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« Hold on, Stay Strong » – A conversation with OG CUICIDE
Life. Sometimes it gets hard, sometimes it gets even harder. And here comes depression…
Unfortunately to some of us, the only solution we see to ease the pain is taking our own life. The signs are not always seen by friends and family and sometimes it is too late to help.
Having gone through it and thank God he survived to tell, OGCuicide has decided to make it his journey to educated the people about how you can see the sun after the rainy days.
Ladies and gentlemen: OGCuicide
1- First of all, thank you for helping us understand depression and suicide. Can you tell us what happened that made you have a depression?
My life starts off with me and my older brother being abandoned in an apartment for many days until social services and the authorities entered the apartment and took us both. We was separated and placed in different foster homes. His mother went through the steps and got my older brother back. I don’t call her my mother because she never came back and got me so the foster home I was in Mrs price ended up adopting me and loving me like her own son. Growing up in Compton you live a street life so I was Gang Banging and bringing drama to the house and I was 16 at the time and Mrs Price’s daughters ended up kicking me out. So the streets is where I lived homeless slanging dope, robbing, stealing… Whatever to survive in these streets.
2- At what point did it became unbearable for you to the point where you started having suicidal thoughts?
When I was actually kicked out the house at 16 from there on I was depressed based off my past life. And the older I got it seems like the worst it got. I was 22. Today I felt like there was no reason for me in life.
3- Can you walk us through that day where you decided to take your own life?
It was December 31, 1991. I woke up that day and I woke up angry, mad at the world, mad at myself and didn’t know why. I kept having flashbacks of me sleeping in cars, living in the rain and just my whole lifestyle send gotten to me. I remember pulling a gun out and I click the hammer back. My little homies asked me what was I doing and I replied to them I can’t carry on like this, that I don’t wanna live anymore. They replied « what are you doing? what are you doing big Homie? » Then I put the gun to my temple and I pulled the trigger. I remember it got so bright, my eyes wasn’t able to take the light and moments later it got dark and I blacked out.
4- What made you realized you made a mistake and should fight life?
I don’t really consider it a mistake because I have no regrets in life. Everything I went through made me who I am today and I never knew that God had plans for me in the future and used me as an example. He spared my life for a reason and that reason was to be a Messenger for Him to show people never give up.
5- The road to recovery. How did you get help?
After the incident they have me seeing a psychiatrist and was giving me a medication called Sinequan. This particular medication make me feel worse than I already was feeling and felt the day I attempted suicide. So I stopped taking the medication and started to feel better. I was still homeless at the time and since 1987 I’ve always done music so I contacted a good friend of mine name Lee who did Beats and I told him I was going to start writing music about my life. He gave me some beats on cassette tapes to write to and I started writing about my life and the music that I was writing was real life: self experienced, emotions, blood, sweat and tears. It became my medication my recovery. It gave me hope not just for me but also to share my life. To give out hope.
6- Do you believe that us Black people are afraid to express to our love ones that we need help?
Yes. In no way it’s an embarrassment to share you need help, especially when you don’t know who to share it with there is some pet care. But for the most part there are those who don’t care and look at people as a joke. Like myself for instance. I was a heavy gang Banger so for me to come to one of the big Homies and say I’m considering suicide I felt he would have laughed at me. Feeling this way will keep you depressed and you will keep all the feelings bottling up.
7- Your music is very powerful and speak a strong message. How do you want the people to receive the message in it?
When people listen to my music however they are feeling if they’re depressed and stressed out I really want them to listen to my music and see I’ve walked in their shoes. If I haven’t walked in the exact shoes I most definitely have walked in similar shoes and I want them to listen to my music and see that there is hope, that life gets better. No-one never really knows when life will get better. It’s almost like playing the lottery, no one will ever know when they’re going to hit it big but when they do it’s amazing and the feeling is priceless that is the same way life goes. You maybe going through something today but you never know what tomorrow brings. Tomorrow brings better days. You don’t want to give up because you do not want to miss out on greatness and seeing stress leave your life and you feel better about life
8- If people want to get more familiar with your journey and your music at the same time, How do they get at you?
Anyone that would like to know more about me follow me on Instagram @OGCUICIDE my direct phone number is on my page. So just push call or you can even DM me.
We would like to thank OGCUICIDE for this amazing interview. It is important for the people to know that there is help out there and that life gets hard but the road to be smiling again can be reached with the proper help and surroundings.
God Bless.
REST EASY HOMIE – R.I.P. COREY « C.STRUGGS » STRUGGS
A man, a father, a brother, an artist with a Makaveli-like work ethic, C.STRUGGS made his mark on not only the Dallas Texas scene but the whole world.
By collaborating with every artists he could associate with, he made them recogognized to the world as well. And that is priceless.
