Motivation Str8 Outta Memphis

 Yo Gotti is your favorite hustler’s favorite rapper, your favorite rapper’s favorite hustler, and one of rap music’s most respected musicians. But that doesn’t mean the running back of rap hasn’t taken a few hits in life before landing where he is now, in the end zone. Having made multi-millions off of a rap career that runs a decade, the Emmitt Smith of Hip Hop has a ground game like none other.

The crowned King of Memphis, dedicated Grizzly fan, successful entrepreneur and proud family man took a stop in Atlanta between shows to link with editor Tone Swep for this in-depth interview and DOPE MAG exclusive cover shoot.

Read an Excerpt from the Full Length Interview

(Tone Swep: TS) You performed at the historic Orpheum yesterday, a theatre made famous by Elvis. You are the first rapper to ever perform there, and you brought Jeezy, Ca$h Out, and Nelly out as surprise guests. What was the energy like? Had to be a special moment.

(Yo Gotti: GOTTI) It was special with me being from Memphis and knowing the history of the venue, knowing all of the artists who performed there before me. Even having the idea to approach it was ambitious on my part, but I thought they would turn me down at first. But I knew we would sell it out if I got to do it because the city love me. So once it got past that phase, I made some calls and got Jeezy on; Nelly on. Man it was a crazy show, definitely one of the biggest nights of my career.

(TS) Any crazy groupie stories after the show? I know the chicks were chasing you down man?

(GOTTI) (Laughs!) Man, I been doing this for a minute so that sh!t don’t excite me no more. We focus on money, getting money and winning. We let the rest of them chase the women. We focus on winning cuz getting women is slight work (Laughs!). That’s all the time with us.

(TS) Talk a little about your ground game as a teen. That ground hustle. How was life coming up on the north side of Memphis before your early projects like “From the Dope Game 2 Da Rap Game” in 2000 and “Self-Explanatory” in 2001, before you delved full-time into your rap career?

(GOTTI) I was just out there in them streets hustling trying to get it how I live, a teenager trying to take care of his family; take care of his mother and sister while his brother in the penitentiary. That first CD said exactly what it was. I was just in the streets hustling. I come from a family of hustlers. 

photographed in Atlanta by Thomas Gasque

(TS) Was there a particular life event, or tragic circumstance, that forced you into the streets?

(GOTTI) Just the responsibility of wanting to see my mother have a better life; making sure my sister had a better life. I went ahead and accepted that responsibility when I was young and it paid off. That was really the only goal. Everything that came with it was more of a surprise to me, because initially it was just about getting my mama and my sister, really my whole family because I come from a big one, out of how we were living. It was about getting them to a better place and making sure they had a better life. And we was all blessed to have made that happen.

(TS) Dudes choose rap for different reasons. What was yours?

(GOTTI) I was blessed with the talent. God gave me the gift to put words together and make popular songs. But once I realized that you could actually make money off of it… Because before that, I felt like I had bigger responsibilities than making songs. Rap was slowly becoming one of my hustles, but it wasn’t my main hustle. But I come from a family of hustlers, so once I figured the hustle out and mastered it, I took it to my brothers like… “we can flip this just like we flip anything else”… and they were with it but also sort of slow to come all the way on board. Because they were in the streets too. A lot of my people still are.

(TS) Talk a little about Cocaine Muzik Group, namely Zed Zilla and Sylver Karatz. Is CMG the next movement in rap?

(GOTTI) To me, CMG is primed to be for Epic what Roc A Fella was for Def Jam. What No Limit was for Priority. What Cash Money is for Universal. Different talented artists, not just Gangsta rap or whatever, but different genres of music from rap to R&B, even some rock and country music. And good music with a sound business arrangement with their major label partner.

(TS) As a business, rap has gone from selling records to selling out shows. Platinum sales were the standard, now its performing in stadiums and theatres like Orpheum. Are rappers in a better place now, or before? Has the game changed for the better?

