Pic of the day

Creepy-looking ceramic owl.

 

I happened to snap a pic of a weird-looking ceramic owl on the set of a Fat Tony/B L A C K I E/Female Demand show the other night, at the Warhouse in Houston, Tx.

Rapper Uzoy…Houston’s Femme Fatale?

 

http://www.myspace.com/uzoy

DRENCH: Is Uzoy your govt. name? What does it mean?

UZOY:

 

Uzoy is actually a nickname I have gone by since middle school. It’s pronounced “uzi” like the gun. It’s not my government name, but it’s a variation to my real name. I’m waiting to reveal the government name when I’m more exposed.DRENCH: Ah, silent “O,” right? How’d you get uzoy as a nickname?

UZOY: I don’t really remember. I think I was just tired of people pronouncing my real name wrong. People tend to remember my name quicker when they hear Uzoy.

 

DRENCH: Why are you incorporating waiting until you get bigger to reveal your first name? Or is it a type of trade secret..

UZOY: Well, I figure people will find out eventually. It’s a bit of a pet peeve for people to mispronounce my name. Even with my nickname, people mispronounce it all the time.

 

DRENCH: How’d you get your start in music?

UZOY: I actually have always been trying to pursue music. I first wanted to be a singer and realized that wasn’t going to happen. Lol. After that, I just started writing r&b. That’s always been my first love. Then I started trying to ghostwrite for rappers and now I am where I am now.

 

DRENCH: So, did you approach anyone with a sample of your singing before deciding to move on to other things? Which r&b singers have you written for?

UZOY: It came to the point where I just realized. You can compare yourself to others and be honest with yourself. I didn’t want to be an artist that wasn’t one hundred percent sure that I was talented. I really wasn’t writing for anybody major. I was actually trying to get at people I went to school with.

 

DRENCH:

 

Did you gain any success with the ghostwriting for rappers thing? Not asking for names, but just if you’ve gotten any work with that..UZOY:

With that situation, there was someone I was trying to ghostwrite for and after hearing what I had written, they wanted me to rap for their group. At that time, I wasn’t trying to be a rapper or an artist. I wanted to be behind the scenes. I was just always big on the lyrical aspect.DRENCH: Would you say your style is more similar to fire, or ice? Why?

UZOY: I would probably have to say ice. I think my music and style is more cool and laid back. I’m a laid back kind of person.

 

DRENCH: Someone says, “You’re nice (on the mic)…for a female..” How do you react?

UZOY: I don’t take it into serious offense although it is annoying. I just know that I can’t blame them. There’s not many notable female rappers altogether. That kind of comment balances out when people say that I sound better than most of the males doing it right now.

 

DRENCH: They say its a man’s world…how do you appeal to it musically w/o compromising who you are?

UZOY: I actually don’t think people realize how hard it really is. I have no outline to look at. The male rappers have every other rapper there was to be inspired by and basically make themselves a cookie cutter image of a rapper that has already been out. In my case, if I’m not showing off my skin or doing the neo-soul thing, I’m on my own. I try not to concentrate on the gender thing. So basically, I just do what I feel is me. I take it as either they’ll love it or they’ll hate it. So far, they love it.

 

DRENCH: The rap industry is obviously disenfranchised concerning women. What do you think could be done to better this situation?

UZOY: I honestly don’t know. I think it’s based on the individual. If they decide to buy into the “female rapper” cliché, its on them. I refuse to.

 

DRENCH: Do you believe its more difficult to maneuver in the industry as a female rapper? How so?

UZOY: Definitely. I think the hardest part is getting someone to listen. But, in my experience, after they listen to me I hardly ever have a problem with people taking me seriously or wanting to work with me.

 

DRENCH: Some people say its tough being a female. Some people say its tough being black. How do you deal with being both?

UZOY: Well, neither is a big deal. I’ve been both all my life. Lol. It’s more that in the industry, its hard to get people to take me seriously. They automatically see me and think of the southern female rapper stereotype when that’s not the case.

