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NBN'S Tredch at BET,S Spring Blidg in Ddvtond. photo: JB >>>

<<< Mr. Smilez performing dt the Pdllddium. photo: JB.

MONTHLY SECTIONS:Letter From the Publisher >> pg. lOOZONE Grdffiti >> pg. 11Hot Spots: Orldndo's Urbdn Nighilife >> pg. 3,{Phdt Fem: Hints for Beautiful Bodies >> pg. 49Ask Jdde >> pg. 52All About the Benjdmins >> p9. 57OZONE Fdshion >> pg. 58

Urbdnesque performing dt the Roxy. photo: JB.

INTERVIEWS:Tdnk >> p9. 29

DJ Tony Touch >> pg. 31DJ Ron Love >> pg. 32

Red Do99 >> pg. 37DJ Ekin >> pg. 50

DJ Ronnie Ron >> pg. 53tMx & B2K >> pg. 56

<<< the wdrhedz performing dt the pdllddium. photo: jb

PHOTO GALLERIES PART I:BET Spring Bling >> p9. 20Orldndo Source Awdrds >> pg. 22Front-Line's Roxy Showcdse >> pg. 26UCF Elements Tdlent Show >> pg. 27Mvstikdl dt Pdllddium >> pg. 28Tdnk dt the Mdrtrix >> pg. 28TonV Touch & Guru dt Tdbu >> pg. 3O

106 & park's dj dnd free onstdge in ddvton6. photo: jb >>>

PHOTO GALLERIES PART 2:Wdlk This WdV Fdshion Show >> pg. 38

Mr. Cheeks dt Tdbu >> p9. ,{OMobb Deep dt Pdllddium >> pg. ,{lMr. CC's Birthday Pdrtv >> pg. ,i2

OMIS concert dt BAR Ortdndo >> p9.t2Jd Rule & Fdbolous drt Tdtbu >> pg. ,{3

OZONE Photo cdttery >> pg. tl

PUBLISHER:Julid Beverlv (JB)

CONTRIBUTORS:Alison Rdmdidl

Bi9 EdrlChdrles Mdrch

Christind SddvedrdC.J. Stdnkiewicz

CL VeccdDdin Burroughs

DJ SteelEricd Vdlcourt

JadeJdrnet Renee Johnson

Jdson GrimesJesse Jdzz

JibreelKerri TrarvlorKevin JamesKevin Schultz

Kimy6tta KimdrLddv Essence

MercedesMike Brunscheen

Otoniel RuizP. J6hbril Brvdnt

RebornReel

Richard Quadir DdvisRuben Emm6nuelShdwdnnd Paris

Shoeb MdlikSiege

DISTRIBUTION:StrictlV S.T.REETS

SPECIAL THANKS:Big Earl Productions

cdiribbedn Be6ch clubCdribbedn Sunshine Lounge

Chill Will EntertdinmentClientell Rddio

Front-Line Promotionslntox Entertdinment

King Law FirmLd Messd Productions

Men's ClosetVo Vuzik Records

Mystic VibesRdw 9,1

CONTACT INFO:OZONE MAGAZINE1516 E. Colonidl Dr.

Suite 2O5orldndo, FL 32SO3

,107-963-6360www.ozonem6 g,com

ozonemd gohotmdil.com

Cover photos of Red Do99 dnd DJ Pro-style: Julid Beverly. OZONE MAGAZINEl9 not responsible for misinformation,typographical errors, or misprints. Theviews contained herein do not neces-sarllV reflect those of the publisheror its ddvertisers, CopVright 2OO2.All rights reserved. No portion of thlsmagazine may be reproduced in dnyway without the wrltten consentof the publisher. Prlnted in the USA.

ETF

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,ry:**f fi,rr s**rg"jgs$

*ww. H i p H o p E I e me n fs. c ornlhe REAL Hip Hop Events and Freslt Gear visit:

(954) 340-2192

LETTER FROM THE PUBLISHERSome of you know me drs the former editor of Orldndo Source Mdgdzine.After nedrly d yedr of Orldndo Source, Mert dnd I decided to retire the mdga-zine, pdrt wdys, dnd move on to bigger dnd better projects. One of mV newventures is whdt you're redding now - OZONE MAGAZINE.

;ryp. This is definetelv going to be d hot premiere issue. tt's notAt DR;f! even finished vet, drnd I've dlreddv been thredtened to beFr-r\r-J:=.r. sued. Twice (d new record for me!). lf Vou wdnt to hnow

ttEEN why, heep redtding. Suffice it to sdy t-trat t'ire hdd mV shdre ofTHREATEJTIfp orama tnis month, dnd now, t,m inipired. The topic of toddy'sTO BE SUED. discussion is fdke peopte. Sorrv to stdrt on d negdtive vibe,

T\A/|.E but some things just need to be sdid. There,s nothing like con-troversv to cure writer's block.

Let's stdrt with d brief historv lesson. When I wds dbout thirteen, the churchmy fdmily dttended here in Orldndo went through d messy divorce, so tospedk. lt stdrted with one of my neighbors, who wds bV dll dppedrdnces dperfect exdmple of a Nice Christidn BoV. We,d prdcticdlly grown up together,singing in the choir, memorizing entire books of the Bible, doing puppetshows for sick hids dt the hospitdl, hell, we were even bdptized on the sdmeddv. He wds severdl Vedrs older thdn I wds dnd I distinctly remember hedringhim behind me singing the bdss line to ,,Amdzing Grdce,,, one Tues<tay nighidt Vouth group. A few ddvs ldter, he wds dtrrested dfter it wds confirmedthdt he hdd frequenily molested d dozen boys dnd girls in the church nurs-ery. The worst Pdrt wdts thdrt one of the pdstors hdd suspected it, but hdtdn,ttdken dction sooner. l'm telling Vou this so thdt you'll understdnd whv I hdtehypocrites so much.

I cdn spot d fdhe from d mile dwdv. perhdps thdt's why l've never liked chrisWdlker, ever since the first time I met him d few months dgo. Now, let mecldrify - l'm not d sdint. But there,s d difference between being perfect dndbeing redl. Like JdV sdys, "Redl recognize redl." And Chris wdlker is definitelynot fdmilidr.

chris wdlker is d self-procldimed "Minister," not legdllv orddrined, who writesd Gospel column for the Centrdl Floridd Advocdte dnd hosts the Gospel Brunchdt House of Blues on Sunddv mornings. ln fdct, he even laughdbly describes

himself ds d "light in the mist (sp) of ddrkness.,,With this pedigree, Vou'd expect him to representChristidnity properly. Thdt's whv I wds stighflyshocked when d business meeting d few monthsdgo erupted into d shouting mdrtch with him on histippy-toes, turning red, cursing and screamingrdcist insults so loudly thdt people two roomsdwdv hedrd every word cledrlv. Although heclaims to be d "professiondl" director, peoplewho hdve worked with him in the pdst hdvetold me otherwise - specifically, reputdrblesources describe him ds "extremely drro-gdnt" dnd "difficult."

lf you were drt the grtancto Sstrr€e MertDeezine Awdrds, Vou probdbly sdw Chris

prancing dround the stdge - the self-db-sorbed prick which one drudience member dubbed

"The Ndzi." When dwdrd presenter Jonnv Brdvo begdnshouting out cliques in the dudience to get the crowd to pdrticipdte

< THE OZONE : VAY 2OO2 >

in the show, Chris chdstised him, "Thdt's not whdtt this is drbout," dnd cut offhis mic. lf you were sitting in the dudience you might hdve hedrd, "There'sd hit out on Chris. Pdss it on." lf you didn't hedr it while sedted, you prob-dblv hedrd it in the lobby. So, l'm not the onlv one who wdsn't feeling him.You might hdve even noticed thdt he hdd Rod Z introduce him twice, becdusethe first time, the dudience didn't cldp loud enough for his liking. Becduse ofthings like this, the show rdn much longer thdn it should hdve. Chris cut theshow off edrlv, drnd severdl importdnt people didn't get the recognition theydeserved. The Mixtdpe DJ of the Yedr Awdrd wdrs not given out, d Specidl Rec-ognition dwdrd for the underground rddio entrepreneur Copdfeel of Rdw

91 (93.9 FV) wds not given out, Rdtt Productions wdsn't recog-nized for Hottest Ddvtond Ared Promoter, dind D'Ville didn't getthe opportunity to show his skills performing the grdnd findle.

