L.E.P. - Ozone Magazine

IKE G DA
Words // Ms. Rivercity
An avid supporter of Carolina music, Ike G
brings homestate talent to the masses via
Sirius Satellite Radio. He can be heard on
CORE DJ Radio Saturdays from midnight
- 2 AM and Sundays from noon - 2 PM.
For those who don’t know, what’s your history
as a DJ
I started out under my cousin Tony Tone out
here. When I got to North Carolina he was
on the radio and basically brought me up
under his wing. I’ve been doing this since
1996.
Were you doing any other radio work before
CORE DJ Radio came about
I’ve been on the radio in Fayetteville at
WZFX and WCCG, as well as out of state:
KDOL in Iowa and WNOV in Milwaukee.
When the CORE DJs broke through and got
the Sirius show, I had done Sirius before so
I knew the format. I was one of the first DJs
to go ahead and get it poppin’.
What will you have going on for Bike Week
I got a gang of clubs. I DJ at the East Coast
Customs Bike Show. I got Shawty Lo and
Plies coming to Studebakers. I got the K9
Bike Club Welcome to Bike Week 08 Kickoff
Party on Thursday. After I leave my last
show on Saturday, I’ll be hitting up Miami.
I’m grinding the whole weekend.
I take the hottest artists I can find in these
Carolina streets and give ‘em an opportunity.
I play ‘em on my Sirius show, get ‘em
BDS spins so when they go to these labels
they got a platform. Local radio cats ain’t really
giving ‘em no spins and helping ‘em out
so I’m trying to give ‘em a bigger audience.
What do Carolina rappers have to offer the
rest of the world
We call ourselves the middle East ‘cause
we’re not really the South or the East
Coast; we’re in the middle. You’re not
gonna get just a down South flow; you’re
gonna get some cats that sound like they’re
straight from the heart of Brooklyn and
some cats that sound like they from Port
Arthur, Texas. You’ll get a little bit of everything
combined into one. Our styles are so
diverse and cultured.
Is there anything else you want to mention
I’ve got the Carolina Coalition, which is my
promotions and marketing company. I gotta
shout out the CORE DJs. We’re bringing
the CORE Retreat to Carolina next go
around. Shout out to the Wright Brothers,
First in Flight Ent., Grandaddy Souf. I’m
on the road with J. Bully and Small World
who’s signed to DTP.
Website: Myspace.com/Djikegda910
Tell me about some of the new records
you’re supporting at the moment.
I’m focusing a lot on independent artists
coming out of the Carolinas. I’m messing
with Small World real hard. As far as
mainstream artists, I’m digging Shawty Lo’s
swag, Rick Ross of course. Weezy is killin’
the game. Right along with other DJs nowadays,
I put a lot of focus on independent
artists, especially from the Carolinas.
How difficult is it to break an indie artist
versus a new record from a major artist
If the record is hot it’s gonna break. The
reason why I say I put my main focus on it
is because the Carolinas have been jumped
over for years. Look at the whole movement;
it went from New York to Florida to
Texas back to Florida and Atlanta. Carolina
hasn’t really got a foot in the door. We got a
little exposure when Petey Pablo came out
but we’re trying to take it to that next level.
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