ROX-TV Interviews Jozi Whalez from the 810. We talk about his twenty six year career in Michigan Hip Hop and what he’s been doing lately.
Welcome back to the ROX-TV universe. We’d like to thank all the readers for returning for another night examining Hip Hop from around the Murder Mitten. In the cut tonight is Jozi Whalez, who has been bopping around the 810 since the mid nineties. For the younger cats in the room, I’d like to say that Hip Hop was alive and well back in the day, perhaps before some of you were born.
I’m from the 810 and was coming of age in the early to mid nineties. What some people might not know today was thirty years ago, rap and hip hop was being celebrated in communities all over the state of Michigan. From Flint to Detroit, Saginaw, Lansing, and lots of other cities and towns all over the Great Lakes. The music reached from the cities to the suburbs and even into the boonies. The sounds were bringing listeners from all walks of life together to celebrate hip hop and rap, at a time when the art form was met with some serious pushback, especially the further you got away from urban areas. 
Today it’s hard to think about a time when rap and hip hop, wasn’t always welcomed or wanted, considering that in this modern era rap can be found everywhere. Often times in the 1990’s the farther you got away from cities, the harder it was to enjoy the culture and music. Pockets of youth took up the challenge and started forming up scenes, running basement parties, dropping lyrics, and spinning records.
In this polarized time in America, it can seem difficult to believe that there was common ground between different cultures and races, but I can firmly attest to the fact that rap and hip hop was bringing people together in the 90’s because I was around during that time and witnessed it first hand. I believe that interviewing and collecting stories from the people that were there, making the music, enjoying the music, and celebrating life should be recorded and remembered for future generations coming up today.
History is worth holding onto, because if you devalue it and throw it away, there is a good chance the same could be done to you someday. To lose the journey, in affect causes one to “go blind” and wander forever lost. With that being said, I’d like to welcome to ROX-TV tonight a rapper who has been around in the 810 since 1995. Ladies and Gentlemen please welcome Jozi Whalez to the program. This guy has been around for a long time and tonight we are going to be taking a closer look at his experience coming up in the scene and what his contributions were. Everyone is welcome here as always and if your not into hip hop, rap, or collective history, than you’ve got the wrong address. So with that, lets get to it….
Welcome to the ROX-TV lab, we are glad you took time out of your day to chop it up with the readers. Before we get into the interview, can you let the readers know where you represent tonight?
I’m representing the 810
You’ve been in the game a long time, going back to 1995. You were a member of the rap groups “Unorthodox” and “Born Lethal”. If you don’t mind, can you talk about both of those groups and some of things that you were doing in the mid to late 1990s?
We were a staple in the music scene in the 90’s.We rocked the Metropolis in downtown Flint ( my favorite spot to play back then). We also performed at numerous other spots, show after show, making our mark with rapid fire performances, letting our presence be known…
Non-stop Freestyle sessions, gaining praise & recognition all because of our hard work & dedication and the willingness to put everything we had into our craft. We were young, wild, fearless & carefree back then…
A fun fact that a lot of people don’t know is that Gozza was an original member of Unorthodox Tactics, with myself & Johnny Mnemonic (then known as Clear logic). But because of his responsibilities as the leader of Artfull Dodgers, he had to step out & I brought in Ming The Merciless (who I had worked with in the past).
He would be in and out of the line up for the next few years… Gozza & I remained close and would often work and collaborate together & eventually would become Born Lethal…
In the mid to late 90’s Artfull Dodgers & Unorthodox Tactics would be on a non-stop adventure, rocking stages & pleasing crowds. The legacy was building…
Being down for as long as you have, can you introduce the readers to some of your previous drops?
In 2004 I branched out and went solo & was signed by Marc Kempf (Longrange Distribution)
Released 3 projects from 2004 to 2008:
(The Love Triangle) (Follow The Legend) & (On Deadly Groundz) with Production from Gozza & Johnny Mnemonic…
In 2009 I signed with EarthMovers Records and released (Blackout Submission) featuring tracks like “Troublemaker” & “I’m so high” …
In 2011(The Firestarter) was released featuring tracks like “NevaGoinUnda” .
