The News Journal
In rap teens find support off streets.
By Murali Balaji/The News Journal
04/15/2005

Wilmington- In a small studio at the Grand Opera House, the walls are thumping and teens are swaying to a forceful beat.
They clap, setting up the first rapper, Miracalous, to start the flow:

You know how I do with the flow/Hit em' tile they face red./ Hit em' with the drum kick/Turn em' into bassheads./ But that's not quite what I'm talkin' tonight/ I came to speake about these people and their stereotypes./ "Cause I'm young and I'm black/ And my swagger is street./ Plus I walk wit' a lean/ So I'm stuck in the creek."
The crowd yells, "Nope!"

His verse is followed by K.O. the Kid, who steps in and delivers a forceful rhyme.

Or what about when I'm rolling through the suburbs and I'm bumping "Lean Back."/ They first four words: "Oh he's probably sellin' crack."/ But the truth of the matter is my pockets getting fatter/ From the books that I read, my rhyme subject matter.

The other teens interrupt with roars of approval.
Welcome to a recording session for the Bassline Crew, a Wilmington rap and R&B group made up of teenagers.

The group has toured the world with performers like P.Diddy and Mary J. Blige, and is set to begin a packed summer performance schedule. Bassline recently released its second album, "State of Emergency," and will release a third, "Black Tuesday," this summer.

But it's more than tight lyrics and dope beats that the group is trying to sell. Their message, members say, is education through Hip-Hop.

The group is trying to raise $100,000 to produce a video highlighting Bassline's success integrating Hip-Hop and education and providing youths with alternatives to drugs and violence.

Bassline founder Tony Anderson, a doctoral student in Hip-Hop and education at the University of Delaware, has tried  to get the city to back his efforts, but said he has only recieved verbal support.
"The city does not have a concrete youth agenda," said Anderson, who helped a school district in England include Hip-Hop lyrics in standardized tests. Their ways of approaching the youth crisis are archaic," he said.
Giving kids training will benefit them more than summer jobs or recreational activites, he said.

Group members agreed.

"We're the solution to everything that's going on," said K.O., 17, a student at Concord High School who said his public speaking skills have improved since joining the group two years ago. "If a kid is spray painting the walls in the neighborhood , we can put that kid in graphic design."

In addition to honing their rhyming skills, the group members learn audio engineering, graphic design, marketing and computer programming.
That positive outlook attracted a 14 year old from North Philadelphia to the Crew. Lord Dom Speaks the Truth takes the train foud days a week from Philadelphia to Wilmington to record with the group.
"Bassline is a place where I can talk to other kids, and we try to help people out by sending a good message," he said. "It's really improved my marketing ability. I call it Bassline hustling."

Anderson said "Hip-Hop literacy" is what's needed to give urban youths skills to compete in the professional world.

Miraculous, 15, of Newark, and a student at Dickinson High School, said he has learned audio engineering and how to produced music with computers and other equipment.

The group's message has inspired a fan Web site. Cheirmere White, 13 and Chere Maddrey, 14, were inspired  to start the Bassline Crew Fan Club after becoming involved with the group.
"We just wanted to spread the word," Cheirmere said.
The Bassline Crew members said they want to inspire youths to start their own Hip-Hop education groups. They hope the more kids get into recording studios, the less likely they'll be to succumb to drugs and violence. "Hip-Hop is everywhere," K.O. said. "We're just trying to make a difference."
Contact Murali Balaji at (302) 324-2553 or mbalaji@delawareonline.com

AllHipHop.com
Delaware Students Serve As Rap Ambassadors Overseas
By Jayson Rodriguez
Date: 3/28/2004 2:22 am



At one time, Bassline Entertainment was just a loose collective of children who spent their lunchtime banging on tables and freestyling rap lyrics. Now, however, the 10-person group (six boys, four girls) is spending a week in England serving as hip-hop ambassadors.

At the invitation of a university in Sheffield, Bassline, which formed at Talley Middle School in Wilmington, Delaware, will perform songs from their 2003 independently released EP and speak on their experience in the group.