You didn’t loose your battle playboy, you won your spot in Heaven because God saw the beautiful work you did for the people.
You will be missed. #LONGLIVECSTRUGGS
Peezee presents: CAFE
On a snowy December 13th night, Peezee launched the release of his photobook, « CAFE », at Seasalt & Ceviche bar in the old port.
Many supporters and fans we’re there to see the man behind the art. I, myself, made sure to be present as Peezee greeted people and shared stories.
In this interview, we chopped it up with Peezee on his latest accomplishement. Ladies and Gentlemen: Peezee The Director.
1- What made you decide to release a photobook?
Anytime I would visit a city where I would direct a music video for an artist/label I would end up taking pictures of the locations to show them during the scouting process. I was posting most of these pictures on Instagram and the demand from people for actual prints were increasing as my IG account was getting noticed more and more by people liking this dramatic type of photography. This past summer I stumbled on a book publisher and approached them to see what the process was. It ended up being way simpler than I though it would be so I tried it with my 1st book entitled California Love!
2- How did you pick and chose which pictures would make the final cut?
For this book I wanted pictures with a darker vibe, even the ones in plain sunshine. I wanted something super uniform that would look more refined and could fit on any coffee table… I wanted it to look more « grown up« if I can say. As I was working on some of my recent pictures, I noticed that most of them had a brownish or coffee tones to it. Then came the title « Café« .
3- What is one of your most memorable place you shot at?
My everyday favorite place to shoot in California is Laguna Beach, I go there 3 to 4 days a week just to shoot and chill by myself. I have directed multiple music videos for major labels there since 2009. But weekly personal shoots have become a therapeutic need for me when I’m in Cali. The dopest and livest location I have visited though was the sand dunes in Death Valley National Park… I took the trip there with my friend Viranova, an R&B singer from Orange, and we just had the best of times just driving up there! It’s about 4 hours from L.A. but to get there you gotta go through some of the craziest landscapes and scenic routes I had ever seen… Looks like Mars on many occasions… They actually shot many Star Wars scenes in the region… It’s a must see! I will be back there in the spring to direct a music video for a Bollywood artist!
4- Being a professional director VS being a successful artists? Which one you love most?
I think it’s all connected. I couldn’t be a successful director without knowing how music works and what an artist goes through in his mind. When I was 20 years old, the artist thing was without a doubt something I needed as it was a direct mean of expression that I needed in life. Now that I’m older and don’t feel the need to express myself and perform for people, the director part fits me way more. The photography part even fills my heart with joy more than the director job these days!
5- If you could share one advice to someone who would want to follow you footstep, what is the one rule that he/she has to follow from jump?
There’s only 1 rule that I teach all my kids in Cali and here in Montreal. NEVER STOP WORKING. For each year that you stop, whether it is because of personal problems or anything, it pushes you back 3 years in your professional development. In a business that moves so quick, 3 years in entertainment is 10 years in real life. Never wait for the perfect opportunity, CREATE IT!!! Money means nothing in this game. Mobsters try to pay their way in all the time but hard work and knowledge of how it works. Experience is key, there are no shortcuts for that, you gotta live it and it can’t be bought!!!!
We would like to thank Peezee for this exclusive interview and congratulations on the launch.
Links to book:
And make sure to follow Peezee on his social media network:
Instagram: PEEZEE_THEDIRECTOR
Facebook: PHOTOGRAPHYBYPEEZEE
Want to book him? Here is how: INFO@SKPFILMZ.COM
CROWD CONTROLLA 101 – with J-SEVEN
When you go to a party, you go to have the maximum fun. For that, some people will play a big part in making sure you enjoy the whole night and go back home with memories and laughters.
Enter J-SEVEN, the city’s infamous master of ceremony. Hosting some the biggest events in every top spots in the 514.
For the future promoters, party planners and hosts, we got in touch with J-SEVEN and asked him how can someone not fail in his/her goal to please the crowd. Enjoy the resume.
1- Always follow the vibe and energy of the crowd you are MC’ing for…
Respect the audience you are working with. Try to create a kind of build up throughout the night.
2- Be clear and understandable when you are hyping up or trying to convey a message to the people…
Nothing worst then a MC who just sounds like a mumble rapper
3- Don’t let the liquor and the women get the best of you. We know ladies in Montreal are fly but don’t lose focus… And if you get too twisted after a few drinks, just keep a water bottle close by or better yet stick to that all night
4- Keep the charisma level super high. Positive energy is contagious.
No matter how you feel that day, no matter what you think of the music, the crowd or the event you’re hosting, you are there to do a job but also to have fun. If you have fun the crowd has fun. Remember that.
5- Last but not least showcase your skills. If you can rap or sing or be funny do it. Whatever it takes to separate yourself from the pack. Make sure that whatever you do, your presence is a positive addition to the night or party that you are hosting.
