Pursuit Magazine Issue 2

Issue II

The Sounds of Philadelphia

We Hold These Truths to be Self-Evident

Every day, we have a soundtrack to our lives in the City of Philadelphia. Be it the church bells ringing in our neighborhoods, the EL train screeching above us, the subway below, or the fizzle of steam pipe or the slamming of car doors, we are always moving to the beat of something. No matter where you’re from within the confines of the Delaware Valley, you have some kind of swagger. You walk with rhythm. Pursuit Magazine has dedicated this issue to telling the stories of those around who make this possible – the producers, the artists, the stylists and everyone in between who marches to the beat of their own drum so you can march to yours. I can rap every word to Jay-Z’s Reasonable Doubt album and on late, insomnia-filled nights in college I was searching my room for Pink Floyd’s Dark Side of the Moon. Today’s music fan is eclectic, especially in Philadelphia. Musical influences transcend the stereo and permeate our nightlife and our clothing. They affect our slang and sometimes tie us to our neighborhoods. Yes, I’ve been calling this the music issue of Pursuit, but it is really what the cover says: The Sounds of Philadelphia. I wrote before that we need to share our voice with the world as a city. The individuals in this issue are shouting loud and clear. There is a great line in Judd Apatow’s Funny People when a character asks, “Did you ask me if I like music? That’s like asking if I like food.” Regardless of our personal tastes and what others may think about it, we can always find a connection with at least one other person as a result of our interests in art, music, fashion, etc. As you read through this issue (thank you, again, for being a part of this movement), LISTEN, to what is being said. You might not always like it, but that’s the point.

Remember, feel free to contact me any time at [email protected]

Sincerely,

Steven M. ZieglerFounder, Editor-in-ChiefPursuit Magazine

March 2011 I Pursuit I 3

Editor’s DECLARATION

Steve Ziegler is a graduate of La Salle University’s School of Communication and is currently pursuing a Master’s Degree from La Salle in Professional Communication. He is a native of South Philadelphia and has a tremendous love of film, especially anything directed by Martin Scorsese. Steve has a screenplay in pre-production and when he is not juggling the duties of Pursuit, his home, and his 9 to 5 job, he is usually writing or headed to the movies. By the way, you can call him Zig. He prefers it.

Revolutionaries

A Surprisingly Familiar Sound By: Jonathan Donnelly

Music Styles By: Kori Moore

Coming to A Bar Near You

Welcome to the Arts Garage By: Steve Ziegler

Memory Lane Music (feat. B. Kane & Nico the Beast) By: Steve Ziegler

Refusing to Be Regular By: John Butler III

Making History

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Spirit of ’76What We’re Drinking

CONTENTS


6

10

1417

18

24

32

34

The Divine Lorraine HotelPhoto Courtesy of Mike Dillon

JONATHAN DONNELLY

ALEXANDRA STOKES

SHANE SEERY

MIKE DILLON

KORI MOORE

JOHN BUTLER

.R E V O L U T I O N A R I E S.Layout and Design Editor

Contributing Writter, 31 PercentLife.com

Staff Writter

Contributing Writter, MissWrittenKM.blogspot.com

Photographer, CEO of RudeBoy Photography

Contributing Photographer


Pursuit Promoters Art History 101

www.RealArtHistory.comBody World Fitness

www.BodyWorldFitness.comKatera PellegrinoRaw South Street

Philly2Nighthttp://philadelphia.cities2night.com

Philly Eagles Talkwww.PhillyEaglesTalk.com

Saint Monica Laneswww.SaintMonicaLanes.com

Salad Workswww.SaladWorks.com

The Arts Garagewww.TheArtsGarage.com

DECLARE IT!We want your stories. Freedom of speech is our mission and we want to hear your

voice.

Send your stories and story ideas [email protected]

Life, Liberty, & The Pursuit of Happiness.

R E V O L U T I O N A R I E S.


A one stop shop for news, sports, and opinions that you may agree or disagree with, but will surely find entertaining...

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All Great Truths Begin as Blasphemies

City Hall from South BroadPhoto Courtesy of Shane Seery


YOU’VE SEEN THEM. OU’VE HEARD THEM.

And aside from Super Bowl Sunday, you probably hate them. Yes, I’m talking about commercials, the quirky, catchy and sometimes pesky advertisements for both television and radio. You may often think how does a compa-ny come up with these commercial? The answer is simple. They don’t. That’s where Rick DiDonato comes into play. Rick is the president of Baker Sound Studio in Center City. Baker Sound has been responsible

for generating television and radio commercials not only in the Dela-ware Valley, but also around the country since 1965. DiDonato’s rise to the top wasn’t an easy one, but the hard work definitely paid off. “I started working here in 1987. I started in the back room and back then the job was called a ‘dubber’. I would have to make copies of the commercials or spots that we were producing and send them out to the different radio and television stations.” DiDonato says. “So that’s how I started here and I kind of just

worked my way up. Eventually the owner retired and I bought it from him. I’ve been owner now for five years.” While commercials are a big portion of the workload at Baker Sound, they are involved with more than you would think. “The major-ity of the work we do is radio and TV spots. We also do some ADR work which is basically matching up audio to video in movies and other films. We do a lot of CD-ROM’s for pharmaceutical companies. We also do some e-learning on the web.”

