Hip-hop revived

Music survives drama, lack of venue

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A year ago, the future of the local hip-hop scene was a lot like today's January sky - cloudy.

Clubs promoting hip-hop nights were either forced to stop or driven out of business because of concerns that rap music of any type was directly related to violence and crime. Local artists were becoming perplexed, and fans were complaining about a lack of scene.

The only thing that was certain was that Lansing-area hip-hop was either going to survive or fade away.

But thanks to a strong community of musicians and fans devoted to hip-hop music and its surrounding culture, the scene is more alive today than it ever was.

A few Lansing-area bars and music venues are even proud to have a hip-hop MC or DJ scheduled, and some have gained a good reputation for housing the genre.

But as local hip-hop artists know best, this is no time to sit back and relax.

Solidarity

While great strides have been made in booking hip-hop DJs and MCs, the road to a successful, flourishing local scene is long and rocky, much like the portion of road hip-hop has already traveled.

"In terms of progression, there are more people in the area who are willing to make the effort to the culture," said Mario Jackson, also known as 3rd Deggree. "As artists, we don't really need much help to keep it going. But to expand further, we do need help."

Giving Lansing the reputation of being a welcoming environment for all kinds of music would be a start, 3rd Deggree said.

"I love Lansing, but the atmosphere here is so much of a struggle that, as an artist, it's frustrating," he said. "In terms of the atmosphere and politics, it hasn't moved much at all. If you're talking about the vibe and the people, it's going up."

So, if Lansing already has the talent and the fans, what more could be done?

"We need owners of venues to get rid of the 'hip-hop equals guns and people dead on the sidewalk' kind of view," he said.

"We need them to give us a chance as opposed to chopping the block and saying 'No.' People like the music when they get the chance to hear it."

But the power lies in the hands of the fans and listeners.

"Every time someone tries to get a hip-hop night together, it basically gets shut down because of no crowd," said Ben Moore, better known as DJ Benny Ben, host of the Cultural Vibe on WDBM (88.9 FM). "Even when there's an event going on, no one comes out - they'd rather sit at home and complain about how there's no scene."

The qualms

Tom Donall, owner of Spiral Video Dance Bar, 1247 Center St. in Lansing, said the club used to host hip-hop nights until August of 2002. The nights drew large crowds of college students as well as Lansing residents. Those nights featured local artists, but now hip-hop and rap are seldom heard within the walls of the club.

"There's that element that 10 percent of the people that come in for those shows just don't know how to act," Donall said. "Most people that do come are fine, but those that don't act right cause a problem for everyone, so I just decided I was done."

Donall said there have been specific incidents where violence and an overall negative vibe have taken over the crowd during hip-hop nights at Spiral.

Though Donall said Spiral has put the incidents behind it, there was one night in particular that made the connection for him between violence and rap music.

A 17-year-old female and a 20-year-old man, both from Lansing, were shot in front of the club by an unidentified man who was aiming for a man coming out of the club.

Donall said the event was unrelated to Spiral or the hip-hop night, but it still jolted him.

"I never thought something like that would happen near my club," he said.

DJ Benny Ben doesn't feel the violent acts were in anyway related to hip-hop music.

"Those incidents could have happened anywhere, any place, and it just so happens they occurred when and where they did," he said.

Violence is not unique to hip-hop music, nor is it part of the culture, he said.

"It's convenient to use hip-hop as a scapegoat and misrepresent the term hip-hop," DJ Benny Ben said. "The culture itself is the four elements: MCing, DJing, breaking and graffiti. Violence doesn't fall into that."

Fact vs. fiction

Local underground hip-hop artists say they're constantly working to battle negative stereotypes associated with the genre.

Many people associate hip-hop with what they see on MTV, but as local artists contend, that's commercial - created only to sell.

"Hip-hop is life, seriously. It's life's experiences, and everyone can relate to it," said communication junior Chad Phillips, who raps under the name Alias.

Local artist say they've witnessed a great deal of discrimination in the area.

In the not-so-distant past, local bars and dance clubs have had strict rules about hip-hop and rap music. Signs read 'No Rap' and policies banned artists and patrons from wearing certain brands or styles of clothing.

DJ Benny Ben said many popular night spots prohibited the wearing of hair nets, baggy pants, sweatpants, stocking caps and brand-name clothing such as Fubu.

Clothing, however, associated with other genres of music, such as torn jeans, leather jackets or baseball hats were not banned, which has lead most artists to question the "dress code."

"Hip-hop is portrayed by the media as violent," he said, "And by corporations.

"On that level, it's understandable that people might make the association, but it has to be made known that hip-hop is a culture, and even rap music as a whole isn't represented by a few images the media puts out there and that corporations market to kids."

Alias also said hip-hop often is misidentified by many people.

