Tales From The Bronx

Con T ri B u T ors

OWNER

Azarr Johnson

CO-OWNER

DeShaun Jones

EDITOR Andrew

Alvez, & Alexis

Armstrong

GRAPHIC DESIGNER

Jessica Feiden

PHOTOGRAPHY

Shanady Eugene

Antoinne McAdams

CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Mr. ENVE

Stephen Brown

FASHION STYlIST

Jaye D. Nelson

Edi T or’s Note

"Much love and success to all positive people"

They say you wont know where your going if you don’t know where you come from. It seems like hiphop not just the music but the culture as a whole has forgotten about the elements, that’s why the music/culture is suffering as a whole. With a lot of questions surrounding the future of the culture, one of the biggest questions is where is the Bronx at? The official birthplace of the hiphop culture and home to greats like KRS-One, Melle Mel, Big Pun, Fat Joe and Brand Nubian has been quiet for awhile. I mean you have French Montana and his Coke Boy movement, but even his protégé came from Far Rockaway r.i.p Chinx and with the way Baby and Wayne are beefing, it seems like Cory Gunz project is not coming out anytime soon. Nevertheless the Bronx has so much more to offer not just artist but the culture as a whole and ENVE definitely showcase that in this issue with the athletes/sports (N.B.X.A), the producer (Rsonist from the Heatmakerz) and captured the beauty of the Bronx with the lovely Sapphyre Stackz and the artist were not forgotten at all with in depth interviews with Chris Rivers ( yes Pun’s son!), hotwarterz (Word!) talking about his 4th quarter water release, Reef Hustle of TBM telling his story of coming up as an artist and his grind to the top and our throwback interview with Fred The Godson talking about the whole TBM Movement and his feeling on when the East/NY gets disrespected. The Bronx is coming and trust me after reading this issue, you will have no questions about that period! As the saying goes if it wasn’t for the Bronx, this rap shiiii! Probably wouldn’t be going on Uptown baby! We get down baby!. Bronx Salute!

ON DA COME UP | Ferris Wheel Jay

ENVE TREAT | Sapphyre Stackz

REEF HUSTlE | TBM Next Up

HOTWATERz | 4th Quarter Water (Word!)

CHRIS RIVERS | Dragons and Rivers

FRED THE GODSON | Repping the Bronx heavy

RSONIST FROM THE HEATMAKERz | Creating his Own Sound

on dA ComE up

A lot of people in the industry hold many titles, describing all their talents. But few are backing it up. Ferris Wheel Jay the Bushwick, Brooklyn-born producer/artist/actor is someone with many talents and carrying them all out. Don’t believe us, check out his website www.ferriswheeljay.com, and his acting credits, which include some for MTV and FUSE TV, not to mention he is one of the hot97 "America's Next Top Music Producer" battle winner. In his interview, Jay talks about how he got started in the industry, his influences, the state of East Coast Hip Hop and his future endeavors.

ENVE: How did you start producing?

FERRIS WHEEl JAY: I started producing at the early age of 11. My pops and uncle were always in the studio producing. I was a little kid so I couldn't go into the studio at the time because I wasn’t old enough. I would always sit on the steps and hear the beats or go by the stairs and try to hear stuff. I started generating a love for it because my uncle and my father made beats. Every little kid wants to follow in their parents or loved one's footsteps. You know I was thinking, I want to start doing this. My first piece of equipment my father bought me was the MPC-1000 it was real compact. I was just learning from there, the little linguistics on how to make a beat, and from there I just been producing ever since.

ENVE: What was the first beat that made you think, I want to do this permanently?

FERRIS WHEEl JAY: It’s the funniest story, the first beat I think I did I was in my uncle's studio, this was years ago. I made a beat he played it for my father and he was like who made that. He didn’t think I made it because I was still coming up. So my uncle was showing me how to sequence the track and how to do certain drops, because when I made beats it was just a long beat, it didn’t have drops; it didn't have anything. A rapper would be rapping on it like it was a cypher, so I made the beat, and my uncle made a few drops for me real quick. Then that completed my first dope beat.

ENVE: Other than your family, what other producers did you listen to or inspired you to produce?

FERRIS WHEEl JAY: Other producers that inspired me was a producer named Bangout. You could look him up; he produced Disco Inferno, Hands Up, and Car Wash. This man has sold ten to twenty million records already. He was on one of my uncle's mentors, and slowly but surely I started going to the studio with them. There was a studio in the city called fight club, and he had his studio in there. Sha Money XL had his office in there, and a lot of other people well-known, distinguished artists would record in there and make beats. Same story my uncle played him a beat CD and it was one beat that Bangout loved, and he was like yo who made that. Since I was young, he thought my uncle was my cousin. He told me that us two got a lot going on for our future. I love music, I don’t do this as a hobby, I don’t do this as a fad or because everyone else is doing it. When you love what you’re doing you never have to work a day in your life.

ENVE: How did you get involved in the battle of the beats?

FERRIS WHEEl JAY: My friend Cory is the man behind America's Next top Music producer. Cory and my friends used to joke and tell me yo why you not in the battle? You afraid? Ha-ha. I was like nah, I like to see everything first, the first battle I went to the semifinals. The next battle, I got knocked out even earlier then the semifinals, and I was like damn! I need to put in work for the next battle. Then this one I won! It was probably one of the funniest times I’ve ever had; I was doing something that I loved.

ENVE: What is the difference between a beat maker and a producer?

FERRIS WHEEl JAY: There is a huge difference between a beat maker and a producer. I always have this talk with everybody in my circle. I could teach someone to make a beat in 10 minutes, but that doesn’t mean it's going to be a record. When you see the producer sitting down, they might make the whole record with the artist from scratch. They will make the bridge, or if the artist doesn’t like that, they will add something to make it hot, and give it a different swing. They might even write the track with the artist. That’s why I feel like the producer is an overall artist like a painter. I'm trying to create something different you will hear on the top 10 Billboard that is my short-term goal.

ENVE: Most people don’t know that you are an artist, do you push that a lot or do you push the producer title more?

FERRIS WHEEl JAY: I actually juggle the both pretty well. I know when to click my brain into which one needs to be focused on. It took time but now it comes second nature too me.

ENVE: Being that you are from Spanish decent, do you feel any obligation to hold it down, other then Joell Ortiz there is nobody else representing for the Spanish community.

FERRIS WHEEl JAY: I don’t think that all! For the simple fact the area I'm from East New York, people automatically assume that my record is a hard type record or street type song. I don’t think race plays an issue. If you’re dope, then your dope.

ENVE: What’s next for you?

FERRIS WHEEl JAY: Be on the lookout for my EP, I have my website FerrisWheelJay.com. I have a mailing list, so any new shows coming out, I will be sure to stay in tuned. I stay in touch with everybody. I also use that for promotion, I also show love back, like for example on my Instagram @FERRISWHEELJ if I get 100 comments I comment back to all of my comments. That’s how you build a true fan base; I don’t want five people at my show I want 5000. My production team and me that I’m in @TRAKFORMAZ is doing pretty well. Got a lot of stuff going on with them. My uncle Burnemup and good friend Kev Keyz collectively make the Trakformaz. I also work with my friend Ohm over at Bravo Media. They shot my SoHo video, so be on the lookout for that. Other then that, I just feel blessed.

Sapphyre Stackz

Most women in the industry always come with the same story, they are modeling and moving there way up to acting. Sapphyre Stackz has a different plan and a bright head on her shoulders. She’s not only has the brain to go with that beauty, and the degree to back it up, but she also has a movement that is growing bigger and bigger by the moment. In this interview, she talks about how she got into performing/dancing, the movement that she is a part of called the showstoppers. Also her life after the industry. This is Sapphyre Stackz!

ENVE: A lot of your fans that I talk to say you have an exotic look, so they want to know what your background was?

SAPPHYRE: Thank you! Well, I’m Dominican, Puerto Rican, and Aruban.

ENVE: There comes a stereotype with that like there is a difference between Dominicans and Puerto Ricans, do you agree with that?

SAPPHYRE: I mean to each its own, there are some people that don’t get along with any race, Dominican, Puerto Rican or any race, it doesn’t matter. I don’t have any problem with anyone, in particular; it doesn’t bother me.

ENVE: Now before you started dancing, tell us how you got into bartending?

SAPPHYRE: It all started on a cloudy day. (LOL), I went to visit this bar in the heights. I applied as a bartender; I had no experience, but it was a coyote ugly where you were supposed to dance and bartend. I started off there and was making pretty decent money; then I wanted to make more. I am all about progression, and I stopped working there and moved on up to an official club where I started my whole go-go /entertainment career.

ENVE: A lot of people would say you’re a very attractive women. How does somebody like you get into dancing? With you doing the whole coyote ugly thing, and then you started dancing, how does that transition happen?

SAPPHYRE: I originally started bartending in this little bar in the Heights; it was a coyote ugly type bikini bar. We kind of bartend and dance, at the same time. You know we like

dance for 10 min, and then bartend for the rest of the hour, and once the money I was making there was like regular to me. I felt like I needed an improvement. I’m all about progression, so I went up to the next level that was go-go dancing in the club, so I started doing that and that where I officially learned my pole moves. And from there I launched my full career as an entertainer.

ENVE: You talked about how you are an entertainer. You also run with a crew called The Show Stoppers. Please explain what the showstoppers are, and what that whole movement is about?

SAPPHYRE: Yes, fantastic, the showstoppers are definitely coming to a city near you. It’s a movement that started off in Brooklyn, by Ceo Sassy. She created this movement of girls who are entertainers. We just don’t bring entertainment; we bring that oomph to that party, to make you remember that party forever! Like we do trick’s, its beads, you’re pulling out six feet worth of beads. Shooting out five feet of water, it’s definitely entertaining. There is fire spitting, there is acrobatics, and if you can name it we do it. So she set up this company with a diverse group of girls to fulfill everyone’s fantasy. Whether it’s a bachelor party or like a going away party. Whatever the occasion is that you need entertainment for, we are a group that will shut it down. Triple xxx showstoppers!

ENVE: Being an entertainer in that industry, you must have a crazy story or two, what’s one of the craziest things that have ever happened to you?

SAPPHYRE: I’m at this club working, and it so happens that other girls weren’t making money, so they left me alone. I was the only girl working that night. It’s a small club, so there are only four girls working a night. But everybody left, it was just me. I dance for like an hour and a half straight on stage. At this point, I’m so exhausted, and it was like this lesbian birthday bash. It was like 100 girls in there, and I didn’t know what was really going on. I was just dancing the whole time; I’m not paying attention, I’m just trying to see where’s the money. So the birthday girl comes closer to the stage, and she like throwing money, and I’m like cool this is awesome. Before I know it, there was a rush from the crowd. They came all around the stage; it was like a magnet, and before I knew it, I was off stage and in

the middle of the crowd. I don’t even know how I got there (LOL). It was so fast; I’m trying to figure out what just happened, and before I knew it, this lesbian just started making out with me. I’m just like what is going on; somebody save me! Security! I just didn’t understand LOL.

ENVE: How did you get out of that situation?

