When ex-Dipset member Chubby Baby left the C-O,  the rotound alleged drug kingpin left a large void in the hearts of Columbus.  Don’t get me wrong. People still fuck with the Dips. (Really looking forward to Cam’ron next video, “I Used to Get it in Ohio)

 But the Dipset presence was partially diminished by not  having a local lieutinant. This absence was soon filled by Atlanta Trap-star Gucci Mane. Gucci didn’t live in Columbus. But he came here so often it seemed like he did. Then, oops,Gucci Mane got locked up again. Gucci’s penchant for incarceration put the sentiment of our cities’  tall tee, fresh fade and  J’s crowd with his So Icey-bff Atlanta’s O.J. Da Juiceman.

I talked to O.J. on the phone yesterday about various things. We chopped it up about his new album the Other Side of the Trap, him getting shot 8 times, hustling with Gucci Mane, and Souljah Boy biting his adlibs.

Columbus loves you. Why do you think we fuck with you so hard. People love the Cuilinary Arts Mixtapes?

They see me working the skreets. I did 16 mixtapes. Skreet shit.  I did this independent. I’m from the skreets. The skreets feel my struggle.

So What’s the Other Side of the Trap?

It’s a skreet album. Before I was doing mixtapes. But this is me. 100 percent. I was in the skreets before. Now I am making rap money. The Other Side is rap money. This is letting them get to know me. I got another album in June.

Do you worry that now you are on a Major people are gonna get mad?

No cause the skreets saw me build this success. This is just a distribution deal. I been doing this in skreets since 1999. 16 Mixtapes. They happy to see me shine.

Is the album better than the mixtapes?

I had more time. I am a quick writer. More time made the album better.

You have a song the on the album called Batman. After you got shot 8 times in April, you compared yourself to Wolverine…

I was fucked up. They asked for a comment right after I got shot. So I made a joke about ‘I’m like Wolverine’. Shot on Sunday. Out the hospital on Wednesday. Show on Sunday.I just get stronger. It was a joke. I got shot on Sunday. Got out the hospital on Wednesday. Did a show on Saturday in Cincinnati.

Could you say that again please?

 Shot on Sunday.  Out the Hospital on Wednesday. Show on Saturday.

(Here is a video of O.J. performing the Saturday after getting shot. More interview after the video)

Click here to view the embedded video.

So what kinda superhero is a Juiceman?

Dat boy is crazy.

What’s up with Soljah Boy stealing your adlibs?

I set trends. At first I didn’t like it.  Then I realized I set trends. I ain’t beef type artist. So it’s not beef. Some people get set in their ways. So they borrow me. I don’t worry about it.

How did you meet Gucci Mane?

We stayed in an apartment in Sun Valley. East Atlanta  Zone 6.We started picking up cans. Just trying to get money.Then in 97-98 Gucci got his music going. I came a couple years later with the music.

You got the hood on smash with “I’m Getting Money”. Any financial tips in this bad economy?

Stay True thru trials and tribulations. Remember:There is a million ways to make a dollar.

http://www.myspace.com/ojdajuiceman

http://mizayentertainment.net/

The Other Side of the Trap(So Icy/Mizay/Asylum)  in stores now

It you truely exist within the Columbus Rock No Roll community you will undoubtely will be at the Summit this evening for the Rock N Roll Buffet. It’s a Columbus tradition that I never attended because I only like 23 bands in Columbus so I have no desire to see them playing musicks with people I have no interest in seeing. But thats just me. It’s a special night for the city that is good for the community and morale. All sarcasm aside. It’s wonderful how happy it makes people.

But if are you like me..really bored rap fan… then your dilemma is: do you go see Low Budget of the Hollatronix or OJ Da Juiceman. Now seeing Low B is huge for me because he along with Diplo popularized the idea of playing various regional musics and indie rock together after intuitively picking the idea of playing music that is good, and has real energy to it would prolly be fun. Remember when you would go to indie rock parties and they would just sit around listening to Deltron or James Brown. And you would have the Clipse “Grindin”, Chopped and screwed Al Green or N.O.R.E.’s Homeboy, I Came to Party on your walkman bored as shit at how stuffy everything was. Then Low Budget and Diplo dropped a bunch of mixtapes and made hipsters actually fun to be around? Well, I thank Low Budget for that even though now so-called hipsters seem to uninspired at this point because they are stuck on having Crunk in their system. And really safe. Like Kool Keith was up in here…yeah yeah yeah. But thats a different story.

So then..the true hipster would know the place to be is Club Static where OJ.Da Juiceman is playing. OJ Da Juiceman is Gucci Mane’ friend/possibley brother. And since Gucci Mane like OJ Simpson is in jail now, in the great Columbus tradition of going hard on some hoodshit; OJ Da Juiceman comes to Columbus once every two months and packs rooms. So if you really want to be in touch with your cities’ pulse then O.J. Da Juiceman is the only place to be. The only problem is that O.J. Da Juiceman  kinda sucks. He isn’t funny in the like this guy isn’t all there —-like Gucci. But it’s still beautiful that Columbus goes hard for Gucci like it did for the Dips.It’s not like OJ Da Juiceman is on the radio. Couple that with the fact Gucci Mane prolly sold less records that Brother Ali his last time out, then Columbus is real cool.

But catch me at Low Bee because he is one of the most influential dejays of our time. And it’s Milk Bar’s 1 year anniversary. You know the place that did things so right Lebron James thru a party there….

Here is an OJ Da Juiceman video.

Click here to view the embedded video.