Every Hog Has Its Day

By Corey Bloom | Photo by Kevin Lee Henderson

Billed as a “producer/rapper/DJ/journalist/dude who lives with his Grandma and keeps your baby mama company while you’re at work,” lifelong Jamaica, Queens resident JZone has been a demiurgic character in hip-hop’s underground since his debut, Music For Tu Madre, in 1999. He’s worked with everyone from Tha Alkaholiks to MF Doom and Devin the Dude, even composing music for the porno Asian Bangs, and after five self-produced solo albums he’s still got more to give.

His affliction with, and I vowed to never say this, but in laymen’s terms, “gangster rap,” and a strong malaise for the underground backpack rap culture, motivated Zone to team up with friend Celph Titled to form The Bo$$ Hog Barbarian$. An ode to the irrational and ig’nant stepchild of hip-hop’s golden era, with a touch of traditional boom-bap, Every Hog Has Its Day is the best “fuck you” to sensitive rap fans since discrediting their existence entirely, which isn’t quite as fun or rewarding. By far one of the funniest cats on the mic since Biz Markie, J-Zone, aka Kenny Hoggins, is leaving the peanuts for the suckers as 2006 is all about eating steaks and counting stacks of green backs, ya’heard me!?

How did you get into West Coast music as a kid living in Queens, NY?
When I was little I was always into explicit lyrics; like I used to think it was kinda cool. A lot of that shit like that, X-rated stories weren’t on New York records. I was the type of kid who didn’t really buy clothes; like I dressed pretty raggedy and shit, but I spent all my money on tapes. Every time I got some money I’d buy tapes. I’d take risks, like, “oh I saw that Too $hort video so I’m gonna buy the album,” and then when you buy the album you hear Rappin Ron and Ant Diddley Dog on a track, and you’re like man these dudes are dope. Half my record collection I bought off covers.
Like I bought the Tweedy Bird Loc album—that’s some dude from Compton who had beef with everybody—but I was like, “yo, this album looks mad funny,” so I bought it. I reviewed it, and everyone was like, “how do you know this?” I’m like, “yo, I went to the store and just read the song titles.” If you have a song called “My Dick Is Prejudice” and then the next album you have a song called “My Dick Is Still Prejudice,” at worst it could be bad music, but at least it will be funny and entertaining. I know he ain’t gonna sound like Rakim, but at least he might be entertaining, so you say fuck it, and buy it and the shit’s dope. And when his next album comes out, you’re like, “Tweedy Bird Loc got a new one,” and you buy that shit. I just love discovering new shit. I don’t care if it’s samples or synthesizers, world peace or fuck a bitch, boom-bap or slap, I just like good music.

On the new album you talk a lot about how people want you to make the same albums you’ve done in the past. Do you see this Bo$$ Hog shit as a rebellion to that?
I didn’t do it to rebel, I did it because I actually felt that music in my heart. In music there is no way to keep everybody happy; 50 Cent said it in an interview, “I make records for the people, I don’t make records for me,” and I respect him for that. Me, I make records for me. There’s two ways to make records: you either try to deliver to the people what they want, or you make records for yourself and hope people grow with you.
I came out with a certain unique sound, but the problem with that is that you get pigeonholed and everybody expects you to do the same thing over and over. Then half the people are like, “he’s a one-trick pony. He does the same shit over and over.” Then you have other people who, when you change, they flip the script on you like, “why did he change?” It got to a point where I made three albums under a certain style, and I got bored with it. When you’re not having fun with music and you feel like your going through the motions, you shouldn’t be doing it.

What’s up though? You’re going against Willie D and fucking with bald headed hoes on this new one?
I wasn’t on the last album, this album, I was like fuck it. The drama I go through with chicks, my motto for 2006 is “Don’t Holler.” I ain’t kicking no game, I’m not buying no drinks, I’m not going to no fucking club, I’m not asking for your number. I don’t care if she’s bald headed, if she’s not arguing and not putting up any stress, then that’s who I’m dealing with. Fuck it. I ain’t being picky on looks no more, ‘cause I’m sick of going through drama; girls calling you from jail, just dumb shit. I’m trying to get money this year.

Do girls come at you as J-Zone the rapper?
Depends. You get those crazy Internet weirdo chicks who know you’re a rapper. I try to stay away from them because them bitches are crazy. They think you got all this money because you’re rapping, and they call you by your rap name, and it’s just weird. But nobody in my neighborhood knows that I make music, and I love that. I can go to the basketball game and won’t get robbed or rushed, ‘cause over here, if it’s not 50 Cent, they don’t care. This is the same neighborhood 50’s from, and there is no underground scene here, which is cool because I can live a dual life. I can go out to Manhattan and get noticed, or go to Europe and get noticed, but when I come home I’m just another dude. That’s cool because when I want to step away from music, I can live a normal life. There’s something to be said about living a normal life; I love making music for a living and not having a job, but I also like my privacy and not being bothered.

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