What's Up - Your guide to what's happening in Fayetteville, AR this week!
Issue link: http://www.epageflip.net/i/1439406
"Hip hop is a culture of resistance and celebration, and it exists within people that have no voice," Lopez suggests. "When people start using the art form, it starts gaining traction with people that feel that way. So, inherently, I've seen a lot of people who were silent or didn't really feel like talking, speak up. And to me, that's good because it means they're going to get represented. That means there's people willing to step out and say some things that might make others uncomfortable, or say what needs to be said and add more to the dialogue." As for what to expect on stage, Murs reveals with a laugh, "Colorado taught me not to place limits, and definitely prepare for surprise." In the three years since the program's founding, Murs has mentored a rapper who came to Groundwaves at age 12; artists who speak only Spanish; a spoken word poet and hemp farmer who'd never listened to rap before; 50-year-old artists; a cellist who thought his stringed instrument would keep him from being taken seriously but now uses it in his rap collaborations; and myriad other stories. "We're definitely breaking boundaries. And I'm searching for more diversity," he shares. "To be from Arkansas is going to diversify the conversation of hip hop in general and making that voice bigger." That voice needs ears to land on in order to get bigger. Come, Murs urges. Discourse happens when differing opinions, experiences and stories come together in a room, and that's how the community will grow, he assures. "Especially if you live in Springdale or in Northwest Arkansas, it's nice to be surprised in your home," he adds. "Where, you think you know everyone, you think you know everything that's there, and then someone gets on stage and you're like, 'What?' and 'Who is this?' And they could have lived around the corner the whole time, and you never know. "So I encourage people in the community to come out and see your folks. See what they're up to. I think it will also change your perspective on hip hop. And they need your feedback." ••• Sept. 10, 2021 in SUP Community Through Diversity Success surprises even hip hop veteran Murs Tonight at Railyard Live in Rogers, listeners can get a feel for what's been brewing in the local hip hop community over the past few months. West Coast rapper and hip hop artist Nicholas Carter, better known by his stage name Murs, performs tonight after a showcase of some of the "all stars" that have emerged from his Groundwaves program, which started in Springdale in May. The monthly series offers performers stage time during an open mic event, followed the next day by a mentorship session with Murs, both in the hope that artists' confidence and skills will improve month over month. Since May, the numbers have certainly grown, but more important to Murs is the infrastructure he sees beginning to take shape. "People crossing over, reaching out, collaborating — because overall, it's an exercise in building community," Murs asserts. "So for me, the most important signs of growth are growing together, rather than growing in volume. People in Northwest Arkansas working together, with hip hop being that bridge." The series was launched a few years ago in Fort Collins, Colo., and grew to a second iteration in Springdale with the help of arts service organization CACHE (Creative Arkansas Community Hub & Exchange). "Hip hop is supposed to be a voice for the voiceless, and I don't think Arkansas has a voice on the stage" right now, Murs says. "It's easy to literally just paint Arkansas red and to say, 'They're this' or 'They're that. They're hicks.' But I think this is a side of Arkansas that the world hasn't seen, and with Groundwaves and CACHE, give us a couple more years and the world will know that Northwest Arkansas is a force to be reckoned with and has a lot to say." Murs admits he didn't come into the Arkansas program with any expectations. But even if he had, what he's gotten would have far surpassed his hopes, he says with a laugh. "There's lots of Christian rappers, which shocked me," he admits. "And they're not the cookie cutter Christian rappers. People are cussing all night on the microphone, and some of the more faith-based folks, not that they suffer through it, they sit through it, there's no judgement. But then when they get up and speak about Jesus, none of the rappers that are talking about trap music are disrespecting them or thinking they're soft. After, in the lobby, we're all hanging out until CACHE has to kick us out. It's a real community." The Groundwaves(AR) program has so far welcomed bilingual rappers, a Spanish-speaking Reggaeton artist, trap rappers, female artists, Christian artists, a college grad with a criminal record trying to get his music out, and a nonbinary individual currently incarcerated who has shared with the program poetry through their partner. After having their sentence shortened, Murs is hopeful the person will be able to participate in the next open mic event for the first time. "That's something I've never had happen through Groundwaves," Murs says with a note of awe. "But through CACHE and Groundwaves, this individual has something to come home to and an outlet that didn't exist when they were incarcerated. "CACHE intended [Groundwaves] to be there for the community, but I don't think they foresaw it becoming this type of [outlet]. I've had three people with criminal records like, 'I'm out and I'm trying to get my music out.' This is just another step. And I'm really grateful." It's up to the community to help spread the work of artists in Northwest Arkansas, rapper and hip hop artist Murs says. "A piece of home to take and spread to wherever you're traveling. Wherever you're going, take your artists. Support. Text a link to your cousins in Tennessee, let them know what's going on. Because music is part of our expression; it's how we leave our imprint as a people. Musicians are, I feel, I'm a public servant. I am a voice for my community. You have a ton of voices in Northwest Arkansas. Groundwaves is going to present them to you, I'm going to help develop them. And hopefully we can all join in spreading their music and art, and our music and art across the globe." (Courtesy Photo) YEAR IN REVIEW 38 WHAT'S UP! DECEMBER 26, 2021-JANUARY 1, 2022 UPDATE Jesse Elliott, director of Creative Ecosystems for CACHE, updated What's Up! on the success of the Groundwaves experiment. "Our debut Arkansas season of Groundwaves exceeded all our expectations, thanks to the tireless work of Murs and our entire team at 214, and most of all, the different parts of the hip-hop community who showed up," Elliott says. "Over the course of six monthly installments, we had more than 300 folks in atten- dance for 36 different rappers, MCs, beatmakers and producers sharing their work from the stage. Most performed four or five or six times — many for the first time in their budding careers — upping their game and their artistry with every month. Murs ended up doing 48 hours worth of mentor- ship with these artists, and they were all so inspired by the collab- oration by mid-season that they added a Railyard Live show where Murs headlined and five of our local all-stars opened for him. "Beloved Northwest Arkansas rapper, singer, and all-around multimedia artist BAANG put it well: 'It was such a new experi- ence, pairing local artists in the community to share our craft and being mentored by an estab- lished artist.' Up-and-comer Kevin Contra, an audience favorite throughout the season, summed up the overarching vibe: 'One of the biggest things was the coming together of community, and a bunch of hip-hop heads and people that were just meeting for the first time … it was just really really good community building.' "By the end of the season, performers who were mostly brand new to the scene attracted the attention of and shared the grand finale stage with our most influential hip-hop all-stars across the region: Kiss 105.3, Noel Sosa, DJ D Sewell, DJ Ambrosia, BabeeDee Hollywood, Bando 2x, Jabee, UBI, and Academy Award winner Frayser Boy all the way from Memphis. Murs led this jury in giving out cash grand prizes to fund local creative production for the night's and the season's best rappers. The best news of all is, with the support of Tyson Family Foundation and others, we'll be bringing Groundwaves back to 214 and Northwest Arkansas in 2022, to keep that community magic going." Hip Hop Continued From Page 6