MySpace a place for friends

Dem Franchize Boyz have a way of turning commentary on their lives into massive mainstream trends. For example, just note the vast impact their successful first single White Tees, which spawned the current street trend of sporting a simple white tee. White Tees, a crunked-up tribute to the fashion Dem Franchize Boyz rocked on the streets of Atlanta, shot into the Top 25 on the Billboard Hip-Hop and R&B charts with over 1,000 spins a week, becoming an urban anthem for the summer of 2004. Prior to their 2004 debut, Dem Franchize Boyz (DFB) has released five independent street albums and mixtapes, creating a local following and scoring them a deal on Universal/Motown Records. Their self-titled debut landed at ..1 on the Heatseekers chart and the four friends from the projects of Atlanta had arrived. Dem Franchize Boyz formed in their Atlantas Westside high school. As teens, Jizzal Man (Bernard Leverette), Parlae (Maurice Gleaton), Pimpin (Jamall Willingham), and Buddie (Gerald Tiller) put their minds and rhyme skills together and throughout high school and college they honed their vision into what it is today a new wave of crunk that paints a graphic picture of the streets of Atlanta and their raw lifestyle. All our music is about some aspect of reality, Parlae explains. Every song we write, were talking about a specific thing. We never write just to be saying something. Every word comes directly from the heart. Dem Franchize Boyz music has come to embody Southern Clubbing, Southern Pimping and Southern Living. Jermaine Dupri, President of Urban Music at Virgin Records saw great potential in the group and offered them a deal, subsequently landing Dem Franchize Boyz on this summers multi-artist compilation JERMAINE DUPRI PRESENTS YOUNG, FLY, AND FLASHY. JD, Da Brat, and Bow Wow remixed Dem Franchize Boyz I Think They Like Me, and propelled Dem Franchize Boyz to their second consecutive summer club anthem. Hot off the success of I Think They Like Me (Remix), Dem Franchize Boyz are all set to release their second album. Parlae, who produced two tracks on the groups debut album, is confident that Dem Franchize Boyz skills far exceed that of an urban fashion trend. Were whats happening, he says. I want people to see we can stand up with anyone. The last album was strictly us, Buddie explains, strictly for ourselves. Their new album, though, will reflect the global trend theyve kicked off. On this album were touching each market, working with Usher, TI and other major cats. Fans will get to hear us collaborate with other great artists to show what level our skills are at. Buddie, who got his start as a poet and takes rhyming all the more seriously, says, Im striving to be one of many great lyricists. Our new album reps ATLs finest and were going to be another legend out of Atlanta because we speak the truth. The truth sells and truth sets you free. Realness is key. Also joining Dem Franchize Boyz on their second album will be artists from Jermaine Dupris So-So Def family (including Da Brat, Bow Wow, Slim, Young Capone, and JD). Part of that realness is the groups signature sound, which Jizzal Man describes as a more soulful Goodie Mob, a smooth, laid-back crunk, the kind where no one spills their drink. Much of this sound comes compliments of in-house producer Pimpin, who handled most of the production on their debut album. I am inspired by all artist/producers that came before me, like Kanye, Mannie Fresh, Dr. Dre, Pimpin explains. I want to let the world know I am the truth on the beats. I spent $400 on a laptop and made beats just from downloading a little software to record from the roof of my dormitory in college. Were real homeboys and will stay together, they truly are their on franchize.