SAPPHYRE: Security! After they had seen me in the middle of it, they came to my rescue; they saved me. It was scary, LOL. ENVE: Now let’s talk about the business side of things. Just a guess estimate, worst to best, lowest to highest on a bad night compared to a good night

SAPPHYRE: Well to everyone a good night and a bad night are different. So to me, a bad night is 250 dollars, that’s a really bad night to me. A good night is making over 1000 dollars anytime that happens it is a good night.

ENVE: So basically it’s like a 9 to 5, except your making 1,000 a day?

SAPPHYRE: When I work five days, I’m hoping to have 4,000 dollars. You got to think, there is a difference, it may all seem the same, but in reality it’s not the same. The club girl, the strippers, they pay to work; entertainers get paid to work. Like a stripper has to pay a house fee to work, so it can be anywhere from $65 to whatever the club is charging to work that night. There are some clubs that have a policy where you cannot leave early, and there are some that will let you go if you’re not making any money. Now there are some clubs that have a policy that you have finish your shift. So you have to work a 9 to 4, 10 to 4, you don’t know if it’s a bad night, you don’t until you get there. You can invest 80 dollars and only end up making 10 dollars. You can take a loss like that, or you can end up making 1200 to 2000 dollars you don’t really know. Now entertainment is different, yeah I do the twerking, and all of that, but at the end of the day, we show up at a party because we are booked. So we get a booking fee and the booking fee will range anywhere from $125 to my personal low is $150. I’m not going any lower than $150. So basically $150 or better, and that’s for one hour. You have to tip on top of the fact that you booked us; your guest has to tip, to make it profitable for everyone. It work’s out a lot easier, within the hour if you only made $20, $30, $40, $50 dollars that is unlikely. On average a good party, in an hour you are making at

least $500 to $700. And that’s probably 35 or 40 minutes of your time. If it’s a good night and you have nothing else to do, you can stay as if you’re with the club. When you’re booked, you can just get up and leave whenever you’re done; because you are only booked for that hour; you’re entitled to leave. Whether you stay or not is on you and if they don’t follow the rules, you can leave 5 minutes after walking in the door; there is no one that can say anything.

ENVE: A lot of people might not know that you are very educated; you are going to school, to be nurse anesthesiologist. Do you ever feel like what you do now may affect your business relationships in the future, in that field?

SAPPHYRE: I absolutely do think so, although this is one industry, and the medical industry is totally different. I feel as if what you do in this industry will follow you as far as videos and magazines. Those are things that are always going to be around, you can not erase them and you have to determine is that something that your want to have on your resume or as part of your background. As far as a video it doesn’t matter what you do; it will always be there, and you will always be in it. A magazine after a few years you can have yourself pulled out of it. That’s a long process, but you can at least have that done with a video you have no control over that, it will forever be there. You don’t want to be in a video doing something raunchy and then your boss watching the video like HEYYYYY! Look at you Ms. Sappyhre a couple years later, and you be like nobody has called me that in years how did you know that? They are like I bumped into your video on YouTube and did some research, well look at you Ms. Rhymes and Dymes model; you’re like what? You just don’t want to put yourself in that position, you just want to eliminate those options, just don’t do it.

ENVE: What about personal relationships?

SAPPHYRE: It affects them as well; the industry is, sad to say, it’s a very sexual, raunchy industry. Dating in this industry is very minimal, if you can find anyone, then you’re probably really lucky. Because of the things that are going on in the industry everyone is classified in that category, and not everybody does that. There may be some people that go out of their way to get in that magazine. But then there’s other that got the propositioned and asked to come check it out or can we shoot you, and there are other things being done to get on magazines. So when you meet someone, depending

on what part of the industry oh you’re an industry girl and that automatically raises eyebrows. Now they want to start asking questions, so it does affect you personally, business wise in a lot of ways, cause a guy can’t handle that. There are so many guys on you, that you have a fan-base, that you’re an industry girl, or just that the simple fact that there are rumors about the industry. Nope, every girl has to be the same, so it eliminates a lot of opportunities.

ENVE: A lot of people don’t know, you are big sports fans

SAPPHYRE: I love sports; my teams are the Knicks and the Giants.

ENVE: How did you become a Giant’s fan?

SAPPHYRE: Believe it or not I am patriotic. I’m a New Yorker; my loyalty is to New York. There is no other city in the world like it. This team is representing me, apart from the fact that they bombed this past season. They have brought two chips home because they bombed a season or two or few, this is my team, and I support them, RIDE OR DIE! My

N.Y. Knicks whew! Had me crying a lot of times, I’ve been riding with these guys since Glen Rice since Sprewell wore the number 8! I went to the games as a child and see them lose, but my loyalty lies with New York.

(Sapphyre laughs)

ENVE: What do you think about them bringing Phil Jackson to the team

SAPPHYRE: I feel as though the Knicks already have a winning team, they’re not playing their A game. A lot of the pressure is going straight to Melo; this isn’t a one-man team. That is why there are five of you; it’s not one and four midgets (she laughs). If they had a better chemistry or worked a little harder, I feel like they would have way more potential. They have a winning team, and I will see that chip I’m going to be around for that chip, I’m going to that game. Facts!

ENVE: When you run into rappers or athletes do you have any issues with them or are they normally okay?

SAPPHYRE: There are normal people just like you and me; we just get our money differently. They bounce the ball; I bounce some cheeks. They’re actually pretty cool. I have met a lot of basketball players, industry rappers; it just depends on who you are. If you don’t have anything to offer, you’re just another industry girl. But I’m pretty cool I just make everybody laugh.

ENVE: What do you look for in a man?

SAPPHYRE: I don’t have a specific type, because I have the learned the hard way, the specific type or what you want is what you don’t need at all. I just feel the universe will give someone when the time is right, but I feel like I would know when I see. I mean if we want to get shallow. I want somebody over 6 feet, somebody that works out; I like a challenge and if we get really shallow, nice hands, feet and legs (she laughs). Great personality always a plus, 100 percent has to have a nice smile, not having a nice smile can get you curved.

ENVE: Are you into just men or both men and women?

SAPPHYRE: No, I am strictly dickey no girl can lick me. I like men! I always get the question; I don’t know why I always get that lesbian vibe. I do have the lesbian stragglers, but I do not entertain it I don’t pursue that.

ENVE: What’s your favorite position?

SAPPHYRE: I am real creative; you kind of just got to find out, it’s whatever I’m in the mood for, but to give you a hint, I like to be in control.

ENVE: What is your opinion on men wearing skirts?

SAPPHYRE: How do you feel about women rocking Caesars, it just doesn’t work out. It’s not natural; it’s weird; it’s not normal. That is not normal! It’s unethical, back in the day you could not be a woman wearing Caesar wasn’t allowed, my boyfriend would never be wearing a skirt!

ENVE: How did you feel about the LHHATL sex tape?

SAPPHYRE: What is really the reason for you having to do that is the TV show not producing enough. Did you just

want to do it just to do it? I’m all for being spontaneous, if it made you feel good you go girl. But if you’re doing it because you feel like it’s going to bring more publicity more money, more income, I feel like that’s not the way to go. You have children; you are an older women; you are approaching menopause, this is a critical time in our life. You can’t just go shower rowing around, it’s not okay, it not right. What is your daughter going to think, damn my mom was known for the shower rod, oh yeah my mom was hanging on it while she was being rammed by another man. What are kid’s friends going to think like your mom is the inventor of the shower rod?

ENVE: Do you have a durable shower rod; is that something you’re into?

SAPPHYRE: I definitely haven’t tried that shit, but uh we can be creative in other ways. I’m real flexible; we can try anything else you like. But as far as shower rods, we can keep it on the floor somewhere it’s safer. It’s cool if you want to hang off the stuff, imagine making a sex tape and falling off of a shower rod, picture that. (Sapphyre laughs) Head all in the tub, your man going to slip or he’s coming down with you, that just calls for chaos, no forget that.

ENVE: What music do you listen to before you get on stage?

SAPPHYRE: When I’m in the car on my way there, I listen to twerk music, I get real hyped so that when I get there, I’m no longer myself. I am the Sapphyre Stackz persona. Once I start performing, I am 100 percent that persona.

ENVE: When you get out of the club, and you turn back to the normal you, what’s some of the things you like to do outside of the entertainment industry?

SAPPHYRE: The industry is real hectic, so I like to defer myself from anything overwhelming. So I will take a day off and just chill out, I like to write, go to the gym and I like to read, meditate, yoga. When you’re twerking all night, you just want to get out of there and give myself a change of pace, so I like to calm down, relax.

ENVE: Being that you’re personal goal is to go into the medical field. What brought you to that place, because it’s

a big contrast from being somebody in the entertainment field, what inspired you?

SAPPHYRE: It was one of those corners that life pushes you into. That you have your back against the wall, you either have to make a choice, or the choice is going to be made for you. I originally wanted to be a vet. So I started school, taking the necessary steps to become a vet. The way that my life was setup, the first two years of school, I didn’t get the proper classes that I needed aligned at the time I needed them. Two years in I had to switch my major, so it was either something totally else or continuing the major. I wanted to do my whole life and invest another nine years in school and guess what, Welcome new major! I still get to do what I want to do, which is help, but not the way I dreamt of.

ENVE: How has the culture of NY shaped who you are?

SAPPHYRE: I feel like NY is that place. It’s like a big salad bowl, you throw some tomatoes, some lettuces, onions, you just throw everything in there, you got yourself a hell of a salad. I was born in Harlem, raised in the Bronx, my family is from Manhattan, I have family in Long Island, Staten Island, so I kind of grew up in a whole different place. I feel like I’ve done pretty well surviving in NY and all the different things you do in NY. It’s so different from anywhere else in the world; nothing is as fast pace as NY its so fast, so different and everything is pretty welcoming. Your purple, Heyyyyyy, your blue what’s up! You have green hair hey; you like it you do it.

ENVE: If they could write a book on your life what would you name the last chapter of the book?

SAPPHYRE: Very good question, It would definitely be “The Renaissance” because it’s like a rebirth. I feel like all these years invested in the industry, I feel like I’m reinventing myself back into who I originally was. For the industry, I created this persona Sapphyre Stackz, and I live by this persona, but at the end of this chapter this is the end of this story. I’m starting a whole new one; it would be the Renaissance for the following book, for a sequel, the rest of the journey of my life.

Reef Hustle

Most rap crews, especially ones that are led by the artist it’s usually the same old story. The artist gets on and brings his crew into the game. The crew can’t live up to the expectations of the door that the artist opened for them. For T.B.M (Talking Bout Money), that’s is not the case, each member has the own individuality and rhymes to back it. Especially T.B.M. member Reef Hustle. The former Terror Squad member talks about some of his conversations with Pun, the struggles coming up as an emcee and what separates his crew from other crews that have tried before.

ENVE: First I want to ask you how you’re doing?

REEF HUSTlE: What’s up? I’m chilling man. Reef Hustle block work the whole movement, crazy. Doing good, trying to figure it out.

ENVE: So tell us, how you got started in the industry?

