Hip-hop Doesn’t Skip Local Music Scene

Published in NextNC, July 2010

Living in a place where the music credibility is anchored by jazz-infused festivals and predominantly countrified Stampede concerts, it may seem as if other genres within the city limits are nonexistent. However, bubbling underneath the somewhat unvarying surface of the music landscape is a small but growing sector of hip-hop artists hustling to make it onto the local radar.

With just a handful of regional rappers, emcees and DJs seriously pursuing music, it doesn’t come as a surprise that this particular group is the most underground of them all. But in an era when hip-hop culture is so prevalent and unavoidably influential, it is surprising that this university city has taken such a long time to support this genre of music.

“The hip-hop scene in Greeley is pretty small because there are very few people who do what we try to do; it’s kind of a culture that really hasn’t adapted in Greeley,” says emcee Brady Reynolds, aka B-Natural, of Pursuit. “A lot of people aren’t even aware that there are hip-hop acts around here, which is why the few people who are involved are trying to build more of a scene and get more exposure.”

Pursuit, along with seven other northern Colorado hip-hop acts, will get a much-appreciated boost in exposure when they perform Saturday, July 17 at the 9th Street Plaza for the inaugural Downtown Greeley Live — an outdoor concert that is billed as “Greeley’s only hip-hop music festival.” Presented by The Crew Presents in association with Atlas Church and Nu Alpha Kappa, the event is free, but donations are being accepted to benefit Nu Alpha Kappa’s annual children’s carnival NAKland.

“From what I know, there haven’t been any big hip-hop concerts in the city … Something like this has never been attempted.” says Ely Corliss, founder of the music promotion company The Crew Presents. “I just hope that the festival gives the hip-hop scene a foothold in the community. I think there’s definitely a niche for hip-hop here, but it’s just matter of letting people know about it.”

Since The Crew Presents’ inception, Corliss had mainly promoted concerts of the rock variety — anything ranging from metal to acoustic to electro. But it wasn’t until this year that he had really begun booking local hip-hop acts for shows at A.F. Ray’s — the first of which being a January concert headlined by Colorado-based artist Black Prez. Corliss says that the show’s success demonstrated there was a void in the music scene that had never been addressed; so in an attempt to keep up with the demand, he began promoting musicians within the local hip-hop realm.

“As far as Greeley goes, hip-hop is definitely the lowest of the low-key. But it’s becoming more noticed, mainly thanks to Ely of The Crew Presents. Without him, there probably wouldn’t be any hip-hop shows in Greeley,” says Rob Fischer, who goes by the stage name Rhyme Progression. “You can definitely see that it’s growing; but for it to explode, there has to be a lot more publicity for everyone, and everyone has got to work together, too.”

Fischer, a lifelong Greeley resident who has been making music for the three years, is now working on his next album “Rhyme and Revolutionaries,” in which he delivers a message that is echoed by many of his contemporaries: Support local music. As he puts it, people in the community need to “open their eyes” and realize that not all outputs within the genre deal with issues of excess, drugs and violence — something he and many other local musicians are opposed to.

“Unfortunately, a lot of people view hip-hop as guns and drugs and scandalous women, when in fact there is a whole other side to it that people really don’t hear,” Reynolds says. “Hopefully this festival will allow people to see that there’s more to hip-hop. And hopefully they’ll start to show more support for the scene and allow it to really take off. We’re at the bottom right now, so the only way to go is up.”

The Rhythm and Fuzz

Published in Scene Magazine, September 2010

Even from the front yard’s walkway leading up to the wooden porch, the aroma seeping from the mid-sized ranch home is unmistakable:  it’s marijuana … a lot of marijuana.

As a band of the reggae-hip hop variety, it’s not surprising the members of Rhythmic Fuzz excessively engage in one of the genres’ most intoxicating forms of inspiration. And they’re certainly not shy about it.

“We definitely have some recurring themes in our music,” emcee Mike Parker says laughingly. “Women and pot. We know them both really well, and it’s what we like.”