A Surprisingly Familiar SoundBy: Jonathan Donnelly Photo Courtesy of Mike Dillon


DiDonato says that one of the more interesting jobs he has done can be found at the Wells Fargo Center. “If you go to a Sixers game or a Flyers game and you see the touch screens that gives you the history of the teams, we did that a couple years ago. So we have our hands in a lot of different things.” With that in mind, DiDonato stressed that Baker Sound isn’t going to be producing music albums anytime soon. “We do actually do original music here, but it’s all for TV, ra-dio and film. It’s not so much bands, for instance, we’re not going to have a band come in to record their album. It’s just original music for the advertising world.” When DiDonato took over as owner in 2006, he wasn’t too worried about losing old custom-ers from the previous owner. “It’s all about client relationships. It’s all

about building relationships with clients over the years and then they still feel comfortable during the change because they have worked with me for so long. The business keeps going and it’s just a natu-ral progression.” Clients at Baker Sound range from actor Terrance Howard to the Philadelphia Phillies, all of whom have had their radio and TV spots produced at Baker Sound. Keeping in line with his thought’s that client relations is the most important part of the business, DiDonato mentions that it some-times is the hardest part of the job as well. “I don’t find the actual work that hard to be honest with you, because I’ve been doing it so long,” he says. “The biggest thing is just keeping clients happy and knowing when to put your two cents in some-where to make something sound better and knowing when to hold

back. That’s all a learning process, though.” When asked why he chose this job DiDonato was quick with an answer. “I just like the fast turn-around, you know? I enjoyed build-ing a radio spot in a few hours and then hearing it the next day on the radio, it’s kind of a rewarding feel-ing. That’s why I chose this direc-tion because in music you can spend a few months just doing one album.” But, according to DiDonato, one of his favorite aspects of his industry is the variation in the day-to-day work. “Every day is great because everything is so different. You’re working on a number of different things in the morning and then by the afternoon you could be doing something completely different. Remember when everyone told you to find a job you love and then find someone to pay you for it?

That’s what Rick DiDonato did. “The best part of this job is probably just meeting the different people that are in this industry. They’re all so interesting,” DiDonato says. “I’ve been here for 24 years and it still doesn’t feel like a job to me, it’s kind of almost like a hobby. I mean, who wouldn’t want to put together a radio spot and try to find the right music for the spot and sound effects for it. Plus, like I said, I get to me all the different people, so it’s a pretty cool job.” While DiDonato is definitely happy he ended up where he is, he wasn’t always sure this where he would be. “To be honest, I didn’t know places like this even existed. I never thought about where radio spots were coming from. I always thought it was coming from the radio station or something like that. I didn’t even realize that there was a whole industry for this.” But when asked what he would change about his path to where he is now, DiDonato’s answer was simple. “Nothing. I would do it all the same all over again.” If you would like to hear more about Baker Sound Studio, you can visit them on

the web at www.bakersound.com

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Greetings, friends! The Houndstooth Heroine here, returning to spread the word of fashion! Spring is certainly in the air, Philadelphia! Since we’ve sprung ahead, the temperature has slowly started to warm up and everyone’s desire to go outdoors has increased. It seems when the season switches, the inhabitants of this fine city love to search for new and exciting things to do. That being said, many take advantage of the fact that it’s becoming concert season. What a great city Philly is for music. Hundreds of bands blow through every spring and summer. Not only do we get the pleasure of seeing our favorite crooners perform, but the underground music scene here is really something to watch. With that being said, why not check out some local shows Going out to support local bands and those

old favorites, is a great way to support the our city, and also a great way to show off spring fashion. It’s lovely to see the red coats start to shed off of our shoul-ders. The hint of spring-inspired clothing starts to resonate through the air, just like all the music that’s buzzing around the city. To stick with the theme of music, I have gotten the opportunity to get into the music and spot what’s hot for the new season. Everyone knows that a concert is one of the best places to show off new duds. When you are at a show, there is a sense of pride in your own personal style. The clothes we flaunt reflect our feelings and the sounds we enjoy. I have gone to three shows in the past two weeks and thank you Philadelphia for putting on your best garb. From basement

Music StylesBy: Kori Moore, The Houndstooth Heroine

parties to big venues, style is emerging. The first of my trio of musi-cal endeavors was a house par-ty in North Philly close to Temple University. The event was cre-ated by Temple students to help support local music. The party was filled with multi-colored beat triggered lights and people just as illuminating. One of the bands playing was a local group called City Rain. Recently opening a show at Bryn Mawr College for the nationally known band, School of Seven Bells, their electro-pop synths and classic guitar riffs rocked the pants off of the crowd. Those pants I speak of were in fact the resurrected skinny jean. Who doesn’t love a good skinny jean? Men and women alike showed off their denim in vibrant colors. Red and purple

“ Everyone knows that a concert is

one of the best places to show off new duds. ”

Pictured Left: City Rain, band members Ben Runyan and Jarrett Zerrer at World Café Live. Courtesy of Ben Runyan and Jarrett Zerrer


caught my attention the most. One may think a skinny legged pant would be too difficult to trance out in, but oh how that is a myth. Skinny does not mean “tight.” That is being discov-ered, especially by men. If you fold the ankle of the pants to the knees, they are the same width. They are great to dance in. They lengthen the legs and show off a natural shape, without being too restrictive. One person even took “skinny” to a new level, rocking out in spandex running attire. This pant trend, that has been around for over a year now is well worth grabbing for the next local gig that you attend. After being amazed at the skinny trend by both sexes, I was curious to see if I would spot it again the following week at an event called Psyhooshka: SpaceTime Continuum. This was a dance party at Medusa Lounge located at 27 South 21st Street. The show featured local DJ’s playing hot new dance-able sets. I got the pleasure of listening to GHOST Fight, an underground Bit-Wave music project that infuses 80’s inspired synths with hard hitting Anti-Dub Step beats. The atmosphere was dark and sexy, like the music. I was delighted to see the skinny jeans winding around the dance floor. This time, the men were the ones rocking them the most. The bright colors seen the week before were not as dominate as classic denim and grey-wash. The ladies were shaking it in dresses with leggings and flats. The night of the show, it was a lovely 70 degrees and the girls wanted the city to know it!


