Q&A with J.U.S.T.I.C.E League

The guys who make up the production team J.U.S.T.I.C.E. League are Kevin "Colione" Crowe, Erik "Rook" Ortiz, and Kenny "Barto" Bartolomei.

Your most recent project "Trilla", by Rick Ross, has sold 200,000 copies. What do you think people are responding to the most in it?

Rook – The first week it was the #1 album in the country, selling almost 200,000 copies. We produced 4 songs on the album; "Intro-Trilla," "Maybach Music" (ft Jay-Z), "Billionaire," and "Luxury Tax" (ft Lil Wayne, Young Jeezy, and Trick Daddy).

Colione - People are going crazy over "Maybach Music" and "Luxury Tax!" On top of the features they're just good songs.

Barto - The "Intro-Trilla" sets the tone of the album, though. Just by how the album starts off, you can tell Ross is gonna give it to the people on this album. It's a good album.

What are you planning to work on next, and where are you planning to work on it?

Rook - We are finishing our artist 2 Pistols' debut Album Death Before Dishono, which will be released through Universal Republic, June 17, 2008. 2 Pistols currently has the smash top 5 single called "She Got It" (ft T-Pain) that's produced and mixed by us. We are also working closely with Rick Ross on his third LP, Young Jeezy on his third LP, and a host of other artists.

Where are you from originally and where do you live now?

Barto - We're all from Tampa Bay, Fl. We moved to Atlanta, GA about a year ago. We knew the move would one day be inevitable since most of the Artists and Songwriters we work with are based out of here.

What was your first project as a musician that you really felt was important?

Colione - That's a two-part answer for us. First, working alongside Young Jeezy in the studio during his process of shopping for a Major deal (before he signed with Def Jam) gave us the added confidence that our sound and work ethics were good enough to be in this music game. Second, it was an honor to be a part of Mary J Blige's success on the album The Breakthrough. Mary's a LEGEND!! So for us, it was already enough just having a placement on the album (we produced the first song on the album, No One Will Do), but to then win a Grammy and hear Mary say our name during her acceptance speech was just unbelievable!

Who do you look to as a mentor in your career, and what have they helped you to learn?

Rook - My father, Gumbi, he's a world-renowned percussionist for Al DiMeola. He's taught me different genres of music, and how to have a musical work ethic in this business. That helps cause we work long hours trying to complete a three-minute song.

Colione – Man, that's hard cause my musical mentors are Dr Dre and Timbaland, and I've never met either, but their musical talents are what keep me focused on having somebody saying that about us one day.

Barto - Anyone that really plays music. Since my background is in the saxophone and piano, I just love to listen to musical instruments composed correctly on a track. That's my inspiration, musically speaking...

— Walter Jones