: Thank you, Thank you. 

JimmyJazz.com: So, what is it like growing up in the Ham [Alabama]?  What's hip-hop like over there? 

Lil Haze: The music thing is really popping off right now and it's really starting to blaze up. Alabama has been looked over for so long, we've heard the the ATL's and the Memphis's and the New York's... but now Alabama we on the rise and it's really cooking up right now. We have a lot of artists out here doing their thing, besides me. We down here really working hard and trying to be acknowledge right now.

(Below): Lil Haze's video for "Work That Body" featuring Ray J.

JimmyJazz.com: A lot of the regions you just mentioned created their own lifestyle and niche within hip-hop. New York is responsible for Boom Bap, Atlanta is popular for the Crunk movement and Memphis for Gangsta Walking. What kind of influence have these regions have had on the Ham... and in your music? 

Lil Haze: My music is totally different and me (myself aside from the game). I don't use profanity in my lyrics. I really don't make hype music; I try to keep it on a calm level, I try to make music that everybody likes to hear. I'm a versatile cat. There's no particular reason on how I do my music. 

JimmyJazz.com: Who helped you get on the scene? What did you do to elevate your buzz? 

Lil Haze: I've been doing music now for 11 years now. Basically, I started out with my man, Old-timer (he's from Birmingham also); he produces a lot of tracks. Back in 05' we were giving out a lot of bootlegs and cd's and we had ran into a guy, Warren Po, who knew I was passionate about music. He decided to start a record label for us and that's how we got to where we are at now. We real bless to be in this atmosphere we are in right now. 

JimmyJazz.com: Aside Old-Timer, what's your relationship like with the other local artists from Alabama? Such as Rich Boy? 

Lil Haze: The relationships are great! I associate myself with a lot of artist who are doing their thing down here. I run into Rich Boy everywhere I go. Basically everybody down here is trying to come together as whole and just really make this thing pop off. 

JimmyJazz.com: Have you recorded on any tracks with them that we can expect to hear in immediate future? 

Lil Haze: It's in the works to work with Rich Boy. Attitude (who just signed to Warner Bros.) and my boy Jackie Chain in Huntsville [Alabama], I got them on my new mixtape, hosted by DJ Smallz (side note: download Lil Haze's Been Looked Ova mixtape, hosted by DJ Smallz)

JimmyJazz.com: In reference to your new single, "Work That Body", if you had one female to Work That Body, who would it be? 

Lil Haze: AHHHHHH.... (Laughing).  Just 1?

JimmyJazz.com: (Laughing) Just 1. 

Lil Haze: I would have to go with Shawnna (formerly of DTP).... (Laughs).

(Pictured below): Former hip-hop member of DTP (Disturbing Tha Peace), Shawnna. 

JimmyJazz.com: (Laughing) that's a good one. 

Lil Haze: I love her music (Laughing).

JimmyJazz.com: Specking of female artists, are you currently working with any?

Lil Haze: As of right now, not really. But I will have female artist signing hooks on some of my tracks throughout my album. 

JimmyJazz.com: By the way, what's the name of the album? 

Lil Haze: The title of the album is Doin the Most. We are looking to dropping the album this September.

JimmyJazz.com: We saw a photographed of you and Mack 10, are you currently working with him? 

Lil Haze: Mack 10 is great dude; he shows me a lot of support. He's on the remix to "Work That Body" 

JimmyJazz.com: How did you get hooked up with him?

Lil Haze: Our distribution companies hook us up with Mack 10 while I was out in LA. 

(Pictured below): Mack 10 and Lil Haze hanging out on the set of "Work That Body". 

JimmyJazz.com: Will you be doing any tours/ club dates towards the release of Doin the Most? 

Lil Haze: I'm getting ready to hit the road, but the label is getting that together for me right now. Fans can check out for more details on my MySpace, MySpace.com/LilHaze205 and my website is LilHaze205.com. 

From left to right:  Ben J (New Boyz), Trevor Delmore (Shmack Footwear) & Legacy (New Boyz). 