Most of the dresses were darker colors like black, maroon, navy, and deep purple. Most of the leggings worn were grey or black, and same with the flats. These ballerina inspired foot-wear are perfect for dancing around in. The neutral color pallets of the attire were dressed up with metallic accessories like over sized beads and pen-dant necklaces. The music, atmosphere of the bar, and the clothing all resonate a cool and calm, yet energized feeling of a season’s foreshadow.After seeing two local bands play, I decided to check out a mainstream, nationally know band play. I got the pleasure of seeing Queens of The Stone Age play at the Electric Factory. QTSA, the common acronym used by fans, is very different than the music I had seen prior to this show. They are the defini-tion of a rock band. The venue was huge, and the hundreds of fans that attended were every-one from people in industrial styled clothing to track jackets and jeans. Yet again skinny jeans on men and leggings were present. This time, con-sidering the season reverted to winter; flats were replaced with black boots. The dresses were less tunic-like and more fanta-sy inspired. What one thinks of when they think of Rock n’ Roll attire was present. This is pure evidence that the music does influence the style. Since style is so objective, as is music, the

reflection is of course inevitable.After my research, I feel that this spring the style is going to be inspired by the sounds that will be blaring throughout the city. Skinny jeans and leggings are back and they are here to stay. City dwellers will continue to accessorize and pair them with other items to reflect their personal taste influenced by the music they love. Keep up the fashion, Philly. Next issue, as we enter warmer weather, I will be back to report on trends. I am intrigued to see if the concert fashion will continue into everyday outfits.

Until next time, Philadelphia!

Peace, love and Shoes- The Houndstooth Heroine.

** For more on GHOST Fight and City Rain

check out www.ghostfight.bandcamp.

com/track/better and

www.facebook.com/city-raintunes**

“Skinny jeans and leggings are back and they are

here to stay.”

Photo Below: GHOST fight GuRl album cover.


MissWrittenKM.Blogspot.com

Blog by Kori MooreIllustration by Jessica Izaguire

Coming To A Bar Near YouOne Man Band Steve Moran


Pursuit: When did you first learn to play the guitar?Steve Moran: I started taking guitar lessons in 6th grade, in hopes to form an alternative rock band with 2 grade-school friends, which never happened. I was on and off with the guitar for years, but it was when I visited Ireland my senior year of high school when I really developed my love for music. It was amazing to see first hand how important and relevant music is within the Irish culture and awesome to see the bond it created among the Irish.

Pursuit: How long have you been doing one man shows?Steve Moran: I have been doing solo gigs for a little over 2 years now. I enjoy playing solo shows because they really force me to always improve, and continue to learn and adapt, because I am strictly relying on myself. With that said, I do miss being in a band because of the fuller sound, as well as the camaraderie of the group.

Pursuit: What does your set list consist of?Steve Moran: I really do love almost all music, so I try to mix it up. I’ll play traditional and contemporary Irish music, as well as country music, oldies, classic rock, and throw in some current songs.

Pursuit: How did you get involved with playing with Blackthorn? Steve Moran: There is a misconception among some people that makes me laugh, that I am “in” Blackthorn! I must say that I am not, although they are kind enough to share their stage with me from time to time. I love playing with them because of how extremely talented they all are, and how much better they make me sound! The boys of Blackthorn have been friends of my family for many years. The first time I played with them, I was attending a ski trip in NY, hosted by Blackthorn. My friends and I were on the same bus as them headed up the resort. I brought my guitar along for the ride and they brought their instruments. During the trip, we shared many songs & laughs (and a couple of beverages as well). It was a blast, and when they performed the next night, they invited me up to play.

Pursuit: Have you ever thought of, or have you, professionally recorded your own original music?Steve Moran: I have thought of it, but friends who have done it say it’s pretty time consuming. I do have a couple pieces that I wrote, but I have never really sat down to write any real songs...serious ones anyway. I also have a 2 year old son and another one on the way - any day now. So I don’t really have the time for recording any music, yet.

Pursuit: About how many gigs do you play each month? Are they often spur of the moment?Steve Moran: I usually play just 1 or 2 gigs a month in local bars in Delaware County. March tends to be pretty busy because of the demand for Irish music. They are usually booked in advance. Anything spur of the moment usually happens with friends after midnight and after a few drinks!

Pursuit: Who inspires you musically? Steve Moran: As a young boy, my father always had Irish music on, so my love for Irish music began with The Wolftones, The Clancy Brothers and Blackthorn. When I started playing the guitar, I loved bands like Nirvana, Green Day and Rancid. As I grew older, I started to appreciate musicians like Eric Clapton, the Beatles & Phish. As you can see, I like all genres of music! So overall, I think, simply “musicians” inspire me. I have much respect and admiration for all musicians who love to play and make music.

Steve Moran, 28, an IT Systems coordinator from Delaware County who has been known to share his guitar skills with pub hopping public, played his most crowded show this past St. Patrick’s Day at Bridgewater’s in the 30th Street Station. He’s hoping to do more shows throughout the city. Pursuit Magazine sat down with

Moran to talk about his love of playing music.