We want to thank J-SEVEN for this exclusive. Make sure to get familiar with him and his many parties, events and ceremonies. And if you would like to book him, get at him on his INSTAGRAM or on FACEBOOK.
Ladies and gentlemen: MILLAGRAM
Went to see her live and got blown away by her soulful voice and her talent. Get familiar with her.
A man of many skills: Knemesis
In showbiz, if you want to make it you have to know how to do more than one thing. This is an advice knemesis alias K-Fresh took to heart and applied to the T.
An artist first, K-Fresh been making a name for himself being the camera. Enter Goldmine media 1. A lot of the visuals coming from Toronto have been directed by the man himself.
We got in touch with Knemesis so he can explain why he thinks it was important for him to diversify his craft.
1- When did you know it was time to have a second hustle in the business?
Well they say if you turn your passion into a hustle it’s not really like working. I’ve been involved with music for so long and I pay close attention to every aspect of producing materials and video production became a new passion for me. I have strong connections in Toronto with artists so it was a good look to start this new venture when YouTube became the main tool for artists to get their music out there.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=RpmsPjAjrjA
2- What is it about directing videos that caught your attention?
One things was having another director go hiding with my video that we did together. On a different occasion my older brother passed on some video equipment to me while I was on house arrest some years back. That’s what really sparked my interest to start. Here I am now with more than 200 music videos Directed, shot and edited.
3- Any funny story about a shooting?
I was downtown Toronto filming one day and I put down my drone behind me so It would be in my shot and a lady coming home from work just picked it up an walked away with it so I had to run her down and yell out « where you going with my drone! ». She said « People always leave things around here, you don’t know about this area? People leave things laying around here all the time ». I got my drone back but I thought she was crazy cause my drone doesn’t look like garbage.
4- Being an artist VS being a director. Which one you enjoy most and why?
I’d have to say being a director but only because it’s a bit newer to me than being an artist. I enjoy competing with other directors and even with my previous work. I always want to go harder every time. To sit back and watch finished projects is the biggest joy.
5- Is there any other businesses you want or will get involved in the future?
I really want to level up with the video production and get into movie making and high end commercials. Maybe even a TV show who knows.. The sky is the limit.
We would like to thank Knemesis for this interview and remember people: working on your business craft is how you will survive in the game.
Follow Knemesis on Social media:
Facebook: The Knemesis
Instagram: @TheKnemesis
Soundcloud: @TheKnemesis
And get familiar with his directing skills by checking out all the videos directed by Goldmedia 1
Shooting the 5 with: FIEND
(Interview Co-Edited with J-SEVEN)
When it comes down to the popularity of the South, there are people and camps that made history to make it a force to be reckoned with. But for those empire to be strong, the foundation had to be strong. And that foundation meant strong artists that could compete with anybody at any time. For No Limit records, Fiend was one of the frontliners to any competitor coming for the label #1 spot.Then came the time for the lyrical assassin to make his own lane and build his own brand. Projects after projects, ghostwritting for successful artists and having a distinctive voice that nobody has, Fiend has followers and fans from all over the world.Now with a new album to offer the world, « 1st Rolex », we made sure we got in touch with Fiend to let the people know that this album is fire and why you HAVE to get it.1- 1st Rolex: what is the idea behind that title?The concept behind 1st Rolex is, if you work hard for what you want or you can possess the motivation to be the person you want to be or obtain the lifestyle you desire and then invest what those hours got you into something that exemplifies your drive you get 1st Rolex. How bad do you want it? Everyone knows the value of a Rolex and my 1st one was reward from getting up and making it happen.
2- With this project, it seems like it is more « Mr Whomp Whomp » than « Sweet Jones », more agressive. Would you agree?This project is a bit more aggressive for my day one supporters but make no mistake the smoothest brother to do it is also cooking up « Cool is in Session 2 » for the International Jones supporters as well.3- What was the process to create that project?The process of creating the music can vary, track selection, mood, surroundings can all play a major part in creating albums. At the end of the day you got to let your soul speak.
4- Being independant, how do you make sure that a project will be promoted to the fullest?
Being independent and wanting to promote your project is never easy but hand to hand to people will never go out of style. I use a variety of digital platforms such as social media etc. But word of mouth tends to still work effectively.
5- I can’t forget about MAC who use to be your labelmate. Do you keep in touch with him?
Mac from No Limit, yes I still talk to him. Not as often as I would like but we keep in touch we miss him and C Murder dearly. Be on the look out for his documentary about his case being falsely accused and charged for a crime he did not commit.
We would like to thank Fiend for this inteview. Make sure you check out his new project, « 1st Rolex ». It is solid from beginning to end. Also, check him out on social media.
