Even Plies know (regarding Ward)

[certifiedgoon]

I was today years old when I learned the iconic "what's a goon to a goblin" was a shot at Plies. What's the backstory on the Wayne beef?

Yeah Wayne was Plies' biggest fan back in the day. When Wayne won his award at the Ozone Awards in 2006, he specifically shouted ojut Plies saying he's the next big thing during his acceptance speech.

We had zero beef with Wayne (we first met hm at the Trina "Don't Trip" video shoot). And we didn't have much interaction with him. But as other said, Plies was bigger in markets that Wayne normally would have been. And then we dropped "Who Hotter Than Me". The hook literally goes "I got a question for the streets/who hotter than me?". We shoot a video for this. There's fire in the video. Wayne, in his convoluted mind, takes this as us calling him out and mimicking his "Fireman" video to tell him were hotter than him (and this is during Wayne's crazy mixtape success).

So Wayne, all ****y, does to NY and walks into the Atlantic Records office. At this time, his album is supposed to drop in May. He finds out what our release date is (June 10th) and then goes down the street to Universal and tels them he wants to change his release date to June 10th to show us. We get the call and we just laugh it all off. Atlantic is wondering if we want to change the date. We were primed to have the #1 album in the country. We knew we wouldn't dropping with Wayne...but Wayne has the most anticipated album coming and we knew Plies fans were Wayne fans, but there were plenty of Wayne fans that didn't know Plies yet and would pick up both CDs. So we stay pat. Wayne drops "A Milli" in the lead-up to the release, with that line as a shot. Wayne sells over a million first week. We debut #2 and sell 214,000 and go on to sell over million album and go Platinum ourselves.

 

[JamesQuall]

**** the police and their snitch squad running around tagging them, post how you want.

 

[RozayCane]

Thread of the year.

 

[Cognizantphotos]

I can go mixx 96 on Khaled too. Buttafucco is a good friend of mine. As is George Duke's as was Godfrey as is Evans as is dj raw as is Peter Thomas. See football may be where I made my name. But as has been noted in numerous 30 for 30s when we were on MIAMI WAS OURS. I knew some of that lil plies circle to an extent because I used to be friends with macca zoe & red eyes. So I knew a few people around him. So yes his people were certified. But him, naw not so much. But as you noted security is supposed to do they jobs. The story I was talking about was at a time where plies wasn't so big in general. But is what it is. Khaled by the way is another dude who has been a good friend since he first came down from Orlando & Carolina. Him and dj craze used to spin in the window of my boys clothing store downtown few times a week. I also know the people who put in the work for Khaled to get his name(as it definitely wasn't Khaled and this phony *** persona of his that got him here either) namely Andy boy & butta. If it wasn't for the temple and rockers island I doubt he ever gets his name out. So yeah I know a lil more about all this stuff too. Good to know someone else was around for all that too. This **** just makes me feel old.

You must know the old SBR crew than as well.

 

[Cognizantphotos]

I remember Khaled telling me a story about when they were shooting the video for I'm so hood. They filmed it between overtown,lil Haiti and Florida city. They had the trailers and the set fenced off at each location. Apparently the one Goon around pushing this whole thug persona being plies, was shook at each location and insisted on security shadowing him before he was willing to get out of his caprice. I just always saw the visual as being so funny that someone who's made his career off being a thug (even though all his notoriety actually came off his brothers rep)refused to get out his car on a fenced off lot without security present. Lmao

I was at that video shoot, used to work with Pit im in the scene with pit playing dominos with UD.

 

[Cognizantphotos]

Godfrey as in God-free from PEP (Battlecat and Peedo's fam)? If the same one, he's made a name for himself now in Gaming Podcasting...like Podcast HOF.

We def know a lot of the same folk then. The beach was a crazy place back then. Age is for sure catching up though!

The Cipher was Omen and I's paper, which got me into the scene. Omen has written a couple of books on the time period and is working on an autobiography on Craze right now. After we folded the paper, I went in on the label (SNS)/management side which led me to Plies during 04-09. I did all his A&R work (through Becky) and functioned as his management when Gates was locked up after the Gainesville shooting. I still have my 352 Sumter County phone number that I had for the prison calls. When Gates got out, everything went to ****. We were set up at Atlantic for their Number 1 spot at the time, since TI just got roped at the BET Awards, until Gates came out and ruined it all.