JimmyJazz.com recently hooked up with the leaders of the jerkin' movement, Legacy and Ben J- best known to the world as the New Boyz, at the Shmack footwear showroom in NYC to talk about their September 15th debut, Skinny Jeans & a Mic (Asylum/ Warner Bros.), hip-hop culture, the Jerkin' movement and much more!! Watch Trevor Delmore, Brand Director for Shmack footwear, asking the questions! 

Connect with the New Boyz on MySpace.com and follow Legacy & Ben-J on Twitter.

Skinny Jeans & a Mic Dropping on September 15th! 

Shop for Shmack footwear at our Jimmy Jazz stores and online at JimmyJazz.com. 

Shmack Crowbar Hi Top Sneaker (Brown) 

Shmack Crowbar Hi Top Sneaker (Purple)

Shmack Crowbar Hi Top Sneaker (Blue)

We recently had a chance to speak with the hottest production duo in the game, Tha Bizness. Although our conversation with Dow Jones and Henny was brief (poor phone connection), the cousins from the left coast (Seattle, WA to be exact), who have banged out beats behind the boards for 50 Cent, Drake, R. Kelly, Young Jeezy, Snoop Dogg Ne-Yo and most recently the #1 song in the country, “Every Girl” by the leaders of the new school, Young Money (Lil’ Wayne, Drake, Jae Millz, Gudda Gudda and Mack Maine) gave JimmyJazz.com insight on the production game, their take on auto-tune, what they have coming up in the future and much more. Read our interview and then turn on the radio to listen to some of their joints! 

Jimmyjazz.com: Congrats on everything, especially for getting “Every Girl” (Young Money) on iTunes.

Dow Jones (Tha Bizness): Shit, it only took Universal [Records] 4 months to get that thing on there.

JimmyJazz.com: By the way, how old is that beat?

Dow Jones (Tha Bizness): We were working on some stuff for R. Kelly’s new album, cause we did the “Hair Braider” joint for him early on last year when he was going through his whole court case thing. So he wanted to get some more stuff for the new album, so it was actually a track we were working for R. Kelly, but Wayne [Lil’ Wayne] ended up taking. 

Young Money - Every Girl [Official Music Video]

JimmyJazz.com: That’s a big record overall…

Dow Jones (Tha Bizness): It’s a good look. We knew it was going to be a good look in the summer time … and then with the whole Drake (“Best I Ever Had”) song movement… everything just kind of collided all at once. So it’s a big thing, especially that being like his [Drake] first song… first official song to the world with Wayne [Lil’ Wayne], so that was kind of crazy, too. 

(Pictured below): Tha Bizness with Drake.

JimmyJazz.com: Since the release of “Every Girl”, what has the momentum been like for Tha Bizness? 

Dow Jones (Tha Bizness): For us, it’s kind of hard because we’re so focused on the next song that it’s hard to appreciate what’s going on now. Even with Jeezy’s [Young Jeezy] “My President” record, I don’t think (at least for me) I was able to feel the moment. Like I know with Henny (other half of Tha Bizness) he was able to be in DC for the inauguration, so he got to experience it in a different way, but for me, it’s really hard to sync it in. We’re not really the type to stand and look at ourselves in the mirror and pat ourselves in the back every time something goes good. We’ve been waiting for these opportunities for 10 years. So it’s kind of like we appreciate and enjoy the success and enjoy the people saying it’s a great record [“Every Girl”], and I like hearing it, but… it’s kind of hard seeing where we at. There’s so many people coming to us know like “ You made it, your this & that now… “ To us it’s like, “Ya’ll only heard 10 songs in the market place, ya’ll haven’t heard 2% of all the stuff we got coming or that we are doing. It’s good at the same time, but I don’t think we can really appreciate what’s going on probably till later, and I’m not mad at that. That’s what keeps us focused and staying on the grind. I think that’s the difference between people that want to be great and people who just want to be in this game just to be known and people to accept them. We want to let our music speck for us, rather than just doing a whole bunch of rah rah stuff. That’s why even for us right now, you don’t see us doing too many heavy interviews cause we know so much of this stuff is coming that we rather let everybody watch us move step by step, then just tell everybody “we the dopest and all this other shit” where it’s kind of like, we really still have to show and prove more than what we have, even though we know what we are capable of. We let the public ride the wave with us. 