I wds dlso disdppointed with some of the hip-hop drtists whodccepted dwdrds dt the show. Every dirtv south drtist onstage shouted out Clientell Rddio, becduse thev recognizedthdt thev wouldn't hdve been on the stdge without theirhelp. However, some of the hip-hop drtists seem to hdveshort-term memories. Don't Vou redlize thdtt virtudllv noone in Orldndo would know you if Copdfeel didn't pldv yourmusic? The only person who dchnowledged him wds DJErik. lt mdy seem like d little thing, but it's the little thingsthdt count. He hds dedicdted the pdrst five years of hislife to promoting Orldndo's hip-hop drtists, dnd not oneof them even bothered to thdnk him when it mdttered

most. None of you dre superstdrs Vet, so don't forgetdbout the people who've been supporting you from the beginning.

While we're on the topic of fdke people, let's tdlk dbout fdke promoters. Ldteone night I was on the phone with the reggde singer Viper when I got d cdllon the other line. lt wds d "promoter" named Christidn Rojds, inviting me tocover dn upcoming "AIDS Benefit Concert," dt Knight Lights, fedturing - youguessed it - Viper. I cliched bdck over to Viper and he didn't know dnythingdbout it. Over the next severdl weeks, Christidn cdlled me ddily to remind meto cover his event, dnd wdnted phone numbers of dll my staff members sohe could invite (hdrdss?) them too. He insisted thdt Viper wdsperforming, even though both Viper dnd his mdndger told mehe wdsn't.

A few weeks ldter, I rdn into Christidn dnd his perpetudtlsidekick Brdndon Michdels pdssing out flyers. l've seenplenty of flyers for bullshit concerts, dnd thas one rdnksright up there with the cldssics, complete with picturesscdnned strdight out of Orldndo Source: "J Records &Jimmy Cozier Entertdinment present Viper live in con-cert, fedturing Jdilbird dnd Sonnv Chulo, with dtppear-dnces bv Trind, Petey Pdrblo, Fdrbolous, drnd Trick Ddddv."MV skepticdl looh prompted Brdndon to insist, "They'redll going to be there! We got the confirmdtions!" Theflyer dlso sdid thdt Shdwdnnd of POSE, who, coinci-dentdlly, wds my roommdte dt the time, would behosted the event. I took the flyer home, drnd she,knowing nothing dbout it, wds furious. Soon Mercedes, whopromotes most of the drtists on the flyer, put out phone cdlls dnd 2-wdrvs to Jdilbird, SonnV Chulo, dnd Fdbolous'mdtndrger, drmong others, dndnone of them knew dnything dbout it.

The ddy of the event, the club wds empty, ds expected. The ddv dfter the

< THE OZONE ; WAY ?OOZ >

"show," christidn cdlled dnd deFneRded thdt we not print d review of theevent. lf he hdct dsked nicelv, I might hdve considered it, but instedd I totdhim thdt mv writer hdd dlreddv written the review dnd it would be printed inthe next issue. He soon scredmed something dbout seeing me in court for'sl6nder" dnd hung up. when I findllv stopped ldughing, I told my writer toforget dbout the review so I could write it myself. The ;ext ddv, I iJot severdlentertdining voicemdils from Brdndon filled with generic insuits tike ',you'reunprofessiondl," (thdt doesn't hold much weight coming from someone whodoesn't even hdve his own cdr or phone) and ielling me he looked forwdrd toseeing me "in court." so, here vou go, christidn dnd Brdndon! lreviewed yourevent, just like Vou dsked. So sue me"

Findlly, I hdve to th€nh word on the street for continuing to promote me intheir mdgdzine. l'm redlly fldtterect thdt you're giving me so much dttention.Don't mdke me stdte the obvious - evervbodv hnows you,re only hdting onme becduse l'm more tdrlented thdn dll of you put together. I guess it titrestwentv of you to do mV iob. Not bdd for d ,,Whyt" girl, hmmm? Next timevou wdnt to shout me out in your magazine, trv getting your fdcts strdight.Anyone who knows dnvthing dbout the orldndo source Awards hnows thdt itwds Mert's show, not mine. vert dnd I were pdrtners in the orldndo s0urceMAGAZINE, ves' but in his words, the orldndo source AWARDS sHow wdssomething "totdlly sepdrdte." lt would hdve been more dpfly tifled the MertDeezine Awdrds show. I think evervone involved dgrees thdt the show coutdhdve been d lot better. when Mert dllowed d complete idiot to direct theshow, I knew it would be dll downhill from there. However, dside from thepolitics, Mert's origindl ided for the dwdrd show wds positive - d wdv tobuild the community, d redson for people to support each other. orlando lustwdsn't reddv Vet. - jB, pr(djulidbeverly.com

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PIC|URES by REEL; TOP: ASHER & 0BSERVE, MIAMI; LEFT: JAKFT, ORI-AND0; SEND PICS T0:OZONEMAG@FIOTF4AIL,COM OR 1516 COLONIAL DR, SUTIE 205 ORLANDO, FL 32803

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ABOVE: REEL, ORLANDO; BEIO!{; TASK & SIAK, OR|-ANDO; LEFT: SEN2, BRONX

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PICTURES by REEL

TOP: AKS & SYREK, CIEVEIINDBOTTOM: FX CREW & HOT CRU, PUERT0 RICO

TI.ITTRTAINftlTNT IHC

ffiffiY SPffi€NG ffiLENG e*G€ : *&YF*F.€APhotos: Julid BeverlV

Above: Ashdntii Jermdine Dupri; Tredch of Ndughtv bV Ndtture & Adrienne of 3LW;Freewdv & Bednie Siegel. Below: Jdheim & Tigger; Luddcrisi Orldndo's DJ prostyle

Abovs: Ginuwine; Mvstikdli lrv Gotti of Murder lnc.; Tredch of Ndughtv by Ndture. Be-tow: Koy reppin' Orldndo; Tredch & JBi Adrienne of 3LW overlooking the crowd.

BHT SPRIF{G BTENG e0GA : DAYTOh{APhotos: Julid Beverly

Abov€: Ndughtv bV Ndture; Free of lo6th & Parki Jaheim dnd some lddiesi Luddcris.tselow: AJ & Free; Jdddkiss; Mdster P.

