Wade, Nigel, Kwame climb hip-hop ladder

The hip-hop trio “Spotrushaz” must be the most modest guys in the entertainment business. Five years of performing for “free”, flouting comments suggesting they convert to singing soca and rising above all potential “brickwalls” were just dark clouds before their silver lining. That lining—a record deal with one of the largest independent hip hop labels in New York — is “Protect-Ya-Neck” spearheaded by CEO and President John “Mook” Gibbons.

Protect-Ya-Neck, whose commitment is to “wholesome entertainment”, is aimed at using techniques in producing, marketing and promoting artistes without compromising originality, versatility and creativity. Artistes signed to that label include Wu-Tang Clan, Cappadonna and Rakewon. Wade Christian (aka Tim Starr), Nigel Telesford (Blonde Dangerous) and Kwame Williams (Fire) currently signed a one-year deal for the production of an album and video. “It’s good news,” said Nigel. “We’ve been jilted when our previous manager ran away with our money; fellas were hating on us, but the work has just begun. Anybody in the music industry will tell you that this is just the easy part.” They’re currently in the studio at Caribbean Sound Basin under the guidance of manager Richard “Rich Nice” Marshall working on material to fill their 14-track slate. Two underground singles, “Go Ahead” and “You” are already “blowing up” radio stations in New York, according to latest news posted on the label’s website www.protect-ya-neck.com. Their first official release “True Soldierz”, perhaps the single to determine the trio’s worth, is out in local record stores. It’s a collaboration with Jamaican dancehall artistes Mega Banton and Ricky General.

They are no “50 cent”, and don’t even try comparing them to their peers of that genre, but the trademark delivery and lyrical content are far from inimitable. The frequent gunshot sounds, calls of gangsta and the general storyline — life on the streets strike the chord of hip-hop styling. The Trini accent is not lost, however. But their climb on the hip-hop ladder took Kwame to the US, handing out demo tapes of the group to record producers and hip-hop artistes and meeting with indifference. “I remember listening to the radio stations for when the DJ would announce when an artiste would be autograph signing at the malls. Yuh hear Jay-Z would be in Macy’s, or Shine distributing free CDs,” and Kwame was there. “When I got down to where Shine was, I met Harve Pierre/Vice President of Bad Boys Records (P Diddy is President) and I asked him for his autograph and, right after handed him a demo tape. He took it and just threw it into his car. We never heard from him.” That was “no sweat!” “If you let these bad experiences take you off of your path, that means you’re never really meant to do what you’re doing. We’re hard-headed and if we’re blocked at all corners we’ll start all over or just go up,” he said pointing upward. The 24-year-olds are “homeboys” from St James and like any Trini “youth man”, liming on the block is where one is taken through the initiation process of  life. For Spotrushaz, that meant a life in music.

Nigel and Kwame were former classmates at Fatima College. At that time Nigel was into rock and listened to bands like “Offspring”, “Green Day” and “Nirvana” — “I guess that was teenage angst, teenage rebelliousness,” he said. “I wasn’t into the hardcore stuff”, but ‘was’ into clubbing and ‘head-banging’ and everything else that came with it.” Kwame, however, was on a totally different plane. His initial love was rap. “Ever since I was 11 or 12 I wanted to be a rapper,” Kwame said, but his focus then switched to academics and becoming a doctor up until he failed physics and chemistry exams at CXC level. He delved into business but somehow, found himself back into music. Wade, a former Mucurapo Senior student, was the intermediary in pulling the guys together to test out their singing skills. They joined the group BTC, but when the group’s direction became uncertain Kwame, Nigel, Wade and Khel Frampton formed Spotrushaz. After playing around with a few names like “Menace to Society”, “Spotrushaz” was the only name they agreed on.

A fifth member, Richard Rajkumar aka “Chromatics”, joined the group. The five-member clan enjoyed work on a number of tracks including “Blood Seed” and “The Anthem” which featured Bunji Garlin. They also composed the tracks “Incredible”, “Gonna” and “5 am”, the latter written at 5 in the morning. The group has worked with producer Giandre Diaz of 161studios and Sel Construction who gave them their first launch at a sound clash at Harvard’s Club called “The Swarm”. They have also done opening acts for several events, including “Naughty”, By Nature’s Smooth Summer Concert billing. “We were fresh, new, we didn’t know how to work the stage, or the mic, but when we saw how Naughty did it, we were humbled,” said Nigel. At last year’s concerts, they were also opening acts for “Fire On The Beach” at the Cove, Chaguaramas, featuring American rapper Ms Jade and Sean Paul in concert at Mobs II. “This performance came on the heels of performing at Emancifest in Tobago at the request of the Tobago House of Assembly. The response to our performance was so good that I think when we came back home, we got swell-headed and complacent,” said Kwame. “So our performance at Mobs II didn’t come off as planned and that gave way to rifts in the group.” Richard and Khel left the group and Nigel, Wade and Kwame persisted in their initial campaign to reach grammy status. “We had to regain self-confidence after the show,” Nigel told People. Kwame added: “We had to believe in us again.”

This July, Spotrushaz was able to secure a spot at “Emerge”, at Pier 1 which featured BET’s host Tiffany. Last Saturday, the group performed at “The Resurrection”, radio DJ Jus Jase’s “Club Friends”, Chaguanas and have been booked for “Hip-Hop and R&B Thursdays”. It’s one step at a time, Nigel revealed. “We’re working out the kinks. We’ve reached this far, ain’t gonna let anybody stop us now... Rap is a way of life. People watch it on BET and don’t respect and appreciate it. But we do. We’re good at what we do and we are from Trinidad.”