REEF HUSTlE: Always love the music. I started back in the day, starting signing at first, doing talent shows and stuff like that after that came the hip hop, always been the hip hop. My older brother is a DJ, I ended up DJ’ing back in the day and after that I just had a love for the music since then. Always had a passion for it. I was a Deejay at that time like I said but once nobody wanted to rap. I said yo I had to start rapping. I have to start doing something to get me more noticeable, so that’s when I started rapping. It’s been a while now, and a lot of people don’t know, once again my name is Reef Hustle. I was actually one of Puns artist, I lived with him in the past and everything. I really don’t speak about it too much, but you know people say you didn’t speak about that story. I was definitely part of that situation over there, the foundation, Pun, Remy Tony Sunshine Sunkiss and myself. I learned a lot from that experience. Something crazy, especially with a person of that caliber, to like somebody like me I felt like I had something there. I felt that, after all, that hard work I was doing previous up till then, everybody knows what happen with that tragic, untimely death, and I just kept it moving. God was on my side kept it moving.

ENVE: A lot of people want to know, how did you and Fred get together?

REEF HUSTlE: The Bronx isn’t that big, Fred and I have

mutual friends. I know him through a good brother of mine a Chance of a Lifetime. He just introduced me to him, the next thing you know me and him got a lot of mutual friends. We used to chop it up and kick it before even thinking about the music. Then we started doing music together. That’s how we got hooked up. Fred is one of the best in the game. He going to do something; he going to shock the world. I know talent when I see it, and he is definitely a special one. He is going to take it to the top. I’m here just to assist him and to do my part. I know I’m a special person myself, it takes a team to do it not just one person.

ENVE: What does TBM stand for?

REEF HUSTlE: TBM stands for Talkin About Money, shout out to Fat Boy Izzo, TBM Snip, Snails, my nigga ban video LAR***. There is just a lot of us trying to come together to do something real serious. TBM stands for talking about money. We cover all angles of Hip Hop, so you know I talk about money too, but I talk about making it. That’s what it stands for. Talking about having a life, a life you perceive it to be, that’s my main thing. I feel that TBM is the perfect way to reintroduce, and come into the game with something like that, because of course money is a lot of people’s motivation. I am basically more into trying to make the money not the money make you. Very strong, it means something not talking about making money it’s talking about making it period.

ENVE: You know everybody has a story there are always obstacles in your way, can you discuss the struggles you went through, from the time you were with Pun up to now with Fred?

REEF HUSTlE: When Pun passed away, I didn’t have a job. No bread on the table, wife was going crazy; you got to get a job, maybe two and I also had my son. So it was like a heavy struggle for me, just to get back to doing music, just to trying to write. With Pun passing away, that was like a big blow, me and him (Pun) kind of built on a different level. I’m a god fearing man; we use to build about conspiracies, music, the streets. The struggle is my everyday life, I’m a father, it’s hard to get a job and the nigga ended up hustling, it gets serious out here. I have been through that not having a job, wife going crazy, but I’m like I’m still going to do this music. Even though, music is my reality, there

is another reality, and it’s called you got to pay the bills. Chillin doesn’t pay the bills, and every female, especially a single mother, it gets serious. You would just want to rap, females don’t respect that shit, they don’t give a fuck about a rap. Sometimes it really ticks me off, I’m not going to lie; females don’t be listening to your shit. But they definitely be listening to other people shit in the club shaking that ass, but it is what it is, that’s just the walk of life. That is a heavy struggle of mine, even with the big guys, the struggle doesn’t stop, like BIG said, Mo Money Mo Problems just coming from the nothing to where we come from.

ENVE: Working on this issue we spoke to a lot of crews coming out of the Bronx. You got Oun P with his OHHHH Way crew, Iron Shiek with the Army of Allah, Corey Gunz with his Milita Crew and you got TBM. What is the difference between your crew and other crews?

REEF HUSTlE: We have all different angles, I’m a hip hop boom bap. I love that, don’t get me wrong, I could make a

radio record in a minute, but I love that kind of music. A lot of people love that kind of music, but a lot of people like to follow the pop culture way because they think that there’s only hip-hop out there, it’s a big genre now. I’m a scientist, I study music, and if it’s an emcee or a rapper I like, I really study them down to the cadence. Like he’s not supposed to use that word, he doesn’t talk like that like I said I’m more of a scientist. TBM we are going to bring every genre of hiphop to the game, into the light. Shit Reef hustle, I’m more of a family person, but at the same time I’m also a rebel, a person who believe in certain things. We cover all things, even down to the engineers, we do everything ourselves, even if we don’t know how to do it, we going to learn how to do it. Now I’m not saying that the other crews don’t, but I know exactly what we’re doing over here.

ENVE: Being that you are one of the moments coming out of the East and they are not so popular right now. What do you think is the reason? Like, for example, when you see Wayne signed Corey, Ross signed Meek Mill. You see a lot

of these artists getting picked up, but you don’t see guys like 50 and Jay picking these guys up. Why do you think the East is not on top as it is use to being?

REEF HUSTlE: Everything did a 360, and the game might have needed a change, being the New York is the master of this, somewhere along the line we definitely got greedy with it. We got stingy with it, and it moved to another place and they holding it and they’re trying to hold it as much as possible. They know when it comes back here, it might be the same situation. So I think New York was holding it themselves and not really spreading it out., you can’t deny talent. These down south cats were probably thinking, these niggas ain’t really fucking with us. We gotta develop our own sound, and that’s what they did they developed their own, and they ran with it. It got to the point that New York started following, because that was the popular music to do, not because they were dope rappers. So because of the influence of the media, it trickled into the music over here. The power of the radio did something crazy, so of course were thinking about the money, even though we’re about the craft were make what fixes suit. A lot of people understand if you go to the left you can make something if you look at all the big people a lot of them went to the left. A lot of their styles are separate from each other, but most people don’t see that. But eventually it will come back to where it started, especially the Bronx where it started.

ENVE: You guys just released a mixtape that got a lot of buzz, and good reviews from a lot of the press, What is the next move for you guys?

REEF HUSTlE: There are going to be a lot more videos, not just from this mixtape but videos period. We’re glad we got a lot of good feedback from the mixtape. A lot of the music, you are hearing we just went into the studio and did it off the vibe we were getting from each other. We got a lot of different age groups of the crew, not all the way from the beginning, from where dudes just like to spit. I’m the dude that likes the boom bap, to where some of my other comrades like to swag shit out and be looking like my nigga! C’mon what you are doing, I be like just give me a beat man, (Reef laughs) and don’t get me wrong; they make dope records. I know dope records when I hear it, a good record is a good record, but we made magic and were going to be doing bigger things than what were doing.

"I’m more of a family person, but at the same time I’m also a rebel, a person who believes in certain things"

I think people need to go to Datpiff and check out TBM Volume 1. We definitely got some official music from every genre of hip-hop. It’s a slow and steady thing but were still moving, ain’t nothing stopping over here. Also big shout out to Blockwork cause they definitely keep things moving around here, we’re just going to keep on moving.

REEF HUSTlE: I am reef hustle, I am a God fearing man, I come to you in peace, R.I.P. Pun!

ENVE: What do you think of Pun’s Sons (Christopher Rivers) music and do you plan on working with him in the future?

REEF HUSTlE: Chris Rivers is incredible and has been special since five years old, he is a special person in his own right. Pun made another beautiful creation, and he has his daughters too. Chris is a very humble person and an incredible artist. I’m like the big homie to him ( Reef laughs) and yes we are definitely going to work together. I’m actually humbled to work with him. For a lot of people that didn’t know, I did a record with Pun on Tony Touch first album

Hot Waterz

WORDDDDDDDDDDDD is the famous trademark sound from the Bronxdale emcee Hotwaterz. But waterz is known for more than just his Worddddddddd signature chant. Hotwaterz is the co-host of the SLP Program with Steph Lova on DTF Radio every Thursday from 9-11pm. He is also prepping for his latest release, 4th quarter water. He states that mixtape is the real hip-hop. In this interview, the Bronx emcee talks about his influences, working with Steph Lova, and his mix-tape 4th quarter water and how he really feels about Gossip Viv.

ENVE: How did you get your start in the industry?

HOTWATERz: I'm from Bronxdale the South Bronx; it was live. I'm from the same building as Andre Harrell, for cats that don’t know, he put Diddy on. Diddy use to intern for Andre Harrell. Jodeci use to live in my building and my DJ, DJ Rhythm use to DJ back in the 80’s. In 88, I was like 8, so I was out there in the jamz adapting to my environment Word!

ENVE: A lot of people started to get to know you by being with Steph. How did you end up linking with Steph?

HOTWATERz: I'm going to keep it official, you’re going to get the true story straight BX stuff. I was in footlocker, pumping sneakers and all that on 34th St international. When she came in; I knew who she was because, we were in the DVD together. We were on the mixtape legend that sold 20,000 plus. I gave her a discount; she ain't look at me like a regular dude, and I blessed her with the discount on the regular Jordans, of course, and then I passed her CD. She could have kept it official and flung my shit, you know what I'm saying? But she got in the truck, and popped it in and then boom! I get a call from power 105; this is Steph Lova, I'm like word, word, worddddddddd! After she hit me up, we linked up. True story, ever since and it was a coincidence her family is from my block, Bronxdale. So that’s what linked us right there, you know what I'm saying? I've been working with her ever since then. We’ve been rocking, and now we got the DTF Radio every Thursday from 9 to 11 please tune in. We got the live Ustream, over 250,000 viewers. I'm her road dog and her assistant I do all the bookings; you name it; I play more than one role; I'm her artist on top of that. Worddddddddddd!

ENVE: To get in more about Steph, obviously the gossip game, that was big show

HOTWATERz: Yeah let's talk about that LOL; I'm VH1 right now, let's talk about it. Let's get into it.

ENVE: How did you feel she was portrayed on that show? What was your opinion about that?

HOTWATERz: I'm going to keep it official. It was a good look, but they like, twisted things around a little bit. They threw a little monkey wrench in the game. It was a good look! Basically, they wanted her to beat that bitch ass up. She's a real lady like, she got a lot of things on the table; she got big sponsors and stuff like that; she didn't want to go that route. But the whole fact that they were trying to say that she was gay. And the whole science was she just flipped and bounced. Like yo, she's not gay. The situation is gay, and that gay means happy. If you're happy, I'm happy for you Worddddddddddddd!

ENVE: From that situation with Viv, what can you tell us about it?

HOTWATERz: You want to talk about it, let's talk about it Hotwaterz this is an inside scoop, the real deal. “What's her name” use to work with us. We got her popping; all her footage was on our show. Ummm.... she was working with us for, like a whole year, she had the VH1 situation deal. I guess “what’s her name” was feeling herself or whatever, and she just went her route. I was with Steph Lova; we went to the Hey Bey Bey album release party. He had just got signed to Maybach Music. I was at the bowling alley. And I met Ms.Drama for the first time; I gave her my CD the 4th quarter water boom; I'm Steph Lovas artist, here hold that. So she takes it; then she hits Steph up like I want to interview your artist and all that so I was like Worddddddddddd! That’s a good look. Mind you, I just met this lady she just put me on bro. I went to setup for the interview mind you VH1 is there for the season premiere; I'm the first shot first everything. It was all about me, and I got a full interview with Ms. Drama, Shout-out to Ms. Drama. She looked out, but mind you; we were with “what's her name” Worddddddd! She was rocking with us for like a whole year, and I really liked “what’s her name.” Like, that’s my people. But they threw me in the mix, but “what's her name” was feeling herself, because she had the VH1 deal. And that’s what happened; peoples’ true colors came out and then that what it was and she was doing her own thing,

and now we rocking with Ms. Drama and things just went sour after that.

