South Bay Connection
Original Magazine Pages
South Bay Connection was formulated to freshen up the Bay Area with the who's who of San Jose, and to help in networking San Jose's Rap Scene in other markets in the Bay Area, as well as outside. As a testament to people from San Jose, many rappers and rap fans alike feel like San Jose artists are slept on as rappers. There is a funny bias world going on in the Bay Area where you have other major metropolitan areas in the Bay Area like San Francisco, Oakland, Richmond, Palo Alto, and Vallejo; all of which hold praise to a radio aired rap artist, with fans alike.
AKO
Rapper AKO, who grabbed the Bay Area's attention by networking with Rapper Spice 1, and joined his group the Game Bangaz, and created a name for himself with his first release "Ghetto Blues".
Traxamillion
A big break San Jose received was the Traxamillion produced single "Thats my Word", by Keak Da Sneak, which gave Traxamillion and San Jose National Attention. Traxamillion since then has worked many big singles to the radio for many of the elite radio artists in the Bay Area. He has also been behind successful productions with Rappers like Mistah Fab, The Jacka, Husulah, Too Short, E40, and more. He also produced Jackas Lead single "Glamorous Lifestyle" featuring Andre Nickitina. He is also known for breaking San Jose rapper Izz Thizz.
Suryil aka Denae Rae
Traxamillion also produced San Quinn and Big Rich's song "SF Anthem" which was also radio aired, and gave San Jose Singer/Songwriter Suryil aka Denae Rae her first shot of fame, laying down impressive background vocals, as well as a guest cameo on the MTV aired video. She is also working with Lee Majors and The Jacka on there new project, The Go Bot's as well as a new release with Oakland rapper Eddi Projex. She also works with San Jose based rappers like A Money, J Remy, and Drew Deezy.
A Money
A Money has made a huge buzz to the kids of San Jose, doing shows throughout his community, as well as released a new video called "Go Hard", which was produced by Famed Bay Area Director The Razor. He also just recently did a show with Richmond Rapper Erk Tha Jerk, as well as doing tracks with a singer from Prima J, who was formerly signed to Geffen Records. You can follow A Money on twitter @AMoneyMuzic. He also has three videos that will be out before the summer, as well as a debut album called "The East Side Story".
J Remy
J Remy is also a hot new talent coming out of the Bay Area, he has a commercial street sound, unlike many of his fellow San Jose artists, he has gotten a buzz touring with A Money and Drew Deezy. He also has a new song out that recently was aired on Stanford radio, as well as GC Radio called "Around The World", which is a very hot commercial song, a must hear!
Yung Javito
J Remy also records at San Jose's Own Nuttnice Studios, which is run by engineer and producer Yung Javito, follow him on twitter at @yungjavito. Yung Javito, or better known of Javier, is one of, if not the best engineer/producer to work within the San Jose Community. He also has supplied a branch of new producers to his studio, and recently had E40 come to his studio/house to record part of his new video "The Server", in which you see E40 cooking something on the stove of his kitchen.
Drew Deezy
Another artist that is making a major buzz is rapper Drew Deezy, who was the first artist in the Bay Area to do a song/video with Glasses Malone. Drew Deezy works with many of Bay Area's elite people like The Jacka, Mistah Fab, San Quinn, and Goldie of The Federation. He was just on a hot song with Suryil, A Money, and Goldie called "On Top Of My Hustle". On top of all these things going on, he has also been featured on numerous mixtapes, you can find him on twitter @Drew_Deezy408.
J Da Butcher
Other Rappers we don't want to forget are J Da Butcher, who is known for being on KMEL's Wake Up Show, doing a live interview with Sway. He also later did a show with Sway in LA. He was featured with his videos on the CMC aka California Music Channel. He is known for releasing his project "The Life I'm Living", which was released on Shark City Records, which is owned by San Jose Factors Julian and Michelle Legrande, and Rudy Menchaca. He was also nominated as best Latin Rapper on the BARS Awards. He is just recording right now, doing shows, and has a few projects in the making.
DJ Dannaman
Another addition to San Jose's music scene is San Jose Native DJ Dannaman. He is a DJ Host at KZSU Stanford Radio 90.1 FM Radio. He is into San Jose's Hip Hop scene, and has had artists J Da Butcher, J Remy, Suryil, Take Money, Lee Majors, Rahmean, and a host of other top tier talent. You can find him around San Jose, on www.myspace.com/dannamansj.
South Bay Connection Q&A — The City Can't Hold Us
Page 44 of the print issue runs four rapid-fire artist Q&As in a dense four-column layout. The stylized type in the archive scan leaves scattered words illegible; illegible passages are marked with […].
Stik Gilatine
SBC: Do you feel San Jose is slept on? If so why?
Stik Gilatine: […] But you can only deny talent for so long […] I just do what I do and play my position.
SBC: Whats your inspiration to get in the rap game?
Stik Gilatine: I really couldn't tell you.. It was just something that felt natural.
SBC: What would you like everyone to know about San Jose?
Stik Gilatine: Stik Gilatine.