In 2012 I took a different direction with the blues rock project (Outlaw) featuring the hit ” I Don’t Really Need You”
In 2015 another out of the box project, with a more rock sound (Born For Fame) featuring the title track, “Fight” & more!!!
In 2017 I returned back to my roots with (Sluggaslang) featuring legendary artists such as Dice & Mastamind…
In 2020 I returned with a super hype fire single featuring Philosophy Cole & Blak Maul titled (Kick In The Door) …
Also in 2020 I released the (Truth Be Told) project, With Production by myself & Gozza on one track…
2020 (Sometimes They Come Back) Mixtape, Self Produced…
Then to finish out the 2020 year, I released the singles (No Secret) featuring Jade The Nightmare, self produced, then (Great Success) & (The Fonz) produced by Gozza…
In 2021 I released singles (The Reaper) & (I Disagree) both self produced…
Now for the Unorthodox Tactics Projects:
(Electric Methods) Released in 2002, a mix of some of our best tracks from 1998 to 2002 & in 2007 with just myself & Johnny Mnemonic, we released (The Ruins) .
Then in 2010 we became just “Unorthodox” & released The (Resurrection Mixtape), super hardcore Hip Hop that stands the test of time…
The Born Lethal Projects:
In 2007 we delivered a very different idea as we dropped (Haim Or Feldman).
Some very dope Hip Hop inspired by The Corey’s, every title was a movie they collaborated on together…
Then we created the super group (Top Dollar Defeat) in 2007…
In 2011 we released (Stonefist Heavyweights)
In 2014 (Distorted Life)
(Resurrecterz Of The Lost Art) Mixtape came next in 2015…
Then in 2016 we put a compilation of our best work (The Album) featuring Mastamind, DJ Zac Carter & More!!!
With hits such as ( Puff The Magic Dragon) & More!!!
Where can fans purchase or find your older material?
My projects are available on all platforms YouTube, iTunes, Amazon, Etc.
You can find all The Jozi Whalez projects except (On Deadly Groundz) a few songs from that are available on my YouTube channel. The hard copies are available but are becoming very rare, Born Lethal – The Album is available on all platforms. Other Born Lethal material can be found on our reverbnation page..
Unorthodox Tactics projects are available on all platforms as well, The Unorthodox “Resurrection” Mixtape is available for free downloads on the Unorthodox reverbnation page…
I ran into you at the recent video shoot for Gozza’s new track “Warriors”, which was a great experience. Can you talk a little bit about the video shoot and what you were tasked to do? What was the experience like for you?
It was a challenge, initially I declined but being that Gozza is one of my best friends and long time business partner, he needed me and I was there. It was a good thing I did, I met some really good people, got to cut it up with great friends that I haven’t seen in years… I was asked to play three roles and I gladly accepted (At first hesitantly).
Everybody involved was awesome & gave it their all. The final product is going to be great because of it!!! Definitely something you don’t see everyday, as you witnessed, we drew a captivated crowd. It was a beautiful day at Frog Island Park… I was happy to be a part of the shoot. Such a great experience…
You and Gozza are old school homies. When did you guys first meet? Can you talk a little bit about that?
I first met Gozza in high school, then a few years later we ran into each other at the Juggernaut house on the east side of Flint. Nothing but smoke, freestyle & fun times!!! All these years later he’s still one of my closest friends…
I know you’ve been in the game a long time. Are you planning any new material drops anytime soon? Can you talk a little bit about any new things you have in the works?
I’m working on a new solo project (No title yet) & the new Born Lethal project is dropping soon titled ( Back From The Labyrinth) featuring Detroit legend Dice!!!!