ENVE: What’s one of the biggest misconceptions about Steph, maybe people might have picked up from the show or just prior from, not knowing her.

HOTWATERz: Listen Steph Lova, this is what it is, she is a lady. She's real lady like, sometimes she comes hard because in this business, you have to man up, and they will respect you. Come out with good energy they don’t respect the lady like stuff. First of all she only like people that are about something. If you are a baller, successful or you a six-footer. You got to be successful. That's probably why you don’t see her with a, b, and c. that’s why they tried to say; she's gay cause she talks so hard or whatever. But she's real lady like, Lova shows love that’s all. She has is to show love, but then when its time, she put's her game face on, that’s what she do. They got to respect that in this game, because its nothing but men, and she's a lady, so they try to take advantage of that. So I feel like she just has to, man up for her shit. And that’s what it is that’s why they take her wrong. Wordddddddddddd!

ENVE: One of the things you talked about is the SL Program, what’s the difference between your show and say Forbez DVD, and This Is 50? What are you bringing to the game that’s different?

HOTWATERz: If you look at our live Ustream, it’s pure energy. Our radio show is a party on radio live, that’s the difference, shout out to them. But more or less I got DJ G-money, he's the future. He was on The Gossip Game; he dj's live, we have a party, we have a blast, and we be ourselves, no gimmick. I'm the life of the party you see us straight energy, and we live ustream, you get to see the real deal. Some people just be all dead, and stiff just listening to music, like we having a party while we are working on DTF Radio!

ENVE: So tell us about your whole movement.

HOTWATERz: I'm the Bronx, shoutout to the BX. I got the Bronx behind me I'm from bronxdale, same building as Andre Harrell., I got everybody behind me. I work with the best; I'm a mingler, I can make you famous. I'm not a name-drop-

"The music that gets me hype is like D-Block, that’s the music I make, straight energy, straight raw s***"

per, but I'm flee cause I'm fresh Worddddddddd! We got a radio show DTF radio every Thursday, from 9 to 11. I'm an artist; I got super producers behind me; I got a mixtape out, 4th quarter water, on datpiff. I got the say word clothing line Wordddddddddddddddd! We got brands.

ENVE: Where can we go to get the say word clothing?

HOTWATERz: You can contact me at hotwaterz1055@ gmail.com, or you can hit Steph at MsLova100@gmail. com and you can get it straight from us the connect Worddddddddddddd!

ENVE: Now talk to us about your mixtape 4th quarter water.

HOTWATERz: 4th quarter water. I feel like all the bosses drop in the 4th quarter that’s when it counts. The first, second, and third quarter, it really doesn’t add up the 4th quarter that’s when you get paid for it. I'm the go-to man. 3 seconds on the clock, I'm going to pop, and it's going represent the streets. The cover on my mixtape is just like the sanity stone, how I just flooded the streets. I didn't even put my picture on the front. I represented the struggle, and everybody lost everything. But I didn’t lose the knowledge of myself, and all I had was my music. So all I had was to flood the streets with my music, just pure energy, I got super producers. Juniorican, Mahogany, Gotti Gator, Penn Station, Nyemson. I got a lot of producers; all my features are producers, it's an album with all my producers, Wordddddddddddddddd!

ENVE: You talked about working with super producer Gotti Gator, I like him from what he did with A-Mafia. Are you going to link up with A-Mafia in the future?

HOTWATERz: True story, I rocked with Gotti Gator since Larsen. I met him up in D-Block. I saw A-Mafia when I went to the Yo Gotti event the listening party with L.A. Reid. And I met A-Mafia I knew who he was, I got A-Mafia an interview with DTF Radio with Steph Lova, due to the fact he did records with Gotti Gator my producer, Mass stand up!

ENVE: One of the hottest topics running around N.Y is when, Trinidad James got on stage, talking about we used to look up to you guys. Now we don’t anymore, if you want to do something about it then let's do it. How did you feel about his comments?

HOTWATERz: I'm going to keep it 100. I seen him during all-star weekend and all that, this is where it started. Everybody had his or her turn; it all comes back to the foundation. How he feels, that’s his opinion, whatever. Let him do him, he got all that gold but we got that platinum. Worddddddddddddddddd! He doesn’t want it.

ENVE: Who did you look up to in hip-hop, who inspired you?

HOTWATERz: Me growing up in “94” when, I started rapping and stuff like that. I'm going to say Wu-Tang Clan I had knowledge of self, until this day, I don't eat any pork. I'm 20years in; I'm righteous Shyheim. I wanted to be like that, Chi Ali, Kriss Kross, A-plus, all the young dudes that were up and coming in real hip-hop. I'm from the era of Dragon, Remy Ma, Shellz, sh*** like that.

ENVE: What’s your favorite song that best represents the Bronx?

HOTWATERz: Cause if it wasn’t for the Bronx this rap sh*** wouldn’t be going on Uptown baby! Shout out to Peter Gunz he looking real good on that VH1, shout out to Cory Gunz, he's the future. But the music that get's me hype is like D-Block that’s the music I make, straight energy, straight raw sh***. I open up the block to that and then to work with those brothers. That’s what it was, and it's like a BX thing. Worddddddddddddd!

ENVE: Working in D-Block studios do you have any exclusives stories you can share with us?

HOTWATERz: My moment was when I was working with Larsen, and we had a room, Sheek Louch had a room in the back, and I played him in Madden,that was my moment. I scored on him one time, and he blew me out after that LOL! I was there for his whole Walk With Me project.

ENVE: Where did the whole Wordddddd! Thing come from?

HOTWATERz: Wordddddddddddd! Comes from Bronxdale and stands for being a man of your word more or less. When I say I'm going to do something, I'm going to live up to it. That’s the real meaning of it. I throw the character in it so you can soak it in. So just be a man of your word, just live up to it that’s all you have. Wordddddddddd! Cut the check or cut it out.

ENVE: What’s next for Waterz?

HOTWATERz: We working on a reality show, the Steph Lova program coming real soon, so stay tuned. I got a lot of things in the works, on the table. I have the 4th quarter water about to drop real soon. It's over time; it’s really the first quarter but really OT. We're going to go the distance. The clothing line H2Q, say word, I'm rocking with the Flee Gods. Shout out to Flee Gods, Mousy, and I'm just coming strong. They seen the face now there going to feel the music. The Wrath and ENVE magazine talk about it; you going to love me or envy me Worddddddddddddd! Real deal.

Chris Rivers

The Bronx has a unique pedigree in the hip-hop culture from great artist like Mary J Blige, Lord Finess, Grandmaster Flash, K.R.S ONE, Big Pun and many more. Known as the birthplace of hip-hop the Bronx has continue to push the envelope in the culture. The social and political environment has helped shape great artistry. During the 80’s and 90’s the five boroughs were going through a tough transition with the crack epidemic and police brutality. The grandmaster “Teacha” in Hip Hop KRS One made us aware of the “Sound Of Da Police”, and the feeling of being a young minority that has to deal with crooked police. Giving praises to the artist coming before him Chris Rivers plans to continue to push the hip-hop culture forward with his own experiences growing up on the infamous “6 line” in the Bronx. Armed with sharp lyrical flow, Rivers gives us the reality and the struggle growing up in the Bronx, being the son of a legend, and added his own stamp to the game.

ENVE: In previous interviews you stated that some of your earlier influences were people like Eminem. Name you favorite EM song that inspired you?

CHRIS RIVERS: One song growing up that impacted me the most was “Sing For A Moment.” It’s hard to pick my favorite from “EM” but in his first LP he had a lot of skits and the skits were hilarious even at 8 years old.

ENVE: Outside of Hip-Hop music what are some of genres of music that influenced you as an artist?

CHRIS RIVERS: I listen to hip-hop more now that I’m an artist but outside of that, I listen to a lot of rock and alternative rock. Some of my favorite bands are the “Red Hot Chili Peppers.” I listen to everything if it sounds good!

ENVE: Listening to your music I hear you yell out “Dragonz Up,” is that your label?

CHRIS RIVERS: “Dragonz Up” is the movement my fans are dragonz. Not to get into a whole religious debate, but one time I told someone I believe in dragonz and they antagonized me for it. Then I asked them if they believe in god and they said yes. So my response was “so you can believe in an all power beam that can make something out of nothing, but you can’t believe in the dinosaurs.” So I transition that into you dreams. People are willing to believe in the

most outrageous things but can’t believe in there own success. People tend to view things crazy but won’t believe in the simple things that are where the dragonz comes from. Dragonz Up just means the progression of us, it means we’re getting far in life.

ENVE: How did you come up with the title of your mixtape “Wonder Land Of Misery?”

CHRIS RIVERS: Shout out to Whispers he heard a track produced from Khadir The God, and Duff The Inventa. He heard it and came up with the chorus. We wanted something like the 6 line chronicles because I grew up by the 6 line. I wanted to give people me, and show them the good and the bad. He came up with the “Wonderland Of Misery” and it was dope I wanted that to be the title. You can view life two ways, its ether a nightmare or a dream come true. It’s all about perspective, it’s a wonderland or it’s a misery. I wanted to give the people that through the mixtape and show my experiences. I think it’s a perfect title for the mixtape and introduction.

ENVE: What were some obstacles you had to face growing up, and in the last few years getting into your profession as an artist?

CHRIS RIVERS: In the last few years it’s been a gift and a curse. It’s been a double edge sword because of who my father was (Big Pun). It gives people the willingness to listen and it opens some doors, but at the same time because he was such a legend I’m getting judged at such a critical level. In addition to that I’m trying to get out of my fathers shadow and be my own man I don’t want to be the next Big Pun I want to be the next me! Developing my own identity, but at the same time paying homage to the artist that came before me. It’s a struggle I been going at it for two and a half years; writing everyday, sacrificing time, but it all pays off in the end. I’m trying to get out there and get noticed. It is not easy; it’s truly a lifestyle.

ENVE: A person that I thought “went off” on your mixtape was Whispers. How did you two connect?

CHRIS RIVERS: He’s family that’s my right hand man, and my cousin. He’s been spitting since he use to run around with my pops. When I wanted to start doing this heavy I

wanted him around because he had a lot of experience. He helps me out, I help him out it’s a good relationship.

ENVE: One of my favorite tracks on your mixtape was “Enjoy The Atmosphere” with Style P. How did that song come about? Was that you on the chorus?

CHRIS RIVERS: On the chorus? Ah no I can’t sing for shit that was Tyler Woods. Shout out to Tyler Woods. The way I got up with Styles was through mutual friends. Since the beginning he was giving me a lot of veteran knowledge. He’s been showing me mad love and I appreciate it. He blessed me with a few tracks on the mixtape and it’s been dope from there.

ENVE: What do you think you can bring to the table to step out your father’s shoes and establish your own Identity?

CHRIS RIVERS: The voice is the same due to genetics. At the end of the day we are two different people he grew up in a different way and was a different person. I bring a different aspect of it because I grew up differently and have I different interests than my father, and I have a different life than his life. You’re going view my music from a different perspective with different ideas and morals. I’m never going to try to be something that I’m not, so you are truly going to get me from that.

ENVE: You talked about music saving your life. What was some of the struggles you had to face growing up that music helped you deal with?