“They’re looking to these young people [aged 13-16], who are presenting a more authentic form of the art form,” Tony Anderson, a twenty-six-year-old doctoral student and president of Vizionary Productions, told AllHipHop.com. Anderson, a student at the University of Delaware researching hip-hop pedagogy, assisted with the formation of the group. He also produced their album.

The Bassline group, which comprises rappers, signers and dancers, are scheduled to speak on hip-hop culture in the U.S., as well as their refraining from incorporating negative aspects of hip-hop into their music, among other things.

Anderson cites Lauryn Hill as the inspiration for Bassline Entertainment. It’s because of the former Fugee, the children choose their content carefully. They make positive music, but with depth and spirituality, Anderson said. “And their doing it in a non-corny way,” he affirmed. “We’ve done shows where people have been in tears.”

As a way to thank Hill, Bassline Entertainment recorded “Ode to Lauryn,” a tribute song based on an interpolation of “Nappy Heads.” The track will appear on Medicinal Music, a compilation album to be released by Anderson at the end of April.

Bassline Entertainment is currently in England for the week visiting London and Manchester, in addition to Sheffield.

Spark Magazine
Schoolin' them in hip-hop
By TIFFANY ARNOLD | spark
11/03/2004It's easy to get caught up in beats of the Bassline.

Unlike most mainstream rappers, the group's 10 members are well-versed in music from '60s and '70s R&B. They also can school you on early '90s hip-hop. They don't curse or disrespect women, and they don't glorify guns and drugs in their rhymes. They also write and produce their own songs. Oh, and did we mention that most of them are too young to drive?

Bassline is the ultimate feel-good story: a group of inner-city teens who use hip-hop to spread positive messages to their peers. But sometimes who they are overshadows what they'd like to become - major recording artists who don't have to compromise substance for sales.

"Do you want to be known as the rapper who got shot five times or do you want to be known as the rapper who makes good music?" said vocalist Aisha Abdullah, 16.

Bassline hopes to fit into the niche of "positive" or "conscious" rap artists, such as Mos Def, Talib Kweli and Common, who are a driving force in changing the industry's here-today-gone-tomorrow attitude.

"Nelly, Chingy and J-Kwon - sometimes I think they're the same person," says Tony Anderson, the group's coordinator.

Tony, 25, and local DJ Dave Mays (aka "DJ Amaze") arranged for the group to perform at P. Diddy's "Vote or Die" rally in Philadelphia last week. DJ Amaze was the talent coordinator for the show, which got together more than 5,000 people, including stars like Snoop Doggy Dogg and Mary J. Blige.

"Years ago me and Tone were spoon feeding them, but now it's like they're little monsters," Amaze says. "It's amazing to me how far they've come. It's hard to imagine that they're 14 and 15."

Bassline performed songs from their up coming album "State of Emergency." The crowd erupted, cheering as though they had just seen the group on BET. Those cheers were amplified after their set, once a group member announced that they were a group of teens from Delaware.

"It was huge for us because we survived," Tony says.

Surviving the crowds

Other groups didn't survive quite as well. The audience occasionally expressed its displeasure by ripping up their "Vote or Die" posters so they could hold up the "Die" portion as they booed bad acts.

While the show was an undisputed success for Baseline, it doesn't mean the group is without its share of frustrations.

A group of teens from Atlanta called Crime Mob recently gained national acclaim for their latest single "Knuck If You Buck," a crunk-style club hit that glorifies violence.

"Stuff like that makes me want to work harder," says rapper and producer Michael Hurt, 15. "As time goes on they're going to fall off. Nobody remembers artists like that."

Commercial artists who rap about guns, drugs and sex make it harder for acts like Bassline to land major distribution deals. They also complicate efforts to legitimize hip-hop as a literary genre. Shuaib Meacham, a professor at the University of Delaware, founded Bassline two years ago with Tony and a teacher at Talley Middle School. Known as the "hip-hop professor," Shuaib wants educators to view hip-hop emcees as "committed people of the working word."

He said teachers who use hip-hop as an educational tool can improve students' literacy.

"Students don't come in as blank slates when it come to literacy," Shuaib said. "They have literacy skills

that you're unaware of."