Since its inception in June 2009, the band — which also consists of lead vocalist/rhythmic guitarist Patrick Breyer, lead guitarists Brian Humenik, vocalists Rosalyn Martin, bassist Kohl Wingfield and drummer Lucas Wingfield — has compiled 26 songs, and about 20 of those reference marijuana, Parker says; however, the band insists the drug is mostly used as a secondary theme.

“The songs we write about weed have underlying tones,” Humenik says. “Some are about nasty situations that are helped by smoking.  Like ‘Dorm Blues’ isn’t just about smoking pot, it’s about being trapped and smoking to escape. Even in ‘What’s That,’ there’s a peace message: ‘Smoke pot so you can all get along, put down your rifles, put down your guns.’”

Further examination of Rhythmic Fuzz’s lyrics reveals that the songs are also packed with an impressive amount of crafty double-meanings. In tracks like “Sexual Chronic” and “She’s Got the Power,” the words’ ambiguity can leave people wondering if they’re singing about marijuana accompanied by sexual innuendos or vice versa. This technique is so effective, even the newest member, Martin, was initially unaware of the songs’ implications.

“When I first listened to them, I didn’t realize they were talking about weed,” Martin says. “Speaking as the ‘conservative one,’ the first time I heard to the words, I was like, ‘Is he really saying that?’It was kind of surprising, but — like a lot of our fans — I took my own meaning from the songs.”

Labeled as the “church-girl among a bunch of delinquents,” Martin is the only female in the band and is one of two members who abstain from marijuana (the other is Lucas Wingfield). When asked how she feels about being in a group that primarily sings about women and weed, she simply replies, “I don’t mind it. It’s just so catchy to me.”

Melding hip-hop theatrics with reggae’s organic nature, their sound has effectively balanced laidback melodies with dance-inducing hooks. One of their most well-received outputs is “Shakin’ It” — an infectious club song the band describes as “filthy”: “If you keep on shakin’ it, shakin’ it, I swear I’m takin’ it, takin’ it back to my spot and spankin’ it, spankin’ it.” This track, along with a few others, is available for free download at www.rhythmicfuzz.com, which is currently the most effective way to get the band’s music in your library.

Although Rhythmic Fuzz has recorded many songs in their basement-makeshift studio, they have yet to release an album; however, they’re throwing the idea around with Ely Corliss, the founder of the music promotion company The Crew Presents and owner of the newly-created mini record label The Crew Presents Records. Though nothing is set in stone, members say they will hopefully release an EP sometime next year.

Ruins of Tomorrow: Bastions of metal and good manners

Published in Scene Magazine, February 2009

In the dilapidating world of Ruins of Tomorrow, the scenery is grimy, electric guitars are spewing power chords and the young are engaging in a convulsive dance dubbed “moshing.” Though revered for their good manners and Midwest propriety, the band foregoes any formal introduction and heaves a cacophony of tumultuous sounds that can only be described as brutal. Everyone is crazed by the frenetic vignettes delivered by distorted, guttural screams. An abrupt breakout of blistering percussion is wrapped with a layer of beefy bass grooves and robust staccato riffs. It’s loud. It’s sordid. It’s metal! The rabble is possessed by the noise, and just when they think it can’t get anymore intense, electric guitarist Zak Gallegos, bursts out in a shred so ruthlessly savage, it seems specifically crafted to bitch-slap anyone who has the guts to wonder if a straight-edge kid can actually rock.

Accompanying Gallegos is bassist Dan Adkins, drummer Teddy Franco, and vocalists Traxx Henderson and Kyle Kelley. Together, the five members of Ruins of Tomorrow are establishing themselves as key players on the northern Colorado music scene by employing vicious and apocalyptic sounds. Though RoT is two-fifths straight-edge, the group has an affinity for endless nights of half-naked partying, but they prefer to do it on stage. Their erratic sound and rampant stage antics make it difficult for anyone — even fans outside the genre — to take their eyes off the unceasing storm that is RoT.