Above: Jd Rulei Lil' Jon dnd the Edstsicle Bovzi Supermodel Nich Usher; Mdster P tdlk-in9 to d fdn bdckstdge. Below: Jdheim; the crowdi Luddcris

CIRLANDO SOURCE AWARDS SHGWPhotos: Ddin Burroughs & Julidr Beverly

Above: Robert Mdrley (JB); lconz (DB)i WdrHedz (DB). B6tow: pimp J & Red Do99 of VoVuzih Records with Sdlt of Chop Shop (JB)i Shreddd & the Dice Records Fdmity (DB).

Above: Tredl (JB); lmdge (JB)i dnd t/3 of CN3 (DB). Betow: Fed Up Records (DB); CN3(DB)l Bi9 Will of Mdx-A-Million dnd Jonnv Brdvo (DB).

ORLANDO SOURCE AWARDS SHOWPhotos: Ddin Burroughs

Above: vr. cc & the Reggde Ambdrssdrdorsi vr. smilezi x of TDP. Below: Duv6li sonnyChuloi Soet, Duvdl, dnd D'Ville performing the ndtiondl dnthem.

Above: DJ Eriki Southstdri Mert Deezine dnd Julid Beverlvi Rod Z. Below: Pdt Nix, Rd-shdd Tyler, dnd Shoeb Malih of Front'Linei Soet; DJ Cdesdr dnd DJ Ndstv.

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&w€€*= SHowPhotos: Ddin Burroughs, Regind Mdck, & Jutid Beverlv

A.bov€,: Viper (JB)i Bridget Hdnse (DB)i BdbV Ldc Ftoridd (DB). Eetew: Stevie KdVe dndJesse Jdzz (JB); Redlm Z (JB); Mert Deezine dnd Commissioner Cldrence pdge (DB).

Ab{r!;e: Gunn of the WdrHedz (JB); POSE Ddncers (DB); Julid Beverly, Robert Mdrtev, &LddV Essence (RM). Below: Otd dnd Mdrviile (JB)i Tredt (DB)i SonnV Chuto's ddd (DB).

ffiffit&Nffi# s#L$fficffi &kv&rems & &flEffirop&ffiTyPhotos: Ddin Burroughs & Julid Beverlv

Abov6: Vdrious fdshions from FREE BY ARDRA B (DB). Beiow: Disco, CldV-D, dnd Alexdt Pdllddium (JB); DJ Jdson, DJ Ndstv, DJ Prostvle, Mr. CC, 6nd Wicked D (JB).

Above: Mr. Smilez (JB)i Remington & Prostvle (JB); TKO (JB). Below: Pdllddium (JB);Rob-Lo (JB); Cdribbedn Bedch crew (JB). Trdnsportdtion bV Shdmar, lnc.,321-113-7593

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Photos: Julid BeverlV

Ai5'ie: Hdrold of Duvdl; Jdze; Kreishd. Belo\&r: Duvdrli Representing North cdrolindiPuggie of Duvdl dnd Kdrld of POSE.

: r i , ? 4 Deep; Urbdnesque. Eelf}\^.r: AC of Duvdli t/4 of Urbdnesque; AC of Duvdl dndDdrsheen of POSE; hdlf of Nevdsvde; the other hdlf of Nevdsvde.

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UCF ffiLHMEN.{T5 TALENT SF4trWPhotos: Julid Beverlv

Above: 3rd pldce winner Trdvis, the sexiest R&B singer in Orldndoi lst pldce winnersSoet. Below: T.D.P.i Nemo & Tzdr of the Pdrddox Unit; UCF Elements Hip-Hop Club.

Above: Judges DJ Prostvle, JB, dnd Rickv P of IOZ Jdmz; Plus Wun; znd pldce winnersthe Scrollmen. Below: DJ Trddemdrki JB & Cleezv; Grdndmdster Q; Don Legend & co.

M*G L*flfl: MVSTEKAL eE FA3-L&DIUM:sr Eov,,,i Mvstihdr; crdv-D & rriends; ril$ffi."'J'J-"."\;:tJI,,,

",ru Bovz; shdKe ya Assi Mvstihdr

O INTERTAINhIENT: TANK aT Iha NdATRIXlst Ro!v: rdnh: rdnh & roni or o r",.?T""t"T;orffj:::"JHilt

"n* n Bdbv Ldrc. rdnK & rdnsi rdnh

CHIKT WIKL: TONY TOUCH &Photos: Julid Beverly

GURU @ TABU

tro',e TonV Touchi Derrick; Chiil Will & TonV Touch. Below: TonV Touch fdns; ChoppdHilli Brummell & his brother.

::,: TonV Touch & DJ Prostyle; Edion of tntox Entertdinment & Chill Will. BelowTony Touch, Dd Sich One, & Choppd Hiili curu of cdngstdrr.

DJ TONY TOUCHTHE RICAN.STRUCTION CONTINUES

Born Joseph Herndndez, DJ TonyTouch wds born dnd rdised in Brook-lyn dnd moved to Orldndo with hisfdmily drs dt teendger. TonV becdmedn inspiration to mdnv other hip-hophedds in O-Town. He stdrted hiscdrreer drs dr voung MC by the ndmeof Brooklvn Pdrtv. After doing locdlpdrties with his lroc crew, TonVfound himself intrigued by thewheels of steel. He bought his ownset of turntdbles dnd chdrnged hisndme to DJ Tonv Touch, spinningdrt dtnv venue he could find. He spunhouse pdtrties, bdllrooms, evenhotels on 016nge Blossom Trdil.TonV dlwdvs sent the crowd homethirsty for more.

After turning eighteen, TonV mdde dcdrreer choice to tdke his skills bdckto the Big Apple. He stdrted puttingout mixtdpes in smdll stores onconsignment, dnd slowly but surelyit pdid off . TonV mdde d ndmefor himself drnd stdrted meetingfdmous MCs like Big Ddddy Kdne dndGuru. Soon, he wds invited to tourin Europe with Guru, dnd dfter thdt,TonV wds known worldwide. Sincethen, Tony hds become one of themost recognized DJs in the gdme tospin dnd sell mixtdpes in countries like Jdpdn, Germdny, dnd Frdnce.

TonV is dlso the officidl DJ for the legenddrv Roc Steadv crew, one of hip-hop's first orgdnizdtions in existence. He dlso is the mdn who put out the 50MCs mixtdpes volumes l-3, which served ds d stepping stone for mdny under-ground rdrppers who needed exposure and credibilitv to go mdinstredm in thehip-hop world. Shortlv dfter thdt, he ldnded d dedl with Tommy Boy Recordsdnd put out his first dlbum, "The Piece Mdker," which wds d! success. TonV hdsdone whdt other DJs hdve onlv dredmt dbout. Now 32 yedrs old, Tony hdsdnother dlbum dbout to hit the streets, dnd d hot single bubbling (,,Cdpicu,,,featuring Fdt Joe, N.O.R.E., dnd JuJu of the Bedtnuts). TonV dnd I hooked updt d club in Long lsldnd, where he blessed the crowd with d hot exhibition ofHip-Hop lol without even bredking d swedt. He dlso recentlv spun dt TdbuNightclub here in Orldndo, where the dudience dlso got to see Guru performlive. Be sure to pick up their upcoming dlbums - Tony's "The Piece Mdker 2,,,dnd Guru's "Bdld Hedd Slick."

