The 3rd annual Ozone Awards went down last week and to me it marked not only another award show passing, but an entire movement coming to light and an opportunity to see my southern brothers shine. You see the south never had it easy in this rap shit. Despite what’s going on now with the radio, TV, and chart domination the south before was treated as the bastard stepchild of hip hop. To put it shortly, a rapper coming out of the south say 10 years ago would have as much trouble blowing up major as an artist coming out of Denver now. However many people, including Ozone founder Julia Beverly, fought to make the south the dominating market that it is. The Ozone Awards mean a lot to us. A lot of people hate on the Ozones. They only cater to the south, it’s too hood, and a variety of other complaints sometimes come out about these awards. However I ask this question before I go on. Who else is catering to the southern hip hop market like this? Where else can we get our shine and be represented fully? I will be detailing three reasons why the Ozone Awards are the shit and why those other award shows ain’t shit. Respectively speaking of course.

1. The Ozone Awards represent the South.

This is of course the most obvious one but I think it is one we need to think about more. It seems like everyone knows the south is winning but nobody really wants to admit it. The Ozone Awards give a platform for southern artists to come out and be heard and also be recognized and rewarded for their achievements. It also puts a spotlight on up and coming artists with their “Patiently Waiting” award. This is in fact the reason why Julia Beverly even started the mag in the first place. “There was a hole in the marketplace for a southern rap mag, and I felt we had enough talent and hustle down here to fill that void.” This event also helps out the south by allowing it’s new talent to network and meet different people who can help them and their career. This is priceless to new artists and is something I haven’t seen any other publication or awards show do. Ozone Magazine rose from a three page pamphlet, to a nationally distributed magazine, to now spawning it’s own award show. This is the spirit of the south itself. Independent hustle. Which brings me to my next point.

 

2. The Ozone Awards are independent and therefore honest.

Have you ever been watching an award show and wondered how the hell the artist who won beat out all the other better and more deserving artists in the category? Have you ever had a feeling maybe there were some backdoor politricks involved? Well that’s because you were probably right. Most award shows, like anything else in this shady music game, are controlled by dollars. Advertisers and sponsors get the final call in who wins what when it comes to most major award shows. Ozone since day one has been independent, started out of JB’s Toyota Corolla, and stays true to that this day. If an artist has been grinding and not sleeping in order to get his shit out there. He’s gonna win and get recognized for that. If one’s been lazy and turning in half ass verses that nobody’s feeling, his ass is gonna stay sittin in that chair. The Ozone’s are about showing love  and respect where it is deserved. And don’t think it’s a coincidence many former winners have gone on to become huge stars in the game. Ross, Plies, T.I., Shawty Lo, Khaled, the list goes on.

 

3. The Ozone Awards are fun!

This to me is the most important reason of all especially from a fan’s standpoint. Face it, the Grammy’s are boring, the VMA’S are played out. What other award show are there at least five fights and spontaneous on stage performances a year? Ever since the first Ozone Awards in Orlando they have been known for their say, unconventional, setup and presentations. The artists basically come out and say whatever they hell they want, their usually fucked up and still have their cup or blunt in hand. It’s natural baby. It’s real. Sure let’s call it what it is. It’s hood. But so what. We need a little ghettoness sometimes to loosen up and have a good time. From Fabo’s infamous unscheduled performance of last year’s Ozone’s all the way to the Trae and Mike Jones fight of this year’s, you never know what your gonna get at the Ozone Awards. And do remember this is the point, to entertain us. I think the Ozone Awards do a very good job of this and do it in a way that doesn’t seem fake or prearranged.