CHRIS RIVERS: Poverty, being homeless, living in a shelter, growing up without a father it was a confusing thing. Music has a big hold on my emotions a song can make me feel sad or pick me up. During these trials and tribulations music allows you to push through and gives you something

"I’m trying to get out of my fathers shadow and be my own man"

to love and to inspire.

ENVE: Listening to your song “That Ratchet Shit” brought me back to the song your father did called “That N!@@a Shit”. What do you think the reason is for the ratchet shit being praised today in the hip-hop culture?

CHRIS RIVERS: If your forced feed crap your whole life eventually its going to start tasting good. When someone tries to give you a good meal you will think it taste like shit. People want to hear the ratchet shit because to them it sounds good and they don’t care about the message. A lot of people today don’t want to hear the conscience stuff because some don’t like to reflect on their life and some people want to hear something that gives them no worries. It depends on the mind state of the masses and right now that mind state is enticed by the ratchet shit.

ENVE: What was some of your father’s advice to you when he was alive.

CHRIS RIVERS: He always wanted me to defend my family, he told me to protect and provide for the ones I loved. He told me to show no pain and don’t let an enemy know your weak.

ENVE: What do you want your legacy to be in Hip-Hop?

CHRIS RIVERS: I want to be iconic in hip-hop and when I die I want people to remember my name. I’m always by myself, I’m into nerdy shit and not ashamed to be me. I want to bring back the artistry it seems like music isn’t an art at times. I want to set the bar and be a legend at my craft.

ENVE: Other then your father, one person that was close to your father was Remy Ma, we wanted to ask you , how did you feel when she was sentenced to 8 years in jail and now that she is out, have you talked her and do you plan on doing a track with her?

CHRIS RIVERS: The circumstances for Remy getting locked up was unfortunate. This world can often be brutal and tempt you on a path with less than ideal consequences. I’m happy she’s out now and doing her thing . It brings me joy to see her gaining success and doing well. We haven’t spoken directly yet but it’s all love.

ENVE: Can we expect anything different from Wonder of Miseryland 2 then the first one?

CHRIS RIVERS: Wonderland of misery 2 does differ from the first. They are both long and both me but I’ve grown as an individual and as an artist so I think the growth will be noticed and I hope people can enjoy both.

ENVE: Being that your are of Spanish descent, we have to ask you this question, it seemed to be a time when Spanish emcees were in the limelight The Beatnuts, your father (big pun), Fat joe, etc. It seems like that is not the case anymore, other then you and Joell Ortiz, there is not anybody else in the forefront, what do you think the reason that is and do you feel a responsibility to help represent for the Spanish community/ emcees.

CHRIS RIVERS: I think hip hop has become a black and white thing and Spanish artists often get pushed aside . I’m not sure if it’s hard to market us or something or maybe the majority of listeners find it easier to relate to or get into the other races I don’t know. I believe good music is good music no matter what the source. I hope I can show people that and similar to how my father opened the doors I hope to set that standard as well. Anyone with a dope message should be heard regardless of race gender or preference to life choices.

ENVE: We see that you take your exercise seriously, you keep yourself in shape would it be fair to say that your motivation comes from your pops passing because of his past health issues?

CHRIS RIVERS: Me being in shape and exercising does

partially come from my fathers passing and the history of heart problems my family has. I definitely don’t want to be another victim of an untimely and early death due to heart problems or weight issues . And I don’t want my kids to suffer either so figure I wipe it out now. But honestly I take fighting cause I love it. It’s a hobby and passion of mine and the fact that I lose weight and get in shape while doing it is just a dope bonus.

ENVE: What is up next for Chris Rivers?

CHRIS RIVERS: My future is limitless just like anyone else’s. I want to proceed to grow as an artist and a person and touch many more minds and hearts . I got projects in the works and a lot of lucrative opportunities that’s been presenting themselves and hope to gain more exposure to spread my music to more people . I’m hopeful and happy to see what’s next but all in all I know I’m gonna make a lot of people proud.)

Fred the Godson

ENVE: I felt like your mixtape City Of God was a classic; one of the lines that stick out to me was when you said “Biggies wittiness, Jay-Z sarcasm, the words of Big Pun when the god spasm, Nas wisdom, Eminem lyricism, Big L freestyle, I hate criticism,” as a artist what do you think is your strongest attribute?

FRED THE GODSON: By far the metaphors, punchlines and being that it sticks out even more. Because we at a state that really nobody attends to the bar or raise the bars, it sticks out. I mean I’m not trying to be cocky or anything like that, but being a fan of hip-hop and studying it; when you listen to my bars or metaphors it can withstand the test of time with the best of them. It’s just the way it is, I cant just say the bar is crazy or the punchline is crazy cause its now, mid-90’s, late 80’s whatever time, I really try to bust my brain to give you the best lyric possible.

ENVE: To follow up on that question, you said your bars can stand the test of time, going back to the 90’s when we had Wu-Tang, the Notorius B.I.G, Mobb Deep,and obviously Pac. Who inspired you from that era and do you think you can hold your own in a cypher with whoever you mention?

FRED THE GODSON: BIG was my favorite and the reason why I say that is my rhymes, my bars come from that classic time. Even though me myself is the present in the game now and I wasn’t around back then, I was a baby, like that’s what caught my ear I was a fan of hip-hop. The reason why Fred The Godson doesn’t sound like the typical 2013-2014 rapper is because to me the golden era was 95/96 and I studied that. That’s why I do it how I do it and that’s when I thought the love for the pen was all these dudes that we naming could drop a beat and get crazy in an arena. They could turn a beat off and they could give you a rap acapella and only like 10% of rappers now can do that. So yeah, Biggie is my favorite, Pun, Nas, Jay are the greats.

ENVE: What made you feel like you were getting respect as an emcee?

FRED THE GODSON: Everybody that knows me always says when I impressed Jay-Z in the office and he is arguably one of the best ever and then when I impressed Jadakiss and Beans. All people I looked up to its like, I thought

my was head big back then, its going to be bigger now. I mean I’m not going be able to fit my fitteds for a while lol. I mean once these dudes that have sold millions and millions of records that are looked upon as the best are looking at me and are like you got it, that’s when I knew I was like yeah I’m doing something right.

ENVE: Can you explain to the readers some of the struggles, that you had coming up in the game, before being noticed by a larger audience.

FRED THE GODSON: As far as struggle just the everyday struggle, even for the people that’s on you know it looks good but its still a struggle you still got to grind, but even before that you talking about the Fred before I got my first radio spin. It’s a grind! I use to have a lot of people around me and there were a lot of rappers around me, but at the end of the day when your grinding for so long life takes it course. Life doesn’t wait for you and your responsibility becomes greater than it was when you first did it. Like some people they was hungry and it’s not fair to them that they had to stop drift off and work and do other things and they focused, because this thing is hard man. You spending all your money and you have responsibilities, because before you were living with your mother because you were kid doing this and then now that studio time. You have pay for your studio apartment so it’s non-stop. I just been one of those lucky dudes that kept going, we all have done things that we weren’t supposed to be doing, I mean it’s the struggle, the hustle and just try to turn a negative into a positive the best way you can. That’s all you can do coming from the hood. The struggle is just staying afloat, the rhymes is nothing. I mean for me the rhymes come a million miles a minute, I could be sitting there conversating with you, but in my head I’m writing the craziest thing you ever heard that you about to hear probably in the next couple of weeks. I mean that was the easy part, the hard part was getting the studio, getting the studio time, getting everything together, paying for this, paying for the cd’s, then you just hope to god that your cd lands in the right hands. Because at the end of the day you just mainly going around the block to the hood, the people in the streets, because you just want to be heard and in the process of that you just hope the right person picks it up and you get that call, but at that time you are your own distributor you are your own business and your just praying for a shot. That is just the hard

"When you listen to my bars or metaphors it can withstand the test of time with the best of them"

part, your spending your money, your not making most of your money back and you just got to keep going until something happens. I know people that have spent millions and millions of dollars and they’re twisted right now and I can honestly look at them and say if I didn’t do this rap shit I would have so much money because that’s the way it is. Then you have some that have girls that have to do that bid with them and this rap thing is money and time so you away from your house, your away from your girl and you wind up around different girls. And if your popping they want to be around you and then your girl get jealous and you got nothing coming in at the end of the day your girl be like damn what are you doing all that for and we are down $50,000 messing with hip-hop, you know what I’m saying.

ENVE: When Funkmaster Flex broke your “I’m too Fat,” record on Hot 97, how did that change your career as an independent artist?

FRED THE GODSON: Shout out to Flex, he broke “So Crazy” the record before that with Jay on the hook. Shout out to Jay for not snatching my record off the airwaves lol. He broke that record and then we came in with “Too Fat” was a good two days for me. True story I gave it DJ Self and Flex, Self came in on Friday and he went in and played it 15min straight, then 7 min and then another 7 min. Then Flex came on the next day and played it 33 minutes straight and it was just crazy. It was bananas shout out to Flex and Shawn Prez my manger. I got a good team, you know everything just went well so that was good I came in like that and Im never letting up. I was just blessed, because I hear it. How people sign major deals, millions of dollars and all this and they are not getting nowhere the spins that Im getting at that time.

ENVE: Speaking of your team, the visuals behind your videos is crazy like “Doves Fly” and “Moniques Room” directed by Taya Simmons, do you help direct your own videos?

FRED THE GODSON: No I don’t, Taya had that whole vision herself. She went in and she made a movie out of them joints. That girl is very talented she is like my sister. She rocks! Even now from the Mills Miller to the New Kid in Charge right now, I’m just lucky that I’m around a bunch of good directors.

ENVE: Another highlight in your career we wanted you to elaborate on was when you were on the XXL Freshman cover, what momentum did you gain by being on that cover?

FRED THE GODSON: It’s huge, I was always call that the biggest moment for me cause when I first seen my bro Corey Gunz and I seen Asther Roth and them dudes on the first one, I said Im going to make that cover one day. It’s just something that made me want to do it and some people were like it was a big deal, but I just wanted to do that. Two years later I was on the front and if you would have told me two years later I was going to be on the cover when I said I was I wouldn’t believe you because I know how hard this game is, not taking away nothing from me and my work ethic. I go all the way hard, its just the politics and bullshit that comes with it, like if it was based upon skill, you would see Fred on a lot of covers. Like I said I’m very humble I’m not bragging, but skill wise ya’ll and the people looking at this interview know how I give it up. I go in and I take my time and really brainstorm and I try to give ya’ll these things. Like when homie said word for word my City of God mixtape, which was three mixtapes ago, even if you just heard one verse and you was in your car and you never heard the verse again your going to tell somebody one line that caught your ear, your going to be like how he going to say some shit like that! You know how people talk. The XXL cover was huge because that magazine is everywhere and everybody wanted to see who the class was and no disrespect to no other class, I will go on record and say that class that I was in arguably the best class ever. I mean if you just look at the names you got Mac Miller, you got Kendrick Lamar, me, Meek Millz, you got YG, you got Big Krit, these are big names. There are a lot of skills behind that, you got Lil B, there are different styles, you got Diggy Simmons, good class. Shout out to Vanessa!

ENVE: How did you feel when Kendrick dropped the Control verse, what was going through your head?