I'll never take away Khaled's work ethic, but I'll never vibe with the antics. Khaled still drove the powder blue Phantom up to our studio in Tampa to bring us Out Here Grindin' after I'm So Hood. He's a vulture. From the Palestinian Rebel to pseudo-Jamaican to Terror Squad New Yorker to Dade County 305, and on and on. He's the king of vultures for sure.

But A lot of the Miami Plies hate stems directly from Trick though. Plies' rise corresponds with Trick's decline. And Trick was very much a hater about it. We did "Duck Down" at his spot in Carol City and it was VERY apparent. Plies' was never talking about his brother's life. He was basically a street narrator. Gates is a lowlife. A career criminal that became a millionaire in prison on his brother's back. He talked mostly about what everyday street cats dealt with, which is why it reasonated with them (and can be seen in this thread too). Kept It Too Real, God I'm Tired of Lyin To Ya, Bid Long, 100 Years, Plenty Money, Make A Movie, Gotta Be, etc is what captured his real fans. That was the voice of the streets...that is a feeling everyone in the streets has. ****, even the Stressin record I mentioned earlier is another example. The Miami scene perpetuated this the most and was always very anti-Plies. But Plies never liked Miami anyway, so it's not like it bothered him either. After The Real Testament, which was recorded mostly at SNS on the beach, everything was recorded in Tampa from that point on. The Miami scene is a toxic scene and always has been.

I could talk about this all day I swear. From the marketing strategy to the creation of each and every record. It's my work afterall so no one knows it better and I'm pretty fond of it!

But man, this is about to be the 17th Year Anniversary of The Real Testament...our recruits weren't even born yet!

Godfree my dude, he just had a baby recently.

 

[certifiedgoon]

Godfree my dude, he just had a baby recently.

He sure did! Crazy how we all connected back then. He was in PEP and I was in 360. Both our crews basically collaborated on The Cipher when we started that. God-free was critical in getting us ins with clubs and events and wrote for us as well.

As for Pit, that's dope man. I have to go back and watch. I'm crazy proud of what he's accomplished. With The Cipher, we gave him his first ever press. Angie Martinez (his former attorney...Pit's high school teacher's sister) was in first-year law school and UM and she brought him to us. He literally freestyled for us outside Pizzeria Uno at Town & Country Mall. But had nothing recorded. We told him to do a karaoke recording so we could write a review on it as a single. I think he was a sophomore at this point. The "song" was "F*ck You, Pay Me". Angie really was critical in getting Pit where he was. She is a bulldog! Once the Plies stuff really started popping off, I brought her on to be his attorney as well. She had Pit and Plies simultaneously. She's now representing Ozuna and Luis Fonsi. Those two just outork and out hustle everyone. I was telling Angie that Pit needed to hget into acting after TVT folded (since he just starting doing TV gigs). But this is one case I'm glad I was wrong and he reinvented himself to be what he is today. Not my ride-around music by any means, but I think the right career move in the end.

Were you at the "Culo" video shoot? We had the small stage that was in the parking lot by the pizza place that was one of the primary locations in the vid.

 

[Cognizantphotos]

He sure did! Crazy how we all connected back then. He was in PEP and I was in 360. Both our crews basically collaborated on The Cipher when we started that. God-free was critical in getting us ins with clubs and events and wrote for us as well.

As for Pit, that's dope man. I have to go back and watch. I'm crazy proud of what he's accomplished. With The Cipher, we gave him his first ever press. Angie Martinez (his former attorney...Pit's high school teacher's sister) was in first-year law school and UM and she brought him to us. He literally freestyled for us outside Pizzeria Uno at Town & Country Mall. But had nothing recorded. We told him to do a karaoke recording so we could write a review on it as a single. I think he was a sophomore at this point. The "song" was "F*ck You, Pay Me". Angie really was critical in getting Pit where he was. She is a bulldog! Once the Plies stuff really started popping off, I brought her on to be his attorney as well. She had Pit and Plies simultaneously. She's now representing Ozuna and Luis Fonsi. Those two just outork and out hustle everyone. I was telling Angie that Pit needed to hget into acting after TVT folded (since he just starting doing TV gigs). But this is one case I'm glad I was wrong and he reinvented himself to be what he is today. Not my ride-around music by any means, but I think the right career move in the end.

Were you at the "Culo" video shoot? We had the small stage that was in the parking lot by the pizza place that was one of the primary locations in the vid.

Yes sir! Those were the days man, Calle ocho was always a blast, but yea he 100% made the right choice for longevity for his career no doubt about that.

I used to ride around with 305hiphop crew, with THC crew etc, the liquor lounge days were lit lol.