(GOTTI) I look at like this, I believe your success is based off what your goals are. Are you trying to feed your family or have plaques on the wall and be broke? In that case, I think the game is in a better place. We have all heard of famous artists who are broke. Then we know of artists who may have had only a song or two on radio, but have a million or two dollars off that quick come up. Speaking for myself, my first priority is to take care of my family. That’s first and foremost. Mama living how she wants to live now. Sister living how she wants to live now. Keeping my family out of prison best I can. That is success to me. I created that without selling records. Making Yo Gotti a brand. But as a competitive artist, of course I want to compete. But I already got the money, so now its about the rest. I’m a hustler. Long as I can walk and talk and see, I’m going to get money regarldless. No matter what I do. True hustler. But like LeBron James, we already know how good the man is. We know he can play. He’s rich. But he still want a ring. N!ggas know my music hot. That’s proven. Now its time to get the ring.

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photographed in Venice Beach by Michael Barr

Jasmine Villegas, known by millions of fans and stans as Jasmine V, is an exciting pop sensation recently signed to Interscope Records. But this pretty face and resonating soulful voice was real before the deal, and so was the singer’s global following of loyal “Jasminators”. The 19-year-old Cali-girl took a break from her hectic songwriting and recording schedule to speak with DOPE Magazine’s Arionne Alyssa.

Read an Excerpt from the Full Length Interview

(Arionne Alyssa: AA) Being a great singer, I’m sure you’ve had a ton of inspirational people to draw from. What music artist currently inspires most you?

(Jasmine Villegas: Jasmine V) I’d have to say that my idol, since I was younger, has always been Alicia Keys.  Everything about her really inspires me. She’s beautiful, she has a good head on her shoulders, she writes her own music, she plays instruments, she’s an amazing singer, and the fact that she doesn’t have to be naked in a video just to get respect from people, or to get attention. Because she’s naturally beautiful, and that’s why people really are so attached to her.

photographed in Venice Beach by Michael Barr

(AA) Through your work, you meet a lot of people.  What cool people have you met as a result of being in this business?

(Jasmine V) I’ve met a bunch of cool people – Chris Brown, Tyga -who I actually just did a song with, Ryan Leslie – who’s like my older brother, Manny Pacquiao – he managed me in the Philippines and we worked together for a couple months out there, Mariah Carey, Nick Cannon, Sean Kingston. It’s been great.

(AA) Your fans are the “Jasminators” and they show so much love!  How do they motivate you daily?

(Jasmine V) My fans have been there for me through all the stuff I’ve been through in the past couple years.  They continue to motivate me every day and I try my best to keep in contact with them.  I have this thing called “Call Me Jasmine V” where I call a couple fans every week.  I talk to them on Twitter and on any social media that I’m on.  They’re amazing!  I couldn’t ask for better fans.

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photographed in Miami

We don’t take kindly to threats. Neither does energetic Carol City lyricist Denzel Curry. The Miami-native and Raider Klan member chopped it up with La La during a recent trip LA to discuss live performances, top producers, and his karate-rap alter ego Raven Miyagi.

Read an Excerpt from the Full Length Interview

(Lauren “La La” Elizabeth: La La) When did you know you wanted to be a rapper?

(Denzel Curry: DC) Around when I was 12, I figured out that anybody can get on the radio with music. And when I figured out that I could freestyle – after my friend Premi Sterlin taught me how – I started making music at a friend’s house on a mic we got from Wal Mart.

(La La) Where did your alter ego Raven Miyagi come from?

(DC) Spaceghostpurrp gave me the name when Simmie and I told him about the Black Raven project that we are working on together. I did karate for five years; he saw my nickname was Miyagi on Facebook and from then on Raven Miyagi was created.

Raider Klan

(La La) How did you become a part of Raider Klan?

(DC) Mike Dece introduced me to Purrp’s music through Facebook and I found out that he lived a few blocks away. Then, when he was in New York City with ASAP Rocky, I asked him could I join Raider Klan and he said “Fasho”, which was a stepping stone in creating my first lo-fi project “King Remembered Underground Tape 1991-1995”. I was 16 at the time.

(La La) How do you think your music represents your generation?

(DC) I think it represents it well, showing how to expand your creativity especially when everyone is saying the same thing in there lyrics these days.

(La La) How do you plan to stand out from all the other artists who are up next?

(DC) I had to find myself and blend pieces of myself into my art to show that I’m a force to be reckoned with, be it with music or my pieces I draw for my music. That’s what separates me from them. Everyone tries to be the best so I said forget it, I’m not trying to be the best, I’m going be a threat, a menace , a destroyer in anything I do.