I persondlly wish Tony dll the best, both ds d lovdl hip-hop hedd dnd ds dLdtino. Tony hds hdd d mdjor lmpdct on me, dnd mdny others dround theworld. He'll 90 down in history with the lihes of DJ Chdrlie Chdse, Bi9 pun,Crdzv Legs, dnd Willie Esco, who were drll groundbredkerE for Ldtinos in thehip-hop gdme. For more info, log onto www.TonyTouch.com

- Big Edrl, bigedrlprod@dol.com

< THE OZONE : MAY ZOOZ > 29

Red Dogg's "Sunshine Stdte," is in heavy rot.ltion on dll locdl rddio stdltionsds well ds mdny other cities throughout the stdte, lihe Gdinesville, Tdmpd,Tdlldhdssee, Ft. Pierce, West Pdlm Bedch dnd Jdchsonville. BootlQg versionsof the song were dlreddy oumping dlong the strip during Ddvtond's Bldck Col-lege Reunion this pdst month, demonstrdting the song's populdrity.

... "- "Grind Hdrd," the l5'trdck follow-up CD from Mo' Vuzik"5uNSHlNts Entertainment, fedrtures production from Red Dogg dndS=ATE," GIVES coldphingd. lt's solid the whole wdv throuqh dnd in high

Tr-1tr Dtr11ot tr ,1tr demdnd. Other drtists from the Killd Gorilld fdmily lend theirJ,'::',::'^::-' lyricdl tdlents ds well to mdke this CD d gredt listen. TheF LURIUA >OME- jlbum covers d vdrietv of subjects, bdsed on life experiences

THING TO BE through storytelling lvrics. lnspirdtiondl lyrics encouragepROUD OF street thugs to better themselves, dnd "Sunshine Stdte,"

gives the people of Floridd something to be proud of.

Recl Dogg, 27, wds born in Orldndo ds Regindld Tyrone Allen. The secondyoungest of four children, Regindld wdrs born into d poor family. with thestrength from his family, dnd belief in God, Regindld wds dble to overcomethe possible consequences of street life - dedth or life in prison. Throuqhoutthis time, he wds also influenced hedvily bV music. His mother, who sdng inthe church choir, was dn inspirdtion for his pursuit of a career in music. Ashe grew older, he begdn listening to rdp drtists lihe Scdrface, UGK, dnd TooShort, whose music dnd styles begdn to inspire his desire to not onlv becomed pdrt of the rdp scene, but dlso to help put orldndo on the map. Listeningto Scdrfdce's unique dbilitv to tell his life storv in lvricdl rhvmes generdtedd spdrh for Regindld to stdrt writing lvrics about his own life experiences.Soon Reggie begdn to inquire dbout producing trdcks. Usinq his hdrd-edrnedmonev, he sdved enough to buv his first keybodrd dlnd soon mdstered bedt'mdhing dnd produced his own trdcks.

He soon met the cEo of Mo' Muzih Entertdinment, Jon, better known ds PimpJ, who took d liking to his persondlity dnd voice. Reggie soon becdme d mem-ber of the hottest group in Orldndo, the Killa Gorillds. Performing ds d KilldGorilld opened mdnv doors for Reggie to perform on the s€me stdtge es iconsin teh music industrv such ds Luddcris, Mvstikdl, Juvenile, Trick Ddddv, Trind,Pdstor Troy, dnd mdrnv others. Reggie's hdrd worh dnd dedicdtion helped himbecome the first drtist from Mo' Muzih Entertdinment to reledse d solo dl-bum. For more info, call ,107-523-3555 or visit www.momuzik.com.

PICK UP RED DOGG'S DEBUTSOLO ALBUM, ''GRIND HARD.''AT ANY OF THE FOLLOWINGLOCATIONS:

- Belz Fdctorv Outlet Mdll- Best Buy- Camelot'CD Warehouse- Circuit City. FYE- Megdt City DJs- Men's Closet- Pointe Orldndo'Sam Goody

D- Rcn Love, currently d DJ on Cli-en:Fll Rddio 91.7, recenflv helped put13" dndo on the mdrp by representing

tf F citV during his tdping of BET'sRop City: ln the Bdssment. OZONE

MAGAZINE recentlv hdd d chdnce to:Fdt with Ron dbout the differences

-re s experienced worhing for bothc:-mercidl r6dio dnd underground

rddio.

OZONE: How long hdve Vou beenhere in orldndo?

)J Ron Love: I moved here in 1998frori Jdchsonville. I hdd d show on

S3.7 The Bedt in Jdcksonville, d niceshow from seven to midnight. I

hosted the show dnd dicl mix shows3t the sdme time, which is something

O: What mdde Vou decide tomove?

e 'edl good reldtionship.',AJhen P6co left tor 1O2

Jdmz here in Orl6ndo, d-ew 'regime' cdme in,

. - c '^,ith the new cdtptdincdme the new tedm.

l-e stdrted the Wdkeup::sse down here on 102,

dnc when I told himilort the troubles I

!\,3s hdving in tdl-i- assee he invited

get in dt 102. When I first cdme toOrldndo, he wds doing the StreetJdms show which was svndicdted,so I did mixes for that show whichwds dired in different mdrketsthroughout the countrV. ShortlVdfterwdrds, thev got tired of Pdcodt lO2 Jdmz, so mV involvementwith 1O2 prettv much died dt thdtpoint.

O: How did Vou become involvedwith Ddwgmdn drnd Clientell Rdtdio91.7 F|,l?

RL: I met with Dawgmdn ldte onenight in JulV 2OO1 6t dn dfter-hoursrestdrurdnt. He knew me from pldv-ing dt different clubs for Front'Line,Rock Entertdinment, Hi-Ho Enter-

i hdven't hedrd here in Orldndo Vet tdinment, dnd other promoters,so we tdlked dbout the possibil-itv of me doing some mixeson his st6tion. For whdtever

redson, he wds interestedRL: Honestlv, 92.7 The Bedt in hdving me on the dir.

dve me mV wdlking I told him thdt I wdspdpers. l'd hddsorne differ-

ences with dcouple people

'jd 'P! i G.* honored, but I

on the mdn-caemetn tedmr

dnd to mdhed long storv

' #===S ill station. I hdve, €-*#E d more com-

short, Pdco'.opez wds

mV boss in.icrc hso nville,

dnd we had

rc,dff}i*3,". G"::iff.:;:==. 11 merciat sound.

His reply wds,'Thdt's whdtwe wdnt, forvou to come

on bodrddnd do Vou.'

That's whdt I did, dnd I'vebeen there ever since.

O: So, Vou've worked forboth commercidl rddiostdtions drnd undergroundradio. Wh6t differencesdo Vou see between thetwo?