Michael says he joined Bassline after participating in a spoken-word program Shuaib hosted at his middle school.

"I never really had anybody embrace what I had to say like Dr. Meacham did," he said.

He says his grades have improved since he's been a member of Bassline. Rapper and in-house music historian Lorenzo Wilkinson, 15, also saw his grades improve.

"Before Baseline, I would do what I had to do, but I would be the kind of dude who would brush it off until the last minute," Lorenzo says.

Lorenzo and Michael are now studying music theory and are taking piano lessons.

"If you're going to produce, you can't just sample it, you've got to be able to play it," Lorenzo says.

Music and education

Tony, a doctoral student at UD, wants to create a hip-hop curriculum similar to a student newspaper, where students can learn the ins and outs of creating and producing music.

Shuaib and Tony have held programs at schools throughout the state, but despite the success of those programs, they say the biggest challenge is convincing educators that infusing hip-hop is a viable tool.

"If a hip-hop guy off the street can come in and turn these kids into well-behaved, business-minded students, what was going on before?" Tony says.

Tamecah Taylor, a teacher at Talley Middle School, coordinates educational programs for Bassline.

"I do see a benefit in it," Tamecah says. "I can't tell you how many songs I know that tie into education."

The only problem, Tamecah says, is that many of the students can't distinguish which songs are entertainment and which songs have educational value.

"We have a whole generation of kids who don't know that it's entertainment, and they're not mature enough yet to look at it as entertainment. This right here - Bassline - is starting to change it, but we still need a stronger voice."

FOR MORE INFORMATION

Bassline's album "State of Emergency" will be available at Indy record stores and online later this fall. The album features a mix of conscious rap and club songs, plus a cameo appearance from MTV VJ Sway.

On the Internet: www.vizionaryproductions.com/basslineindex.php


Spark Magazine (Bassline Director Tony Anderson & DJ Amaze)
Hip-hop why not?
How does that Fugees song go? "Too many MCs, not enough mics..."
By TIFFANY ARNOLD | spark
05/11/2005

D-Scribe and Z-Lyrikal record music in Newark. They've been together for a few years, and they've gathered up some fans, playing shows in underground clubs in Philly and, sometimes, in Maryland.

But until this year, the two rap artists - Vic Lasanta and Zav Keenan, going by the name P.O.R. - had never done a Delaware show.

"It was always, like, Dela-where?" says Vic.

For years, Delaware's hip-hop culture had been all but ignored by promoters, music venues and local radio stations. Delaware rap artists say they were often made to feel as though their form of expression was irrelevant, as though they had nothing to contribute to the state's musical culture. Artists like P.O.R. had to go out of state for support.

But now the tide is changing, and local artists are quick to offer many reasons why the scene is growing. For artists, the change in the musical climate suggests that people are finally beginning to acknowledge and respect their art form.

"A lot of (towns) that don't get a lot of attention, the artists are very hungry," says Tony Anderson, organizer of Bassline Entertainment. "You find a lot of rich talent in these little cities where people are trying hard to perfect their craft.

"Delaware is one of those places where once it gets exposed, there'll be a lot of talent that comes out of it because people are trying so hard to get out. It could be the next Motown."

Even if there's a ways to go before Delaware becomes the Detroit of the 1960s, some things are changing.

More venues are willing to showcase local hip-hop acts. Several Delaware artists are gaining national attention.

Promoters and out-of-state concert goers are finding the First State more appealing. Big-name acts are more willing to do shows in Delaware. Hey, there's even proof this week: Ludacris is performing at the Bob Carpenter Center on Thursday.

But though Delaware's music scene has made major strides, it still faces some major hurdles. Unity, support and organization are elements that local artists admit are lacking from Delaware's hip-hop culture.

Even so, the two guys from P.O.R. (Pride Over Riches, as the name goes) see their recent gigs at the made-over Club Fantasia in Wilmington to be a step in the right direction.

"After I started going to Fantasia and saw how hip hop has taken off and how Delaware has embraced, it makes me feel happy to know that I'm not the only one doing it," Vic said.