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photographed in Los Angeles by Estevan Oriol

Theotis Beasley shoots for Pure DOPE Magazine’s “DREAM“ Issue. The Los Angeles native rocks a Nike SB tee and Baker chain, repping just a couple of his many sponsors, in this introspective shot taken by legendary photographer Estevan Oriol. Don’t miss Theo’s upcoming DOPE MAG Exclusive interview with more amazing images.

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Modelesque Make-Up Artist & Radio Host LENA CHASE Discusses Living the Life

Written by Tone Swep

Read an Excerpt from the Full Length Interview

(Tone Swep: TS) You are well known in the urban modeling world, and you are also a radio hostess and make-up artist. Talk a little about your numerous career activities at present.

(Lena Chase: Lena) I’m a self-taught makeup Artist who just took my passion for makeup and turned it into a dream come true. I’m currently working with the beautiful Sofi Green on Week In Jams on MTV while still taking care of my day to day clients who really are the basis of my inspiration to make women beautiful. Although I’m considered a celebrity makeup artist, it’s the normal average working women that motivate me. Women endure so much as a whole so I take great pride in making them feel their best even if it is just for one night or special occasion. I’m currently in negotiations for a new radio show so I will definitely keep DOPE readers up on that as soon as its finalized.

(TS) If you could change one thing about the world. What would it be and why?

(Lena) There are so many things I wish were different about this world. But the reality is that “it is what it is”. So make the absolute best of whatever “it” is for you. When you fall asleep by chance you may have a nightmare but that never stops you from dreaming. Just keep pushing for whatever you want out of this lifetime, and don’t forget to enjoy the ride.

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photographed by Brian Higbee in Hollywood

USA Network’s sexy and exciting new series, Graceland, opened to rave reviews this summer. Six federal agents representing various branches of law enforcement all living in one So Cal beach house. The show presents a unique take on undercover operatives infiltrating area crime rings. Actor Manny Montana plays Johnny Tuturro, a street smart and scene savvy peace keeper who wants to solve every problem – both inside and outside the house. Manny, a native of Long Beach, takes a moment out of his hectic filming, coaching, and business schedule to chop it up with DOPE.

Written by Tone Swep                  Images by Brian Higbee

Read an Excerpt from the Full Length Interview

(Tone Swep: TS) You are the star of cable television’s hottest new series. Tell us about Graceland. And let us know what your character is about.

(Manny Montana: Manny) You remember the New York Undercover series back in the day? I like to say Graceland is like New York Undercover meets The Real World. I mean, you have six FBI agents living in a beach house. Our personal lives and business intertwine with our federal assignments. It just makes for great television. I play Johnny Tuturro. Johnny has like this middle child syndrome where he just wants everyone to get along. He doesn’t want to believe or acknowledge many of the issues the other five have in their lives, and with each other. He just tries to make everything work, in some cases without realizing consequences.

(TS) How was it working with Serinda Swan and Vanessa Ferlito?

(Manny) Phucking Amazing! And very believable. Here is why I say that. When I watch TV dramas, police dramas, the women don’t look like real cops. They’re too sexy (Laughs!). You’re like,’she couldn’t be a real cop’. It doesn’t look real. But with Vanessa and Serinda they are sexy, they are attractive, but they can tone that down when certain scenes require it and be gritty and be edgy and be tough. And Vanessa was amazing. She does a lot of little things, different acting techniques, to charge you up when you are in a scene with her. Bring the best out of you. And Serinda and I just chilled out and hung out, joked around a lot. They were both great to work with and I hope to be working with them for a long time.

(TS) There is a scene in the Graceland trailer where all of you are seated at a beach bonfire at sunset and actor Daniel Sunjata proposes a toast and proclaims the six of you a “Merry Band of Misfits”. What does that mean?

(Manny) To me it meant we’re not a house of perfect people. We’re not your cookie cutter FBI or DEA agents. Like, my character is a guy from the streets who made something decent of himself. And with each of our characters there is some baggage and there are some obstacles, and then we are all very different from one another. We all come from different backgrounds.

photographed by Brian Higbee in Hollywood

(TS) We all know writers and actors get all the chicks man. I mean, come on: Athletes and musicians too, but mostly when they’re young. We can pull chicks until we’re 80.

