O.I.F. (Operation Iraq Freedom): The Mixtape (10 Year Anniversary) | Spotlight Feature

Iraq – As we celebrate all the veterans who have fought and continue to protect our country. Here at CrazyHood.com we have a very special connection with five veterans who served our country during the war in Iraq.

Jemael Bazil (Breeze), Montrell Howell (Champ-T), Larry “L. Mella” Gordon (LG),
Devron McClinton (Gauge Da Heat) & Barry Beard (Avizual) were all deployed in Iraq at the same time. While in Iraq they became very close friends that shared a passion of music, in particular rap and enjoyed creating music as well. Their common interest and commitment to creating something special led to their mixtape “O.I.F. (Operation Iraq Freedom)” which was hosted by AcaFool & Crazy Hood’s very own DJ EFN.

2018 marks the 10 Year Anniversary of the release of  “O.I.F. (Operation Iraq Freedom)”  and in a special spotlight interview we felt it was only right to showcase this incredible milestone and celebrate it as it reached it’s 10 year anniversary.

This group of veterans came from different parts of the country (West Palm Beach, Florida; Flint, Michigan; Huntsville, Alabama, the Westside of New Orleans and New York City) and built a brotherhood while serving our country.

Their musical influences are versatile, as it ranges from artist such as Nas and Common to Stevie Wonder & Musiq Souldchild. Hip Hop groups like Wu-Tang, Outkast, Mobb Deep, & A Trible Called Quest played the soundtrack of their lives and were influential in their art form as well. But most importantly it was family, as Gauge described;

“My biggest influence for my music has to be my dad no doubt. He is the reason I started rapping.”

We’re human, although we pride ourselves on independence and portray the image of strong individuals; we all came from a family. Whether it’s broken or tight glued, or friends that become family, we share our life with people we care about.

Although I never served in the military, my best friend served eight years in the service and did three tours of Iraq & Afghanistan. While he was deployed, there were times when he couldn’t reach his immediate family or other friends over the phone. There were times when I was the only one who picked up the phone. I knew those 5 or 10 mins we spent talking about whatever, were his escape from the realities of war and how important it was for him to have some connection of home.

“O.I.F. (Operation Iraq Freedom)” is a great example of family. The brotherhood that was made in Iraq by these five veterans will forever be remembered through this project. When you minus the hard work, commitment & challenges they faced on and off the mic …. They have the those memories they shared… on and off the mic. The times they dedicated in that room they called a studio will forever live in their memory but the brotherhood they created is forever. It’s a foundation of friendship, family & music, that’s the foundation Crazy Hood Productions was built on.

Here’s my spotlight interview of “O.I.F. (Operation Iraq Freedom)”

Spotlight Interview

Jae Havana: How did you guys come up with the concept of “O.I.F. (Operation Iraq Freedom): The Mixtape” ?

Breeze: At the time, I had my own production company called Bottom Up Music Productions and they use to send me beats while I was in Iraq. Once I connected with Avizual, we decided to bring in Marines we had relationships with and create music. After the first couple of songs were recorded, we decided to do a full on mixtape.

Champ–T: While we were in Iraq, my brother Breeze approached me about getting together with other fellow Marines that he knew about, to make some music together in his room/studio. At first, I had repeatedly decline his offer because I wasn’t interested in making music anymore, but that dude is pretty convincing when he wants to be. I honestly feel like the concept just created itself once we all started to collaborate and gain chemistry with each other while in the writing process. The only rule that we had was to make it like the mixtapes of old, when artists would just rap over other artists’ beats.

LG: I can’t say it was my idea, I just came along for the journey!

Gauge: Yeah, the concept was really easy to compose. We were actually apart of O.I.F. and recorded it while overseas in the sandbox.

Jae Havana: How did you come up with the title of the mixtape?

Breeze: The title basically stems from our environment at the time. We were all living and participating in the war in Iraq so I just named it after that.

Champ–T: Yeah, while the project was winding down Breeze was the one that came up with the title. It had a nice ring to it so we all just went with it.

LG: I think we voted on it? Since we were in Iraq during Operation: Iraqi Freedom, it just seemed appropriate.

Gauge: The title, at least to me, was already in the stars for us. We were actually there at the same time the tape was being recorded.

Jae Havana: Who are the artists featured on the mixtape?

Breeze: The tape mainly consists of Champ-T, Avizual, Gauge Da Heatseeka and L.G. along with a spoken word poem by Eathon Ennis

Champ–T: My boy Gauge Da Heatseeker, who I basically went back and forth with on the mixtape was featured – amazing artist. Avizual, who was more so the producer of the mixtape along with Breeze, both were the masterminds of the project. Honestly wish I would’ve done more songs on the mixtape with Avizual because he has an amazing energy about him. My guy LG, who was like the unsung hero of the mixtape…very talented. I tried to collaborate with him as much as I possibly could in the short amount of time we were around each other. And my brother Eathon, who had a spoken word piece on the mixtape. He also had a really catchy song that was suppose to make it on the project, but he wasn’t able to complete it and turn it in on time.

Jae Havana: How was the recording process like?

Breeze: The recording process was organic, fun and competitive. I always challenged Champ-T and Gauge to outdo each other lyrically whenever they did songs together. Some nights we would work on music until 3-4am, get a few hours of sleep and go to work only to be right back at it again. Some of the production came from my former producers Robb Da Kidd and G-Majr of Bottom Up Music Productions, while the rest of the project featured industry instrumentals that we found online. One of the main things I remember from that time was the fact that President Obama was in the process of going into office for the first time so that within itself became a underlying theme of the project. We were all excited to return home to a nation that would be possibly run by a black President.

