Sunday, August 9th, 2009

Interview: Jody Breeze “Part 2″

When I first met this young gunner, about two years ago, he was just some fly little cute ‘kid’ from Griffin, Georgia with a little buzz to his name. He had a few hit songs that gently graced through the personal speakers of cars, ringtones, and mix tapes.

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Written by: Lexilex

At the time he was most known for his role in the disbanded Rap group “Boyz N Da Hood”. He was also gently gracing the speakers of cars, DJ booths, and cell phones with his single Stay Fresh. Unbeknownst to us, he was also penning major records like Diddy’s “Talk to Me” off of his platinum selling album “Press Play”. He was also charming the self-respect of his female fans as he traveled out and about with his daughter. Although he believed his patience for the rap game would soon pay off, something else from his past began to haunt him. An old court case from 2006 resurfaced forcing the rapper to serve probation, serve his community through community service, and re-evaluate everything that was most important to him. But he never forgot his music. Since then, he’s been writing more than ever. In fact, he has more songs than he can ever put on one album. Recently, I had the opportunity to catch up with Jody Breeze in Atlanta to talk about his new mix tape project, his new label starring himself, and how life has changed for him for the good. Here’s what he had to say:

Lexilex: The last time I spoke to you, it was about a year and a half ago. It was around the time of the mix tape, Best Kept Secret. We touch bases on everything from the groupies at the mall to leaving Sho’Nuff. What’s happened since then?

Jody Breeze: Basically, since the last time I talked to you, they’ve had me on intensive probation. I had to be in the house at seven o’clock, every day since last November or so.

Lexilex: What did you do this time?

Jody Breeze: It was an old case that they brought up from 2006. I had just went to court for it but that’s just how they do. They prolong it to see if you’re going to get into any more trouble. I didn’t get into any more trouble but I still had consequences to deal with.

Lexilex: Do you feel like that experience has prevented you doing what you wanted to do, in terms of the music business?

Jody Breeze: Oh, most definitely because I couldn’t do anything. I couldn’t go anywhere. I couldn’t leave the state. I couldn’t go out of the country. I couldn’t do anything but record music. I had to be home every day by seven. In a way, that was a plus because it gave me time to record.

Lexilex: Did it give you a lot more time to think about things in terms of writing music and getting your thoughts together?

Jody Breeze: A whole lot because all I had was time to think and to get into my zone. I had to get focused enough to leave all of the negativity behind. I had to keep it moving. It’s like ‘I’m getting too old for all of that’.

Lexilex: As you were writing, did that change the way you began to write your music and the things that you would talk about?

Jody Breeze: Yeah but at the time, I was still writing for other artist. Puff’s CD had just come out. I wrote six or seven songs on the album, with three singles. I won a BMI award for it.

Lexilex: How did that make you feel to win an award for somebody like Puff?

Jody Breeze: Really, I don’t have any feelings about. I just do it.

Lexilex: Really!? Why not?!

Jody Breeze: I just do it. I mean, it was an honor to be around him all that time and to see the game from his aspect but that’s about it.

Lexilex: How did it feel to work with him? Did you have any expectations going into it? You know, we always hear different things about Puff like ‘Oh, he’s like this…’ or “Oh, he’s like that…’ so how was that experience for you?

Jody Breeze: Not really because from the get-go, we just had chemistry. We worked well together. It was like when I was working with Jazzy Pha. We just went in. I wasn’t worrying about what other people had to say or what they think.

Lexilex: Do you prefer to be a ghost writer? Or do you prefer for people to know it’s you when they hear the record?

Jody Breeze: No, that’s just like a bonus. It’s like something extra. For some people, it’s better for them to be behind the scenes rather than for them to be presented to the public. Some people just don’t have what it takes. For me, it’s easier. I’ll do it both ways. If I have to ghost write, I will. As long as my real, biological, birth name is in the credits then it doesn’t matter to me. You can have all of that.

Lexilex: In other words, you weren’t caught up in any of his schemes? Like I was reading Faith Evans book and she said that Puff would change one little thing and he would take all of the credit for the record. That didn’t happen? You made sure you got all of your credit?

Jody Breeze: Yeah, I’ve done a lot of things for a lot of people and not have gotten credit for it. From ideas to styles, tips on swag, I’ve done a lot to help people and nobody ever knew. Now, I’ve learned from my mistakes although I’ve never really been the type to boast like ‘I did that,’ knowing that we both know what’s up. I don’t really trip on that, all of that will come around.

Lexilex: Okay, so knowing that you’ve worked with all of these artists, and you have this sort of clout to your name now, how does it make you feel having to be home at seven o’clock?

Jody Breeze: Normal. It brings me right back down to reality. Like, all of this can be going on but it still can come down to this.

Lexilex: Does it make you feel like since I have all of this going on, I can really make it to here, so let me just focus in on where I need to be in order to make it happen (drawing diagram on table). Or does it make you feel like anything can still happen to me just because I am who I am?