SBC: What do you think you represent for the Josey?
Stik Gilatine: A breath of fresh air. Breathe me in, breathe!
SBC: Name artists that match your rap style
Stik Gilatine: […] and I'ma freak, so I'll leave it up to you.. I enjoy all types of music and other artists […]
SBC: Any songs/projects/shows you want to talk about?
Stik Gilatine: […] the streets […] It is underground right now. Most of my new material features my dude Young Freeze outa Richmond, One coming soon also...We have a lot goin on, we workin.
SBC: Do you have any shout outs/thank you's?
Stik Gilatine: Shout out 2 All Bay Music Mag, I appreciate y'all reaching out to me. Special shout out 2 my team […]uth/Monsta Music. Shout out 2 all my fans. Shout out to the whole 408inc.com.. and last but not least shout out to the whole 408, lets get it!
Bay Lingual
SBC: Whats your name, where you from
Bay Lingual: This ya boy Bay Lingual […] out of South San Jose.
SBC: Do you feel San Jose is slept on & if so why?
Bay Lingual: San Jose is slept on, cause nobody really mentions us and we dont have as much connections as others, so theres talent but its not noticed.
SBC: Whats your inspiration to get in the rap game?
Bay Lingual: My inspiration is to […] my genre into […] and have people look up on me instead of down on the whole process.
SBC: What would you like everyone to know about San Jose?
Bay Lingual: I feel that people out here aint straight punks […] you dig, you […] the Bay […] most likely never heard […] that should be respected.
SBC: Name artists that match your rap style
Bay Lingual: Artist to best represent me, it would be […] but with the new shit everybody there go to new, so I really cant name one honestly, I got my own new style.
SBC: Any songs/projects/shows you want to talk about?
Bay Lingual: Look out for the Ups & Downs mixtape […] out right now […] interviews coming out soon, but to when and the name were keeping a mystery right now.
SBC: Have any special shout outs/thank you's?
Bay Lingual: Shout out to […] X MC, the Jacka, […] and all artists out in the South Bay trying to make it, and last but not least shout out to James for hooking me up with the magazine.
Supah Saucy
SBC: Whats your name, where you from
Supah Saucy: Supah Saucy AKA Saucy from East Side San Jose.
SBC: Do you feel San Jose is slept on & why?
Supah Saucy: I think yeah, San Jo was [slept on] for a long [time]. I always saw it […] everybody up at the city […] making moves now.
SBC: Whats your inspiration to get in the rap game?
Supah Saucy: I've always listened to rap. Any hit that would come on inspired me as a youngster […] the lyrics, they were rooted [in me] by the second time I'd hear it.
SBC: What do you think you represent for the Josey?
Supah Saucy: The struggle & The Hustle […] negativity into […] evolved into business man, business & shows the value of […].
SBC: Name artists that match your rap style
Supah Saucy: Everybody, I have so much [sauce] on my raps because […] everybody's style […].
SBC: Any songs/projects/shows you want to talk about?
Supah Saucy: Nothin But Net Vol. 3 […] Glasses Malone, Turf Talk, [Shady] Nate, […] Ike Dola. Dropping the summer of 2010. Mixtapes Out: […] (Purp […]) Out Now.
SBC: Have any special shout outs/thank you's?
Supah Saucy: Son, Father & Holy Spirit. Shout Out to Ducktape, Seize, […] Ike Dola, IQ, Tramendez, Young Javito, Canna Ken, […] Auntie Nita […] Hunnid & […] Wayz ta Eat Ent.
Blac Da Rippa
SBC: Whats your name, where you from
Blac Da Rippa: Aka BlacDaRippa / Big […] San Jose.
SBC: Do you feel San Jose is slept on & why?
Blac Da Rippa: […] Jo slept on, […] wanted to rep Jo […] enough. I was born here, I have an obligation to represent San Jo cause I live here.
SBC: Whats your inspiration to get in the rap game?
Blac Da Rippa: Everything, hanging around in South Central inspired me. […] the War zone […] shit about gang life and dope, the streets, everything. That was the inspiration so […] evolved with the times and environment […] L.A. 2 Da Bay an[d] […] you have the BlacDaRippa.
SBC: What would you like everyone to know about San Jose?
Blac Da Rippa: [Artists] are flockin from all over giving San Jo a more diverse Music Scene. Its sexy an[d] attractive. Thats why everybody come […] out here […] Downtown and Santana Row […] suckas […] they aint fuckin wit niggaz like me.
SBC: What do you think you represent for the Josey?
Blac Da Rippa: […] the hood […].
SBC: Any songs/projects/shows you want to talk about?
Blac Da Rippa: BACK 2 DA DRAWING BOARD – NO MERCY RECORDS / 48 HOURZ – BIG BLAC INN / NO 2 FRANCE – GHETTOS 2 BASTILLES VOL 1 – BIG BLAC MUZIK.
All Bay Music Magazine, Issue One (Volume One, Collectors Edition). Web edition transcribed from the print issue for allbaymusic.com. Text appears as printed, including original spelling and punctuation.