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Diddy Renames Supreme Team

During Diddy’s European press run last week, he told Tim Westwood that he planned on renaming his crew, the Supreme Team. Well, as of today, the outfit are going by a new moniker. Take it away Puff…

Ozonemag.com Interview: Jacki-O

Miami based rap artist, Jacki-O, has been bubbling below the surface for years. Her star initially rose with the success of her 2004 single, “Nookie,” from her debut album Poe Little Rich Girl. Unfortunately, that very next year, Jacki-O realized her label, TVT (in conjunction with Poe Boy Entertainment) had put her in an awkward contractual position, and the young artist filed for bankruptcy. It’s the same old story regarding the big, bad label and the wide-eyed, impressionable rapper. Most artists disappear into obscurity put off by the bitter taste of bad business and dashed dreams. Jacki-O decided that she’d persevere. Taking advantage of this digital era where only the most motivated make noise, Jacki-O is determined to have you listen and learn.

Would you say that the problems you had with TVT, assisted in your education on the business side of music?

I’m so glad you asked that [laughs]. I give TVT and Poe Boy entire credit for me knowing what I know. When I went through all the things that I went through, I couldn’t understand, like, “Why is this happening to me? Why am I going through this?“ But it all put me where I am now. A lot of artists don’t know nothing. They’re just an artist and maybe that’s good for them, maybe that’s a benefit for them that they don’t have to worry about learning all this, they just want to be an artist. A lot of people just want to go in the studio, write and record music. But that’s only, I would say 15% of being an artist, the other 85% is being smart and knowing the business. So I’d give that entirely to them, like, I had to learn that. I was green as grass. I didn’t know anything and I was totally dependent on my label family to watch my back and make sure I was good… Emotionally, it wasn’t good, it was horrible but I got through it.

The name of your newest mixtape is Griselda Blanco: La Madrina. The real Griselda Blanco was Cocaine Queen of Miami, The Godmother, The Black Widow. How do you relate?

She was just an infamous figure when it came to the drug trade. Nothing she did was subliminal, everything she did was ‘in your face’ and ‘this is what it is’. Like, “I give you my dope. You don’t bring back my money, I’ll kill you.” And she made good on her word. But I don’t condone that part of her lifestyle. I do condone her being a boss and having control of her own fate, just having a business and being feared. Just being a boss lady in a male dominated trade. Putting fear in a lot of dudes’ hearts because when she spoke, that’s what it was.

You released Grown and Gangsta, your first book, in 2008. Now you’re working on an autobiography Relentless. Talk about your writing.

The first book was published through C-Murder’s publishing company. Unfortunately, after, he had some issues to take care of. But I did well with the book and I wanted people to know, I’m not only writing, but promoting literacy. Relentless is an autobiography about my life as an artist and what I felt growing up in Miami. I’ve had interviews where something I said was [misconstrued] so I really say everything from my mouth in this book and just put an end to the rumors and the fake blackballing and all that. It’ll tell women that they’re gonna have to be relentless in order to survive the game. Be rambunctious, be radical, go hard because that’s what it’s gonna take. Maybe people can get to know who I am, instead of who they think I am.

Have you and DJ Khaled come to an understanding regarding your recent issues?

I think that a lot of people take sides with whatever’s popping whether that side’s right or wrong. And I think that was the issue with me. Some people have no dignity and morale for what’s right and what’s wrong. They’ll just go with whoever’s popping or whoever’s hot. At the time when I left those labels, I had some issues about how some things were being done and I had beef or whatever, people took sides. I mean, of course they ain’t take my side because you know I’m just an artist…Thank God a lot of that stuff has blown over, I’d probably say all of it, in my eyes… I’ve since spoken to the Poe Boys, we’ve worked together and that sort of thing, and I don’t know if the world knows that, but all the people that took their side, they can all come back and we can all be friends again. I have some diehard fans and diehard DJs but that didn’t even faze them, they still played me.

So all of that came out of the TVT split?

I’m just glad that it’s all done. Whatever their issue was or whatever their motive was or how they thought or what they felt was right… Never mind. I don’t even want to open that wound up again, that’s a sore that I thought would never heal and I thank God that it has. I don’t even want to open that back up. But for the most part I am getting the support that I feel I deserve- there is no beef, whatever beef that it was, it was squashed and everything’s back to normal. Well, I won’t say “normal” but you know… it’s gonna take time.

Everyone’s had a comment about Nicki Minaj, from Lil Kim to Jadakiss to Diddy. What are your feelings on Nicki Minaj’s image? Should she “pay homage?”

I don’t have anything to say. Honestly? That’s none of my business, like, I’m not gonna tell someone how to portray their image because I refuse to have someone tell me how to portray my image. That’s their business and I ain’t trying to get involved in what she’s doing right now because I’m trying to stay focused on what I got going on. I wish all of them the best of luck, from female to female, because the struggle is hard enough.

You seem to be all about females going hard, putting pettiness aside and striving for success. What have you been doing to solidify unity amongst yourself and other female rappers?

I’ve actually taken a few steps, even if they’re baby steps, they’re steps. It’s motion… My last attempt to make that happen was the Threesome project with Remy [Ma], Shawnna and I. Unfortunately, that didn’t happen as we planned. Shawnna decided she didn’t want to be in the group anymore without letting us know and Remy, unfortunately, had her situation. Lately though, I’ve been making steps to extend the olive branch to a lot of female artists whether they’re upcoming or they’ve been in the business for a while.

When can fans expect to hear a hometown anthem featuring Trina, Khia and yourself?

Man that would be so beautiful if that could happen… That would be a beautiful thing to have all the females from Florida featured on a track but I’m just one person saying that and you talk about other people… That you mentioned… They have to feel the same way, not to say it but to do it. A lot of it just be a lot of damn talking and it don’t go down that way, you know? I’m actually trying to make it go down.

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Lil Boosie Indicted For Involvement In Contract Killing

Nationally acclaimed Baton Rouge rapper Torrence “Lil Boosie’’ Hatch, imprisoned since November in a drug case, was indicted today in what prosecutors are calling the murder-for-hire of a local man in October.

An East Baton Rouge Parish grand jury indicted the 27-year-old Hatch on a count of first-degree murder in the Oct. 21 shooting death of 35-year-old Terry Boyd.

Hatch, a girlfriend, a former Dixon Correctional Institute guard and an inmate also were indicted on drug charges that allege they conspired to bring contraband – codeine, marijuana pills and synthetic marijuana – into the prison.

Two other Baton Rouge men – 17-year-old Michael “Marlo Mike’’ Louding and 36-year-old Adrian Pittman – were indicted earlier this month on first-degree murder charges in Boyd’s killing.

East Baton Rouge Parish District Attorney Hillar Moore III said investigators are looking into whether Hatch and others were involved in at least five other slayings since early last year.

Louding is charged in six murders during that time span, including the February 2009 shooting death of local up-and-coming rapper Chris “Nussie’’ Jackson.

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