FRED THE GODSON: He’s bugging, what’s wrong with him. You know it’s like you being a fan of N.Y right now we know the South is running things don’t get it messed up. I’m a big fan of his, but its still like this is the city and we know right now N.Y. is not where it used to be at, so while we’re down and you do that, like somebody has to say something. You making us feel crazy, its like c’mon, you’re the king of N.Y. don’t even play like that. Even though they say it like the votes came in and they say he’s number one, it’s like that’s cool, and this might sound funny, but say you’re the king of hip-hop and saying your the king of New York to New York dudes is two different things. It just sounds crazy man, he was in a zone and he was in his feelings, he felt it and he just said it. I thought he shouldn’t of said that not about New York. It’s a sensitive subject, not that us New Yorkers are sensitive, but it’s a sensitive subject even when BIG was rocking and they were saying he was the king of hip-hop and they say Jay is king, they would have never said they were the king of L.A. Nobody would have ever said that and people is going to make it a big deal especially Kendrick fans like ya’ll too sensitive about it, its not a coincidence that a lot of us started making a response from N.Y. you got to fight for what it is. At the time I just threw out the joint for Trinidad James because now look its open sea-

son on us, Kendrick said something and I don’t have any problems with these dudes its hip-hop, its competition. We arguing with Kendrick, he great rapper salute! He gets busy and when you talk about NY, no matter what this is where it started and where dudes get busy so when you hear a Kendrick Lamar in L.A. or a dude like Game in L.A. rapping, because the way they rap they remind me of a NY nigga because of the lyrics this is where it’s from this is where its at. You can turn the beat off and we can get busy, you hear the bars and all that that’s N.Y. now that we dealt with that with Kendrick, now Trinidad James of all people your going to diss us. YOU! Out of all people that’s crazy! Like c’mon homeboy, for real it feels like its open season, you talk about it in a conversation its different, but you going on a public stage and you making sure everybody’s looking and you in N.Y. and you get on the mic and say that. It can turn into beef like that, because somebody can feel some type of way in the crowd and can jump up and get physical because how much can you take. They can be like damn I’m from this town I’m going fight for it. I don’t got no problems with these dudes but I got to say something you know, even if I don’t want to say something as soon as it hit the streets before I get back in my house, at least 20, 30 people that day are like yo what you going to say yo. Yo Fred man Trinidad James disrespected us what you going say, because they can’t do it. I have to be the mouth for them, but I’m feeling the way they feeling. I was feeling Maino, I was feeling him, and it is what it is, go check that

out Welcome to my City. What I say “we from the streets, now we get paid to do it, you try to bring the Heat ask Dwayne now there’s a different wade to do it, you know the gods watching the bars popping probably hit Trinidad hard Bernard Hopkins, you know its boxing Felix Trinidad, I’m gunning after whoever I feel likes Trinidad” listen to the rest on YouTube lol. Yeah have to protect the town, Biggie died for this, Pun died for this, have to rep for that.

ENVE: Do you make songs like the emcees you mentioned (they don’t write anything)

FRED THE GODSON: I don’t know how they do that, I just don’t understand, I mean I did it before on a verse. I’m going be honest with you it took me out my comfort zone; I didn’t feel like it was as powerful as I would have wrote it. There’s people now that want do that, just to say they do that, but their rhymes are not sounding like the same. I know rappers, I’m not going put them on the spot, but there’s dudes that use to write and their like I don’t want write no more, but you can hear it they struggling, just so you can say you don’t. It’s taking longer; it’s not sounding the same. I write man I write lol. They’re certain rappers that’s out now and they say they don’t write and you’re not impressed because it sounds like a freestyle anyway lol. But you talk about Jay and Big, the stories and its like no pen, like for example when Jay-Z did girls and at the end of the song he going back over what he said earlier in the song, I don’t even think they’re human.

ENVE: A lot of people want to know based off your situation Monique’s Room was a big hit, Uptown was a big hit a lot of people think your signed to E1, please explain

FRED THE GODSON: No, we was moving Monique’s Room and everything by ourselves and when Monique’s Room was hitting its downhill we linked up with E1. They shot the video, the second video that was on MTV so shout out to them. They pushed it, DJ Drama put it on his album and it was just a single deal.

ENVE: Talk to us about your movement T.B.M. who they are and what do they bring to the table?

FRED THE GODSON: Everybody has different styles, that’s my team and everybody thinks that its just Fred dolo and as far as my music it’s just me, but I still have peo-

ple around me that give me energy. Like my boys and my family you know and I just feel like the world needs to hear them. They hear me all day, so I just brought them to the forefront and I felt like it was a good mixtape shout out to Reef Hustle, Mr. Papers, Friday October, TBM snip, 808 spillz, Rah lease, L.A.R, Fatboy izzo, we had fun making it, I’m glad people was rocking to it.

ENVE: A hot topic that the industry is talking about is the female emcee, why do you think there is a lack of female emcess.

FRED THE GODSON: I don’t know man because back then you had the Lauryn, my sister Kim, you had Foxy, everybody was just going in. Back then a lot of girls had the look and the skills to. People are going after the look, like some of these girls don’t have an ounce of hip-hop in them, but you trying to force it in them because you know there’s money in it. You trying to change them like a bad joint and you like yo if I write a rhyme for her man she can get it popping, but she’s really not about it. It’s good to do that, but the girl going to want to do it and have something with her, some form or blood of hip-hop running through them. Kim had this, Foxy had this, Remy got this, Lauryn Hill got this and these are all the people from before and right now they are creating. It’s like NBA Live when you’re creating a player lol. They just creating people like they god or something, they going to really take a girl that’s walking up the block and put her in the studio because she got a good look, it going to come out you going to hear in the music something just not going to sound authentic, not going to sound original. It’s not going sound like its natural. It’s going to sound like somebody doing some ventriloquist shit. That’s what I think

ENVE: Being one of the future faces of the East Coast we wanted your opinion, when you look around Cory Gunz went to Young Money, Torch went Maybach Music, Meek Mill went to Maybach Music, your seeing the east coast artist signing with the Southern imprints, but Jay didn’t do that, 50 didn’t do that, D-Block didn’t do that, Dip Set didn’t do that. When you look at it the East is falling off, do you agree it is our fault?

FRED THE GODSON: We have to blame it on ourselves, us, our DJ’s because were breaking these down south artists, no matter what even if there coming with a bag of

money were still breaking their records and a lot of times were not balancing it out. I don’t think it was the plan I think by the time we noticed it, it was too late. I mean everybody got to eat everybody got to live, I mean everybody going through the motions like yo here this bag of money I need you to break this and everybody is going along and before we looked up, its like yo! We run this. It’s crazy because us N.Y. artists don’t get the same love down there, you go down there you hearing down south artists that you never heard before doing 100 spins a week. I wouldn’t point the finger at anybody, but it is our fault it just snuck up on us. It just became a reality of what we were doing, it’s like you doing stuff, but you don’t really know until it’s to late. You realize you ain’t really mean to do that. Like the equivalent of dealing with so many girls and one day you give your girl something, she in the clinic and you like damn I didn’t mean to do that, lol and that’s what happened with us.

ENVE: Being that were in there studio, we was wondering what business are you doing with the Heatmakerz?

FRED THE GODSON: You heard Contraband, that’s me and Rsonist by ourselves and were coming with Contraband 2. It more then music, its family!

//rsonist

ENVE: The first thing I wanted to ask you was how did you get started in this industry?

RSONIST: Kind of started off through relationships I guess, I was DJing in school. I wasn’t a well-known DJ, when I went to college I became a DJ that people knew. Other then that when I left I started messing around with the MP, before I knew it me and my partner were in front of Big Pun playing Big Pun beats. Fat Joe liked a couple joints and he didn’t end up picking anything, but that was kind of like our “in” at the time. That was my first taste in the industry, playing beats for Big Pun and Fat Joe.

ENVE: What songs did you do for Big Pun and Joe?

RSONIST: I didn’t do any songs with Joe at the time, but I ended up doing a song after the fact. Oh yeah years later, but that time I didn’t do anything for him, it was just him introducing us. He was like telling us like how things were. Yo I didn’t even know what producers got paid, so that was a question that I asked he was like you can start off like $5,000 or better and I was like what! Because you know back then $5,000 for a beat; for some producers now its like $5,000 for a beat you winning. So that’s how I felt back then, but I was like I love to do this and I can get paid for it. It’s just a matter of dedication and that was it.

ENVE: How did you end up linking up with the Diplomats, because a lot of people know you from that sound, that Dip Set anthem sound?

RSONIST: True story Cam had a manager at the time by the name of Rene McClain, he used to do radio promotion. We had some artists that we working with out of North Carolina and we brought the record to him and obviously this is what he does for a living we had to pay him to work the record. So we brought a certain amount of money to him and I guess he was like how did these young dudes have this type of money and he was like what do ya’ll do and we was like we producers. He was like I manage Cam, so we gave him a CD with about 20 tracks on there and out of 9 of the 20 tracks made it on to Diplomatic Immunity and two more later on. That was really it in a nutshell.

ENVE: A lot of people seen you and the Diplomats like how Tim and Missy, Kanye, Just Blaze and the Roc.

RSONIST: We were, you can’t deny it. We did so many records together and they were the first dudes to give us the shot. Because you know a producer can do one record here and one record there and his music career could be gone today. He can become unknown. We just did so many records on a successful project and a successful movement. We were part of a successful movement; certain movements in hip-hop no matter what happens you will never forget. Like Cash Money, if they stopped making music today they are not going to be forgotten they have made to much of a mark on hip-hop; same thing with Ruff Ryders, G Unit and you got to put Dip Set in the conversation. Because from about 2001 to 2004, early 2005 Dip Set had it rocking and we controlled the music for that movement for the most part, so yeah we was with them we was a team.

ENVE: Out of all the tracks you did for Dip Set which one is your favorite and why?

RSONIST: “I’m Ready” I don’t even have to think about it, everything on that track happened just almost by accident. I went to the record store like I normally do shopping for samples and as soon as I got to the store that first record I pulled out was that Barbara Mason record. When I pulled it out they had a turntable in the store, as soon as put the needle to the record that’s where it landed on the spot that I sampled and I was like this shit sounds crazy. I didn’t even listen to any more records, I just bought that and went home and made that beat in about 15min and I remember listening to that beat for about two hours because I knew. I made that beat a year and half before you all heard it, then that beat was just sitting in my computer. Another artist really had that beat, but it’s a long story, he didn’t end up paying for it and they didn’t want to pay me first, they wanted to pay another producer first. So I ended up selling the track to Cam, it just so happened they loved the track and that was the first record they put out from us.

ENVE: A lot of people are wondering why we are not hearing that Heatmakerz sound with Dip Set music anymore, is there any particular reason why?

RSONIST: In a sense, I don’t think that there is any type of bad blood. I’m still cool with every last one of them and I just think that life was taking everybody in different directions. Everybody was becoming there own entity, like Juelz

was a platinum artist, Jim was an artist that had major success on his own and Cam was Cam everybody knows what Cam did and for us I wanted us to be known for more then just being Dip Set producers. I wanted to prove that we could produce any and everybody and we just happened to create a sound for Dip Set that worked, but we could do a record that could work like we did for Lil Wayne, like we did for Beyonce. We could do all types of records and that’s what I wanted people to know. I think that everybody had a point to prove.

ENVE: What other records did you do that other people don’t know?