 

[certifiedgoon]

Yes sir! Those were the days man, Calle ocho was always a blast, but yea he 100% made the right choice for longevity for his career no doubt about that.

I used to ride around with 305hiphop crew, with THC crew etc, the liquor lounge days were lit lol.

305HipHop was critical for me with all the SNS artists! I used to get a lot of material over to them.

Man I love hearing some of these names, crews, venues again. A real blast from the past! I've got to share some of the Culo/Calle Ocho pics here...that was a wild day

Do you remember the barbershop that Pit used to go to...was on 67th and Chomestead. There was a supermercado on the opposite side of 67th that I used to always get loaves of Cuban bread from lol I've been trying to remember the name of it for the longest!

But yeah they were working that Lollipop record heavy when Pit signed to Luke back then. I remember Angie was ****ed because Puff had offered him a deal to Bad Boy but Pit wanted to rep the hometeam.

 

[Cognizantphotos]

305HipHop was critical for me with all the SNS artists! I used to get a lot of material over to them.

Man I love hearing some of these names, crews, venues again. A real blast from the past! I've got to share some of the Culo/Calle Ocho pics here...that was a wild day

Do you remember the barbershop that Pit used to go to...was on 67th and Chomestead. There was a supermercado on the opposite side of 67th that I used to always get loaves of Cuban bread from lol I've been trying to remember the name of it for the longest!

But yeah they were working that Lollipop record heavy when Pit signed to Luke back then. I remember Angie was ****ed because Puff had offered him a deal to Bad Boy but Pit wanted to rep the hometeam.

Yes sir! That’s Josue’s joint.

 

[certifiedgoon]

Yes sir! That’s Josue’s joint.

View attachment 279869

haha that's it bro!

 

[Brooklyndee]

Lil

I was at that video shoot, used to work with Pit im in the scene with pit playing dominos with UD.

Lil Armondito and Billy are good friends of mine. Known both before he even got going in music. I introduced him to purple who I'd imagine you know who that is.

 

[Brooklyndee]

Yes sir! That’s Josue’s joint.

View attachment 279869

He was supposed to run bad boy south. Lil more to that story though then just he wanted to rep home team. It was partially that and then more so puff also was talking with staxx about running it. Staxx was puns cousin(God bless the dead) there was some issues over that. So staxx ended up being the choice. I think Pitt was tentative to work with staxx anyhow cause of korey.

 

[Cognizantphotos]

Was my joint

 

[Brooklyndee]

Yes sir! That’s Josue’s joint.

View attachment 279869

We're you out on either of the boats with laz & armondito & lil Jon in the keys at sandbar for bartenders bash?

 

[Brooklyndee]

I was at that video shoot, used to work with Pit im in the scene with pit playing dominos with UD.

So you know exactly what I mean.

 

[gogeta4]

DVS is dope. Him and his brother both grew up playing in the church so they were legit musicians too. Hi brother went on to play as a part of Black Violin when they toured with Jay-Z and Linkin Park.

TJs DJs was one of the main record pools that helped us get our music out in Florida/the South in the early days. Here's some history involving them. So back while I was still at SNS, Ric Ross (not that Ross, but a part of the Atlantic radio promotions team in Atlanta) brought Ted Lucas a record from this artist Citty Da Cookie Man called "Da Cookie Man". He said it was the hottest record in the streets in ATL. In typical Ted Lucas fashion, he "signs" them...but basically was charging them to use the logo and upcharging them on vinyl/promotion material costs to make money off of them. There was never an intenet to put any music out. However, I was interested in who produced the beat. His manager was B-Rich. B-Rich told me it was a group called The Klinic...two cousins that were 17 and 18 years old. I told him to get me more tracks from them. This is when he tells me they rap also.

So out of courtesy, I'm like let me here that too. Well he brings me the CD and I am floored. They sound like a young version of ATLiens era Outkast. This one record in particular called "Cloud 9" hooked me. I want to sign these guys bad. For nearly a year I am chasing and pleading Ted to sign them. And he was as aloof and oblivious to opportunity as always. Well, part of The Klinic is B.O.B. And Jim Jonsin got his hands on their music too (either via B-Rich or TJ Chapman). Jim felt like I felt and ended up signing B.O.B. to Rebel Rock...which also had distributiuon through Atlantic. Of course, Ted and I run into Jim, B-Rich, TJ and B.O.B. at Atlantic in NY where B-Rich tells Ted "we were trying to get down with you for so long".