No « I » in team: how to win as a group
(sidenote: we are using the male pronoun for the article but everything can be applied to women too)
Let me break it down like this: there is no way you can win on your own. You need associates, comrads, connects… TEAMMATES.
When you look at an artist, you often see his « day ones » as they say nowadays. But are the friends coming together beneficial to the artist?
This article is to guide you folks out there on how to be more organised and move as a team. Here are the different aspects of a click that came to win.
THE ARTIST: he is the one with the talent, the one all eyes will be on. The main event. A successful artist can write hits and perform them to entertain an audience. He has a charisma that attracts people to listen to his every word and impatient to see him. He can nail any style and would sell anything he presents to you.
THE PRODUCER: also known as the beatmaker. He is the hitmaker. He knows music because that’s his life. He creates instrumentals every day to perfect his craft and knows exactly what the artist’s voice would sound nice on. He can produce any style and deliver in a short matter of time.
THE ENGINEER: he makes everything sounds perfect. My advice: get one that learned music engineering because if he fails at making you sound clean you are doomed as an artist.
THE MANAGER: the negociator of the crew. the manager is the middleman between the artist and anybody that wants to collaborate with him. He gets the music to the different outlets (DJs, media, radio, etc…) and places (clubs, shows, on cars, etc…). He handles the contracts, find sponsors and make sure the image of the artist is spread properly.
THE DJ: most of the responsibility of a hit record is made by the DJ. Because if the DJ cannot spin your record anywhere and get a good response from the crowd, you will have to go back to the studio and rec another track. A good DJ has a large fanbase that follows his craft and respect his judgement of a banger.
THE CAMERAMAN: that is the one who captures the priceless moments and put them out immediately. He knows how to edit videos and at least produce small videoclips (for studio sessions, freestyles and hood clips). They say a picture is worth a thousand words and the cameraman/photographer is there to broadcast the stardom of the artist.
***BONUS*** THE VIXEN: look at any commercial that really caught your eyes. What did you see? A beautiful woman. Everybody is attracted to a nice face and a nice body (thick girls included). They will take notice at any eye candy and memorize what she has to offer.
Once you get a little bit of fame a couple of things will need to be added up in order to be top notch in the industry. Let me tell you what they are.
THE BARBER
THE STYLIST
THE LAWYER
THE ACCOUNTANT
THE COOK
Last but not least, there is a couple rules to go by as a team. Let me share with you the main ones.
1- Everybody knows his/her role and never tries to stumble on another one’s job.
2- A good associate is available 24/7.
3- If there something to get done he knows in advance and gets it done.
4- Everybody moves in an orderly fashion (nobody wants to follows bums)
5- EVERY TEAM GOTTA HAVE A NAME TO BUILD A BRAND
Hope this article was helpful for any small crew that wants to enter the scene. Start slow and good luck.
TEAMWORK makes the DREAM WORK.
SHOOTING THE 5 WITH: PRICE DA BOSS
STRAIGHT outta Toronto, Price Da Boss is the latest to make noise courtesy of his latest project, « Cameras ». To make sure we don’t miss the wave -word to Max B.- we made sure we connected with the artist behind the fire bars to get more familiar with him.
1-Can you introduce yourself to the people? (explain your alias at the same time)
For those who dont know, I go by Priceless aka PriceDaBoss. I also go by the name P.O.L.O which is an acranomn for « Pricey Only Lives Once » which was inspired by drakes Y.O.L.O slogan. I am CEO of my own Record Label called « First Class Empire », and founder of a clothing called « Everythings Merch ».
2-With so many artists from the 416, how will you set a different tone from the pack?
One thing that puts me in a unique group of artist out of Toronto is my ability to cross the US border. I feel that if you are taking your craft seriously that is one of the things you want to protect with your life which is that ability to cross the border. I havent taken advantage of that fact as yet but I feel 2017 is that year to do so . Also im a fan first of Canadian Hip Hop, i know the industry in which I want to take over, its very important to know about the fans in Canada, your qoute unqoute competition, as well as media outlets like your self, shout out to @514Smoke for this opportunity.
3-What is the concept behind your project, « Cameras »?
Cameras are used to capture Priceless moments, and I feel that this is a moment for me, Priceless, so fuck it lets call the album Cameras.
4-What does the next 5 months look like to PRICE DA BOSS?
Definently plan on coming out to Montreal and linking up with your team most definently, I also want to just put out the best quality music I can, and take it from there. Dont worry im holding back a lil bit with this question just know that #514Smoke will get that exclusive word when the time comes.
5-Last but not least, if anyody wants to holla for business, how can they reach you?
They can reach me directly at @PriceDaBoss on Instagram/Twitter, or check me out at www.PriceDaBoss.com for updates , new music and videos.
Thank you PRICE for the quick quiz. Make sure you check out his visuals and his project as well as his presence on social media:
INSTAGRAM: @pricedaboss