A PLACE TO SPIT

Last year, the elite DMC DJ battle was held in Delaware for the first time. Shortly after that, open-mike nights began popping up at East End Cafe, which rapper and producer Marcus "Marchitect" Watkins put together.

After that scene faded, Sam Vaughn, owner of Sam's Music Connection, started up open-mike nights at club Fantasia in Wilmington.

The Fantasia crowd is a mix of MCs, DJs and record executives -- each there scoping the local talent.

P.O.R. performed songs from their latest albums, "Sounds for Sour Ears" volumes 1 and 2, at Fantasia last week. Their song "Breakdown," which sampled the theme from the original Super Mario Brothers game, was a crowd favorite.

Sam said the open-mike nights were a response to local artist's complaints that they had nowhere to perform. Before East End and Fantasia, Sam said MCs and DJs were spread out and worked independently, often hoping to get airplay on WVUD, University of Delaware's radio station.

"When I was coming up, there wasn't no where to perform," said Blu Chip. "I was that person rapping on the corner, rapping wherever."

Fred Knuxx had to travel to venues in Philly and New York in order to perform. P.O.R. said they had never played a show in Delaware until they started performing at club Fantasia on Wednesdays.

But the number of places to get the music out is still limited, and local artists get especially frustrated when they have problems getting into the big venues.

Wilmington's largest venue, Kahunaville, didn't start playing hip-hop consistently until six months ago, when they incorporated it into the Red Room's techno format, said owner Mark Green.

While the venue is opening its doors to more local bands, Mark said it's unlikely they'll be open to booking sets that feature live MCs and DJs because in the past, hip-hop acts have drawn the smallest crowds.

"The best turn out is for cover bands, so that's why we do it," Mark said. "If I could play polka and the place would be packed with me playing polka music, I'd play polka music."

Of course, that's not what local artists want to hear, and many of the complaints about any venue that doesn't offer its share of hip-hop acts are often racially charged. Some venues have dress codes that specifically target hip-hop wear, like long white T-shirts.

"I've been hearing that since the beginning," Mark said. "We are so diverse here. We try to play a little of everything."

DELAWARE ON THE RISE

So what's next for Delaware artists? Several have projects in the works to raise their profile, with some major national artists involved.

Bassline Entertainment is a collective of teens from Northern Delaware. The group has performed in Europe and was a featured act during P. Diddy's "Vote or Die" campaign. www.basslinecrew.com.

Wilmington rapper Kenya Gaines, who goes by the name "Blu Chip," did songs with Juvenile, Raphael Sadiq and Peedi Crakk on his album "All Money Ain't Good Money," which drops this summer. wwww.bluchiponline.com.

Producer and turntablist Anthony "DJ Slice" Walker is collaborating with Dre and Kool, the Miami producers who did 50 Cent's "Hate it or Love it" and Fat Joe's "So Much More." He's also producing an album for Philly spoken word star Toni Blackman. www.fredknuxx.xom.

Fred Shepheard "Fred Knuxx," is a Wilmington rapper who's got producers from Poland and Norway sending him beats. Fred is competing in mixtape guru DJ Kurupt's MC battle, where the winner gets a coveted spot on his upcoming project. (Fred Knuxx will be performing at the DMC DJ Battle at club Fantasia on May 15.)

Dave "DJ Amaze" Mays started off as a "basement" DJ, when he was a student at the University of Delaware. He now opens for major recording artists and has traveled the world doing shows. Often, he serves as the liaison between national acts and local artists. www.djamaze.com

Round Table Records hosts a slew of Delaware artists, who have developed a reputation for bringing loads of energy (and tons of noisy loyalists) to any show they do. You can check these guys out at Fantasias on Wednesday nights, or you can cop their album at Sam's Music Connection, Fox Run Shopping Center, Bear.

BIG TALENT ON STAGE

Local venues don't have problems when it comes to booking national hip-hop acts that can bring in big crowds.

Kahunaville has hosted nationally recognized hip-hop acts such as Kanye West and Sean Paul.

Tri-state promoter "Jamaican Dave" Russell is responsible for bringing well-known dancehall and reggae acts to Philly and Delaware. He said Delaware is attractive to promoters and out-of-state concert goers who are growing bored with Philly's fading scene.