RL: lt's like night dndddv. I don't core whot

- F d: rvr to trv to

WORDS & IMAGES SY JULIA B:VENLY

dnybody tells Vou '

{{ TAS$4IffiN SHO\ru AT THE DOUBTETREHPhotos: Julia Beverlv

11,,,i=:":].:,!:i *EN'i;"": F#ffi. L:#==€= {+ Te##Photos: Julid BeverlV

:::v+ ShyV, Edion, & Spdin; Mr. Cheeks; Kdthv, Jesse, Curtis, & Melld. Below: Mike & dMdximum securitv gudrdi Edion, Mr. Cheeks, Choppd Hill, & Jus NVse.

i: i, , !: Mr. Cheeks dnd some ddncersi Rob-Lo, DJ Ndstv, & DJ Caesdr. Below,: Spdin &Choppd Hilli SkVVi Mr. Cheeksi JB & Wes

Photos: Julid Beverly

jrcvei Prodigy, Gdrfiold, Hdvoc, Chino, & Alchemist; wdrHedz. Be ow: D'ville, South-stdr, & Big Wil; WarHed Bldck; Prodigy & Hdvoc redding Orldndo Sourcei D-Bo & Cdl

ii::r sdge, Jesse Jdzz, Tonv C, & friendsi D'ville; chief Pdrtv Roch.l Greg G. Below:D.O.A.i some lddies in the dudiencei vobb Deep fdnsi Qud & his lady; TonV C.

r,,{fir, ';fi'S *i:R?F"=8ffi&V tr&ECT"H fS *€===FgeFi ffiffiAfl:}4P"ctcE Mercedes. ':t lt+i.i:Mr. CC dnd his birthddv cdkei Red Rdt performing.:=s] P!-iltu': Dolly's One

Stop & Trevor of Cdrib Crdfti Jdngo Freshi Finesse; Assdssin & Sugdr Slick.

OMIS CONCERT @ BAR ORTANDOFrc::E

'J" d Beverrv' lsr Row';:?lourz;SJ'sll3

i""""r:TffiiJl-5;,:l- Z; X of r'D P' 2nd Row: ovrs

HUul'r'V't'EOD iflAST: iH liui- & f AFrf :-GUS ffi TA8L!PFotos: Julid Beverlv. 1st Row: Ernest, Jd Rule, & Chris; Chino, Fdbolous, & Gary. Znd Rsw: Don Q &

-sboiousi DJ Ndstv & DJ Prostvlei Farbolous "performing"; Jd Rule redding orldndo Source.

CLOAK & DAGGER ENT.: FAT JOE @ HARD ROCKphotos: rurid Beverrv. t" o"*;,:?:::,r:;'Jr.HJ,,":.rl?lr'il"",rii?.starioni rvBress. znd Row: Dr

'Ddwg & Ndstv @ Roxy (JB); T.l. @ Pdllddium (JB)i Poet & Swdmburger @ Tdbu (JB).3e o'.^r: Grown Folhs o RoxV (JB)i Shu & Stress (MC); Lissd & Kimmy

+ \ds:y, June Buhg, Steel, Jesse Jazz,& Shredm; Jdmmdster J, Chris Turner, & Run-DMC.i + :.r: P. Nix & d friend (JB)i Rod in Tampdi Cdrib Explosion @ Hdrd Rock (JB)

r::: . e: CC & Junior O Hdrd Rock (JB); Khia O Pdllddium (JB); Krazy Pakdlolo in Tdmpd (JB);'r^J'J'Tdn9 (JB). Bele|!',v: Beres Hdmmond (JB); Wes & GdrV (JB); Lvricdl Desporddoes (JB).

-:.. . F Nds Q House of Blues (JB); Ekin & Phdntom feeding edch other dfter the Nds concert-B). leic-,'.,i: Willie Fischer & friends (JB)i Cupid (o Hdrd Roch (JB); DJ Bldx & MD of Adiquest.

eloeku/ise frorn laft: Bustd RhVmes Wild 98.7; Sdntidgo Skillz &DJ Trddemdrki MJG| Skream & Kimi Poison Dart & RoxV.

-::.. F, n Fdt Joe, & Christindi JoeV Nice, DJ Prostvle, & Rob Love. 3elo\^,: Ed9e, Spree,i+".: 5'.redm,&Jesse Jazzat NexxLeveli MickevSpice&RoxV; lnf6&Adi dtHdrdRock.

: ::,,!,,/ se fiom dbove: Tdrdntuld; Sizzldi Mercedes, Edge, & friends dt Firestone; South-steri Marlev Fest; shoeb's crew reppin'Grill; Belowi 8-Bdlli B2K, Ericd vdlcourt, & Mdrtin.

:: :, ? Erica Vdlcourt & lMxi Disco & Vercedes. Below: vercedes & Sonny Chulo's pops; JdtVLove; Nique, one of Wdyne Wonder's biggest fdns; Purplemdn Productions dt Club XS

HINTS FOR BEAUTIFUL BODIESLddies, looking good in 2OO2 is dr necessitv. Here's d few inexpensive dndrelidrble beduty tips. First of dll, let's tdtlk dtbout hair. tt's time to tet go of theweave. lt's one thing if Vou're doing it for fdshion - ldin't mdrd dtt yd. WhV dveVour hdir when you cdn get dr wig or d quich wedve? But, for my peeps whodre doing the sndtch bdck ponytdils, here dre some growth stimuldtors to getVour own hoir growing hedlthy, lon9, dnd strong.

Vitdmins ' Biotin dnd Silicd. Both of these can be purchased dt dnv hedlthfood store, Chdmberldin's, GNC, dnd even Walgreen's. The hey is to buv theone with the most milligrams. There dre mdnV compdrnies thdrn mdnufdcturethem, dnd Vou cdn even find some vitdmins thdrt dre a combindtion of both.Both biotin dnd silicdt will not onlV help you grow hedlthv hdir, but ndils too. I

hdve both dnd continue to use them - they DO worh.

Growth Stimuldtor - Now, don't trip. This one is kindd different, but it dlsoworks. Buy d pint of vodkd and one z-ounce pdch of orgdnic powdered cdy-enne pepper. Use d cledn gldss jdr dnd d nvlon knee-high stocking. Pldce dllthe contents of the pepper dnd vodhd in the jdr. Place the lid securelv on topand shdke very well. Let stdnd for three ddvs in dr cool pldce. After three ddvs,shdhe the bottle dgdin. Pldce the knee-high stoching over the mouth of the jdrdnd strdin the mixture four times until it's d cledir burgundv red liquid. Withan dpplicdtor bottle, (which Vou cdn purchdse drt any Beduty Supply store)pldce it on Vour scdrlp only. lf you wdnt, put d pldstic cdtp over your hedrd drndledve it on for drt ledst dn hour dnd d hdlf. lf you like, Vou cdrn sleep with themixture on Vour hedd. Remember to wdsh your heir thoroughly in the morn-ing dnd proceed with d protein conditioner dnd moisturizer. The results interms of thick lush hdir growth drre remdtrkdble. But don't tdke mV word forit. Try it yourself! And don't forget to finish your final rinse with cold wdter.It smoothes the cuticle, credting d bedutiful healthv looking shine.

I guardntee both of these bedutv trichs will work, but you hdve to put insome extrd effort ds well. Don't forget to hdve vour ends trimmed dnd wdshdnd condition properly on dr reguldtr bdsis. lf Vou can't dfford to go to theshop reguldrly, try dr locdl bedutv college or tdke the time to do it Vourself.Remember, no one cdn tdke better cdre of vou thdn vou. There is only one ofVou, look good dnd enjov! - Kerri Trdvlor, lnspire_You@msn.com

< THE OZONE : VAY 2OO2 > 17

ORLANDO'S MOST WANTEDtrip,:entlV, I hdd the pledsure of being dble to chdrt with one of Florida's best-reF: secrets, DJ Ekin. His cdlm swdgger dnd uncdrnnv dbility to rock the pdrtv*orr Orldndo to Cledtrwdrter hdrs mdde him the quietest, Vet most tdlkeda0.or.Jt DJ in the dred. His reputdtion spedks d different ldngudge unfdmilidr tolCS! edrs in the urbdn community.