By: Steve Ziegler Photos Courtesy of The Arts Garage

Music . Comedy . Dance . Community . Love

Welcome to The Arts Garage


Usually, when the resi-dents of the Fairmount section of Philadelphia heard bass thumping

from a stereo, they would assume that someone was attempting to disturb their peace. Of course, that was before the Arts Garage moved in at 15th Street and Ridge Avenue. “We want people to feel at home here just like Philly is a home to us,” says Delwin Pinkens, a New Orleans native who serves as the Manager of The Arts Garage or TAG, as those in the know call it. In 2006, The Arts Garage was found-ed as a place where artists would have a place to perform and have, as Pinkens puts it, “a window to the world.” Founded by Ola Solanka, The Arts Garage thrives on the spirit of men who once used the build-ing which now houses TAG to sing songs around a bonfire and stay up through the night keeping the neighborhood safe. Inside this former warehouse, the vibe is reminiscent of years past, which is perfect because the soul is timeless. If you ask Delwin Pinkens what a typical Saturday night is like at TAG, he can’t answer the question. Not because he doesn’t know, but because he says, “No Saturday night, or any week night, is the same for that matter.” Pinkens and Solanka work 18 hour days and even more on the weekends because The Arts Garage became an 18 hour venue once they acquired their liquor license in 2008. “When you walk into The Arts Garage, I don’t want you to have that hostile feeling that you get at your typical nightclub,” Pinkens explains. “My bouncers aren’t called bouncers, they’re the hosts. They want to invite you in and make sure that your experience here

is the best possible experience you can have.” Standing at about six-feet tall with the build of a fullback, Pinkens smiles when he talks about what The Arts Garage brings to Philadelphia.“We have a peaceful atmosphere with a good vibe and we still have a good time,” he says. The good vibe is evident walking through the doors of The Arts Garage even on a cold February afternoon. The staff is preparing for the next night and cleaning up after a Black His-tory Month event where Pinkens encouraged his bartenders to create drink specials. The drink list of “Ci-roc Obamas,” “Harlem Nights,” and “Marley Shots,” show that the staff of The Arts Garage is putting forth a little extra effort to make their establishment the exception to many of the night life rules.

“About 85% of the staff works here seven days a week,” Pinkens says. “They help plan events, put on shows on karaoke Mondays, and even come up with ideas to bring the crowds in.” Pinkens makes it clear that at The Arts Garage a bartender is never just a bartender. Every night of the week gives an opportunity for the staff, clientele, and community to get involved. Improv shows, hip hop and R&B performances, rock and roll concerts, spoken word events, art galleries, and “Old School” nights draw crowds from North Philly, Fairmount, and Temple University. The Arts Garage “Sub Culture” nights, a monthly event, have been known to draw attention from local law enforcement. “The cops never have to show up for anything serious,” Pinkens laughs. “Just to tell us to lower the bass because that is what travels.” On Sub Culture nights, DJs from around the country and in some cases, around the world, show up at 15th and Ridge for battles mirroring those of the late seventies in The Bronx where DJs would compete to see whose system was the most thunderous. Aside from a few trem-ors, the relationship between TAG and the surrounding community has been a positive one. “We removed all the trash from this lot to make it our parking lot and people definitely like to see something going on over here in-stead of it just being another aban-doned warehouse for drug dealers and prostitutes,” Pinkens explains. Delwin Pinkens graduated from Grinnell College in Iowa with a Bachelor’s Degree in economics. He had worked for the City Year program in years past and growing up, he says that his parents were “poor philanthropists” who didn’t

“There are only two things everyone wants

out of life,”

“That’s to be loved and to be entertained.

We don’t hold onto memories that we’re

not around the people we love and where

we’re not being entertained.”

have much money but were always willing to help others in any way they could and encouraged their son to volunteer whenever he got the chance. Pinkens also dabbled in rapping and the production end of things, but found that he was more comfortable and more proficient in managing various projects. When he came to Philly to volunteer, he connected with The Arts Garage and has been working full-time since 2009. His background comes through in the dual personalities of TAG. “We want to be the ‘go-to’ place any day for anybody,” Pinkens says. Lately, the Arts Garage has been using its “off” hours to provide a much-needed outlet for the youth in Philadelphia. Pinkens has brought PEACE (Positive Energy Acti-vates Constant Elevation), a City Year concept, to The Arts Garage. Through this program, students get a chance after school to work on performances at TAG and their partner Sound Chemistry Students. “Just like any other extracurricu-lar club, they can’t perform unless they’re grades are passing,” Pinkens says. Pinkens, Solanka, and the entire Arts Garage crew are dedi-cated to spreading positive mes-sages as they have in recent weeks held forums where teens could be provided with information about AIDS and have open discussions about the depiction of women in hip hop. The future plans for the Arts Garage are short-term, long-term and in-progress. “Everyone considers the

Avenue of the Arts to be south of City Hall,” Pinkens says. “We’re getting the word out that there’s a lot going on at this end too.” Pinkens explains that the Arts Garage relies heavily on post-promotion to garner atten-tion for everything happening at the venue. By the Summer, he hopes that their zoning permits are approved and that a runway/stage can be constructed on the plot of land facing Ridge Avenue. “That way we can have fashion shows and concerts,” Pinkens says. “And we already told our artists that they’ll have to come up with some radio edits for their performances and we can get the community involved.” Outdoor shows will certainly compliment the outdoor grill that clientele have become accustomed to in the summer months. When it comes to the future, Pinkens is slightly vague in his explanation, but does say, “We would love to have an Arts Garage in every city.” He stresses the fact that an organization that provides nightlife should also provide a service to the community and that the concept behind The Arts Garage can achieve such a goal. “There are only two things everyone wants out of life,” Pinkens says. “That’s to be loved and to be entertained. We don’t hold onto memories that we’re not around the people we love and where we’re not being entertained.” In a City of Brotherly Love, The Arts Garage is undoubtedly a place to be entertained.

www.TheArtsGarage.com1533 Ridge Ave, Philadelphia, PA 19130

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This small business venture has since expanded exponentially. After being approached about opening additional Saladworks stores, Scardapane real-ized the restaurant’s franchising potential, and Saladworks restaurants began to flourish all over the country. Currently, Saladworks has been crowned the nation’s number one salad franchise three years in a row by Entrepreneur Magazine and operates over 100 locations coast to coast. Saladworks is proudly celebrating its 25th Anniversary this year of serving America’s Best Salads.