"I think the bigger thing in Philly now is that most of the clubs are no longer," Dave said. "So promoters are looking to grow and the bigger picture and the scene in Philly is lounges and bars. Traditionally, in an urban market, urban people like to party. They don't like to lounge. What makes Delaware ideal to me is that it's right in the middle."

A constant stream of nationally recognized hip-hop stars has come through Delaware in the past years. Ludacris is performing at the Bob Carpenter Center on Thursday. Camp Lo, John Legend and The Black Eyed Peas have all done Delaware. Kanye did Delaware twice last year.

Dave is planning a Summer Island Jam Series on Sunday nights at Kahunaville. The series kicks off Sunday, May 15, where reggae, dance hall and hip-hop tracks will be played.

Dave is also planning a massive reggae show this summer. Featured acts include Luciano, The Wailers, Maxi Priest, who just signed with Virgin records, and I-Wayne.

Dave Mays, who goes by DJ Amaze, has also been influential attracting major attention to the local scene. Amaze has DJ'd for Common, Kanye West and the Young Gunz.

He went to Cancun to spin for MTV's spring break bash this year. Now, he's an official recruiter for Red Bull Music Academy, a program that selects around 60 musicians worldwide for a music training program.

KISS 101.7 FM, the only hip-hop and R&B station in the state, have also brought big names to Delaware. Mike Jones, Keyshia Cole and Marques Houston are performing in the station's third "KISS Spring Jam" at the Grand Opera House this June.

Finding a venue for the Spring Jams was challenging at first because Delaware venus weren't open to their kind of music, said owner and manager Tony Quartarone. KISS DJs mostly mix in Dover clubs, though they have had stints at Fantasia and Utopia, which has now closed.

"We only go where we're welcome," Tony said. "If we're not at a club in Delaware, that means we're not welcome or our audience isn't welcome."

CHALLENGES AHEAD

So what will it take to get the hip-hop scene in Delaware to where it can - and should - be? Ask the local artists, and you'll find a whole lot of ideas.

Get airplay

KISS 101.7 is criticized by many for not supporting local artists, despite hosting an hour-long segment called "Hometown Jams," which features music from local artists.

"That's not enough," said Blu Chip.

DJ Slice said he has learned not to rely on local radio for exposure.

"Which is utterly stupid," Slice said. "How do you not support your own artists? I have never understood that. When I was down in Miami, they played their own music. Delaware won't play Delaware."

Reggie Hudson, urban music coordinator at the University of Delaware, said they often pick up where local radio leaves off.

Tony said local radio gets a bad rap when it comes to putting local artists in regular rotation.

"An aspiring actress wouldn't get mad at CBS for not putting her show on the air," Tony said.

Get the music out

Instead, he said artists need to market themselves in other ways.

"You can make your own radio station out of your crib," Slice said. "All you need is a server. If folks start doing that and playing their own music on that level and their station gets a lot of hits, after a while if they're not paying attention, it won't matter anymore. Because if I'm getting enough hits on the Internet, who cares? That's what's really going to matter then."

Get organized

Nnamdi Chukwuocha, of the spoken-word duo The Twin Poets, said Delaware artists suffer from an indifference among local listeners.

The Twin Poets, of Wilmington, performed on the "Russell Simmon's Presents Def Poetry Jam" tour and on HBO. But their fan base is bigger in Philly than their hometown.

They work with youths at the Kingswood Community Center in Wilmington, but end up taking them to Philadelphia for cultural events.

"It's sad that we have to take teenagers from Delaware and Chester to Philly just to have a youth forum," Nnamdi said.

Nnamdi said there's a broader problem of the lack of financial support for the arts and the lack of unity among artists.

"Most of the artists would have to unite," Nnamdi said. "If all the rappers, if all the poets, if all the spoken-word artists, if we were to come together as a coalition and say 'These are some of our goals, this is what we'd like to happen,' then we could go to the Division of Arts and we could even go to Christiana Arts Center and some other arts facilities."

Or, in the words of Fred Knuxx's advice to his fellow artists: "Stop hating on each other."