Anyway, B.O.B. languished at Atlantic for a few years. They put out teaser record after teaser record, but nothing was working. So they put him under the Grand Hustle umbrella to try and use T.I.'s name weight to give him a lift. Still didn't work. But FINALLY things popped with "Nothing On You". Bruno Mars is obviously on the hook but that was co-written by Phillip Lawrence, who is his songwriting partner (alnong with Ari Levine). I gave Phillip Lawrence his first ever credit (songwriting and backkground vocals) on "You" off The Real Testament. Tank is the feature, but reality is Tank's vocals are the background vocals with Phillip's as lead. He just couldn't lay them as well. I wanted to sign Phillip BAAAAD! He was a crazy talented signer/songwriter. And he was literally a character actor at Disneyland at the time. Bruno was a call center agent. I chased this for a year. Plies and I were begging Gates to sign him to Big Gates Records. Phillip was desparate and a starvinng artist and was begging me. Well, Gates shoots it down and says he sounds too old (listening via prison phone call, go figure). Well Bruno goes on to global superstardom. Phillip co-writes all of his music and has god knows how many Grammys and Grammy Nominations and even does voice acting in Rio 2, among other things...which is pretty **** good for someone who sounds "too old" to someone sitting behind bars.

Jim JONSIN likely got it from TJ Chapman. B.O.B was in the pool for a long time and they use to spam him in there at tj djs. I had his songs maybe some of those teasers for awhile. I use to look like the gawwwwddd for my friends and girlfriends because i had records of guys that eventually blew up like 6months to a year b4 anyone heard of em.

I remember my college freshman gf ...i was in NC playing football at the time...i told her there is a guy from tally thats going to be huge and his name is tpain and i would play his songs in the car until she even liked it....Down the line " im sprung" comes out and she is like how df did u know that lol

Hpow u drop the ball thattttt bad on phillip lawrence lol

 

[gogeta4]

Yes sir! Those were the days man, Calle ocho was always a blast, but yea he 100% made the right choice for longevity for his career no doubt about that.

I used to ride around with 305hiphop crew, with THC crew etc, the liquor lounge days were lit lol.

new that group ...yall older than me but i use to be around lol

Remember when GARCIA had an underground following

 

[bandhammer]

These are the threads that separate Miami fans from the rest of college football fans lulz

 

[certifiedgoon]

Jim JONSIN likely got it from TJ Chapman. B.O.B was in the pool for a long time and they use to spam him in there at tj djs. I had his songs maybe some of those teasers for awhile. I use to look like the gawwwwddd for my friends and girlfriends because i had records of guys that eventually blew up like 6months to a year b4 anyone heard of em.

I remember my college freshman gf ...i was in NC playing football at the time...i told her there is a guy from tally thats going to be huge and his name is tpain and i would play his songs in the car until she even liked it....Down the line " im sprung" comes out and she is like how df did u know that lol

Hpow u drop the ball thattttt bad on phillip lawrence lol

Yeah bro it probably was from TJ because I don't think B-Rich is around anymore and TJ still manages him and TJ was critical to artists in the SE back then. He was also tied in to one of those DJ alliances too (think it was Core DJs) which gets you access to all those mixshow DJs that will help break your records. But Jim was really hot at that time from Pretty Ricky and Trick's "Lets Go". That got him that label deal at Atlantic. He was working out of the Slip-N-Slide studio up to that point and dipped when Ted wasn't holding up his end of the bargain. And then he started working out of Blumstein's spot and got to work a lot with Pain as well because of that. Jim ended up very plugged into the Tally scene. Pain is a funny dude...but hella talented!

But maaaaaan, that Phillip Lawrence one hurt. Basically, the way we usually operated was majority rules between me, Plies and Gates. Plies and I wanted to sign him. Gates wouldn't budge. Gates then proceeded to swant us to sign two acts that appeared on 106 & Park that he saw on the TV while locked up at Coleman (Unique Image and Chris J, who was on "Put It On Ya" off Da REAList). None of that obviously panned out lol Chris is now the lead singer for The Bar-Kays...they just did the halftime show at The Independence Bowl too this year.

I'm honest with myself though. If I would have signed B.O.B. to Slip N Slide and Phillip to Big Gates, it would have been the worst thing for their careers. My talent identification ability, ear and ability to put develop quality product is one thing. But that was NOT the right systems for either of them. The best thing that happened to them was me having sh*tty business associates lol Phillip was ultimate picked up by Mike Caren as a part of The Smezingtons (with Bruno and Ari) and within months he hit me up to tell me that he landed hook for Travie McCoy's "Billionaire"...then it was history!