(Manny) (Laughs! with an uproar) That’s so true man (Laughs! some more).

(TS) So give us a crazy lady story, Manny. I know there’s a wild chick story in there somewhere.

(Manny) Fortunately I haven’t had a stalker or anything crazy like that yet. Hopefully that doesn’t happen to me (Laughs!). But I’ve had my fun. I’ve dated. I still date, but you learn to be more selective in the type of ladies you go with because they start dating your status and not you. So, with this one chick in particular, what I discovered is that she was dating my characters. She wasn’t dating me. She would change up depending on what movie I was just in, or what show I was just on. She was crazy (Laughs!).

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Keep it 4 HUNNID at All Times

In the early 80’s, inner-city LA street peeps changed urban music like a shitty diaper on an unsuspecting infant – nasty but necessary: call it Hip Hop hygiene. Cali gangster’s started rappin’, Gangsta Rap was birthed, and a certain radicalized left-wing brand of no-nonsense left-coast truth was told via ghetto militancy.

But “things just ain’t the same for gangsters” rapped Dr. Dre on “The Watcher”, which was released in 1999 when the good Doctor’s Compton neighbor, YG, was only a fourth-grader studying the fast life from school bus windows and BMX bike seats. Later, YG’s 21^st Century demographic of generation-Y Millennials would introduce a new wave of LA rap – Jerkin’ street dancers, backpacking Black hippies, skinny jean skateboarders, and a band of auto-tuning Nickelodeon TV stars whose raps were more likened to Comedy Central than South Central.

The good news is YG just re’d up and rap is ratchet again. The Pu$haz Ink co-CEO sat down with DOPE MAG between stops on his national “Just Re’d Up 2 Tour” to discuss clubbin’ with Jeezy, Def Jam debuts, and why gangbanging is simply a fact of life in Lost Scandalous, Balifornia. 

Read an Excerpt from the Full Length Interview

(Tone Swep: TS) You arrived on the scene back in ’09 with a hit single in “Toot it and Boot it”, and a Def Jam deal. No artist on the West Side really has that situation. What in your opinion made a Cali artist stand out from the pack to a label with such a storied New York legacy?

(Young Gangsta: YG) When I got signed it was because the label saw that the people at my shows were going crazy. They was rocking to my shit and the shows were always packed. Def Jam, Warner Bros and different other labels were all interested. Def signed me right after that.

(TS) I interviewed DJ Quik years ago. He said growing up in Compton was like living on top of a Volcano; never could predict when a situation would erupt to interrupt the calm. What was the climate of violence like for you growing up in Compton?

(YG) It was just like that. Just how Quik described it then. I was born in Compton. Always lived there. So that’s all I knew. It’s different when you come here from somewhere else that ain’t like that. Somewhere where that isn’t the everyday thing. We used to be outside posted on the block and n!99as just pull up and start shooting. Then you gotta get back and do you, feel me. The sh!t is like a movie when you watching it but when you living it, it’s just life. It’s crazy than a muphuka. Crazy for real.

(TS) An artist’s debut album is thought to be their most important – usually sets the tone for the rest of their career. What can we expect from “I’m From Bompton”?

(YG) You can expect my story. I’m going to be telling my story. You haven’t heard from me like that before. It’s going to turn up. I’ma let it be known that I’m a young n!99a from Compton and what all came with that. What I went through. My life. And I haven’t really  brought people into my life, how I grew up and what went on. So expect that side. And for it to be turn’t. 

YG is too DOPE

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photographed in Hollywood by Jeremey Ray Valdez

Actor JJ Soria is demanding of himself. So it is no surprise this tireless scene stealer is drawn to character-driven roles that challenge him. This year alone, Soria is cast in four exciting new films, a list which includes “Mission Park”, “Every Heroes Dream”, and “Ten Cent Pistol”. As impressive as this list may be, it’s Soria’s co-starring role in the street drama “Filly Brown” – opposite budding superstar Gina Rodriguez – that has Hollywood buzzing with anticipation.

