Joe Vertigo written by: Imani Ashjzurie
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- I have met the man. Some say that personalities are relative to incidents in ones youth. Some say that near death experiences can change ones life. In his case, it probably did. It was a windy night in the fall of early 1990's, and a candy apple red, early model 1980's Cutlass pulled into a dim-lit gas station at about 1:45 a.m. The passenger got out to use the pay phone, and the driver got out and sat on the hood. The passenger was trying to call a female friend who lived in the area, since she paged him and left a 911 code behind the number. The third passenger, whom had ingested large amounts of beer and liquor at a previous location, stumbled out of the back seat, and sat on the trunk and lit a cigar. Now, this area that they were in is known as a gang territory. And they knew it. And still, on this night, the old saying that gangsters will roll, proved itself to be true. There were no other cars out. It was quiet. Too quiet, and it was known, but not mentioned, that a premonition had came to one of these individuals earlier in the night. He had said to one of the other friends, "Man, something don't seem right about tonight". He was right. As you probably assumed, these individuals were indeed gang affiliated, from another part of town, and that night, they were out of bounds. These young men were talented, they all loved to low-ride, and they were loyal to one another. It was all about "Familia". 1:49 a.m. A car approached slowly, with the windows down, and the third passenger from the parked car yelled to his friends to look, as the vehicle drove by slowly. The approaching vehicle was occupied by four individuals. As they drove by, the third passenger noticed that the vehicle didn't have any tags, and that clearly alarmed him. He understood that this was a moment of action, as hesitation would definitely get them killed. To him, this is when time stopped. It was a nightmare come true. As he opened the door to get inside the car, the approaching vehicle made an abrupt u-turn, and the head lights were turned off. The third passenger moved quickly to lift the back seat cushion up, and as he looked out of the window, he saw barrels and the glass shattered on top of his head. The gunfight ensued. Less than two minutes later, the Cutlass rolled into a 24 hour grocery store with the windows shot out, tires flat, and the occupants were covered in blood. Ambulances were called, and they survived. Authorities say that more than 90 rounds were volleyed between the two groups, and the shooters from the parked car couldn't be determined, as the group refused to talk about the incident.
----BREATHE---- This report, is indeed true. And to protect the innocent, this report is a compilation of events that happened in the young life of Joe Vertigo. Certain parts were left out, and certain details were changed, as there is no need for going into specifics. This is the introduction into the life, and music of Joe Vertigo. He has developed a release for his internal flame and frustration. And his fire burns hot. He has lived in Kansas City, St. Louis, Houston, Atlanta, Detroit, Los Angeles, and Miami. And he has survived. He has hustled and rapped his way into fame and fortune. This is a true to life rags to riches story. Making something out of nothing. Surviving the street life, and the dope game. Severely teased as a child for being fat, and visually and physically not fitting in as he was a bi-racial child. Walking along the dark streets, clearly troubled as a teen, with very little parental guidance. Suffering from Post Traumatic Stress Dis-order, which led to violence, rage, and confusion. Caught in between the un-balanced separation of his parents. Losing loved ones, including a girlfriend to the streets. Having brains of a friend blown into his mouth, and on his face by an adversary strapped with a 44 Magnum. All of these things would usually drive a man insane. And yet, he held strong and steady. Fighting his alter-ego every day. The ultimate story about the inner self battle. His rap name stemmed from the uncontrollable spin that his life took. Vertigo. His street credibility and reputation usually scares people away, and at the same time, he is loved by many, as he is known the be one of the most approachable gangster rappers/producers in the game. He is a kind, and loving individual. He feeds the homeless. He distributes clothes and canned goods to the needy. And when he opened a restaurant, not one person left hungry, even if they didn't have money, he fed them, and in some cases, he provided shelter for them. Some people cannot look past this humongous shell, riddled with bullet scars, and tattoos. I was afraid at first when his bodyguard picked me up at from LAX. I'm only 136 pounds, and I am a short woman. I felt odd, for the simple fact is, he is a bodyguard for Techn9ne, and here he is with his own security. I swallowed and thought about the seriousness of this rap game. So there I was, all the way from New York to California, just to see what the new buzz was about. Joe Vertigo. During the flight there, I thought about meeting some loud, obnoxious beast, maybe having the mouth of a sailor, with brutal honesty like Tupac, mixed with the attitude of a drunk Mike Tyson. Of course, the A&R told me that he was a type that demanded his respect just from his presence, so, I figured he was a big guy. We rode through the Streets of L.A., and I was surprised