Nice piece on the passing of OG Style from the Houston Chronicle

CLICK HERE TO READ ANDREW DANSBY'S PIECE ON OG STYLE, WITH COMMENTARY FROM K-RINO, SMURK and DJ STYLES.

ALSO XXLMAG.COM FEATURED THE LEGEND ON THEIR HOMEPAGE AND OF COURSE IN A TRIBUTE BY NOZ WHICH HATH BEEN NOTED BELOW.

All of which was quite nice. Maybe a feature on the unhearalded legends of rap who somehow always kept a career is in order. K-Rino, C-Bo, Young Bleed, half the Bay, Point Blank, Bobo Luchiano, Psycho Drama, E.C. Illa, man there's just so many. SO MANY artists who have lived on beyond the hype. Artists who have paid mortgages for their entire adult lives without the help of the Source, XXL, Vibe or Clear Channel (or Clear Channels equally evil cousins). Maybe it's time to shine light on some of these other living artists outside of the blogs and Murder Dog.

Maybe it's time. I don't know how y'all feel, but seeing three certified Houston legends pass in only two months makes me think that I need to step my game up. I may have to pick up the pen again and deal with these editor drones and "fact checkers" and well, maybe not. I have a family to feed as well.

Anyway, I have no idea what to do. All I know is that when I was on Damage Control, the goal was to support artists who were trying to support themselves. Not suck the dicks of the fake motherfuckers only out for a pay day. There's so many artists out there walking these streets, alive, creating, and being over looked by so many. Then they die and people start to pay attention for a day or so. Such is life, this is nothing new, but fact is, in 2008 we have WAY more outlets than we did when I was coming up. More radio stations, a million more magazines, websites, TV shows and entire stations, etc. But it seems that even less is being covered. Much less is being played. The Top 40 is now a Top 4 and I blame it on complacency, laziness, selfishness and hatred for those who might want to do for self.

We don't all have to be cogs in the machine, but these corporate entities might make you think otherwise. I wish I could give a K-Rino CD to every kid in the ghetto wanting to rap. I wish I could open the eyes of those who diss and dismiss independance in favor of riding the corporate wave. I wish I could convince the editors of these magazines that music is more than a marketing budget. But alas and alak it may be pointless.

Sorry, I'm a little depressed right now.

It's True...RIP O.G. STYLE

It's true. It hath been confirmed. O.G. Style passed on to his next life yesterday night. I don't have a lot of details, but word is he was not feeling well Wednesday night and so his wife took him to the hospital where they discovered his blood pressure was quite high and his brain had begun to hemmorage. He flatlined a couple of times and went brain dead, but his wife kept him on life support until his family could come to the hospital and say their goodbyes.



O.G. Style may have only had one big hit, "Catch 'Em Slippin'," (though many would call it I KNOW HOW TO PLAY 'EM), but he continued to work and record and release music till the day he died. His was one of the first full length releases on Rap-A-Lot Records and while he may have never reached the levels of his contemporaries in the Geto Boys, he was none the less an influence and a pioneer on this here Houston scene.

He was also one of the artists in this community that I considered a friend. We didn't hang out and play ball and have dinners and shit, but when we talked I always felt like this was one of the better dudes that I had met throughout my journeys in this shit. He was always hustling his music and trying to change the game. He will be sorely missed.

He was preceeded in death by his early partner, Big Boss of the group 4 Deep. Big Boss can be seen pictured on the cover of his first album. Which led me, and many people to believe early on that O.G. Style was a group, not a groundbreaking solo MC.

Anyway y'all, dude was a legend. I know we are all still trippin' hard off the deaths of Pimp C and Big Moe, now we have this to ponder.

Everytime someone close to me passes it makes me sit back and think about myself. I have two beautiful daughters and a wife who need their daddy/husband. What can I do to ensure that I can keep my health in tact and stay alive to see my grandchildren? When I hear about dudes having heart attacks and high blood pressure, sure I think about the drugs and things, but O.G. Style never seemed to be that type of dude. To me, I have seen STRESS take a deeper toll on my friends and family than any drugs ever have. I've seen pork and red meat cause strokes and heart disease, and all these processed foods. I'm not saying these things about O.G. Style, I'm just saying in general, this is what I think about.

I've been driving back and forth to Austin a lot in the past couple months and in doing so I have stopped at my share of Whataburgers and taco joints and such. For a long time I pretty much didn't eat any fast food, but you know, when yer on the road, sometimes you gotta stop and get whatever is cheap and fast and can be eaten whilst driving. All I can think about now, besides just mourning the death of a good friend, is what a pig I have been over these past couple months and how I need to get my shit together and start paying attention.

Oh yeah, wait, I'm in Austin now, I guess that means I'm a vegan. AustinSurreal coming this week. And no, I'm not a vegan, I'm way too weak for that. All these friends and legends dying aren't making me any stronger.

REST IN PEACE O.G. STYLE! Listen to the Drum and Kick the Ballistics my brother.

PEACE TO NOZ FROM COCAINE BLUNTS. A real dude who is representing the real better than anyone out there in this here field. He's got some audio samples up on his XXL Blog. PEEP EM OUT!

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Now for the good news...