Entrepreneur: A CEO on the Rise (by Jhantu Randall)

Over the past few weeks I’ve taken you through every person I managed to get interviews with at the

Bubba Sparks show in Spanaway. While there were a few that I wasn’t able to get, I assure you that they will be highlighted at some point in the future because the one thing that ties all these artists together is their drive and hunger for more!

Through getting to know all the acts, my brain started wondering, who was the person that managed to bring this whole thing altogether?

And it was with that question that I was able to meet the man behind the curtain. The CEO of 03 Entertainment, Lazerrick Holiday. Thanks to George Kush who through his connections, put this interview together, I was able to meet with Lazerick at the Y Sports Bar at 7 o’clock on a rather light Thursday evening. When I first met him, he actually matched the image in my mind of what a CEO is. Quiet, unassuming, humble to a degree, and most importantly, always aware of whats going on in the background. We sat down and I turned on my recorder as we both lit cigarettes and began to talk about his story. The smoke only seemed to add to the mystery of the man behind it all.

As soon as we started, the first words out of his mouth were, “I’m a father, artist, entrepreneur, student of the game and most importantly, a hard worker.” It was from that first statement that I knew I was dealing with someone who was truly building a foundation and preparing for a long run in this business as opposed to those who only seem to be drawn to the flashier side of things.

I asked Lazerrick how he started this company and he immediately started by telling me about his other company, K-os records which he runs with his brother, Joshua Clark. Starting as artists originally, he decided to build his own company because of a practice known as “Paying to Play” meaning the artist pays for his spot on the bill and in turn is also responsible for selling a certain percentage of tickets. After paying anything ranging from $500-1000 just to perform for one night and not knowing if you were going to get paid for it can definitely motivate someone to take more control over their career. This choice is precisely the test that separates the wolves from the sheep. After making the decision around 2016 to create his own platform from the resources he already had, he booked his first show at a small venue down in Parkland, Washington on October 1, 2016. “It was a small venue, maybe only 100 people. I put on a show called Finesse and packed it out.”

In the beginning of the 03 brand, one of his hardships was finding sponsors, “We were doing this on

our own, that’s why we named the company 03, On Our Own Entertainment.”

He paused for a second and then said, “We’re building this from the grassroots, with K-os I got lucky and struck gold because I had found an investor. With this one I’m building a new brand.”

He made it clear that those past business relationships are still there, but to build something from the ground up takes some time before investors seriously start giving it a much earned hard look.

Lazerrick Holiday was born in Chicago, where he lived for the first 12 years of his life before he and his family relocated to Tacoma, Washington. He had his aunt and other family already here, so with he blended his Chicago vision with his homegrown tacoma sense to begin making his mark. He visits Chicago to visit family quite often, in fact at the time we conducted this interview he was getting ready to head back for a bit. I asked him what the difference between the 2 city’s were when it came to music and more specifically the hip hop scene.

“Tacoma is definitely more laid back, very lyrical, like my guy George Kush. He’s my GM and my artist on 03. A lot of those guys who were in the Bubba Sparks show were from 03. I have personal relationships with them.” He sat back and told me that he was definitely signing another act real soon but he’s always got his eye on who’s making noise out there. Lazerrick has put on 20-30 event since Finesse which was rapper Roddy Mac’s first headlining show. By creating and maintaining personal relationships with all his acts, Lazerrick gives his people the freedom to express who they are on stage without trying to dictate their direction. From others I have spoken to at his shows, a common thing said about Lazerrick is how he pushes you to be who you are at all costs. With the promise of

sweat labor, by putting in the work, his ability to find avenues and doorways for the caliber of talent he draws is definitely a sight to see.

The biggest opportunity so far is upon Lazerrick and 03 entertainment. With his grind time mentality and proven fortitude to make every show go on as smoothly as possible, he has drawn Underground legend, Tech N9ne and Strange Music to Tacoma for the first time on October 19th. So with a hustlers ambition and a strong business intuition, Lazerrick Holiday will do everything to make 03 Entertainment shine as he himself is a CEO on the rise.