No stranger to the small screen, Soria has additionally guest starred on several hit TV series: “CSI: Miami”, “The Closer”, “Bones”, “Southland” and “The Shield” are all heavy highlights on Soria’s weighty reel. He sat down with DOPE Magazine to discuss Latino’s making moves in Hollywood, shaking hands with Edward James Olmos, and why he wants to work with Meryl Streep.

Read an Excerpt from the Full Length Interview

(Tone Swep: TS) You are perhaps best known for playing Private First Class Hector Cruz on the Lifetime original series “Army Wives”. What are the most glaring similarities, and differences, between you and the character you portray?

(JJ Soria: JJ) (Laughs!)… I’ll be straight up, man. He has a bad temper. I have a bad temper. The same way he always tries to do his best, so do I. My job as an actor is to make the character work, make him come to life. So I make myself that person. I become that person. So, in many ways, I am Hector Cruz. But, I would say we also differ in many ways. For instance, his predicament on the show right now is very different from a predicament I would let myself get into. But I don’t want to give too much away with the show being on air right now, so that is one big difference. And then some of his views are immature at times. Hector can be borderline ignorant, so we differ in that way too. And we’ve all been there, you know. Another way in which I differ from Hector is that he is too quick to react. He doesn’t think things through. And I think things through more. I weigh my options before I just react.

(TS) How was it working alongside a legend in Edward James Olmos? He give you any career advice or acting tips?

(JJ) What he did is… he gave me a compliment that I hold onto to this today. I wanted to meet him. So I went up to him and shook his hand. He held onto my hand and said “You’re the real deal”. That was a small statement that meant a lot to me, especially coming from him.

(TS) If you could co-star alongside any A-list leading lady, who would she be and why?

(JJ) Right now?!?! (Laughs!)… There are so many great actresses. Let me get into this question and really give it some thought (Laughs!)…. I would say Meryl Streep, her ability to play diverse characters. And the characters she plays aren’t really characters at all, but people. You watch the films with her in them, and you feel you’re watching real life people. Not a movie. I want people to feel for that person I play. I make that shit believable. Some people come up to me and they’re like, “I didn’t like you” when I play the antagonist because I make the person become real. Make viewers hate the bad guy. Actresses like Meryl Streep get emotionally invested. So it would give me a lot to play off of.

(TS) Are there more opportunities now for Latino actors, directors and writers in Hollywood today?

(JJ) I believe it’s coming around. We keep chipping away at it. And we’re showing that we have more to offer than playing the gardener, the maid, and the general stereotypical roles. But they are stereotypes for a reason, because that is what you commonly see in everyday life. But Latinos are doctors, we are lawyers, we are executives. So this has become more and more common to see as well. Hollywood is taking notice.

photographed in Hollywood by Jeremey Ray Valdez

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Photographed by Will Taylor in Long Beach, CA. Valentine’s Day 2k13

DIAMOND – the 24-year-old lightning rod for cute comments and controversy – is the resilient riddler with rowdy rhymes, a bossy brand, and a romantic smile beaming as bright as her name. Born Brittany Carpentero in Atlanta, the chick was birthed to make moves in the entertainment industry. Diamond signed her first record deal as a precocious 9th-grader, spider-webbed that platinum plaque into a successful solo career, and remains as fiercely Independent as the Miss that Ne-Yo sang about.

After a night in Beverly Hills with her “big sis” Tiny Harris and friends, Diamond rolled up to her exclusive DOPE Magazine cover shoot the following morning in Long Beach’s cushy Signal Hill district. She has her fans, a dedicated band of loyalists clinging to the girl-power meets street diva aura Diamond’s “Team Pretty” and “The Young Life” brands stand to define. And she has her haters, a bratty pack of social media misfits watching homegirl like prime-time television, only to criticize her every business move, personal decision, set back and step up.

Either way, you can’t take your eyes off this fly a$$ jet-setter. She barks in the booth to scare the alley-cats away, and yet purrs like the sex kitten she is when its lights, camera, action time. Diamond took a seat beneath the palm tree shade to explain why there is “Never a Dull Moment” when you’re living The Young Life.