JimmyJazz.com: You have records with Jeezy but then you guys also work with indie artist at the same time. Who are some of the indie artists you are currently working with and trying to groom? 

Dow Jones (Tha Bizness): There’s a whole bunch. Of coarse we have our own artist, Mistah Fab. We have a label deal with Atlantic [Records] under Fab’s own company. Then we have the Parker Brothers from Seattle, our hometown. As far as artists, not even independent, but just artists who are trying to get their buzz going right now, especially back on the west coast. Like Jay Rock, who’s on Warner Brothers, Glasses Malone that’s on Cash Money.  There’s an artist from the Bay who’s called The Jacka, who just released his new album [“Tear Gas”], it was able to be on Billboard’s Top 200. Then another artist, who I’ve personally really become good friends with over the years and really feel that if he gets the right songs he could be major, and that’s Miltchy Slick from San Diego, who is also part of Kweli’s [Talib] group, Strong Arm Steady. Bad Lucc from Watts, California who is incredible…. we did a couple joints with him that are crazy.  We just branching out. Our main thing is trying to take it back to letting music be music. If you listen to any of our beats you can tell that our beats have a groove. Whether it be a Jeezy [Young Jeezy] joint, a 50 Cent “Follow My Lead” joint or even the Young Money “Every Girl”… joint they all have that groove to it. 

Henny (Tha Bizness): I mean when it comes to dealing with any type of artist we just try to give each specific artist the type of music that will always fit them. Whether if it’s a Mistah Fab or the Parker Brothers, it’s always about giving them a sound that will go ahead and take them to the next level. 

(Pictured below): Henny from Tha Bizzness

Dow Jones (Tha Bizness): Especially in this day and age, no matter who the artist is, everybody is one song away.  So it’s kind of like… if we use a formula to work good with Wayne [Lil’ Wayne] we can use the same formula to work good with anybody.  I just think it’s staying diverse, letting music be music. We can go do an R&B song with a R. Kelly, we can go and do a pop song with the Black Eyed Peas or the Paradiso Girls and we can go mess with a Killer Mike and Young Jeezy and Oj Da Juiceman on some street shit. It’s just having everything across the board. We also did a couple joints with Norman Brown, who’s probably the most critically acclaimed Jazz Guitarist of our era. We trying to hit things everybody else ain’t hitting. Now and days everybody is trying to run the same race, we’re trying to run it a little different. Sort of like Catalan, we trying to do all the events instead of trying to be the fastest sprinter. 

JimmyJazz.com: You guys are from Seattle, home of grunge music. It’s also known for being a rainy state and has the highest suicide rate in the country.  Where did you guys get your inspiration? 

Henny (Tha Bizness): Coming from Seattle is crazy. We only got Top 40 radio, We didn’t have a lot of underground stations, we didn’t have a lot of the music from the Bay area that would trickle down to Seattle. We only had BET for half a day, from like 5pm to midnight, it wasn’t even everyday.  So the types of things we are influence by a lot of it had to do with just commercialism that stuck with us.