"It's popular to be a pimp now, or a thug now," Alias said. "But hip-hop was never about being a pimp or a thug. It was the African-American voice to the world, and the media never thought it would go anywhere, but now everyone is involved in it."

To most hip-hop artists, inclusion and unity is at the forefront of the culture.

"The more the merrier, as long as it's represented right - no matter what color you are," Alias said.

What's next

If only musicians had a crystal ball to show what the future holds for the scene, or at least had a hint at what influences could be beneficial or detrimental.

But one doesn't exist, so it's up to speculation and a variety of unique opinions to say what's best for the scene.

"It depends on how hip-hop is represented by the people from here, hopefully in its purest form," Alias said. "Hip-hop shows in Lansing right now are for the cause; they bring the innovative aura. I want to see the scene grow and be a part of the growth."

Jaime Wilkins, known as Addverse in the hip-hop community, is another musician with a purpose - to keep hip-hop alive.

Addverse grew up in the Lansing area but has lived in Los Angeles, and made a name for herself in both locations. She now is the owner of Code of the Cutz, 317 M.A.C. Ave. The store sells equipment for hip-hop MCs and DJs, along with records and CDs. The store opened last October.

Addverse said making people aware of underground hip-hop and the strong community which surrounds it will help it grow.

"There's a whole lot of kids that MC or DJ around here, and they're really getting into a lot of positive things, and they can make it happen," she said. "Underground hip-hop is a lot more aggressive. We're not doing it for the money. We all like to get paid, obviously, but the direction of people in underground hip-hop is a lot different than in commercial."

Mac's Bar, 2700 E. Michigan Ave. in Lansing, and The Temple Club, 500 E. Grand River Ave., both have a slew of upcoming hip-hop shows planned.

"Temple has been a really solid venue, not only for hip-hop acts, but booking hip-hop DJs, too," DJ Benny Ben said.

Steve Lambert, booking agent for Mac's Bar, said the recent increase of hip-hop acts at Mac's Bar can be directly attributed to his own desire to branch out.

"I got really bored with booking bands that sound exactly the same. It got a little repetitive, and I wanted to expand the horizons of Mac's Bar," he said. "I wanted to make it a more well-rounded venue."

Lambert said he has no concerns that booking more hip-hop acts would promote crime or violence.

"This is super underground hip-hop; these people that come to the show respect the music, the culture, the rhymes. They're more intelligent beings," he said. "You have bitches and hoes and shootings and guns and bling-bling and that kind of crap, then you have the more intelligent hip-hop, where people respect the whole surrounding involved. There is no bringing guns and jackin' people; that's surrounded by more mainstream hip-hop."

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Hip-Hop timeline

1989: The Cultural Vibe, a show on WDBM the Impact (88.9 FM), begins. The show centers around hip-hop and underground urban sounds.

1998-present: Local bars and clubs put up signs saying "No Rap," and prohibit the wearing of certain styles and brands of clothing commonly associated with rap and hip-hop cultures.

1999: DJ Benny Ben takes over the Cultural Vibe and introduces a number of local hip-hop artists to the airwaves and the Lansing area.

Fall 2001: The Temple Club, 500 E. Grand River Ave. in Lansing's Old Town, opens and eventually becomes a regular venue for all kinds of music, including hip-hop and rap.

August 2002: Two Lansing residents are shot outside of the Spiral Video Dance Bar, 1247 Center St. in Lansing's Old Town, on a hip-hop night, by a man who was not at the club. The man was shooting at another man who was leaving the club.

October 2002: A 18-year-old man is fatally shot in the parking lot of Chips Sports Bar & Grill, a now-closed club that was once a popular rap and hip-hop fan destination.

Jan. 30, 2003: One of the largest hip-hop shows in years takes place at The Temple Club. Although local performances by Michigan native MCs 3rd Deggree, SelfSez, the Athletic Mic League, Switch Stance and One Man Army are strong and draw a decent crowd, Cappadonna cancels at the last minute, leaving only Wu-Tang members Killah Priest and Remedy to perform. Sound problems also plague the show's pace and the crowd's patience.

Spring 2003: Vinyl Addict closes. With little money intake, the store is forced to shut down and the large hip-hop album collection that many area DJs once browsed disappears.

Oct. 1, 2003: Hip-hop haven Code of the Cutz opens at 317 M.A.C. Ave.

Oct. 8, 2003: Wu-Tang Clan members Cappadonna, Killah Priest and Remedy try it again at Spiral Video Dance Bar. Again, sound problems and a dwindling crowd keep it one step away from being a total success.

Winter 2004: A number of local hip-hop shows are scheduled at area venues that include Mac's Bar, 2700 E. Michigan Ave. in Lansing, and The Temple Club, 500 E. Grand River Ave. in Lansing's Old Town.

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