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In a city where hip hop rules with everyone attempting to be the ruler, Philly has been recognized as having arguably the most talented

underground scene in the country. Yet, radio play for these artists is scarce. With a nation infatuated with flashy rappers and simplistic rhymes, is there room for a new movement? Those involved with Philadelphia’s own Memory Lane Music group believe that a new movement isn’t what’s needed,

rather, an old school one. Pursuit had the chance to catch up with two members of Memory Lane who are determined to have the current sound of

Philadelphia on the radioArticles by Steven Ziegler

Photos Courtesy of B. Kane & Nico the Beast

In a city where hip hop rules with everyone attempting to be the ruler, Philly has been recognized as having arguably the most talented

underground scene in the country. Yet, radio play for these artists is scarce. With a nation infatuated with flashy rappers and simplistic rhymes, is there room for a new movement? Those involved with Philadelphia’s own Memory Lane Music group believe that a new movement isn’t what’s needed,

rather, an old school one. Pursuit had the chance to catch up with two members of Memory Lane who are determined to have the current sound of

Philadelphia on the radio


“Up and coming artist of the year, but I ain’t new to this,” Brian

Kane, 31, raps into a microphone in a small studio tucked away near 5th and Lehigh on Friday night in the middle of winter. B. Kane, as he known in the Philly hip hop scene, has been rapping for the better part of two decades. While the racial barriers in rap music were broken quite some time ago, Kane, a white man of Irish descent, was raised fatherless in the predomi-nantly African-American Badlands section of Philadelphia where he says he wouldn’t change the ex-perience for the world. Attending William Penn High School in mid-90s where his classmates from the Richard Allen Projects weren’t as receptive as his friends back in the Badlands, he says sim-ply “It was Hell,” but that it made him the man he is. “I’m not just talking about your typical hip hop shit in my songs,” Kane says. “Yeah, I want to have fun and listen to some good music but there’s other times where maybe I see two dead bodies when I’m walking from the train or I heard about the kid that got shot up the street for a few dollars. I’m gonna rap about that too.” The bass heavy and string-laden beat produced by Kane’s friend and

Badland’s Baddest

fellow rapper, Sup, thumps in this confined room that smells of stale of marijuana of which Kane no longer partakes as is evident in his line, “Took a break from the weed, stayin’ off of the lawn.” This particular beat will feature Kane, Sup (pronounced ‘Soup’), and South Philly native Nico the Beast. As smoke from Sup’s blunt fills the room, Kane bobs his head while answering questions and preparing to step up to the microphone to do what he loves.

to express himself in order stand out from the crowd in a way other than his skin color. “When I say, Marcy Projects, you immediately think of Jay-Z. If I say Bed Stuy, everybody knows that’s where Biggie’s from. I want to put the Badlands and North Philly on the map in the say way,” Kane says sincerely. Beginning his career in the mid-90s, Kane looked up to local legends the Tuff Crew who would represent North Philly with their record “My Part of Town” blaring from their car stereos. DJ Too Tuff is still friends with Kane to this day and served as the inspiration for the formation of the Xphyles, Kane’s first group which quickly rose to prominence in the underground scene. “I remember our first performance at the Felton on Rising Sun & Wyoming,” Kane says. “We got on stage and jumped around and no one really understood it, but it was important to us so it didn’t matter.” Kane says that after Bronx emcee KRS-One heard the Xphy-les, they were honored to share a stage with the hip hop legend. “We went from performing in front of 20 people at the Felton to 300 people with KRS-One.” Many hip hop aficionados consider the period between 1994

“I think there’s a lot

more unity today in

Philly than there was five, ten years ago”

Kane became infatuated with rap music at the age of 9 when he heard N.W.A’s “Express Yourself” from their 1988 Straight Outta Compton album. “I used to hide that tape from my mom and tell her it was wres-tling tape,” Kane laughs. “But, that song always struck me because it’s really the only positive song on that album and the title says it all.” Kane knew that he would have


and 1997 to be a “Golden Age” of sorts in rap music and Kane almost missed for something he regrets. “I was facing two counts of armed robbery,” Kane says. “The case was dropped on Oct 1, 1997. My son, Justin, was born on the third.” When talking about his kids, Kane cannot hide the emotion that he has learned to suppress during his life-time. “I made a promise to myself when he was born to be around for him.” Two years later, Justin was born, and Kane has been keeping that promise ever since. Being a responsible father at 17 was no easy task. While the Xphyles had opened for mainstream acts like Lil Kim, Big Pun, and Fat Joe, they disbanded and Kane need-ed a way to provide for his young sons. He makes it clear, however, that he ook the path less traveled for someone with his background. “I went to work. Selling drugs wasn’t an option,” Kane says. “First off, if my mom heard about it, she’s the type of mom that would literally come out and snatch me off the corner. Second, it wouldn’t be the smartest idea to be the only white dude out here with all these black guys tryin’ to hustle.” While Kane jokes about the situation, he explains the grave reality that many people he knew growing up and even some close friends were either dead or in jail because of drug-related violence. Putting music aside, Kane worked odd jobs, night shifts, and even in a mattress factory before finding his way back to the studio. With that return came a few changes to the rap game and the promotion of it. “I wish we had twitter and shit like that back in the day,” Kane says. “It helps the hard-working rapper.” On the other hand, Kane advises, it allows for many people