Hail To The Chief, an Interview with George Kush by Jhantu Randall

If you ever find yourself driving down highway 7 in Spanaway on a Friday night, chances are you

know about the Y Sports Bar. If you stop in, you’ll notice a big guy who hosts the shows and works as the house DJ for this bar. His name? George Cain, aka George Kush.

He’s the kind of person you’d want representing your establishment. With a steady path and a sure gesture, George has a connection with every patron he greets that seems to go beyond what you would normally think. If a bar is a meeting place than George Cain is one of many draws that keeps the people coming back. Now when the lights shine and the turntables are set, grabbing the mic to kick off the show, we meet the rapper, entertainer and businessman, George Kush. Under this moniker, Cain amplifies his already inviting personality into an aggressive spitter who’s writing dives into mindset of a man who is doing all that he can to rise while questioning his own demons and notions of what it means to be a success in this competition. From questioning death to uplifting the audience to live who they are and spread positivity in even the seemingly most insignificant moments, the honesty in which he speaks on this duality is guaranteed to stay with any listener long after that nights show has ended.

Originally from Memphis, Tennessee by the way of the DMV on the east coast as he told it to me, Kush was born on the Millington Naval base. His father served in the military, so as a result George and his family moved many times throughout his childhood. It’s these experiences which allows George as a performer, to be a man who walks amongst the people in a very relatable way. Always pushing to exude a sense of positivity Kush states, “I try to make somebody smile everyday. You gotta be aware of the kind of energy you draw around you.”

It’s this mentality that allows him the room to explore the darker concepts of peoples psychology in

his music. He draws from his own ideology and allows the audience to share in his progression. Going from being a religious person to a spiritual one it leaves his the room to question the dogma within the doctrines while at the same time, practicing the core belief of do unto others as you’d want them to do unto you.

When it comes to Kush’s craft, he’s always striving to explore his truest feelings within the bars that he writes. Nothing against the wave of “mumble” rappers that has dominated the airwaves, but he states, “You always got to keep pushing yourself. You can’t be the same stale artist year in and year out. I’ll be real with you, those aren’t the people I want listening to my music anyways.” Tapping into his southern roots, Kush carries a very eclectic pallet when it comes to music, from rock to metal, R&B to down home Blues each genre plays a part in his music because every sound carries a frequency and an intended feeling. As he writes his songs he usually has a concept already in his head, he’ll write the lyrics and wait for the right beat to bring a particular verse out. It’s through this process that the audience can feel what he’s spitting because through sharing his own honest experiences he can reach what others are experiencing in their lives.

Also among some of the many acts associated with Gerald Beamon and Crown the Kings I can see what it is that links so many of these artists together. Although traveling in different lanes which they continue to carve for themselves, its the authenticity to their audience and the promise to stay true to

themselves at all costs that projects each of them to stand out. By living by their words, they can’t help but to propel others in their company to do the same.

George Cain aka G.W. Kush in association with 03 Entertainment are bringing Tech N9ne to Tacoma for the first time on Oct 19th. With the stars aligning, going from touring with Bubba Sparks to hosting Strange Music could be the spring board needed to launch Kush and 03 Entertainment into a stratosphere where only they see the destination.

Bubba Sparks Sets Spanaway Ablaze (Article by Jhantu Randall)

Article by Jhantu Randall

The smoke from an abundance of forest fires has taken over and choked the air throughout the entire west coast, but this particular night, not even mother nature could deter the people from gathering. At the Y Sports Bar in Spanaway, Washington they are setting up the lights and making some final preparations to the stage as they get ready for Bubba Sparks to make an appearance. Sunday, August 19th, the Y Sports Bar in Spanaway is one of the hottest tickets in town!

On the bill with Bubba is a good variety of local hip hop artists who were all getting back from Spokane and Colville where they were on tour as opening acts. Like I said before, Pusha T called 2018 a “Surgical Summer” and this is just further proof that the local scene is up to the challenge as they cut through different regions and demographics.