Dow Jones (Tha Bizness): Like Henny was just saying, it was just so limited. The only real rap show we had was Rap Attack, every Sunday. You’ll get 3 hours of just raw music. But that was just a small college station at the time, so it wasn’t something that was super overly advertised, it was almost in a way pirate radio that Nasty Nes was doing when he was getting everything going with Sir Mix A Lot. Our main thing, like Henny was touching on, music is life and life is music so all the places that we been, whether it be up and down the west coast, from Seattle to San Diego, to Henny being in college in Atlanta, we’ve been able to be around and see a brighter spectrum of things. You can listen to Atlanta music, but when you go there and really get to see how the 808’s are and how everything is, it gives you a different perspective. Like a lot of times [short pause] we’ll meet southern producers that grew up on west coast beats, but it just doesn’t have that sound. There’s just a certain authenticity to each region, that unless your there and be able to live it and observe it, it will be close, but it won’t be the same. That’s just our whole palate; we’re open to new things. It’s ok to be different and try new shit. You may not like everything, but that perspective of being able to see life through somebody else’s eyes can let you look at something somewhere. We got the whole Ying & Yang personality; we may look at the same thing two different ways, even though we’re working on the same project. But it’s that difference that can open up a conversation, to open up new ideas or being able to see it from a different side. At the end of the day it makes what we do better. The more options that are out there, the more you get, the better answers you can give back out. 

(Pictured below): Dow Jones from Tha Bizzness

JimmyJazz.com: Recently, Jay-Z came out with a record going against auto-tune, “D.O.A (Death of Auto-Tune)”, What’s your perspective on artist and producers who limit themselves to just one thing? For instance, auto-tune.

Henny (Tha Bizness): Everything in life, when it comes down to doing anything, you have people who start out doing something that becomes their personality, that becomes something they do. And then you have a lot of people who just imitate and try to create that same type of brand that same type of success. So with auto-tune, people have been using it for years. Whether it was just a way to help correct vocals, or it was a way to try something different. You got staple people, like T-Pain, who branded that. He’s synonymous with that sound. But when other people just try it, it’s a fad. Somebody like T-Pain, he’s been able sing, he’s been able to rap and produce. You can’t take anything away from his talent. He started a niche in the game and he killed it, to the point where everybody else wanted to try it. So I don’t think it’s going to hurt him [T-Pain], when Jay-Z came out with “D.O.A (Death of Auto-Tune)”. 

Dow Jones (Tha Bizness): It’s just a part of life.  When I was thinking about the whole thing, it kind of reminded me of the Slam Dunk Contest. Back in the day when we were seeing the first dunks of a certain kind, it was amazing. But then after the past couple of years everybody was talking about “let’s just stop doing the dunk contest, cause it’s boring nobody does anything new….” But then you get those few cats, like Lebron [James], Nate Robinson or Dwight Howard that can come through and do something that we haven’t seen before that makes it cool again. So to each his own, there’s always going to be somebody that copies a fad. That’s what makes things popular. There wouldn’t be a chain of Target stores or even markets if people didn’t want to get the same stuff.  That’s just a natural part of life. Some people overuse certain things, but so it is.  But at the same time we’re paying the people that are innovators in what there doing and the first to do something. Everybody else is just following the trend, you can’t be mad at them for that. Everybody wants’ to put it out there like that’s [auto-tune] killing music. That’s not killing music, bad songs are killing music. If people were making good songs, it didn’t matter if it was a goat doing auto-tune. If it sounded good, people would fuck with it.

JimmyJazz.com recently had the opportunity to chop it up with one of Chicago's most promising acts, GLC (Gangsta L. Crisis). Although GLC is known for lacing a Grammy award winning verse on Kanye's 2004 debut release The College Dropout ("Spaceship") and put the world on to his baller genetics on Ye's sophomore set Late Registration ("Drive Slow"), the Southside GLC is no stranger to the grind. Through well-received mixtapes and leaked tracks from his highly anticipated forthcoming album, Love, Life and Loyalty, GLC is going to put the world on to his ‘Chi State of Mind'.

Aside from music, GLC revealed news about his upcoming sneaker release with Supra, his relationship with the late Dr. Donda West (Kanye's Mom) and even spoke to us about his old retail days at Chicago's premium urban fashion retailer, The Lark, which ironically is now a Jimmy Jazz location. Don't sleep! Read up and get familiar with GLC.

JimmyJazz.com: First and foremost, congrats on the Grammy and just having this amazing buzz. It's definitely an honor talking to you right now.