CZ3f'llE: You hdve been in the music business for d long time. Tell us dtbout thet.e3JtV itnd the bedst of the industry.3J thiln: The beduty of it is thdt l'm dctudrlly fortundte enough to hdve seen drsr-luch ds lhdve, dnd be dble to do something thdt llove to do - entertdin dndcredte. The beast of it is the dmount of bullshit thdrt comes with it.

3 . Orldndo, clo Vou see Beauty or Bedst?Ei n ln Orldndo, I see d lot of both. The beduty is people who understdnd whdtrr dbout dnd dpprecidrte it. The bedsts dre the people thdt dre messing up

:1e 96me. This entertdinment business hds become like college. Everyone ise ther d DJ, dn Mc, or d promoter.

3 You recentlv reledsed dr mixtdpe cdlled, "GAMETIME: Def Jdm Edition."tr,/'here did Vou get thdt title from?E\ n:For one, the entertdinment business to me is like a game; lihe pldving:le otto. Secondly, the mixtdpe mdrrket is extremelv flooded right nowi dndildt s dn understdttement. I dlso wdnted to credte d series so thdt peopleE3J d dlwavs reldte to me. I've ledrned thdt mixtdpes dre d! pdtrt of the mdr-lret:rg process - so lfigured thdt if lwdls to pldtv that pdrt of the gdme, then

drdnt€d to pldv mv own wdrv.

3 Whdt is it lihe going from the most tdrlked-dbout DJ in Centrdl Floridd toD d!'lng the most wdnted fugitive on "Americd's Most Wdnted?"E.i' n: I don't think l'm the most tdlked-drbout DJ, but I'm probdblv the onlv:rre n Centrdl Floridd thdt hds hdd d principle dcting role on d mdjor series.D aV'rng on "Americd's Most Wdnted" wdrs redllv cool. lt gdve me d chdince toeilpress my versdtility - something thdt I'm most proud of .

: Do people ever mistdhe you for the fugitive, Gregory Rhodes?Elh r: Thdnkfully, l've only hdrd one person dctudrlly 6dmit it to me thdt llookre the chdrdcter thdtt I portrdved on AVW. He tried his best not to offend me

rrlFn he dshed (ldughs).

C itfhdt hds it been like working for Def Jdm?i.h -:lt's crdzv! They've become mV fdmilV, like mV big brother of sorts. lt's:ool to be dble to flv to New York or Los Angeles dnd hdrve some of the most"espected cdts in the gdme vdrlue your opinion. And the check doesn't hurte tlrFr. MV vision hds been enhdnced in d number of wdvs, but mostlv it's just*ide me more focused. ldm set on dccomplishing pdrticuldr godls now, dts:rDosed to just wdnting to dlwdvs be into something.

C \A,,hdt do you feel you hdve to offer?Lqrr: jlhe thing l've got to give the people is just honestv. Whenever ldos:Tethin9, I give it mV dll. I'm not going to front like l'm not trving to edt, but,{ I dlways dttempt to give Vou Vour money's worth dnd then some. There

s rr.cre thdn enough of DJ Ekin credtivelv to go dround, but this DJ Ekin is d

< THE OZONE : MAY 2OO2 >

ffiJ-',- .

MlxrMEGMlx eDs

tF Yot YVAI{T,:'YO,R ffi.ElcPIAYED,IGET AT tJ$

lot more focusedthdn he wds dtthis sdme timel6st Vedr. Thdtlimits how muchof mvself l'mgoing to dllow togo dround.

O: Do you seed differencebetween the ldn-gudge of industrvhedds drnd thedverdge con-sumer?Ehin: The industrvtdlhs bigger. Thdtmdv be the big-gest difference.The industrv ds d

€LO$l' .,lAlilZ-.r8ez€ospE-

frffi*,0,TE GOT YOU!

fiIl{ITE BOI

OA BEST IT:

whole is looking dt the world drs dr stdge. The common folk, for the most part,iiir mV opinion, dre onlv focused on whdt's directlv in front of them.

O: Why is Vour ndme mentioned more hedvilv in Tampd thdn here?Ehin: Probablv becduse I begdn to focus more on whdt I wds doing inT6mpd. l'm d trdveleri I like to see other things - so when I begdn to do theG€rdge Nightclub (in Tampa), d lot of other things stdrted to fdrll into pldceover there. There is redllv no other redson. I wdsn't over here doing theweehly club nights like some of the other DJs whose ndtmes ring more inthe streets. when I wds here, l'd be doing stuff like Disnev's Grdd Nite dndBldckvoices.com's Summer Spldsh 2OOl, so to dverdge person who goes tothe clubs in Orldndo everv weeh, thev mdv not hdve hedrd mv ndme d lot. l'mr'!ot out d lot these ddvs, dnd when I dm, mV familv dnd I often bounce to dif-ferent spots to see how things dre in different marhets. To be quite honest,between Def Jdm, school, dnd DJ Ekin Ventures, there hdsn't been time formuch else dtnvwdtv.

O: whdt defines success for d DJ in the industry?Fhin: ldon't think thdt there is one definition for success. I've been told bV dl,ot of people thdt l'm successful now, but there is d lot more thdt I hdve leftto dccomplish. I guess everv DJ hds their own definition.

O: Do you pldn on retiring from the gdme of DJing?Ehin: I don't know, I just don't wdtnt to be sixty dnd still rochin' d crowd inorder to edt. lf I'm doing it thdt ldte in life, it's becduse I wdnt to.

O: Without being cockv, how good is DJ Ekin?Ehin: l'm good enough to rock with the best of them and hold mV own, buthLrrnble enough to ledtrn from the worst of them, becduse there is somethingto be learned in everv situdtion.

O Anything else vou would like to ddd?Ern: One love to mV House of Steele FAM, the How we Get Down Crew, OnCle Stvles, Big Steve from Mdximum Securitv, mV brother Apollo, Mr. SmilezEr Southstdr (thdnhs for blessing Volume 1), My boys Mr. Bldrck, EP, dnd Danny;and of course, dnybodv thdt's ever supported me.