The night itself held a mix of excitement and exhaustion as many were coming from Hempfest in Seattle where they had just graced the stage, further showing their dedication to this craft as they

performed multiple shows in one day. I wish I had a chance to interview every artists but in reality I was only able to say a few words to some of them. That being said, I will try to show how each and every one of them added another layer to this event.

The show was kicked off by Tacoma artist, George Kush who is a natural on the mic, beyond his rhymes he embraces the role of host as if its second nature. This show was just an additional

celebration for Kush who happened to be celebrating his birthday. Off record, I hope everyone who could bought the man some Irish Car Bombs to show their appreciation.

George started the show off by getting the crowd loose as he introduced Scott Elkins to the stage.

Elkins kicked it off by bringing the energy straight out the gate, from premiering a song he's done with hook master, Akon to displaying an aggressive multi-syllabic rhyme scheme, he set the bar and left it up to the others to leap it. Next up came Elijah Griffey who showed an array of styles, from double time to old school, his set showed a vulnerability that translates his life story to music effortlessly. To hear for yourself, check him out on soundcloud at Elijah Griffey Northwest. Next George Kush took the mic and blessed the stage with his songs that blend a melodic baseline with introspective lyrics and a delivery that will leave his words bouncing around your mind long after he’s finished. You'll definitely hear more about George Kush in the near future. Next came Bubba G representing Lane Entertainment, coming from Spokane his set pushed the energy of the crowd even further setting it up for a local group known as the Lunatics who blended smooth melody and high energy lyrics. Following them was Roddy Mac and the Big 3. Roddy who also cohosted the second half of the event lit the match with their set. Their vibe and music encapsulated the audience while

leaving you to wonder how they’re not nationally known yet? They seamlessly posses every quality that creates hits and they deserve to be heard beyond the Pacific Northwest!

Then, without missing a beat, the headliner, Bubba Sparks pushed his way through the crowd to hit the stage with force. I’ll admit that while I’ll was always a fan of his during my high school and college years, I was never able to fully garner an appreciation for his work until I saw him live. His set consisted of fan favorites that ranged from “Ugly” to “Ms New Booty” and finally one of my favorites, the Timbaland produced “Deliverance” which is still a grossly underrated gem. He started by performing in the middle of the crowd as the people crowded as close as security would allow. As the crowd was getting louder, Bubba jumped on the stage and immediately broke into Ms New Booty where he cut the mic and invited a few women from the crowd to join him for the song. Ms New Booty 2018 was crowned by the end of it. To close out his time, Bubba and his hype man pointed the mic’s towards the crowd and got them all to sing the chorus to Deliverance. As I stated earlier, this was always a favorite track of mine but to hear it performed live brought it to another level for me. It was if I heard the meaning behind the lyrics and truly connected to it for the first time. Not many

artists can take me back in time while giving me a newfound appreciation for the present, but Bubba did that.

As the lights were getting turned off and the stage was left smoking from the immense heat that the artists all brought, Gerald “Realife” Beamon grabbed the mic and took the stage. With DJ Eskro on the boards he went through an EP’s worth of songs further solidifying the vision and passion I described months ago. Every time he hits the stage I see a new angle to his path and its something to see him fulfill it. To close out the night in probably the most perfect way, Tazz Jones and Fasa Labree took the stage. Yaaah Music is about to be in full effect. Between Tazz’s brash voice and high energy delivery and Fasa’s smokey and angelic singing this is an act thats bound to be a fan favorite upon the first listen. Their version of “The light” is just an appetizer for those who hunger for more, I wish I could describe them in a way that gives them justice but at this point I’m at a loss for words. All I can say is they create an atmosphere for the crowd to experience.

For one night, Spanaway may be choked in forest fire smoke, but this blaze on the stage at the Y was set by a lineup of verbal arsonists who are just beginning to shine bright for all to see.