Written by: Tone Swep

Photographer: Will Taylor

Stylist & Creative Director: Marquita Lopez

Hair: Te Te

MUA: A. Marie Nailor 

Location: Will Taylor Studios in Long Beach, CA. (Signal Hill District)

Date: Valentine’s Day, 2013

Here is an Excerpt from the Full Length Interview

(ToneSwep: TS) In Atlanta, you have Tip, Waka, Luda, Gucci, 2 Chainz, Future, Ca$h Out, Travis Porter, Jeezy, all of these male rappers in the spotlight representative of your city – but as A-list femcees go, you only think Diamond. At least as the only female rap artist with cross-continental recognition. Is there pressure for you to hold it down, be perfect, always win, and never fail?

(Diamond: DIAMOND) Yes it is. A lot of pressure, tremendous amount. But I invite the pressure, because I am not one who likes to live comfortably. I’ve been doing this for 10 years. Growing up, when everyone was cheerleading and playing basketball, I was doing music. I mean, I was a cheerleader too, but music was my main focus early on. And now when I speak at schools, the teen girls, little kids, and even many of the grown women, are very inspired by me and my story. And that is an amazing feeling. I wouldn’t trade it for the world, pressure and all.

(TS) If you aren’t pulling up on a Motorcycle, you are pushing a Jag, lounging in a Lambo, flying first class from NY to here in LA and back to the A, and releasing Instagram images from a loft or condo. But talk a little about your personal lifestyle. How does Diamond the lady live? Who is she?

(DIAMOND) I’m very spontaneous. I can wake up one day and decide to be in a different city on a whim. I was supposed to be in Houston this weekend, but then I’m headed to Atlanta Saturday. So I’m wondering if I want to go back to New York or to Houston after Atlanta. That would be three cities in two days. I like to try different things, different places, different types of food and people. I love movies, roller coasters, love being in the clubs, love to stop and have a drink in a nice lounge. I’m not a boring person. There is never a dull moment with me. But I like to take time and reflect. I read. I watch a maximum of one day of TV a week, but I keep up with my shows on that day. I try to work as much as possible. I work all the time. 

(TS) You have been in the industry, the rap game, your entire adult life. How does your family feel about your career choices? Did Mama Linda or your father want something else for you?

(DIAMOND) Well, my father (carefully gathers her thoughts, forms a response)… Like when I first took off. My father was speaking at high schools. He was helping the families who were victimized by drunk drivers through his organization. My mom always supported me and went to every event, from back when I was in sports and cheerleading to the music. But the late hours from studio sessions and shows had me coming in at two in the morning, sometimes four in the morning. And we were in the clubs when we were too young to be in there. She wasn’t having it. I would get myself locked out if I came home too late (Laughs!); started sneaking in the house, easing by my step dad. He always supported me. But he was like “you’re a young lady and you can’t be out there like that”. They all knew it was my passion. I had a dream and it really took off. 

(TS) You attended Atlanta’s Grady High, which is in the middle of it all – right in the city. Projects on Boulevard, yet nearby is the business class downtown, the yuppies at Piedmont Park and a little of everything from Cadillac’s to crack heads on Ponce. How did this socio-economically diverse mix influence the woman and artist you are today?

(DIAMOND) Well, just starting back to early life. Even before high school. When I was 3-years-old my father was hit by a city bus. He was a police officer at the time. He lost his left eye, suffered permanent damage to his nose. Life got hard for us as a family. We were living in different hotels and eating fast food every night for a while. And just my mother during that time, just seeing her be an independent woman and getting back on her feet. Just how strong she was during that time, it made me want to be that strong. We moved to Ellenwood and that is where I met the group members (Crime Mob). My dad lived on the Southside, so I met people in that area too. My mom lived on the Eastside, so I had people over there. People from different sides of Atlanta are known for different things. Then, I have four sisters and two little brothers. We have lived everywhere you can think of in Atlanta. Westside, like by West End mall. So I know all of Atlanta, and the different people. Not just one side.

(TS) You are of Puerto Rican and Black descent, so bi-racial. But during your childhood, you grew up in an almost exclusively Black culture in Atlanta’s inner-city. Did you have to suppress your Latin side? Do you feel you’ve had a greater opportunity to better explore the Latin side of your heritage more now, in adulthood?