to make themselves out to be more than what they really are. “You can call yourself the CEO of anything you want, but when I look at your account and you’ve got thirteen followers, what are you really doing?” Kane says. The rapper is extremely active on Twitter and Facebook, even encour-aging fans at his shows to take out their phones and follow him. His aggressive marketing appears to be paying off as he is gaining popu-larity for both himself with over 1,000 Twitter followers and a rating in the top 100 rappers in Philadel-phia on ReverbNation.com, a web-site which allows fans to vote for their favorite musicians by genre. Hip hop in Philadelphia alone lists over 6,500 artists. Kane has also helped to establish Memory Lane Music Group with Northeast native rapper, Jimmy “Capo” Caruso, and Nico the Beast while keeping his affiliation as an executive pro-moter for DLO Promotions and Dopesik Entertainment, an indepen-dent label. “I think there’s a lot more unity today in Philly than there was five, ten years ago,” Kane says. What he is referring to is the seem-ingly infinite number of emcees coming out of Philadelphia during the early 2000s. Popular artists like

“Yeah, I want to have fun and

listen to some good music but there’s other times where

maybe I see two dead bodies when I’m walking from the train or I heard about the

kid that got shot up the street for a few dollars. I’m

gonna rap about that too.”


ly. He is grateful for the phenom-enon of YouTube and sites like it where he can find the music he grew up with that put the emphasis on meaningful lyrics and not just a good beat. “Whatever I do is coming back here,” Kane says, referring to his neighborhood. “If I have ten dollars in my pocket, I’ll give two dollars to the kid in the corner store who needs a bag of chips and a soda. So imagine what I’d do with ten thousand, or ten million.” In a time when everyone seems to be getting rich while rapping about being rich, Kane is bringing his music back to basics. He wants you to have a good time when you listen to his music, but there’s a reason why he’s considered a veteran amongst his peers. On his track, ‘Doing it for My Hood,’ Kane

screams out, “Badland’s baddest, never will deny it.” At 31, Kane is not looking to break out of underground by any means necessary, but rather, he wants the mainstream to play by his rules. After all, isn’t that the essence of hip hop, to express yourself?

Beanie Sigel, Freeway, Peedi Crakk and the group State Property had all risen through the ranks of the Philly underground scene to share a stage alongside Jay-Z and star in some low-budget but nationally released films. There was a lot of inside bullshit back then,” Kane says candidly. “Nobody from Philly wanted to open the door for anybody else once they had made it.” In the eyes of Kane, the talent of the Philly underground was, and still is, unmatchable. “I could put twenty rappers in this room right now and they’d be better than what you hear on the radio.” The radio, Kane says, “lacks originality. Every young guy now wants to sound like Meek Mills. I like Meek Mills, but when I wanna listen to him, I’ll listen to him,” Kane says adamant-


Why You Wanna Wake the BEAST?

“It’s all about family,

bro. Without

that, what else you

got?”

When sound erupts from a 330 pound man that sounds like its coming from the depths of Hell, most people aren’t necessarily intrigued in a positive way. Yet, on the underground hip hop scene in Philadelphia, Nico the Beast, 28, is gaining popularity and respect in many circles. “A lot of artists want to keep you as far away from their personal lives as they can,” he says. “But, you can’t do that. For me, it’s an outlet. Everything you hear on my album is real.” Domenic “Nico the Beast” Zarel-la was raised in South Philadelphia just east of Point Breeze around 22nd and Jackson. He explains that he was introduced to hip hop at an early age. “The majority of my friends were black, so hip hop and rapping were just part of the culture more or less,” Nico says. “I

just remember being in the back of class trying to listen to some-thing or rap something without the teacher hearing.” While his antics as an adoles-cent were comical, “The Beast” remembers that sophomore year in Saint John Neumann High School was the year when rap be-came a major part of his life. “Back then, emcees like Cannibus and DMX were the influence that made everybody want to write their own lyrics,” Nico says. “I mean, we were young so it was raps that rhymed like ‘ass’ and ‘glass’ but we knew we wanted to do it.” For someone of his size and stature, Nico’s “Beast” moni-ker seems like it was natural, but that wasn’t always the case. “My original name was Knowl-edge Dom,” Nico says. “I’m more


of a concept rapper, but people commented that I had a beastly type flow. Then when my pitbull, Nico, passed, I decided to pay homage to him. Now I’ve been Nico the Beast since I was 25.”After graduating high school in 2000, Nico stepped into a studio for the first time during his first semester in Temple. “I was used to having my Aiwa stereo with a little microphone and pressing record,” he laughs. “And all of sud-den I’m rockin’ on a four thousand dollar microphone. It’s crazy to hear yourself in the studio the first time.” What was the Beast studying in Temple? “Psychology,” he says. “I studied it before in high school and it was interesting. The human brain is, it’s just something else.” Professionally, Nico was bud-ding as a rapper and at the same time his life was changing entirely during that first semester in Temple. His high school sweet-heart and now wife, Christy, found out she was pregnant with their first daughter, Gianna. The Beast left Temple and knew that provid-ing for a family was his number one priority. He remained focused on the music, pouring his heart, soul, and personal life into all he did. “It’s all about family, bro,” Nico says. “Without that, what else you got?”