- OL Mecca, clmeccd@hotmdil.com

< THE OZONE : VAY 2OO2 > 19

€< 43ffi G&ffiffi F>Dedr Jade, l've been dt my current job for dbout six months, dnd d new guvtrdnsferred to my depdtrtment. He mdkes comments here dnd there thdtrnahe me uncomfortdrble. He tells me I hdve sexy legs, d nice shdpe, dnd looksat me like he's interested in me. l'm not interested in him, but I don't wdntto c.tuse 6ny problems dt work becduse I redllV like mV job. Whdt cdn I do?- Uncomfortdble

le:'Jrcomi+rt**€+, Thsrs €r€,* f*!.!FNe tl"ri**s Vail cdn do. f:.st, Voir €*n pul{- n.l to tn+ slde 6nd tsll him tl'rdt yel! feel uRc*rnf*rt*+:+ bv tFr* €smrnent$'F rndhes 31d e=* *r*V h€ !s*hs *e v*u, dne cee !f he respeets Vour wishes:c ke+i thir:€s += Af!+ lJF *r'*{* {lp.:wsH:d 6nlv d€ th:s if he doesn't *pp+dr:o Fe € thredt" lf g6ar der!'t thinh, th€t's dpF!"Gpridte, Vou cd- slwdvs i*v*lvs,:,' ,Ti-f:+€:*t+ €*p+fvi$gr 5* ghev €*n t*he l*€ necessdrv steps t* {sntdct.Lrrrcn.esoureFs *r l"lev# s ch€t with him th€rnselvrs. U!tar?:€t+lv, it'E:JF tc,3:- -her* €:r € few wdvs he rriight rs*et: h€ might ledv+ Vou *l*ne, pursus,:r rrare, 6r *+t Fi5*ed trtet v*Li *re dissin€ him dnd trv y** ldter {ds€dillt}.,\,'r'3tever.j*= d*: b* {srFfill. - -!€*e

Dedr Jdde, l've been broken up with mv boyfriend of three Vedrs for drbouttwo months now. I thought I'd be over him by now, but I still crv over stupidthings, stdy in bed d lot, constdntlv think dbout the lies he told me, and hdrdlve6t. I wdnt to get over him so bdd drnd move on, but somehow I cdn't. whdtcdn I do to feel better? - Depressed

l€i' )rpress€d, Y*rJ;d;S it Vs*rcslf. You €r+ d+gressed. if you've been fs*i-^q 116 li,s for ov*,r tw* w+€ks, lwsuld seoh professic*€l h?!p.5orn6 of th*:,+ncv!crs vcu'\re dss€r!*sd €re $\rmBtomrs of depressio* {excessive wsrrv-^ q :'V:*q, ieeiing wsrthless dnd $dd, ioss of dBpetite, }r*blems si€epinq, dnd*:rFi. Ev+rv*** sHperi*fice6 th*$s fselan€$ et *i:e time or dnothe., b*t if it

3f :Fcts your d*ily r*utlne fcr t*ng ptrrisds of time, th€n it rni*ht be unh**lehv.:.i"lseling !s *n *pei*n,6n* eh€re *re msdi€et:ens you cdn tdke lihs Z*lsft:r P!"oz.c (dnti-d*FrsscdrrtsS th*t €dn dllev;dtF the sVmptoins while Veu se+k'r+ E, +rem e prcf+gsi*n€!. lf :t wanrlFs vgu thi€ much, tdhe €dre of ycurs*lti-3 lc wh*t'€ **sC. l€ it's nct thdt seri*u€, Veu A**w whdt they sdv -:*F bestJ,'l r :o cet over ths l*€t rRdn is thF next mdn. - JardF

Dedr Jdde, I recentlv ldnded d job dt the sdme compdny drs .r mdrn I used tosleep with. Bdck then, it wds just sex, but now thdt we spend a lot of timetogether dt work, l've stdrted to redlly cdre dbout him. I'd like to be his girldgdin, but the wdv I feel now, l'd wdnt more thdn just d phvsicdl thing. TheproDlem is that he's dlreddv in a reldtionship, dnd seems hdppy. I think hewdnts me drlso, drnd I dssumed he hadn't mdde the move becdtuse of his girl.The problem is thdt one of mV co-workers cdrught him gettin' his fredk onwith someone ELSE during business hours (while clueless wifev wds 6t homecoohing). lt's redllv none of my business, but it put me into this crdzv identitycrisis. I feel like I'm not good enough to be his wifev, but not sexv enough tob,e his ho. Whdt do you think? - Confused

:ed'Cc*fu=*+, *VhV drtr Vsu *rrsr} w*cti*q V*ur al.ne endlvu:n€ lhis?!? Ds, c i "ediize n*Ls sillv Vsu s*und? H:s sctian$ er+ nothing dgdinst you psrssn-. ,,' le'ii lust:*** whdtFver hs {*n q*t. SF ql*d y**'r* not his tro, *nd ?vpn-.re qlsd i*€t v*u'rs not wif$v et lisrne b6ing lief ta. Keep the rF€*tlonehip3r c rr-r5ine=s:*s#i, frt'rd wfr*csljsr v*$ ds, iFsi5e tle urge to rip hi* elothF$:" .':; don't =*s# th@ dflsm€! *frd Vgt! kr}ew V*cJ deserve better"'l**F

Emdil Vour questions to Ask_Jdde@Hotmdil.com - DON'T BE SCURREDIII!!

5: < THE OZONE : MAY ZOOZ >

CI,,LS rd

<< URBAN DRAMA >>

Sound Check, introducing DJ Ronnie Rondnd Urbdn Drama, where - "God is theBiggie, Biggie Bomb!" Whdt? Who? Holdup. Thdt's what I thought. A lot of Vouhdve been sleeping on one of Orldndo'smost positive hip-hop rddio shows to hitthe dirwdves.

Strdight out of O-town, DJ Ronnie Ronhe hds been in the DJ business for dboutnine yedrs, dnd spins every sunddvbetween 5 PM dnd 6:3O PM on WOKB1600 AM. Urbdn Drdmd is d rddio Pro-grdm thdt is gedred towdrds dll dges dndbdchgrounds. Yes, it is on the spiritudl tip- it's dll dbout christ. Don't get it twisted- it is full of fldvor for the edr, not thetrdditiondl gospel music your big mommdmdde vou listen to, but enough to getVou crunk for Christ. "Gospel hip-hop hdspositive lyrics so Vou don't hdve to bedshdmed of whdt Vou're listening to. Thewords inspire you without cursing, so it'ssomething Vou cdn listen to with yourpdrents," sdvs DJ Ron. The Urbdn Drdmdtedm consists of Miz Bunnv dnd MinisterDedric Brown dlongside DJ Ronnie Ron.

CURTAII{S REUpH0LSTERy,DRAPERY VALANCEVERTICATS Ag1NINGSBLINDS AND MORE,.PILLOWS

When people think of gospel hip'hop, thev sometimes 9et d negdtive impres-sion, but thdnks to drrtists like Kirk Frdnhlin dnd MdrV Mdry, the music is cross-ing over into the mdinstream. Believe it or not, Gospel hip-hop hds been onthe scene since t930 when the Dixie Hummingbirds stdrted rdpping dboutdbout Nodh. lt resurfdced in the l98os dnd is still trying to bredk into themdinstredm airwaves in 2OO2.

Urbdn Drdmd is more thdn just d couple of voices on the dirwdves. TheVpdrticipdte in communitv dctivities to show dnd prove God's love in variouswdvs. The first Sdturddy of every month Vou cdtn catch DJ Ronnie Ron dtSemordn Skating Rink. He dlso continues to do 5th Grdde Grdd Gospel nightsds well ds hip-hop Gospel davs in schools such ds Grdnd Avenue Elementdrvdnd lvey Ldne. "Through the Vedrs I hdve witnessed Voungsters coming toChrist just through the music," sdys DJ Ronnie Ron, "Urbdn Drdmd's godl isto help Vou build d reldtionship with Christ dnd not be dshdtmed of whdt Voubelieve."

DJ Ronnie Ron's persondl fdvorites include drtists lihe Cross Movement,who he compdres to Wu-Tdng, dnd Pettidee, whom he describes drs dr crossbetween Shdggv dnd Mvstikdl. Persondllv, I lihe Gospel gdngstd rdp with theWest Codst feel ' drtists like BB Jdy, whose flow reminds me of the Notori-ous B.l.G. Gospel hip-hop is dccepted on dn individudl bdsis.