(DIAMOND) Yes, most definitely! That’s why I say I get mad because I can’t put all these new experiences on one album. Every summer my father would take me to New York. And I could speak the Spanish more with them, just by being around it all the time. And then when my father’s family would come around to visit us in Atlanta on some holidays, I experienced it. It’s difficult now, because I’m putting it into my music but I am not fluent in the language or the culture. And I hate that. I’m mad at myself for that. I beat myself up a lot. I’m an overachiever so I push myself hard. But I’m loving the challenge (of relearning Spanish). My manager is planning something for the Puerto Rican Day parade so we really gon’ turn up.

Read DIAMOND‘s Full Cover Story in the #EverAfter Issue

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In an era of formulaic imitators, infamous fakes, and improbable posers copycatting whomever is hot and popular – Singer AUGUST ALSINA has a true story and trill style all his own. We here at DOPE MAG call it Street Soul, a rich but real cauldron stirred by the very New Orleans streets the gritty but grounded 20-year-old heartthrob was born to bling about. August sits down with Arionne Alyssa for a cool convo while his breakout hit “I Luv This Sh!t”, and viral smash “Shoot or Die”, heat the streets, run radio, and keep the clubs on Cîroc restock.

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(Arionne Alyssa: AA) You’re from New Orleans, which has always been a place rich in music at the core of its culture. Growing up, how did Nola shape you as a person and later, as an artist?

(August Alsina: AUGUST) New Orleans made me who I am today. I lost my brother there, I lost my father there, and you know… that’s always going to be a part of me. Just the culture and the way we do things made me the way I am and it made my music what it is. It’s such a lifestyle place, which makes my music so lifestyle and gives me different topics to talk about. Know what I’m sayin’?

(AA) I know much of your ambition and drive comes from personal tragedy. How do you use that to fuel you every day?

(AUGUST) It’s my motivation. I gotta do it for the squad, I gotta do it for my family, I gotta do it for New Orleans. I do this to show people that it’s possible to come from the bottom, to come from nothing, and to be something. I have three nieces that my brother left here and they don’t have a father anymore so somebody has to take care of them. I love music but it’s also a way for me to provide for my family and be a part of changing the world. For people to see a person like me and where I come from doing this, it’ll make you say – “Well, damn, homie doing it, so I can do it, too.”

(AA) Since you mentioned changing the world and making a bigger impact, there are unfortunately way too many of us that have experienced similar tragedies resulting from gun violence in neighborhoods all over the country. How do you think we can work to inspire the youth to take a route that’s different from violence, so that hopefully, one day there will be fewer of us with that story?

(AUGUST) I think by doing exactly what I’m doing right now. For me to continue doing what I’m doing. It’s all about people seeing, because they say you have to see it to believe it. So I feel like once a person sees, “Man, August is just like me. Maybe I can try this or do it this way” and like you said, it’s about taking different routes, but we have to show it.

(AA) One of the cool things about your music is that you put a lot of depth into your smooth sound and although its R&B, it’s still very edgy and Hip Hop inspired. How do you maintain that balance? 

(AUGUST) You know, that’s a great question. I don’t know (Laughs!). It’s just me. It’s just what I do and what I feel musically. Of course, it’s also the squad and the team that’s around me, but it’s just what I feel, what I’m inspired to do on the beat, and what I’ve been through. I just speak what I’ve experienced.

(AA) Everyone is loving your latest video – “I Luv This Sh!t” – with Trinidad James. It looked like it was a lot of fun to create. What was it like recording that song and then filming the video?

(AUGUST) It was hella fun. I had the song for about six months before I even gave it to Trinidad. When I heard Trinidad’s single “All Gold [Everything]” he embodied what my song was about so it was a no brainer for me to go get him on it. Me and Trinidad have mutual friends, we go to the same tattoo shop, so we got in contact. I was in the studio with Curren$y, he came through and holla’d at me, I gave him the record, he got it back to me and boom! Next thing you know, I played it for Def Jam and they were ready to shoot the video. Trinidad also had a part in creating the treatment. That’s why it was so turn’t up and looked fun because it was (Laughs!). We had a good time.

(AA) What other game changers do you have on “The Product II”?

(AUGUST) Man, if I told you… (Laughs!)…  My goal for the “The Product II” is to make this sound like an album and I was recently listening to it and it sounds like it could be an album. I can say that about it. I’ma do about 12, maybe 13 tracks.