These northern Colorado bastions of death-metal have gained rapid success in a short amount of time, acquiring a large, budding fan base, as well as opening for national touring acts like Carnifax, On the Last Day and Fear Before the March of Flames.

“We seem to be one of those oddities that does well in Greeley; no other bands seem to draw a crowd here,” Adkins says. “Personally, I hope we’re able to make the Greeley scene better, instead of just being that one band everyone comes to see.”

Judging by RoT’s circumstances, such success is quite abnormal, not only because the band is located in an ultra-conservative city with a humble music scene, but also because it has gone through an astonishing amount of member alterations. Since its inception in 2005, RoT has had a total of 13 musicians. The ephemeral line-ups seem to be the biggest challenge the band has had to face. Constantly introducing new members makes it rather difficult to perfect a song and write new material, but above all, the modifications have led to the strenuous task of remembering members’ names — old and new. This was quite apparent when the band was asked to name the ex-bandmate who had been in RoT for the shortest amount of time:

Kelley:  “I think it was that one bassist kid.”

Gallegos: “John?”

Kelley: “No the other one.”

Henderson: “Aaron?”

Kelley: “Was it Aaron?”

Gallegos: “No, it was John. John was the shortest; he was probably in the band for a month maybe. Wait, it was TEDDY! I mean RUDY! Rudy was only with us for three weeks.”

Despite the constant changing of bandmates, RoT has produced a “heavy as balls” sound by way of unhinged concerts and visceral songs replete with relentlessly honest lyrics.

“It’s kind of a no-holds-barred type of view on the way people act and stuff that we see,” Gallegos says. “While people in other genres kind of doll it up for the industry, we speak our minds.”

Like most bands, RoT uses life experiences as inspiration for their lyrics. But unlike most bands, RoT uses Sports Center as inspiration for their song titles. “Surgery is a Door Prize,” “Slaughtered with Care” and “False Sense of Immortality” are all titles that were culled from Sports Center commentary. Though such source of inspiration seems unfitting, it is later revealed that Sports Center is far more “hardcore” compared to the television programs each member watches in his free time.

“I like to watch HGTV,” says Gallegos, whose favorite programs are “Rate My Place” and “Property Virgins.”

Similar confessions only deepen with shame. “Hannah Montana,” “Paris Hilton’s My New BFF” and “America’s Next Top Model” are just a few of the other guilty pleasures of RoT.

“Although we try to sound as metal as possible, we actually love everything,” Kelley says.

And, indeed, the band genuinely seems to love everything — with exception to pop music, mean sound guys and Chads (guys that are, according to Kelley, “the preppriest and biggest douchebags you’ll ever meet”). Given their dark, mega dramatic lyrics, like “I’ve left countless with open wounds/And salted them to the bone,” most would expect RoT members to be nothing less than malicious ruffians wielding barbed-wired bats ready to employ a lot of pain on anyone they see deserving. But that’s not the case, mostly because violence is not good etiquette.

Playing in a genre infamous for debauched, unruly behavior, this band of metal-heads prides itself on being well-mannered. “Without a doubt, we are one of the most polite bands out there,” Kelley says. “It’s not like we’re kissing ass all the time, but other bands are awfully mean. We pride ourselves on having respect for humans. It’s that simple.” Such propriety has precipitated the high level of success the band has reached in just two years. RoT’s humility has evoked admiration from music promoters and metal contemporaries. And it’s obvious that their gracious conduct and demeanor have contributed to the ardent fan base they have acquired.

Kids from all over the state — and some from Southern Wyoming — are at the mercy of every seizure-inducing riff and nightmarish howl. Covered in sweat and various bodily fluids, the crowd is putting on a show just as much as the band. At first, it’s difficult to understand the severity of these kids’ love for RoT, but once they begin to raise their fists and bellow lyrics in unison, it’s clear how significant the band actually is.

“I just want people to be able to come to a show and forgot about their shit,” Adkins says. “I want them to scream, bang their heads, smash their faces into the stage and leave feeling released. Our fans are hungry for metal and we’re happy to give it to them.”