when the gentleman in the front passenger seat asked me to put on my seat belt. The smell of chronic was in the air, and I then accepted the reality that I was in a whole new world. Joe Vertigo's world. I noticed that the two guys driving me had on bullet-proof vests, and reality was really sinking in. This is rap. And this is real. I started to think about Joe Vertigo, and what his thoughts were about missing home. Good ol' Kansas City. Then, I remembered, this half Latino, and half Black man, has a reputation of being a survivor. He surely adjusted to the street lights and nights of L.A. I was told by his publicist that he was living in L.A., but nobody to this point knew. Not even his label mates. I was informed that the rap game pays lots of money, and "FLOSSING" is not a good thing to do. I was also informed that Joe Vertigo is extremely humble, and his work ethic was the main reason he got to where he is. And he didn't plan on slacking. So here we were, deep in the heart of L.A., and the smells and sights were different by the blocks. I puffed on my square, and the guy in front told me that smoking was bad for me. He was at least six foot 8, so I threw it out. We pulled into a little restaurant, and the bodyguard told me that this is where Joe Vertigo likes to meet up and eat with his Juggalo homies, so they were going stop to get him some food from the spot. I wondered to myself what was he going to order, and I soon found out. One grilled chicken salad, extra meat, extra tomatoes, and extra cheese. Just like I like them. Incredible. We haven't met yet, but it seems as though I was supposed to be the one sent to interview him. Needless to say, I ordered one too. We got on the highway, and I can honestly say that I've never been driven that fast ever before in my life. We arrive at the place where he lives, and there was a gate, a security check point, and another gate, and I had to remind myself about the reality of the rap game, and being a chief. Now I was really curious about this Joe Vertigo, and anxious to meet him. Ten minutes later I was seated at this thirty foot table, and I had already began to eat my salad. I looked up and from a room far away, out walks a woman who looked so familiar to me. I actually stopped chewing, just to focus on her, and I almost choked when I realized who it was. We introduced ourselves, talked for a few minutes, and then she asked me not to reveal who she is, but I will say this. She is on television, daily, and she is beautiful. Most Hollywood divas keep their love lives on the hush, and I can understand why. She is only dating a gangster rapper. Wow. I hear this voice, getting louder and louder, so I'm looking around to see where it was coming from, and then I looked up. Standing above me on the second or third floor stood this giant man. His shirt was off, and he had tattoos all over. His complexion was as bronze. He was talking on his cell phone, and smiling at me. He moved the phone from his face and told me he was coming down. I felt my blood pressure do something, I don't know whether it went up, or down. He approached me with a smile, after putting on a shirt, and introduced himself. I spoke to him, and he quickly figured out that I was from London. He looks upon first sight to be a beast, designed to destruct. But I got closer. His face is smooth, skin is soft, and I thought to tell him about his baby face, but I didn't have the guts. We continued to eat together, and about five minutes into the meal, he asked me if there were any crackers in the bag, and realized, I was eating them, the second package. His package. I looked at him and admitted quickly that I ate them on accident, and that I apologize for being greedy. He told me not to worry, and that I needed to eat more. I laughed softly. I then realized that this was going to be a different type of week. His bodyguard showed me to my quarters, and it was like the old Euro movies. Evening tea and all. The next day was our first day out, we felt each other quick. I can reveal this. He is what he says he is, and believe it. Those that love him, have reasons to love him, and those that fear him have many, many reasons to fear him. But having spent countless hours in the studio with him, I see that in his eyes, you can see there is a new beginning, a new love for life, and the struggle that got him to be who he is. And it's in his music too. But, let's not forget who we are dealing with. This man has stripes, and is an "OG", and the hoods and ghettos that he is known in, and heard of in, recognize the fact. And the fact is this, that he, Joe Vertigo, born as Joseph, is the one. A real life street legend, that survived. And this is a look into his life, a gangsters life. Who would have guessed. From a small town with a frown, to a Kingpin, with a grin. This corn-fed Kansas City boy is doing his thing. His music is soon to be released within the coming months on West Coast Customs Music / (possibly) Universal. A recent release with another Kansas City legend (Techn9ne)* has proven that he is able to do what needs to be done to put the Mid-West up on point. And another release wit Kutt Kalhoun on his new album entitled "Feature Presentation", is bound to leave the underground speechless with the truth of who he is, and where he came from. So we welcome him, with open arms, we welcome Joe Vertigo, to the rap game. ----------------------------------------------------------------Imani Ashjzurie
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