Your man Jonny Boy is back bringing you the next installment of Ear 2 The Streets. This week’s artist is a cat rappin’ the Dirty Jerz, OC The Great. Besides having a knack for writing a banging song and penning some real lyrics with substance OC knows what hip-hop is supposed to be.

With his true dedication and daily grind it’s only a matter of time before OC is a household name. He definitely gets the Ear 2 The Streets co-sign.

Check him out and don’t forget to download his new mixtape The Power Move hosted by DJ Doo Wop, DJ On Point, DJ Jelly, DJ Fokis, and Balance.  [DOWNLOAD THE POWER MOVE]

Sixshot.Com: Sup man, what's good?

OC The Great: Ain't much man, same old. I just finished up my mixtape hosted by the legendary DJ Doo Wop, DJ On Point, DJ Jelly, and my man Fokis from Chicago. So all and all, just grindin’. 

Sixshot.Com: All right O you're a Jersey cat. Tell us what life was like for you growing up.

OC The Great: Well I’m from a little hood in Jersey called Plainfield.  That’s central Jersey if you’re not in the know. It’s abou t 30 minutes from New York. There’s not many opportunities there. Ample opportunity to get thrown in jail though but life’s the same in every hood. Not much to do but get into bullshit. 

Sixshot.Com: How did you get into hip-hop and what are some of the things you did in terms of mixtapes and whatnot?

OC The Great: I got into music just from being around it all day. Music is everywhere. I enjoyed music from birth.  My father plays drums and all that so I guess it got passed down. My mom always tells me stories of me singing songs before I could even say my ABC’s. I guess it just naturally evolved into me making my own shit. The earliest memory I have of me performing was when I was like 7 at my cousins’ birthday party. All my cousins and me did the whole Tribe Called Quest 'Scenario' joint. (Laughs) That’s how I pretty much got into it.

As far as making my own cd’s and all that goes, I used to be in a little group called Crack Music.  It was headed by man Black Myth who was signed in the whole Sam Scarfo/ Gorilla Pimp/ Def Jam movement.  We flooded our hood wit that quality music and the buzz started getting crazy. The group was short lived but we made an impact enough for me to be able to go off on my own and here I am today. 

Sixshot.Com: Your name is OC the Great. We all know that there's a well respected artist by the name of O.C. You think sort of sharing that name will cause any issues?

OC The Great: Nah I don’t really think that’ll cause any problems. I mean my real name is Owen Clarke.  I been OC from the birth.  Its not like I pulled the name out of the sky. Those are my initials. But I respect dude to the fullest. He did his thing during his time and now it’s my time.  I used to just go by the name OC, but I added The Great on so there wouldn’t be any confusion. (Laughs)  I used to catch a little flack from old head A&R’s but once they heard the music all the chatter stopped.

Sixshot.Com: You're an up and coming artist. What are you bringing to the game that it doesn't already have?

OC The Great: Just a fresh face and a fresh opinion. A voice for my generation.  The majority of the rappers out are 30 and up. That’s a real life fact. They been in the game for a minute. They already shared they generations story so I want to tell my generations story. I think its only fair.

Sixshot.Com: Tell us about The Power Move. What was the creative process like for this and what do you want the fans to take away from it?

OC The Great: The Power Move is part one of the one two punch. This is just to warm it up a little bit. Let the world know that I’m here. I got some shit on there. This is just to let the people familiarize themselves with the kid. What I’m dropping next is The Donation. That’s going to be crazy!  I got to keep that project on the hush hush and all I can say is, all original music. All original music.  Fuck all that freestlye shit. That shit is played. I’m gonna show you me and nobody else.

Sixshot.Com: Your company is Big Business Ent. How did that start?

OC The Great: Yeah Big Business was started after me and my team tried to holla at the majors and they acted funny.  They were asking about BDS spins and all that other shit. We said fuck it. Since they want you to do all the work for them, we might as well start our own shit.  So the crew and me pooled together and came up with Big Business Ent.  Shout to my man Tommy Nukkelz. He got a mixtape out too. Google him.

Sixshot.Com: Ultimately, what do you want to accomplish in hip-hop?

OC The Great: Ultimately I would like to see my company as a major powerhouse. Taking the entertainment industry by storm is the goal.  Movies, music, Etc. We're trying to conquer it all.  As far as me as artist goes, I plan to bring music back to that familiar place. Where when you heard a song for the first time you were instantly in love. I’m not talking bout bringing it back to the 90’s or early 2000’s.  That shit came and went. It’s a new day.  I’m just tryna bring back feeling into the music.

None of that copying shit.  None of that, I just wrote this song in 15 minutes and I don’t even write shit. (Laughs) Yeah nigga we can tell you ain’t write that shit. That’s why it sounds like that. All that shit is corny man.  Niggas hear one person say it, now everybody doing it.

Sixshot.Com: Do you plan on taking the mixtape route to get that exposure?

OC The Great: Nah not really. I’m not tryna get into the politics of being a mixtape rapper. I don’t want to be confined to just that. Just spitting verses, wasting my life away.  I only did this mixtape because I had some major figures in the industry that was willing to back my skills up.  If Doo Wop or On Point wouldn’t have reached out to me to do this tape, it wouldn’t have been done.  I’m not tryna be your typical rapper nigga.  I release songs.  Not just the typical 16 over another beat.

Sixshot.Com: Who are some artists that influence you musically?

OC The Great: The artists I fucked with growing up was Jay, Nas, Mase, Cam, Big L, and of course Big and Pac.  But those first couple of names had the biggest influence on me.  I think Big L would have been the nastiest nigga ever if he ever really got his shot like he was suppose too.

Sixshot.Com: As an indie artist are you planning on staying indie or are you looking for that major backing?

OC The Great: Its whatever for me.  No matter what I’m always going to release music.  Even if I have to one day get a 9 to 5 and music isn’t my day job anymore.  This is who I am. 

Sixshot.Com: How would you describe your music and yourself as an artist?

OC The Great: My music is new and fresh.  Its not too gangsta gangsta and not on no spaceman shit neither.  Its somewhere in the middle.  It’s just me! 

Sixshot.Com: All right man, tell us what projects you got coming up that we can check for.

OC The Great: Well right now you can get that free download of The Power Move. That’s right on the myspace. www.myspace.com/octhegreat2. Hosted by DJ Doo Wop, On Point, DJ Jelly and Fokis.  Click the cover for your copy.  You could also cop my first release The Price Is Right on Itunes and Amazonmp3.  That’s about it.  The donation is coming soon. 

Sixshot.Com: Anything you'd like to say to all the fans out there?

OC The Great: Yea fuck wit your boy. I know you feel like shit ain’t like what it used to be. You need some hot shit to knock. That’s where I come in at. Get that free download. The Power Move. Also check my blog www.bigbusinessent.blogspot.com. That’s it man.

Sixshot.Com: And go ahead man, give some shout outs.

OC The Great: Aight shout out to my whole Big Business Fam. Tommy Nukkelz, King Kurt, Ali Mu, Armani Maine. Shout out to Five Angels Entertainment. What up to my whole hood, Plainfield? All that other good shit.  I’ma rep our shit right. Don’t forget to visit my myspace and get your copy of The Power Move at www.myspace.com/octhegreat2. Hit up the blog www.bigbusinessent.blogspot.com. And if you need to holla at me, hit me at OctheGreat@hotmail.com. That’s about it. Shout out to Sixshot.Com and you too Jon for giving unsigned niggas an opportunity to get heard. You gets mad love for that. Holla at me.