RSONIST: We did “The Mob” and “Receipts” on Lil Wayne’s the Carter 2 we did records with Ghostface and Scarface. We did a record with Beyonce called “Stop Sign,” we also did records with I-20, Ludacris, and T.I. We did a bunch of records that were more pop stuff; were working with an artist by the name of Alexandra Burke, who is signed to Kevin Liles and Lyor Cohen. Shit if I’m not mistaken were also doing some work with an actress by the name of Abigail Breslin, she is in the new movie End Games and we did her whole E.P. Also a group by the name of Trilogy, its a Donald Trump group put together, its three Miss Americas put together and a new record with Vado called “I need.”

ENVE: What’s the difference between making a beat and being a great producer?

RSONIST: Yeah anybody can make a beat, but I think a producer consists of a couple things. A producer knows difference between a good beat and just a beat. The only thing a beat consists of is a sound, that’s it. Can you bring work good enough that somebody can hear it for three and half minutes over and over again that’s really what it boils down to. The producer knows the difference; a producer using five instruments and a beat maker might try to throw in thirteen instruments thinking its fuller and it sounds better, but a real producer knows I don’t need those 8 instruments all I need is the five, this five make the beat rock I’m good with this that’s the difference a producer knows less is more or whatever the scenario is.

ENVE: We often talk about our favorite basketball players and football players, if you had to chance to make up your all-star team of producers who would it be?

RSONIST: The obvious people first Dr. Dre, Pete Rock, Rza, Timberland, Swizz, Justice League, and Neptunes, those are the ones that come to my head. Those are people who brought their sound to the table. Everybody that I named you can tell it’s their music when you here it. Some producers you hear it and your like did they do that? I don’t know if he did that it sounds like this person. When they make a beat, the people that I named the Rza’s to the Pete Rock’s, the Timberland’s, Swizz’s when they make a beat this is Swizz Beatz this is Pharrell, this is whoever and you just know. That’s a mark of a great producer, some producers make music and only a handful of people could have made this and I don’t know that’s not the mark of a great producer to me, a great producer you know its him or her. In my era Buckwild one the best to ever do it, Just Blaze as well.

ENVE: Once you guys had branched off and everybody had went there way, I remember seeing something with you releasing an album on Koch/ E1, what ever happened to that?

RSONIST: It was just us fulfilling a commitment we had with Koch at the time, but because of some bad middlemen. Things didn’t just pan out like it was suppose to so the project kind of just got put out without any promotion. It was what it was, they just did bad business and I’m not speaking for all of E1. The people I was dealing with was doing bad business because there is no reason why the people I had on that project; I had Juelz, Jimmy, M.O.P., Remy, Game, I had a bunch of people on that project so it is what it is.

ENVE: So what’s is Heatmakerz doing now?

RSONISTS: Now is whole different story, what was supposed to be happening is happening now. The way that the music industry works for me, it works inside out, so what I know what’s happening, people on the outside is like yo what happened to the Heatmakerz, they dead in the water when actually in all reality this might be the best situation I’ve might been in, in a long time or about to be in, in a long time. We were working with people I never worked with before. I have a facility I didn’t have before in the middle of Manhattan. I’m in serious conversation with a label situation that we should be good on in the near fu-

ture if everything works the way it supposed to work. An official label situation not the bullshit ones that hear people talking about nowadays, some real shit behind us if you understanding what I’m saying without putting everything out there. Really signing artists, giving them budgets, having full fledged videos, its going to be crazy in a second and that’s where I’m at now. I’m just producing a lot of projects that I haven’t been working on in the past, a lot of pop stuff a lot of different things. I’m in the mist of working on a deal with Nickelodeon for something real nice, it’s going to go down, it’s going to be crazy. I just think everybody has his or her time, because in my mind this should have happened years ago, but I don’t think I was mentally ready for it to happen. I was young and a young dude and money don’t really mix, got to mature, I got should have this studio years ago, but my mind was someplace else. Its not until you get older, you go through some things and I know what to do now.

ENVE: Just like artists, producers go through the same obstacles of not getting paid and basically some rappers

expect you to give them a beat for free, if you could please explain the business side of things for the young producers trying to come up in the game.

RSONIST: Common sense comes into play at some point, if you’re a producer and Jay-Z comes to you and like yo I need you to give me this beat for free. I’m going to take all your publishing, but I’m going put your name down as a producer and that’s worth more as a new producer then potentially the money he was going to give to you. That one cosign opens up hundreds of doors for you. Now on the other hand a dude from your block just got a deal and says I want you on my album, but I don’t have any money for you and I’m going keep the publishing but I’m giving you credit on the album. No it’s not worth it, because if he doesn’t win then what do you get? Nothing. In your brain you have to hope that you win and my thing is a lot of these new producers that when they come in the game people offer them money and say cool I will give you $10,000 for this beat, but I’m going take the publishing and the credit. So what’s the sense? I can go outside and spend 10,000 across the

street right now. What good is that your publishing and your points that’s what feeds your kids. Lets just say you make the next blurred lines (Robin Thicke lead single) you get no credit for it, meanwhile somebody else is putting million dollars in their pocket for your credit. Like somebody gives you $10,000 but makes a million, that’s how you have look at it. You can be thirsty and take the money now of course who wouldn’t sometimes, but if your a new producer and ain’t never seen a dime before and somebody said I got $30,000 for you who is really going to turn that down. They know that and that’s why it takes a certain amount of composure to be in this game, because when you thirst for money, that’s why it can’t be about money you have to truly love this. When you love it you can look somebody in the face and tell them I’m not doing that, this is my art and this what I do so either your going to handle it right or your not taking that song. But the thirsty ones say $10,000 I cant wait to take that, but we all fall victim to it when its early, but hopefully somebody will be reading this and going through the situation and say you know what I want my credit.

ENVE: Have you ever been in a situation that you produced and your still eating off of?

RSONIST: Yeah the Diplomatic Immunity went platinum; I did eleven records so just to put in perspective for you, lets just say you produce one record with no samples and you get 50 percent on a record on an album that’s go platinum there is no reason you shouldn’t see between $60,000 to $80,000 if everything is done correct proper. That’s assuming whenever you get paid that’s recoupable, lets just say you gave them the record and you say I just want my points and now you have 50 percent of that one song on a platinum album you should see somewhere between 50 to $60,000. We did eleven records and the lowest percentage we got on any record we got is 25 percent on an album that went platinum. Obviously your checks get smaller cause the albums start selling less and less, but if you have enough work out there it will be constant. Remember we did Lil Wayne Carter 2, and I think that’s a double platinum right now and we did two records, so you know the publishing is important.

ENVE: Did you play original instruments as a youth and how did that affect you; learning how to produce?

RSONISTS: I didn’t at first, but now I play the guitar a little bit, but back then nah I just knew sounds and eventually I started learning cords. It was just natural progression but I knew what sounded good I could chop a sample into pieces and make music out of it. I was playing the keyboard but I never took any lessons nobody ever taught me I just knew if shit sounds good then shit sounds dope. But overtime you learn chords and chord progression you know its just the natural evolution of a producer or it should be if your seriously a producer you should learn since you around it so much, I mean should learn.

ENVE: What’s your favorite old school record that set it off for you?

RSONISTS: I have a lot of favorites; I think I did a lot of my sampling off the O’Jays. I think it was the Ship Ahoy album; the O Jays are probably my favorite group to sample, between the O’Jays and Donnie Hathaway were my favorite two to sample, but I have sampled so many it would be hard for me to single out. But them I remember because they were my first couple samples that were picked up. Matter of fact the record we did on Come Home With Me was a Donnie Hathaway sample.

ENVE: Earlier you talked about projects you working on can you share with us, any of them?

RSONIST: Yeah we did 8 records on the Diamond project. I’m actually excited about that because I think she’s going surprise a lot of people, because a lot of people have this image of Diamond like she’s a cute chick that’s it, but she gets busy and she’s a cool person. I think that’s going to be dope. The Alexander Burke project we got three records on it that we did and that’s dope. We still working out the details Fred and I are going to do a project through Sony. A good friend of mine Neil Levine who used to run Penalty Records hooked up with Sony and they just gave him a new deal to open back up Penalty records and now were going put out Fred the Godson’s new project out through Penalty We’re going do a Contraband Pt 2 called God Help Us All. I’m going make sure myself that is the best project you ever heard in your life, because I got too much respect for what Fred does to short him on his chance to take off.

Is Westbrook the Answer?

Russell Westbrook is probably the most scrutinized player in the NBA today and after this season he may just be the NBA MVP.

The people that hate Westbrook say he shoots too much, he isn’t a point guard, and that Westbrook is the reason that the Oklahoma City Thunder will never win a title and the funny part is they just might be right.

Westbrook really does shoot too much, but he also shoots a high percentage. A career 43% shooter from the field, Russell actually can make every shot on the court any other lead guard can. He doesn’t shoot many threes’, but when Westbrook gets hot he can knock them down at an unbelievable rate.

Westbrook’s mid-range is one of the best as he uses his amazing vertical leap to get as high as possible to release his shot at his maximum apex making the shot hard to block. Also, he mid-range shot is not only hard to block but is very tough to defend altogether because his overall speed and his ability to stop on a dime. At 6’3”, Russell Westbrook might be the hardest backcourt cover in the league. So, does he shoot a lot, yeah but he should.

The next issue people have with Westbrook is the fact that he isn’t a point guard and let’s be honest, he isn’t. Westbrook is a little bit of everything. This season Westbrook is averaging 28 points per game, 9 assists game, and 7 rebounds per game.

Again did we mention that he is only 6’3”? A 6’3” guard averaging 7 rebounds a game is scary. Westbrook plays such an aggressive style of basketball that he can’t help, but get rebounds. He is always around the basketball, he usually follows his shots and that always puts him in position to steal some offensive rebounds and his tremendous vertical that we mentioned before helps him clean the glass.

As for those 9 assists, isn’t that proof that Westbrook isn’t selfish. Kevin Durant only played in 27 games this season and Westbrook is going to finish in the top 5 in assists in the league in a season that has seen major injuries and departures all over the OKC roster. Anyone who can share the basketball with this supporting cast can’t be called selfish, plain and simple.

See this would be the part where we talk about the 28 points per game Russ has amassed this season, but instead let’s focus on the fact that he leads the league with 11 triple-doubles this season. After only having 8 career triple-doubles coming into this season, Westbrook has exploded this season to prove even more that he is so much more than just point guard of a shooting guard. Westbrook has proven he is one of the basketball players in the world.

Now the question remains, can the Thunder win a championship with Russell Westbrook running the show? The answer is pretty simple. No, they probably can’t. Not because he can’t get the job done, but because Westbrook probably won’t be in OKC when he wins. It’s well known around the league that Russ wants to return to his roots in Los Angeles and possibly play for the Lakers who have a ton of cap space over the next two years. With the rumor being that Kevin Love will probably sign with the Lakers this offseason it seems even more likely that Westbrook will come to join his former UCLA teammate in purple and gold. With the Thunder’s roster how it is now, even healthy they are one piece away from winning an NBA and that piece is probably that bearded dude that’s ballin out in Houston.