(AA) Although you’ve been doing this music thing for a while, your recent recognition has really been through the roof. What perk or DOPE experience have you had in your music career that you’ve always wanted?

(AUGUST) (reflects, collects… ) You know what? Sway! Shout out to him. He tweeted out the video and we chopped it up over Twitter. That’s cool to me because Sway is pretty much a legend in this business. He’s a hustler, he’s a go-getter, and I respect him. That’s probably the coolest, most recent thing that’s happened.

(AA) Conversely, on the opposite end of that, what would be the pinnacle you always wanted to reach in your music career that has yet to happen?

(AUGUST) Um, I don’t really think that there’s anything that can make me say that. I can’t talk about what I’ve always wanted because I never thought that I’d be right here in this position. I don’t really live thinking, “I want this to happen,” I live like, “I know I gotta hustle so whatever’s gonna come out of it is going to come out of it and that’s the way I got here. It was never, “I need to go get a record deal.”  It just happened and that was the way that God put it together. Whatever God wants for me is exactly what I want for myself.

(AA) That’s an awesome way to look at it. I’m going to quote you for a minute: “Hate…jealousy.. envy.. They’re all just confirmation that you’re doing you just the way you should and that you’re doing it just right.” How do you handle your haters?

(AUGUST) I honestly just don’t give a f-ck, period (Laughs!). I just do me and really, if they weren’t hatin’, then I’d have a problem. With me just knowing what I do and being comfortable with the projects that I’ve released and knowing that I stay true, humble, and loyal to myself, it ain’t nothing that you can tell me. Even with some of the comments that people may make, it’s nothing that you can tell me to make me feel like what I’m doing ain’t right because I know that it’s me and you can’t tell me how to do me. I’m the only muthafucka that’s me! I honestly just don’t care.

(AA) Money, women, fame – there are several things that come with success in the music industry. What matters most to you?

(AUGUST) I really could care less about the women. I could care less about the fame for sure. I could care less about the money… but let me speak on that. This is a way for me to provide for myself, but I do it because I love it.  Even if money didn’t come from this, I would still do this music sh!t because it’s a way for me to escape. That may sound cliché, but it’s real. I know how to do two things: I know how to sing and I know how to sell DOPE. With selling DOPE, I would end up dead or in jail, one of the two, so why not do this music? God blessed me with the gift and the opportunity, so why not do it? But what’s most important to me is really the people – the art, the people, and giving the people my art and showing them that a person like me, and the rest of y’all, can do it. I was homeless last year. God does everything for a reason and I know that I went through the experiences that I went through in my life for a reason, good and bad. God put me in this position to show people. Its power in the fact that a person was homeless just last year and now is signed to Def Jam and has an amazing video out.  That’s stupid to me. That’s real. That’s crazy. It still hasn’t even registered to me yet.

(AA) Since you’re open and you share yourself and your story, your fans really connect with you as a person.  What’s something your fans may not know about you?

(AUGUST) It’s funny you say that I’m open because it’s a struggle that I’ve been dealing with since I started doing music. It’s a lotta sh!t that people ain’t heard and it gets deeper and deeper and deeper into who I am and where I came from. On the album you really get that. The songs make you visualize exactly where I was, what I was doing – sh!t that I shouldn’t have been doing, but that’s how I was getting by. I always struggle with just that because of the judgment [that comes with it]. It’s like, “How much do I give to the world?” but at a certain point, you’re cheating yourself and you’re cheating the people if you ain’t keeping it all 100. I guess that all I can really say is that people get caught up into TV and radio, and they only know what they see. They hear me saying (sings) “I’mma keep on drinkin’ cuz I love this sh!t.  I’mma keep on smokin’ cuz I love this sh!t” so that’s all you hear so that’s all that you see. I’m just telling you my life and about me. I guess when people get so caught up into that, they get blinded and forget that I’m a human being and I’m a child of God. It’s just a lot of sh!t that they miss.

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Purchase “I Luv This ShxT” on iTunes

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COPYRIGHT © 2010-2013 Pure DOPE Label / Pure DOPE™ / Luxury Label / Brand Enterprises. All Rights Reserved

Information About Copyright on the Web