So be on the lookout…
Do you have any advice for youngsters getting into the rap game? What can they expect? What should they stay away from? Maybe you could explain the long road ahead that new cats will be facing as they enter the craft?
My best advice for the youngsters is to stay true to who you are. Don’t expect to get rich overnight. It takes a lot of hard work to make a name. Stay humble and original…
What was the first song you ever put together? How old were you? What did that first attempt look like?
Ever since I was very young I would write stories. So one day I was 12 or so I wrote a song called “The Hook” (concept was I got my fans hooked). I looped a beat from a cassette to recorder until it was the right length, recorded my vocals into a boombox mic, with the other radio I played the beat… It wasn’t the best , never released, but it was a start…
I always like asking artists about their own relationship with music. How old were you when you first got excited about music? What was the turning point in your life where you got serious about your passion for music? Was there a group or song that set it off for you?
From a small child my parents always had music playing. Especially my dad, playing all different styles of music as loud as it would go… Music was always very important and I knew I wanted to be a part of it, but when I heard LL Cool J – Radio it was official, that’s what I was going to do…
You’ve been rolling with Gozza for a long time. Can you talk about what the local industry and hip hop community was like in the mid-nineties? How has things changed? How have they remained the same?
Remember this was a very critical time in Hip Hop, you had to earn respect with an original style, Dope Lyrics & Delivery or get knocked right off the stage… This was before the internet. We made our own promotional pieces and passed them out. Did the leg work to make our shows a success. Back in the day we would travel to different studios, (Drove Many Miles) would spend every dollar and damn near starve to keep our dream alive.
You really had to have legitimate skills to display in the 90s, the scene wasn’t as lenient on mediocrity. You would be called out… now the game is flooded & that really hurts a lot of the genuine artists who get lost in the shuffle. I’m not gonna say everyone, but quite a few artists sound so much alike you can’t tell them apart. I’m from the time of originality, individuality, music brought us all together, we lived and breathed Hip Hop, it wasn’t a faze, it was life…
What is one thing you hate about the current state of the industry? One thing you love about it?
What I hate most? Everyone wants to be with the times so they basically all sound the same like I said previously… What I love? The artists who stay true to themselves and continue making original sounds. Believing in themselves enough regardless of what is popular at the time. In the long run originality will outlast because it’s timeless, trends come and go…
What are your essential top five albums, that the younger scene should own?
My top 5
- The Beastie Boys – License to Ill
- LL COOL J – Radio
- The Dayton Family – FBI
- The Wu-Tan Clan – 36 Chambers
- Run DMC – Raising Hell
Shout outs: Who are you shouting out homie?
I’d like to give a shout out to My Family, Gozza, Johnny Mnemonic, Marc Kempf, Dice, Mastamind, The Dayton Family, Project Born, L.I.S. , Swigz Sinatra, Stone Owl, DJ Fish, DJ Zac Carter, Jade The Nightmare, Philosophy Cole, Kidvicious810, DJ Immortal, DJ Psycho, Lil C, DJ V1rus, Cool Whip, Joey Cough, Aslaam Mahdi, Pharlon, Bigg Matt, Syruz Grizm, Davey Devastater, Knucklez, Artfull Dodgers, Incredible Daze, Al Steele, Timmy T., ShanRock, Aztek, Optimo Prime, Ming The Merciless, Welfed, Panama Profit, NightTrain, Carlito 810, Dante, Astray, Madchild, Origix, DC, G Que & Everyone who supports my dreams, Much Love!!!
Well, that’s all the time we have for this interview. We thank Jozi Whalez for stopping in and chopping it up with the ROX-TV website. Please keep coming back for interviews, reviews, history pieces, and always…much more. Shout out to everyone that’s ever had a hand in the hip hop scene in Michigan and all over the country. From humble beginnings to global dominance…it’s been a pleasure watching rap come of age over the years. People said it wouldn’t last…well, the scene got the last laugh.
Signing Off,
Mike Shepard
ROX-TV Head Writer
kidvicious810 on IG