GLC: Man, thanks a million. Hey, I ma tell you something, it's an honor to be honored. I definitely appreciate you as well.

JimmyJazz.com: And specking of honor, that's a dope record as well...

GLC: (Laughs) Oh "Honor Me"?

JimmyJazz.com: Yeah, your flow on that record is amazing.

GLC: (Laughs) Thanks, man... I appreciate that shit. I'm feeling it right now, dog. I've been working like crazy- pounding shit out.

JimmyJazz.com: So is the album dropping this summer, Love, Life & Loyalty?

GLC: You know the politics and bullshit of this game... I could drop tomorrow, if I say drop tomorrow. But the only thing is, I really want to build my buzz. So the people could be like, "Awww shit, when that GLC coming out?" I need everyone in America and everyone across the globe saying that shit before I drop. I don't wanna be one of these dudes coming out selling 6K records.

JimmyJazz.com: I definitely feel you on that, especially if it's good music.

JimmyJazz.com: So obviously, you're from Chicago. When you picked up the phone, you called me ‘Joe', which is a word part of Chicago slang. You have a song, "Chi State of Mind", for those who have never heard that record, can you just interpret what it's like having a Chicago state of mind?

GLC: With that mentality (short pause) it's sort of like give all, take all. It's like you give your all, you go real hard... you trying to get what you trying to get. Sometimes you may not make it over the hump, so at the end of the day if you got to get you some springs, you gotta hit someone to get them springs, you gotta go purchase them... or what ever you have to do to get them springs on your shoes so you can make it over that hump, you gonna do it. It's just like... man, we can make it any where. It's a hustler's mentality, it's a playa's mentality, it's a macking mentality, it's a pimping mentality and it's also scholastic as well. Because at the end of the day, you got a lot of bright people coming out of the Chi, as well as a lot of hustler's. And at the end of the day, if you can apply that hustler mentality to the corporate America field, you could make it anywhere. Like Chicago has the coldest winter's and the hottest summer's. We survive that shit. If you could make it out of there with like over 168 day covered in gloom and shit, you could make it anywhere in the world, you know what I'm saying?

JimmyJazz.com: Specking of having a hustlers mentality... what was your hustle breaking into the hip-hip scene? How does a GLC hook up with a Kanye West?

GLC: I meet a young, inspiring Producer/ Rapper back in 93'. We were little kids and shit. I meet him through a mutual friend of mine. He was like my man makes beats and you rap... ya'll should get up. We got up, heard the beats, he heard the raps. We were on the same page and we just continued to develop ever since then. And that was a blessing, cause Kanye and I had the same dreams, we had the same goals. We both wanted to be somebody. We definitely wanted our music to be heard, more so than anything else. So it could help elevate our pimping, you know what I'm saying? Man, that's basically what it was and this is what it is today.

JimmyJazz.com: You were involved with Kanye on his debut, College Drop Out, and you received a Grammy award for "Spaceship"....

GLC: Yes sir.

JimmyJazz.com: You were also involved on his sophomore release, Late Registration...

GLC: Yes sir.

JimmyJazz.com: What kind of role has Kanye played on your upcoming release, Love, Life & Loyalty?

GLC: Ye [Kanye] has been executing producing. I value his opinion. He [Kanye West] and I don't see eye to eye on a whole lot of shit when it comes to music. Because, as you can listen to our music, our influences are different as hell. So, I listen to him to get that more worldly, more popular culture and just due to the fact that he's a music genius. He adds his genius to my project just by giving me advice and pointers.

JimmyJazz.com: Today, the video and mp3 for "Big Screen" are plastered all over the Internet. The same goes for the "Fight School" mp3. Which of the two is the official single from your project?

GLC: "Fight School". But aside from "Flight School", we got this other record, "Clockin' Lotsa Dollarz" featuring Bun B (of UGK). We gonna fuck the world with this one.

JimmyJazz.com: (Laughs)

GLC: Then we got a record with Manfred Mann, a group that played this record in a movie, Blow Call. The name of the record is "Blinded by the Light". I actually got them to play on the album and sing on shit. So I got a record with Manfred Mann... (Laughs).

