Ozy Reigns

Youtube link -http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=INs24afkyKk - Infinitegraf.com

Like the typical hip-hop mixtape, Ozy's The Last Dragon Mixtape, hosted by DJ Aaries, needs a little fine-tuning. The lack of shellac on this collection of lyrically robust, edgy tracks calls for some EQ acrobatics to bring out the record's pith. However, old school and contemporary hip-hop influences blend seamlessly on this above-average effort from a precocious new talent on the Atlanta scene.
Hailing from South Carolina, Ozy, born Corey Gillens, flaunts rehearsed flow and decent vocal timbre, spattering the tracks with informed metaphors and occasional, biting political beef. His lyrical acumen is memorable, and it would be nice to hear him spit over a more polished album, which is, generally, the point of a mixtape. The guest talent assembled here gives the listener a glimpse into a crew potentially on the verge of making headlines. In particular, look out for the Jus Cuz duo, Nefarious and SinSkyy, who are featured on "In the Bag," one of the record's highlights.
Aaries, whom you may know as the progenitor of the DJ crew Hood Hard Hitmakers, or Mr. Hood Hard, offers up a smorgasbord of eclectic cuts, skillfully employing current beat technology and a gamut of samples that recall the pop culture of several decades. The namesake samples, taken from Berry Gordy's The Last Dragon, are undoubtedly the most memorable, and if you haven't seen this 1985 cult classic, this mixtape may cause you to involuntarily open a Netflix account. Aaries' style is hard to pin down, although most of the time it sounds good. There are similarities to DJs Babu and Clue, but for the most part, the beats are original. It wouldn't be hard to imagine Aaries developing a recognizable style after trimming some musical fat and focusing on his strengths; and he does have some strengths, namely superb layering.
Not every track on The Last Dragon Mixtape is noteworthy. Again, like on most mixtapes, there is a bit of filler and shameless self-promotion. And, as mentioned before, the level of production leaves much to be desired, but with a little studio magic there is no reason these guys couldn't creep onto the burgeoning national underground scene in the next year or so. There's certainly something very hopeful about artists disseminating records on the grassroots level. (Moondox Records)

www.myspace.com/ozofspades

-Mitchell Maddox - Performer Mag : Southeast Performer

Ozy

By Charley Lee

Photo by Calvin E. Evans


For those who don’t know, hip-hop isn’t dead, it’s just sleeping, and there’s at least one person out there ready to wake it back up. Entrenched in the local underground hip-hop scene is South Carolina native Ozy. Before coming to Atlanta, Ozy made up one-half of the rap duo The Spades with his partner in rhyme, Indy. After the success of The Spades’ local hit, “Incredible SC,” Ozy branched out to develop his talents as a solo artist. The Spades, while still very much in the picture, are on a temporary hiatus while Ozy focuses more on his solo work.

“Even though Indy and I had really creative music, my solo material has much more direction,” says Ozy. “Don’t get it fucked up though. I’m a Spade ‘til I die.” Ozy’s music can be likened to the socially conscious hip-hop prevalent in the days of Grandmaster Flash and kept alive today by the likes of Mos Def, dead prez and underground darlings such as Busdriver and Ras Kass. The beats are old-school and original, not flashy and over-produced. And Ozy’s message rings loud and clear. He makes a plea for more originality, saying, “You’re only hurtin’ yourself and my ears putting out bullshit.” The focus of Ozy’s music is on bringing hip-hop back into the hands of the artists and out of the hands of ‘the industry.’

“Personally, I think [Nas] was brilliant for coming out and saying ‘Hip-Hop Is Dead,’” says Ozy. “It started a much-needed dialogue between the younger and older generations of people who live this culture. I love where hip-hop is going more than where it is. Hip-hop is going through what jazz and rock ‘n’ roll went through. Some would say those two genres are dead, but they just kind of went underground.”

A sample of work from Ozy’s latest release, The Last Dragon Mixtape, showcases his ability to flow and mix words like a true poet. While a number of artists ranging from Ice Cube to James Brown influence Ozy’s music, the main impetus is life itself. “What I see, feel and hear on a daily basis influences my music,” he explains. “And when you listen, my goal is to make you feel how I felt when I wrote it.”

One of the strongest features of the The Last Dragon Mixtape is the fact that the music claims no regional bias. One track may sound like West Coast gangsta rap, another might sound like Dirty South crunk, and a few tracks later, East Coast mafioso rap floods the speakers. Ozy credits this diversity to the original kings of eclectic. “I got a tribute to Outkast on the mixtape,” he notes. “Coming from the South myself, they made me see that I could really be an artist and not musically restrict myself to a region.”

Ozy is currently working on several projects and has plans to release a debut album. “The debut album is definitely in the works,” he says. “I’ve got a lot of people helping who believe in me. My roll dog Illastrate is definitely doing a lot of my production. Koda, D.R.U.G.S., Mr. Q and Jay Fab have given me a lot of hot tracks to rock as well.” The Last Dragon Mixtape, which features guest MCs and Ozy’s labelmates, is available at Mood Music in Atlanta and tracks can be heard on Ozy’s MySpace page.

- Performer Mag : Southeast Performer