Russell Westbrook has more than proved himself this season, he has created folk lure. He is not just going to be a player that young kids YouTube, he is going to be a player that kids tell their grand kids about. For the past 6 seasons everyone has talked about how Kevin Durant is going to be face of the NBA as LeBron James fades into the background, but this season we have learned that maybe it’s the “other guy” from OKC that will step up and become the next superstar in the league. Amazing season averages, All-Star MVP, 11 triple-doubles, and possibly making it to the playoffs in a tough and deep Western Conference. How could you hate Russ?

NBXA

There are many workout regimens, exercise workouts and training routines; that are heavily promoted all over the world every day. But there is only one that various from the rest and that is the N.B.X.A. (National Barmetrixx Xtreme Association). This is not only a workout routine, that helps individuals to get in shape. N.B.X.A is a movement that creates; athletes, leaders, and has developed its own league, to form teams that come and compete against one another. Founder/C.E.O Make-Tricks who when he first started the N.B.X.A only began with four members and now has a worldwide league of athletes all across the globe (France, Russia, Japan, etc.) In this part one of this interview MakeTricks and some of the N.B.X.A athletes, discuss what it took for the NB.X.A that first started with a movement of four to grow into the league, other movements and people copying his exercises, how he feels about performance enhancing drugs and building generals. This is the N.B.X.A!

ENVE: How did this whole NBXA Movement get started?

MAkETRICkS: In 2002, me and three other people started a group that pushed an exercise what we called barmetrics. Now in 2005 I started the first team and from that team we created the NBXA, which is a league now that we started in 2008. When we first started, it was a league of 3 to 5 teams, and it was about 20 people. In the United States alone we have 25 teams and 75 teams worldwide. We have NBXA France, NBXA Switzerland, and NBXA Russia; the NBXA is global now. We are all over the world, this what we’re doing, we are taking it to the next level, and that’s how it started. That’s how we set the foundation for the NBXA/BXtreme. The N.B.X.A. stands for National Barmetrics Xtreme Association. Barmeterics is a form of gymnastics, calisthenics and aesthetic; using the bar with the metric system, with the number of reps and different combination of exercises. Along with the tricks that make up barmaketricks, so that’s why we call it barmetrics. It’s a universal name; it’s not a name particularly segregated to our team. It’s universal it’s for anybody to use. Just like you say calisthenics; just like you say gymnastics, aesthetics, now you got barmetrix; it fits right in with everything, it’s what we do. I don’t want people to get it confused; this is a league, not a team, A LEAGUE!. This is where you come to compete, to have friendly competition, not war, not fighting but friendly competition. We’re trying to make it big, to get that deal and be on T.V. sooner or later. We know everything takes time, were

not looking for no success overnight. We’re grinding, and everybody knows it. We have been promoting the game and league for years, and we all bosses. I’m boss among bosses, I’m not trying to be a solo boss amongst my team, but a boss among bosses. I’m building teams and leagues, so everybody you see here is a boss. I raised them up to build their own teams. We have; Team Roc, Showoffs, we got the Highlanders, Beastmode, Team Blackout, Brotherhood, Team Windgate, Xcalibar. Now we have the first Barmetrics style gym, so if anybody says otherwise they’re lying. This is where the athletes come to train, the Showoffs who won because they trained in here all year, rain, sleet, snow, or shine. You know if you want to get right and be an athlete you got to come to this gym.

ENVE: People say there are workouts like Insanity, P90X, and various other workout plans. What makes this the best or one of the top workouts?

NBXA: One its better because, unlike them, it’s a league and a sport, and if you look at P90X, they took some of our material and we trying to go places. We’re not just trying to keep it local, were trying to go global. We deal with our own body weight, unlike these other exercises, were handling our body weight. You see the guy from the P90X doing the maktrixx, and he got it from the guy that started this Maketricks. For them to add our exercises into their routine, shows that we are the evolution above them. For them to say barmetrixx is nothing, they can say that because then you have to take out what you took from barmetrixx. As far as the guy Sean T, that’s aerobics, cardiovascular, and we got stuff that helps your cardiovascular. But that’s basically aerobics workout, and we are working on those bar aerobics, and watch when that comes out, there going to copy that too ( NBXA Laughs). They say they’re the best form of flattery is imitation. So we don’t mind people that try to take it, but there are people that are actually in the games that people are taking their moves. But if that’s how you feel, then don’t put it out there, go do it in the closet. If you’re going to put it out there then somebody going to take it. The sport is evolving, from what you see in 2008 to 2015, go check the youtube, it will blow your mind. I call barmetrics the sports of all sports. Whether you’re into baseball, basketball, football, hockey or tennis; if you could do a pullup, a pushup or a dip you can do barmatrixx. That’s all it takes; the NBXA is the sports of all sports. I tell people that

if you’re playing a sport, to do barmetrixx still, because all it can do is help elevate you to another level. Whether you’re into boxing or MMA; this is the next level of sports, not only is it a workout, but it’s a sport. Even if you don’t want to compete, you still look good. It’s a two-edged sword; you don’t lose with this. The closest thing to this is crossfit because it’s a sport, and it’s a workout and we came out before them, they just got the deal before us.

ENVE: A lot of our readers want to know, what about the women? When we see the footage, whether it’s the DVD’s or the pictures, you don’t see them; not to say that there not around, there just not highlighted. Where to you plan to go with that?

NBXA: We started a league with the women, it not that we don’t want to work with the women, we need them to step up. We are telling the women to come, but there intimidated, they think it’s a male dominated sport. Right now it is because the woman is not stepping up. If they were stepping up then, they would be embraced. We started the first DVD “extreme…..” the movement . www. ______.com. You see that we have a female in that DVD, and we are using her to demonstrate some of the moves. The woman is there, but the are so scared and far in between it don’t look like they are there. We are looking forward to more woman being involved. If you right there..come. Get in the with the N.B.XA. We are looking for woman to compete. We are hoping that what we have done will create a buzz that will make other women want to come.

ENVE: I know you explained earlier about how it started and how much it expanded. Could you just go a little bit further in depth, how big your movement has become overseas?

NBXA: Wow, I mean, it’s bigger overseas than it is in America. The thing with America is the standard for being success, is so high you don’t get to see who’s doing what. I have to have three females, four cars, a mansion and a million dollars, and people will say oh that guy his famous. But across seas you just have to do something unique, and something different and they’ll recognize you and they will support you. I have to put this out there; we have a sickness and disease in our community. We don’t like to help or promote one another. Over there they focus and they help and they promote one another. They don’t care whether they

like it or not; they are going to call it whatever the League that started it over there called it. They call it over there Street Workout. And you think the people over there call it anything else but Street Workout, Street Workout calisthenics, they don’t even call it street workout barametrics. You would at least think people over here would support the league and promote the league and call it Barametrics Freestyle, calisthenics. But so many people get involved and pull it in so many directions trying to do their own thing. Everybody is trying to get on, everybody trying to get in the door first. Instead of working with what already has been working. The movement over there is big its exposure, if you go online the Russians have an arena for this. They got arena for this. That’s why we have NBXA Russia, and now we are in Russia, and we going to have an arena in Russia. We are in France, I see the love over there. All I had to do was go over there. The way the treated me over there is unlike you’d ever think. Don’t get me wrong we are hood famous, on a larger scale. We feel like the N.B.X.A should be recognized because there are so many people doing this. Technically if you don’t recognize us you are not in the game. You can’t be into barmetrics and not know NBXA that’s like saying you know about basketball, but you never heard of the Knicks. Cmon You are not into basketball, you never heard of the Celtics. You never heard of the NBA, but you play ball. You just saying it’s on a larger scale over there than over here, only because there is a higher standard of being successful in America as opposed to across seas. The movement over there is big. Be mindful, If you go on Youtube there is over 5 billion plus hits in this form of exercise alone. I’m not saying just us; I’m saying everybody who’s doing this. Check the hits and add them up, it may be 5 billion plus in this form of exercise. When I started this in 2002, there was only 4 of us doing this that was doing this. And now you go on Youtube, all over the world people are doing this. Being that we are the first ever barmetrix league that’s promoting this, and now other people are creating other leagues. We invite anybody that wants to be a part of this league come and be a part of this league. If they want to bring their input, were open, were not trying to take nothing from nobody. Come sit down with us, we are only trying to promote and push what you already have, because without the people who are we? They respect us way more overseas, to the point where they are paying our athletes that compete in our sport. Overseas they have us come over there to make their sport look better, to solidify

"We are not looking for success overnight, were grinding and everybody knows it."

their sport, cause they know we did it first. I don’t understand if they recognize that we did it first, why don’t people over here don’t, it’s a sad situation. But were grinding, we got our people supporting us, were not going to stop, were not going to lose faith, God is in control of everything and that what we believe.

ENVE: One of the biggest issues in sports is performing enhancing drugs. When your sport is at its peak; and let’s say somebody that is a big name in your sport, is caught taking this, How would you handle this?

NBXA: Well if you look at the other sports leagues, a lot of people are doing that, and you can’t control that. I’m pretty sure in our league people are going to do it, if you can name a sport that’s not using performance enhancing drugs. Then it’s not a sport. Every sport is using steroids; they caught Arod. If they took out everybody that did the steroids, there would be no baseball league, no football, hockey, and basketball. The doctors prescribe steroids to the athletes for them to heal faster. Why don’t they just let them heal on their own because it’s about money. Although right now they are putting these athletes on blasts, when they get hurt the managers, agents and doctors all justify them using steroids. Because they all want them to get healthy for faster recuperation so the people can be entertained, because without the major players they are not entertaining the crowds. I feel like they are profiling major players. You don’t see major players getting profiled. You see major races getting profiled, but if you take these players out of the league then you are not going to have a league and nobody to entertain you. People are going to do what they are going to do to win. I am not going to knock anybody; that’s is trying to get an edge to win, as long as there not trying to hurt anybody else. I don’t think

I would ever kick out a player that got caught. We would probably take some money/fine them, but who would we be if we kicked them out league and embarrassed them. When they get hurt, their managers and agents are allowed to give them steroids; that’s being very hypocritical. Every time these athletes get hurt, they don’t let them heal on their own. In baseball, football, basketball; hockey any sport there agent, and the manager is going to say take the shot and keep it moving! Although we would like to keep it all natural and plus when the league reaches its peak, we are going to drug test.

ENVE: Why haven’t we seen players on a professional level doing and promoting these workouts?

NBXA: I could tell you right now Ocho Cinco is working out with one of our own the Callisthenic king. We got a few MMA fighters that train with us; Nore is training with some people from Harlem that does this. People are aware of this; it’s just that the sport is not where it should be. The

league is not being promoted, so that’s why were looking for more sponsorships, more investors, so that we can get the league more unified and look more professional. So that we can get the league more recognized, we on the grind for that sponsorship, that’s what’s holding us back right now. Overseas the sponsors are big, just not over here yet. My grandmother always told me that America is always the last one to catch on. We’re looking for a sponsorship to promote the sport and not just their stuff. They want to wash their hands and leave our hands dirty and were not with that, were equal ground there.

ENVE: Whats next for NBXA?

NBXA: Were going to be global; NBXA Russia, NBXA France, NBXA Spain, take over the world. We are not a fly by night crew; we are the game! If you’re trying to be a part of this game and this league, get in contact with me. Holla at us, check us out on facebook, youtube, DVD videos, send us videos/photos of the moves you do.

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