On his Twitter profile, Nico writes, “I do what I do for four reasons: Gianna, Bianca, Domenic Jr., and Nicolas. Get in the way of me supporting them and I will detach ya head from ya frame.” Tragically, the Zarella family lost Domenic Jr. to SIDS when he was just an infant in September 2009. Using his music as an outlet, Nico wrote the song “You Mean Ev-erything” where he describes the anguish he suffered at the loss of his son. Nico the Beast’s video freestyles have garnered several thousand views on YouTube, making him a well recognized as a deep thinking emcee. In them, he is usually wear-ing a white T-shirt airbrushed with the image of Domenic Jr. His 2009 album The Beast Within is a biography that delves deep into the soul of this former psychology student. The artwork on the cover depicts an X-ray of a torso with images of Nico’s family, friends, and those he has lost making up a collage within the rib cage. “People say that you can’t talk about Biggie being the greatest because he only had the chance to make two albums,” Nico scoffs. “But, if you look at those too projects, they’re so vivid that you can put them on for any-body and they can appreciate the stories he’s telling. That’s what I want my music to do. I want you to hear the concept or the story in my song.” If he wasn’t rapping, Nico says he would have most likely ventured into the management side of the business. He does it well. His 2008 release, No Beast So Fierce, and the 2009 mix tape, Dinner is Served, gained popular-ity through Internet marketing as like in 2008 when the “Feed the Beast” campaign allowed listeners

to send Nico beats for his rhymes. His Twitter posts allowed him to make connections with produc-ers like Vanderslice and J. Hatch who, like Nico are distributed currently by iStandard. His collaborations with rappers have crossed state lines to include Ohio’s own Big J and Caine and New York emcees Sic Osyrus and Johnnie Floss. On Sunday, March 27th, the official video for “Wake the Beast” was posted to YouTube. In a sneak peek of the eerie, black and white video, Nico explains that the entire video was shot under South Phila-delphia High School and in the al-leys just off of Passyunk Avenue. “I’m Philly to the bone, dude.” He admits that his South Philly, Italian roots easily remove any rose-colored view he poten-tially have about the music busi-ness. “I grew up learning that your word is your bond, a handshake is handshake, and a favor for a favor,” he says. “Now, you have to sign seventy-six contracts before you sign the contract.” Nico knows that the goal is ultimately a major label deal, but he also has an interesting perspective on the business.


“I grew up learning that your word is your bond, a handshake is handshake...

Now, you have to sign

seventy-six contracts

before you sign the contract.”

“If you stay independent and let’s just say you get 10,000 fans. Those 10,000 fans will buy every album and mix tape you put out and come to your shows,” Nico says. “You can make a salary that way and avoid a lot of the bullshit.” One of his latest projects just happens to be away of pro-pelling past said bullshit. With fellow emcees B. Kane and Jimmy “Capo” Caruso and comedian Big O, Nico has been a part of put-ting together Memory Lane Music Group. “I dug Kane and Capo as people and I knew I could break bread with them,” Nico explains. “The fact that they could rap was secondary.” Those involved with Memory Lane have agreed that their underground sound is more of a throwback sound to what “mainstream” hip hop used to be. “It’s an old school movement, no doubt,” Nico says. “There should be an equal exposure to all types of hip hop and we shouldn’t have to wait until eleven o’clock on a Sunday night to hear something different on the radio.” When an artist does make it big with a radio hit, Nico says that they’ve already been given a record deal. He shakes his head at the fact that there are no more DJ Clues or Green Lanterns in the rap game that stand out because every DJ tries to model himself in the same fashion. “One good underground DJ isn’t gonna break a song anymore,” Nico says. “All the DJs have to be playing some-thing underground in order for it to get the attention of somebody on the radio. But, it baffles me that a radio station can just put in a CD and hit repeat.” Nico speaks briefly about PSP (Philly Support Philly), a concept develop by local legend DJ No

Phrillz. “PSP doesn’t mean to say ‘This guy’s from Philly, listen to him because you’re from Philly,” he negates. “No, it means giving dope emcees from Philly their just due that they’ve been working years to get.” To interview Nico the Beast takes twenty minutes. To talk to Nico the Beast in his home studio about music while watching him bob his heads and get opinion about beats for his next album which he plans to release in the summer could take days. The man loves what he does. He’ll debate about the greatest emcees of all time and tell you how hard we will go in a beat and that he’d love to get a hook sung by a Kelly Price or a Faith Evans. The standards of the industry still seem like luxuries to those in the underground, but for Nico, they are attainable luxu-ries. The Beast makes no excuses and no apologies. He knows what drives him and even when speak-ing about the rap scene today, the fact that he is maturing as a father is comical yet undeniable. “I see these young kids tryin’ to make it as artists and they’ve got tattoos everywhere because Lil’ Wayne does or they only wanna rap about weed because of Wiz Khalifa,” Nico says. “You look at somebody like Drake, and yeah, he’s a douchebag, but I can see the appeal there for kids. Damn, I mean he was clean cut enough for that kid’s show.” When The Beast chuckles it is more of a bellow, but one that makes you feel that if he’s on your team, as he is with Memory Lane, you’re in good company. As the rap landscape is ever-changing, perhaps a ferocious family man is the stability the music scene need right now. Beast.


Last Sunday, I decided to take a walk downtown to clear my head after a long weekend. As I gathered my thoughts, pondered my future and dreaded the work week ahead, I began to notice an eerie similarity among all of the build-ings. It wasn’t the meter maids writ-ing tickets like they were going out of style or the pan handlers setting up shop in prime location. It was the fact that the top floor on just about every building had the lights on with someone working diligently as if it were a Tuesday afternoon. These were the CEOs and presidents of major organizations throughout the city. My perception of these individuals has always been some-one who takes two hour lunch breaks and leaves work early. That idea was put to rest as I passed building after building with the same view. I began to realize just how important working hard-er than everyone else truly is. It’s not that these individuals are smarter than most, they just have the drive to put in the extra time. This got me to thinking about a more serious issue. The people that need to put in the extra time rarely do. The guy in the mail room that wants a promotion leaves every day at five on the dot. The woman that wants a raise makes sure she gets her full hour lunch break. While these hourly employees are taking their situation for what it is, the salaried individual who has the office with a view is refusing to be regular. A major problem that people of all backgrounds face is stagnation. People feel as though they are des-tined to live according to the lifestyle that they were raised in. People refuse to progress and are comfort-able with what they are given. They wish they could be the guy in the luxury car instead of crafting a plan to make that purchase on their own. Being satisfied paying bills and having just enough money left to go out on the weekend is the epitome of being regular. It’s difficult to watch people live this way of life. So many talented individuals fall short of their aspirations simply because they don’t put in the time. Talent alone rarely breeds success. No matter how skilled you are at your