Jody Breeze:  Yeah, that too. It’s all a part of growing up. It’s just crazy out here. You have to stay prayed up. With me, there is no telling what I’ll get into although I try to stay around positive people. I hate negativity and people that just got to hate. I try to stay away from the people and the crowd I used to be with. I was surrounded by a bunch of haters. They would call themselves my family, say they love me, and hate on me behind my back. It was all a facade.

Lexilex: Does that make you want to hang around people that are in the industry, that are driven and goal oriented? Or did you just reduce your social circle.

Jody Breeze: Nah, not really because I’ve never been the type that likes to be clicked up. I guess that made me the way I am. I’m not a crowd type of guy or a follower. I just like to ride solo, sit off in the cut and do me. To me that make me shine because I am able to sit in the corner and shine.

Lexilex: Like I said the last time we spoke, you were having groupies screaming out rude and obscene things while you were shopping with your daughter. Since you’re not as present on TV, has that changed? Or do people still walk up to you and speak?

Jody Breeze:  Oh yeah, every day. What people don’t understand about being in the light, being a star, or being a person that people recognize is it’s not about what you’re doing. It’s about how you can come across to that person and have them to see through it all to really love you for you. I have those type of fans. My fans are loyal. I don’t have to make another record and I can still have those fans because of who I am. I even have more fans because I’m just that real. That has helped me out a lot. It makes it easier for people like me because I know what’s real. It’s not hard for them to see that too even though you have so many rap cats that aren’t real.

Lexilex: How does that make you feel because since the last time we spoke, we’ve had so much stuff to come out about rappers not being really who they say they are. We’ve had major artist to be busted out. I mean, you write for these people so how does that make you feel knowing that you have to help them put this image on and you know that’s not who they really are?

Jody Breeze: Not really… that’s just the industry and that’s what comes with it.

Lexilex: You just say ‘I just work here’ huh?

Jody Breeze: Yeah, cause I can’t be worried about other people. I’m just here to get my check and leave. I can’t worry about them cause they not worrying about me.

Lexilex: You don’t think it hurts your reputation knowing you help them create this persona?

Jody Breeze: No, because I’m going to keep it G. I’m going to tell you what’s on my mind, I will not sugar coat it. If you don’t like it, you just don’t like it. I don’t fear anybody but God. Why can’t I say what’s on my mind. I grew up around a grandmother and grandfather that said whatever is on their mind. Nothing ever happened to them so why should I be afraid?

Lexilex: Tell me about this mix tape and record label.

Jody Breeze: I just really wanted to do something to get my feet back wet before I just jump back into it. I left the club scene for a minute. I fell back on it, I did too much too quick. I went like on a three or four year run. I did everything but I wasn’t really focused. But I have the new mix tape, The Album Before the Album and I have the new label for young artist called The Young Gunners. I want to work with younger artist to keep it surrounded around the theme of the Young Gunners.

Lexilex: By you doing it so young, do you think it played a major part in it?

Jody Breeze: Most definitely, especially coming from a country town like Griffin. I’ve lived in Florida and New York but I never been in stuck into that mind frame. Like, I always knew I was going to go somewhere and be somebody but I never knew what it was. It’s like if you don’t have your stuff together when you come into this industry (Lexilex burst into laughter) like, seriously, if you’re young and don’t have it together…coming into this surrounding. You’re either going to have to learn fast or fall on your face. It’s as simple as that.

Lexilex: How is that going to work having to get teens to do this industry knowing that it’s this tough?

Jody Breeze: With my experiences, I can definitely relate to this generation coming up. I just went through it and I’m still going through it. If I am a stepping stone to help them out, that’s great. It’s like you can rap about it and not do it but also just know what you’re talking about.

Lexilex: Do you have any artist? Where are you picking them from?

Jody Breeze: I don’t have any but I was working with Lil’ Chucky from Young Money for a while but I am my first priority.

Lexilex: On this mix tape, who did you work with? (Holding up CD)

Jody Breeze: It’s really just me but I have Yo Gotti on there. It’s all original beats.

Lexilex: How did you pick your selection?

Jody Breeze: I picked the best ones for now and saved the better songs for the album. I’m shooting for early quarter for the album release. I have so many songs, I can’t keep them all. But for now, I just want to work on getting back to where I need to be. I’m just getting my feet back wet for now.

Lexilex: The probations done!?

Jody Breeze: Yes, that’s finished.

Lexilex: What’s next?

Jody Breeze: Well, I’m looking to have a new album out by the first quarter of next year. It’s going to be on Young Gunner Records and someone else, I don’t know who though. I have the Twitter going @JodyBreeze_YGR. I’m not really used to the internet like that but I’m getting use to it. I like it. It’s kind of fun…

Lexilex: And it’s stalkerish too!

Jody Breeze: Yeah, it is… and I have the MySpace.com/JodyBreeze

Lexilex: Alright, man, that’s it…  I appreciate the time

Jody Breeze: Thank You…

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This entry was posted on Sunday, August 9th, 2009 at 8:56 am and is filed under Features. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

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