Champ–T: I agree the recording process was very organic in my opinion. We all had chemistry with each other, we all understood each other’s strengths and weaknesses in terms of writing and making music, and I personally just truly enjoyed everyone’s company for that month we made the mixtape. It was a lightning in a bottle moment for sure.

LG: Yeah we would sit in the can (living quarters) kicking around ideas. Who was going to do what, what kind of song, etc.

Gauge: It was one of the best experiences with music I’ve ever had. We all had our duties to perform, were in constant danger, and away from family but we all came together a night to experience ourselves as artist. Most of the songs we mapped em’ out but a lot of them seemed to have just came together.

Jae Havana: Where & how did you record the vocals?

Breeze: During the day we each had our own jobs and missions to do, so if time permitted, after work everyone would come to my room 5-6 nights out the week to record. All the vocals were recorded on Azivual’s Skype headset and we engineered off his PC laptop. I don’t recall with program or software he used.

Champ–T: Yeah we recorded our vocals on what looked to be a gaming headset and the laptop that Avizual had, I also forgot what software he used to record/mix the whole, but we made magic with what little we had man for real.

LG: It wasn’t a lot of recording gear but we were in Iraq. We worked with what we had.

Gauge: We recorded the whole mixtape on set of Skype headphones and a laptop in my bro Breeze room. He had the beats and we brought the heat!!!

Jae Havana: How long did it take to record the whole project?

Breeze: We recorded the project in four weeks. I remember it was around December of 2008 before President Obama went into office that following January. We actually attempted to record a second tape with Champ-T, but we ran out of time and we started to prepare to return home.

Champ-T: We would show up at Breeze’s room at the end of our shifts about 5-6 days a week I think. Once the mixtape was over, Breeze, Avizual and I jumped right into working on a mixtape concept that I had. We recorded about 3 songs really quick, but then we stopped due to all of us having to leave or be finished with our tour in Iraq and heading back to The States.

Jae Havana: In regards to all the artists on the project. Did you all have history together or did you all meet during your time in Iraq?

Breeze: Prior to the recording of the mixtape, none of them had any history together musically. Avizual was a corpsman for our battalion while Gauge and L.G. worked together. I met Champ at my workplace and we built a relationship. Once we all connected, we immediately started building chemistry, which definitely translated into the music. The sessions became what we looked forward to everyday after work. It became like our escape from the reality we dealt with daily.

Champ–T: I met all the artists in Iraq with the exception of Eathon, who was my good friend and roommate back at where we were stationed in Hawaii. I can honestly say that, what we did there made us all brothers for life whether we go years without speaking or we talk all the time.

LG: Avizual was one of the Navy Corpsman for our battalion and Gauge was in my platoon. Gauge and I were cool well before we deployed. I met up with Breeze, Champ, and Eathon through Vizual and Gauge cause they were already talking with Breeze about getting some music put down after they met in Iraq.

Gauge: Me and L.G. were friends before we started the mixtape. I knew him in the states; we had the same job title out there. Once we got in country I hooked up with Avizual and recorded a song or two with him. Once we moved bases in the middle of the deployment we linked with the rest of the fellows and history was made!!!

Jae Havana: In regards to selecting the Hosts of the Mixtapes. What was it about DJ EFN & AcaFool that you felt best fit the project?

Breeze: During that time, mixtapes were hosted by artists and/or DJs so I wanted the tape to follow the same format. Acafool had a record called “Hata Blockas” that was buzzing in the south at the time prior to me deploying so I reached out to him via MySpace and he agreed to be a host. Prior to EFN, I can’t remember every DJ I reached out to, but I do recall reaching out to DJ Khaled and DJ Prostyle, but none of the DJs I reached out to responded. When I reached out to EFN, his assistant hit me back and once he agreed, the rest is history.

I paid Miami Kaos to do the artwork, which was inspired by the movie Miracle at St. Anna and I had my friend from high school, DJ Smokke mix it. Shout-out to them.

Champ–T: I loved AcaFool and DJ EFN’s energy they had while hosting the mixtape. They set up the songs the way old school mixtape host use to do; the ones I grew up listening to. I’ve known of DJ EFN’s work before I even knew he was going to host the mixtape, so made me even more geeked! In the end, it all came together perfectly. I think what we created can never be replicated due to the uniqueness of the situation and I’m forever proud to have been apart of the whole process.

LG: Truthfully, at the time, I didn’t know much about AcaFool until Breeze let us know he was putting on the mixtape for us. That was good looking out for us.

GAUGE: My dog Breeze had the connections with DJ EFN and AcaFool. I felt good about the choices due to the fact that they gave us a chance. We had minimal quality but a lot of heart behind the project and they saw that and I knew once they agreed to do it I messed wit the guys.

Stay Connected:

Instagram Handles:

@breeze305 – Breeze (Executive Producer)

@avizual – Avizual (Co-Executive producer, featured artist)

@drfadez504 – Gauge Da Heat (Featured artist)

@monycarlo – Champ-T (Featured artist)

@eathoninnis – Eathon (Featured artist)

No Instagram LG (Featured artist)

@robbdakid718 (Producer of Original Tracks)

@g_majr88 (Producer of Original Tracks)

@miamikaosart – Miami Kaos (graphic designer)

@djsmokke – DJ Smokke (mixer)

@acafool – Acafool (Mixtape co-host)

@whoscrazy – DJ EFN (Mixtape co-host)

---

Bonus Content

Video Clips of the Veterans performing their music.

---

NOVEMBER 12TH, 2018 | PUBLISHED BY JAE HAVANA | CRAZY HOOD PRODUCTIONS