JimmyJazz.com: Is there a video for "Blinded by the Light"?

GLC: Yeah, we got a video too. So for "Flight School" everything is moving forward. It's looking wonderful. We just moving strategic. We letting it bubble on the Internet. Like the Internet has definitely been my tool, it's been my catalyst to help me get to this next level.

JimmyJazz.com: Specking of the Internet, I have to put this out there. On your Twitter page you tweeted, "Just chopped it up with the legendary Andre 3K..." What's good with that? Is there a collaboration coming?

GLC: Right now, I really can't speck on it. But I hope so... I pray for it. Cause he was like one of my favorite of all time. I was able to chop it up with him. I was really surprised that the guy knew who I was. He said, "I'm familiar with you, I fuck with your shit..." I was like ... Whoa. That meant a lot to me, coming from him. Just to hear him say that, it's like Wow, thank you. Cause this is one of the guys who influence me to what to do this music thing.

JimmyJazz.com: Going back to the album, who are some of the artists featured on the album?

GLC: Kanye West, T-Pain, Bun-B, Richboy, Twista, Shawnna, Really Doe.... Bump J, who just got picked up Feds in Chicago. All these guys are on my album and the producers are all out of Chicago. So, it's not only something big for GLC, but it's something big for the city. Cause the city embraces me, I wear the city on my sleeve and I carry it on my shoulder. So it's gonna be something big, it's gonna bring more attention and when I was down here playing my music in Atlanta, they was like "Damn, finally somebody that sounds like what we be seeing on WGN.

JimmyJazz.com: What's WGN?

GLC: Meaning the news channel that comes on down here and shows in Chicago news.

JimmyJazz.com: You mentioned that you look to Kanye to get a pop (music) point of view; do you travel a lot to get different views on music?

GLC: I sit back and watch other guys do their thing. As oppose to me talking down on them, I root for them... and I'm inspired by them. But when I get them calls from the crib talking about, "the gas bill gotta get paid (and this and that) and we ran into a jam or my nephew is in jail and shit like that... that inspires me. Because I realize that I have lives to change and shit.

JimmyJazz.com: You're a very interesting dude. Your lyrics and your whole style is very Chicago, but at the same time you hit the hipster/ alternative crowed. Why do you feel your respected outside of hip-hop?

GLC: I believe I'm big outside of hip-hop because they love me, and they respect the real. Real is universal. Right is universal. Either your right or your wrong and everybody look at GLC as being right. There ain't no in between. They embrace my concept, they see I be dressing fresh as hell, they like my shoes.... They see I be pimping (laughs).

JimmyJazz.com: (Laughs).

GLC: So that's universal. If that ain't what you are on and you still like my music, thank you very much. But outside of music, we on two totally different concepts.

JimmyJazz.com: Growing up you worked at a clothing store...

GLC: I worked at 1. It was called The Lark. They did the most highest dollar amount per store in the country out of urban retailers.

JimmyJazz.com: Wow, that's crazy.

GLC: All of our customers were like urban millionaires and thousander's and shit. (Laughs)

JimmyJazz.com: (Laughs).

GLC: (Laughs). These mothafuckas were always getting money. They would come to The Lark. And aside from that, due to the fact that it was near a really nice neighborhood, called Beverly, you'll occasionally get doctors and lawyers... all different kind of people came into the store. It was really good. If you were a hustler, you were in the prime place for your hustle.

JimmyJazz.com: You have your own t-shirt line that you distribute to boutiques in Chicago. You also did some work with L-R-G in the past. Are you doing anything else with fashion?

GLC: I got the t-shirt line. I'm about to do a shoe with this company called Supra. I'm about to do my own GLC sneaker. I have a cartoon I'm working on called "Haterville". I also play the main character in a video game called "Blitz: The League", it came out in the end of last year- "Blitz: The League 2". I got 2 songs in the game and I play the main character. I'm doing short films right now, like directing them and writing them with my partners, Noah Banks, Travis Long and Cousin Bang [who did Cam'ron's shit]. Aside from that, I'm just trying to make a better tomorrow... today.