 

DRENCH: I’m sure people already probably underestimate/overlook your music because you’re from the south. Do you believe people do that based on your gender as well?

UZOY: They both tie hand in hand. I think people actually sit and listen to see how bad I will suck. Lol. Then, to their amazement, I deliver. I like to have that surprising factor. It’s always fun to spit in front of a group of guys who have never heard me rap before. Most people are surprised when they find out I’m from the south.

 

DRENCH: What’s your most personal song (give a synopsis of the song as well)?

UZOY: I would have to say that track for me is “Fast Forward”. The track is basically talking about myself and how I see my future if I continue going in the direction I was going with the people I do music with. I actually put the future in the first verse and my past in the second verse. I just explain how I was treated as a kid without trying to give too much detail. It’s just my attempt at letting my audience in a little.

 

DRENCH: With more exposure/growth as an artist, it usually also becomes more time consuming. How do you think you’ll balance music with your personal life if things start to pick up in the area of music? How do you currently balance your music with other aspects of your life?

UZOY: The music doesn’t really interfere with my personal life at all. The only balance that I have to deal with is the school aspect of my life. I end up having to postpone a lot of collaboration opportunities due to school, but I know I need to get that straight first.

 

DRENCH: You have a new mixtape/ep coming soon, right? Could you shed on some light on what to expect from it?

UZOY: Yes. The definition is my upcoming mixtape or EP. Whatever you want to call it. I think this is going to be one of the most progressive projects to come out of Houston. It’s basically a mix with a majority of original tracks but I also throw a few unoriginal beats on there so people will already be familiar with some of the content. With the tracks it has, I thought I would be cheating myself to just call it a mixtape. But this is my first project and I’m very proud of the material on it. It releases this summer around June. I’ll have it for sale via myspace.

 

DRENCH: So, you’ve told me you go to school…what’s your major, and how would you say it relates to music?

UZOY: Yes, I am in school and my major is chemistry. I’m working towards pharmacology. My music is actually an escape from the school. This field of study is no joke. Serious classes with serious professors.

 

DRENCH: What are the perks of being a female rapper?

UZOY: I would have to say that if I continue on the path I’m taking, I could easily surpass most of the rappers that are in the industry right now. People make such a big deal not only because I make good music, but because I’m from Houston and I’m a female. I think both angles work for me.

 

DRENCH: What’s your opinon of the portrayal of the typical black woman in hip-hop media?

UZOY: Well, I don’t see much respect given. I’m big on respect. It’s kinda like, they are used to further push the industry in the direction it has been going for years with no change in sight.

 

DRENCH: Do you think rapping is a “tomboyish” thing for a female to do?

UZOY: I don’t think so. I think people expect me to be some super tomboyish figure, but I’m just me. I’m a girl that likes to chill, hang out, and rap.

I think it’s simple as that.

 

DRENCH: Have you checked out the show, “Miss Rap Supreme” on VH1? What’s do you think of it?

UZOY: I don’t know if you want my honest opinion. Lol. It’s

 

?interesting. A lot of egos that shouldn’t be present are there and I think it just further pushes that female stereotype in the bad direction it’s already in. The challenges and things they have to do are motivated so much on woman power and such. I don’t think that’s necessary. I think when you throw that aspect in the mix too much, it gets corny. For those girls to be the ones that showed up on the show, I think there are a lot of really talented female rappers that wouldn’t do a show like that.

Galactic Tactics…to Infinity & Beyond?

A hip-hop oriented music group, comprised of Producer Third Eye, and rappers Fat Tony (aka Tony Trone), Chris Starz, Destro, and Space Ghost. A moreso underground rap-circuit, their gritty, yet ethereal sound is bound to ensnare you from “Thyme,” to “Essentials.” Their album, titled “Green Schemes,” should be due soon. I’ve conducted an interview in the past with group member Fat Tony, and I’m recently finishing one with Third Eye (which will be debuted on realultimatepower.wordpress.com soon enough).

Be sure to check out the instrumentals to the upcoming album along w/a few snippets @:
 http://www.myspace.com/galactictactics