The Show Must Go On
by Angel Navedo
There is no definitive moment to identify as the birth of hip-hop.
The genre that society knows today is ideally a combination of music that came before it. Fused with everything from tribal African music, to jazz, to soul, and rock, the genre has been inspired by multiple mediums over the last three decades.
Defining the sound would be an impossible task because it would mean labeling something that holds a different meaning to different people.
Despite the inability to properly identify an origin, the streets of New York City are widely accepted as the actual birthplace of the music. People who appreciated the rhythm and the melody most embraced it as a culture.
The music wasn’t only something to listen to; it was an all-around experience, influencing diction, apparel, mannerisms, and a general way of life.
While the basic ideology remains intact, the influence of the culture has dissipated in recent years. No longer capable of commanding the commercial market, artists who remained faithful to the culture are struggling to redefine the genre and develop new audiences.
The Show Must Go On: New Life for New York’s Independent Hip-Hop Scene from Angel Navedo on Vimeo.
A sub-culture of hip-hop grew stronger during the late 1990s as the genre became diluted to nothing more than an oversaturated marketing scheme.
Breaking free from the madness, a core of faithful fans chose to keep their ears off the radio and close to the streets in pursuit of music that best represented the culture they knew and loved.
Away from the prying eyes of mainstream media, fans took to small lounges and clubs in lower Manhattan that accommodated hip-hop events. These events were dominated by the new breed of rappers, respected for being effortlessly creative, and honored for being passionate despite lacking mainstream notoriety.
Brooklyn-born rapper Omar “PackFM” Tull solidified his reputation in these venues. With 17 years of his life dedicated to hip-hop, the battle-tested rapper has worked tirelessly to spread his gift, only to see the fans disappear from the audience and be replaced by opportunists looking to take his spot.
“Everybody in New York is involved in the industry in one way or another,” said PackFM. “Everybody raps. Everybody’s a producer, everybody’s a DJ, everybody’s a b-boy, [and] everybody’s a manager. Everybody does something.”
Technology made it easier for fans to become artists. As computers came equipped with easy-to-use software and the Internet became easily exploitable for self-promotional purposes, hip-hop culture lost its innocence.
Fans were no longer interested in being fans if they could find a way to get involved in the industry.
“There’s no reason for them to go to a show if they’re not being paid to be there, or involved in it,” added PackFM.
The difference between PackFM and the masses of fans-turned-rappers comes down to the roads they traveled to establish themselves. PackFM followed the traditional route, gaining the respect of his peers one event at a time. There was a passion for the music that his peers didn’t share as they appeared on the scene with a sense of entitlement.
Choosing to identify themselves as artists who happen to rap-or rappers who aren’t even rappers-has pushed the veteran to boiling points.
“Now you’ve got a lot of rappers out there that don’t want to be rappers,” explained PackFM. “If you don’t have enough respect for the craft and the culture to actually claim it, then you need to put the [microphone] down and make room for people who do.”
Unfortunately, the people who do respect the culture often fight the hardest to establish their names and reputations.
Queens-based rapper Alex “Lex” Acevedo would be the first to tell you that his objective is to reach new fans whenever he’s performing. With a more optimistic outlook on the scene, Lex found that he could create a connection with his audience when given the opportunity.
“If you take your work seriously, that comes across in your presentation. For the most part, the crowds have been…very receptive,” he said.
The struggles Lex has faced revolve mostly around performing at poorly promoted events, where the majority of the audience is filled with performers killing time while they wait to take the stage.
Most show promoters are only looking to sell a ticket to make money. If you’re PackFM and have a strong following of people who will pay to come out for you, then it’s an incredible feeling. But when you’re Lex, the night can quickly turn into a lost opportunity.
“I’ve had my nights where I’m like, ‘Why do I love this?'” Lex recalled. “I came here to try to make money, and I spent money buying drinks because there was nothing better for me to do while I was…waiting to get on stage.”
But not all promoters are looking to make money off another’s name. Orlando “Zeps” Molina, a rapper, producer, and promoter from Brooklyn, NY, has devoted his resources, time, and weekends to putting together hip-hop showcases for his friends.
Without aiming to bank off the names of more established artists, Zeps realized he could take better advantage of the space in the venues. He created opportunities with independent clothing designers looking to have fashion shows, hosted video game tournaments between performances, and started a live hip-hop game show for the people in attendance.
“When I do this and all my friends come out, this is fun,” said Zeps. “It’s diverse. I also always get a band in the middle of the night to mix it up.”
Despite his commitment to having fun and gathering all of his friends, Zeps’ shows haven’t always been ideal. His birthday bash, an event he holds annually, was once the only place to be on the first Saturday of December. And then a popular boxing match was scheduled against his celebration.
“A lot of people that were supposed to pay to get in didn’t come. That turned into me losing $300. I was [very] sad afterwards, so I wrote a song about it.”
“But then I got to go to Norway for two weeks. It reinvigorated me, and got me to love Hip-Hop again.”