JimmyJazz.com: You rap about losing your parents, we all know that as fans and you are vocal about it. Kanye lost his mom as well, and he's a close friend of yours. How has it been creative wise, how has it impact your music?

GLC: Man, defiantly. Because when he lost his mom I lost my other mom.

JimmyJazz.com: Sorry to hear that.

GLC: So I had to go through the shit twice. And my old man, he made his transition back when I was eight months. I learned how to walk and stand on my own two and then a few days later my old man died. When I was 12-years old I lost my mom. And then as a grown ass man I had to lose my other mom. But Mrs. West, she was the backbone of this shit. She actually changed my life as well as a few of my other friends. She saved our lives. If it weren't for her allowing us to go out to her crib and record our music and do our thing... we would probably be in jail, getting into mischiefs. Back then we really didn't understand we ain't really understand the concept of making your environment a product of you. But just being a product of your environment, that right there could of brought us down. My gratitude, my heart, my love, my life as well as my loyalty goes out to that women [Mrs. West] as well as my Mom.

JimmyJazz.com: You seem like a real conscious dude, do you have plans of being a mentor or being affiliated with programs that help misfortunate kids?

GLC: Well I am now. I work with this company called Swank Publishing out in Chicago. I go out to the Westside of Chicago and speak to inner-city youths that are in trouble. That need some guidance, aid, and assistance to help them better themselves.

JimmyJazz.com: That's good to hear. You're a real dude.

GLC: Man, I've been through a lot. People always tell me, "You're the realest, Nigga "or "your really real"... or this and that. And I just be like, "Thank you very much. You know how there's a bad women, right? You telling the bad women, how bad she is... sometimes, they be like what? Cause they see the shit everyday. It's just normal to them. So for me to be the way that I' am, it's just an everyday thing. So when someone say "Your really real" or this and that, I be like damn, thanks. But sometimes I be a little shock and shit that people would say that. Because to me it's just the only way to be. It's the way I've always been. And I notice when certain people tend to get a little fame, little bitches, little money and little power... their whole shit could change or disrupt. But to me, I could show you pictures from 10 years ago, where I had money, bitches, and power. There ain't shit new to me. Mothafuckers only act new when to a situation, when a situation is new to them. This shit is not new to me.

JimmyJazz.com: I feel you. People certainly take notice to that. It's unfortunate when money gets involved and how people lose focus.

GLC: Hell yeah. I have seen it all to often. But as I said, I don't let the bullshit worry me. I'm just going to keep going. Because, I owe this to my fans for helping me get to this point to keep going. I can't be like, "well my album ain't out the yet, I don't know what I'm gonna do" or you know how people point the finger and blame towards other people for their misfortunes?

JimmyJazz.com: Yeah.

GLC: I ain't one of those people. I accept everything. I'm a man, so I'm accountable for my acts. Whether it's a plus or a minus, I'm accountable for that shit. And that's what I have to live with.

If you've have been hiding under a rock, then you may not be familer with Aubrey "Drake" Graham, a 22-year old Rapper/ Singer who has been tagged by several music fans as the next been thing in hip-hop.

Drake, who hails from T-Dot (slang for Toronto), has been blowing up major airwaves with his current single, "Best I Ever Had" - one of several original tracks featured on his critically acclaimed mixtape, So Far Gone (released earlier this year).

Prior to music, Drizzy was a rising young actor. He is mostly know for his role as the physically disabled, Jimmy Brooks on Degrassi: The Next Generation.

(Pictured below): Drake as Jimmy Brooks on Degrassi: The Next Generation.

Get a bit more familiar with Drake. Check out a couple of video interviews from around the web!

DRAKE INTERVIEW - LIVE FROM HYDE PARK, LONDON [PART 1] from DJ SEMTEX on Vimeo.

Photo Source: CRV