Who knows, soon you might be dble to cdtch d concert dt Hdtrd Rock ordnother locdl venue fedturing one of the mdrnv Gospel hip-hop drtists brouqhtto Vou by Urban Drdmd. You might even hedr them on 95.3 Pdrtv or lO2 Jdmz.DJ Ronnie Ron is working on it, but in the medntime listen to WOKB 1600AV. You cdn redch him dt (321) ,138-5825 or (1O7') 355-3530 or bV emdil dtRonnieRonzh@dol.com. - Kerri Trdylor, lnspire-Youomsn.com

< THE OZONE : VAY 2OOZ > 5l

st=GRAFIX & PRINTINGMgi:;-'. -- _ =:1==%!ffibg8-To4-Gd-ffi

dka .kxST DESI

MEN,Tdr;++i:r'rirl;il't;-. :l

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&,eK, the h6vs ef ths NsxAr h{ill6nni!"}m, dr* sR their wev to stdrdom with theirself-titled deb&,t Cl). "fF,e hit sing$s "Uh Huh," wss * l06th & Pdrk favorite,ldndin8 th6m1 dt the t6,! spot fer Lvaah's. [-i!' trlzx, J-&oog, O-ncrian, dtnd Raz Brdng6 frern €Sa !.4 ts dqe 1&, bt"!t don't let tti€t feel Vou. Their cre.ttivitv dtndvihrdrrt perfsrmdnq*s fl4vs a€rn$d geK rsspect 65 VeN.rnq drtists with strongeanssr$ €hqed ef th6,ffi1, rnuch likp their m'!ent*ns, lh,4x {forrnerly lmmdture}.€v*n wich 8ll thsir gi.lecsss, th€, rn@rnbers 6f BeK hdve m6n.g€d to remdin

OZONE: First, congrdtuldtions on Vour rdpid success. How does it feel to hdved hit single?B2K: lt feels very good;.we just wdnt to thdnk all the fdns. Also, dll the sup-port from lo6th & Pdrk hds been gredtt. \ /e're dbout to go out there dtndretire the video, dnd dlsb premiere the new video we just shot for our single,"Gots to Be."

O: How did B2K get stdrted?BZK: Previous mdndrgers put J-Boog, Rdz-B, and Lil' Fizz together, and thenChris Nelson took over dnd ddded Omdrion, who's Bdtmdn's (of lMx) littlebrother, to the group. lt's been over four yedrs now, dnd we've become lihebrothers.

O: There are mdtnv boy bdnds out now, whdt sepdrdttes you from the rest?B2K: We let our fdns be the judge of that. All I cdn sdv is that edtch person inthe group brings something different to the tdble.

O: Who is dn drtist that Vou would like to work with?BZK: We'd dll lihe to work with Michdel Jdckson.

O: Whdt cdn we expect from B2K in the future?BzK: Overdll, we just wdrnt to be entertdiners. As fdr ds our dlbum, whdt wewdnt to hdve now is longevitv. \ /e're gonndr keep re-inventing ourselves.being innovdtive, dnd bringing new things to the tdble every time we come.

lMx €tsp &ff*rsd ts honsr &XSf',g with dn intpr\risw 6E wcll. Batman, Romeo,dnd !-.n.S" {l*itt[s mrusrnrnpr 8oV] hsve b**n dt it fer &]most d decdde now, yetth6v'irs stil! rmends6d te msintein th@ $sliddrity *f tfiair group. These youngrnsn h&va €rnprqed f!"$m &rnrneturs to tfts verv rnatura lVx, and continue tosstsnisF, us wlth qrsst perform€rieas. Yh6,ir aurr*nt single, "MV First Time,"hss bssn 6 hit 6cr"ss5 tli6 eountry"

OZONE: We hdven't hedrd from you in d while, so you surprised us with thehit single, "MV First Time." lt's obvious whdt inspired thdt song, but whdtmdrde you decide to write d song dbout it?lVx: We redrllv wdtnted to tdlk drbout something people could reldrte to. with-out getting too vulgdr. We were all in the studio trving to come up withsomething thdt the world's never redrllv hedrd before. L.D.B. cdrme up wath theconcept. No one redllv tdrlks dbout their first time, especiallv from d man'spoint of view.

O: We've watched lmmdture become lMx. Whdt do you feel is different dboutthe two?lvx: We're still the sdtme ds fdr ds being humble, hdrd-workers, strivingtowdrds our godrls. The onlv thing thdt's different is thdt we're three Voungmen instedd of three voung hids.

O: Bdtmdn, how does it feel to hdve Vour Vounqer brother (Omarion of BzK)

< THE OZONE : MAY 2OOZ >

follow in your footsteps?lMx: l'm proud of him. I love to see him out there performing dnd doing histhing. I know thdt's whdt he redlly loves to do, dnd the girls love it.

O: The ladies wdnt to know, dre you in dnv reldtionships right now?Bdtmdn: I just got out of one so I guess you could say l'm single, but l'm stillhedling. L.D.B.: l'm holding it down right now, but it's d bit shdky. Romeo: l'mdrvdtildble, dnd reddy to get something crdckin'.

O: ls there dnvthing else Vou'd like to tell your fans?lMx: Visit our website, www.lMxFdn.com, dnd our dlbum, "lMx," is in storesnow, so go get it! Also, look out for the new single, "Bedutiful," dropping redlsoon. * gri** lfr*l**urC, €ric61**!s{:}rrrcstevdh*e.€s!'s}

< THE OZONE : MAY 2OOZ >

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I - "Pop d Pill" bV White Ddwg2 - "l Told Your Ass" bV Trind3 - 'Still FlV" by the Bi9 Tvmers,1 ' "YdYdYd" bV Ying Ydng Twins5 - "Sunshine Stdte" bV Red Dogg6 ' "lf We Ride" bV Fed Up Records7' "Robberv" bV Ndppv HeddsI - "MV Neck, My Bdck" by Khid9 - "Wdtch Out" bV the Outtdgetit BoVzl0 ' "No More Gdmes" bV SBdll

I - "Ordnge Countv" by Tredl2 - "Rdiny DdVs" bV Redlm-Z3 ' "Who Wdnts This" bV Smilez & Southstdr4 - "strdpped" bV R-Sendl : . )./.. .

5 - "Sunshine Stdte" bV Red Do99 . -?:;;;;';";''oi';:1.'o' .treI - "Worth the Wdit" bV Tzdr & Xodus9 ' "Set lt Off" by Urbdnesque f/ Tropic & Logicl0 ' "Dedicdtion" bV Genghis Khdn

Jeml*nDo FIECoRD PooL,I ' "Pdss the Courvoisier 2" by Bustd Rhymes2 ' "Feel The Girl" by Miss Jdde3 - "Give lt To Her" by Tdnto Metro &Devonte,1 ' "Feels Good" bV Ndughtv bV Ndture & 3LW5 - "HeV Bdby (remix) bV No Doubt6'"Fdme" bV GZA7' "MV Neck, MV Bdck" bV KhidI - "Oops (Oh My)" by Tweet9 ' "Gots To Be" bV BzKl0 ' "Don't You Forget" (rmx) bV Glenn Lewis

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