Refusing to Be Regularcraft, it is mandatory that you continue to work at it. Whether you are one of the top college athletes or an up and coming accountant at your job, if you don’t put in the time to get better you will never reach your full potential. You often hear people complain-ing that this way of life takes up too much of their personal time. The thing is the time you spend at work is your time. It’s the time that you are spending to better your career and pursue future endeav-ors. It is the time that you are investing to be able to afford the lifestyle that you want for you and your family. Working half assed is unacceptable. No one ever says “I’m only going to partially enjoy myself at this party tonight.” So why do we take this attitude when it comes to work? Your work should be a reflection of you. You would feel offended if someone looked you in the face and called you regular. Yet people’s work ethic reflects that every day. I know that there are going to be individuals that disagree with me and feel as though corporate success is not the most important thing in the world. They have no desire for the pressure that comes with the big office on the top floor. Perhaps my words alone are not enough to capture these individuals. Some people have to fall victim to a common way of life before realizing the necessity of diligence. Maybe they have never seen what happens to someone who thinks that natural talent is enough to get by. These people just have to see the reality of being just regular.

By: John Butler III

www.31percent.blogspot.com

Z Z

ZZ

ZZ

$$

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Photo Courtesy of Shane Seery


From as far back as he can remember, Justin “Jay P” Pross, founder and CEO

of Art History Clothing, has been drawing when-ever he got the chance. “Everybody would look at a piece I did, say it looked good, and then I felt good,” Jay P. says. “It’s that gratification you get from that feedback that keeps you going. A Mayfair native, Jay P. attended Catholic school his entire life, first at Saint Timothy’s in the Northeast and then Roman Catho-lic High School for Boys in Center, City. Jay P.’s talents were evident, but he chan-neled them in a way that got him into a bit of trouble. Aside from sketching in his school notebooks, Jay P. was also becoming quite a graffiti artist and at the age of 13, he was arrested for it.

Jay P. says. He explains that many artists have the talent to go into business, but they sometimes rely too heavily on getting as much “rep” as they can in the underground, and be-fore they know it, it’s too late.After graduating from high school in 2000, Jay P. took his efforts to the Art Insti-tute of Philadelphia where he quickly gained noto-riety on the local scene and interviewed to work at Miskeen, a Camden/Philadelphia based clothing company which became popular throughout the hip hop community for its hand painted designs. Jay P.’s interview lasted only twenty minutes and he felt his anxiety took away from the points he wanted to get across to Miskeen executives. “On the EL ride home, I wrote a three page essay,” Jay P. says. That es-say, he believe would make or break his opportunity at Miskeen. As it turned out, he was right. “People like Miskeen because it was original and it was unlike any other

company at the time,” Jay P. explains. That original-ity became lost Jay P. feels as the brand got bigger. “It became like a revolving door. They would bring young artists in, teach them how a shirt was made, and once they got the concept, they left.” Coincidentally, Jay P.’s frustration came at the same time an Atlanta rap-per was about to release an instant party hit. “Soulja Boy called me and said he wanted a shirt,” Jay P. says. According to Jay P., this happened often as nation-ally known rappers such as The Game, Method Man, Redman, and Young Berg met Jay P. through Miskeen and began requesting him to work on their clothing for videos. “When rappers

Making History

“I’d say that seventy-five percent of graffiti artists are wasting their talents,”

started calling my personal phone to set up deals with Miskeen for video shoots, I felt like I should be getting more respect and getting paid more,” Jay P. says. Wearing a hand-painted, Superman-esque shirt from Miskeen designed by Jay P., Soulja Boy blasted on the music scene in 2007 loved by many for his dance-able club hits and criticized by just as many for his simple lyrics. Love him or hate him, Soulja Boy became a household name. Then the time came for his Source Magazine cover shoot. Soulja Boy needed the hottest shirt he could find, so he called Jay P. How-ever, Jay P. was leaving Mis-keen to begin his venture as the CEO of Art History 101. “I gave him a shirt with Art History logo and he wore it on the Source cover,” Jay P. smirks. “You can’t pay for that exposure.” Since 2008, the Art History 101 flagship store

has stood strong at 7045 Frankford Avenue. With many customers and fans in the Northeast becoming familiar with the Art His-tory “Star & H” logo, the company has recently expanded its brand to be sold at R.A.W. (608 S. 5th Street & 1416 Chestnut Street). The Art History warehouse is located in Bristol, PA and Jay P. and his team are preparing to open another store in the Northeast. “People know our story and they love a success story,” says Jay P., the self-described ‘kid who used to make shirts in his mom’s basement.’ Jay P. says that now is the time to “capitalize on our following…and follow the lead of a brand like Nike when it comes to market-ing and brand logos.” Steve McCorry, Art History’s VP of Sales is extremely familiar with Jay P.’s idea. “I started as a

customer,” McCorry says. “I love the product, so I love working here.” Right now, the Art History 101 team, made up primarily of Philly guys in their late 20’s is working hard to spread the word mostly through parties and fashion shows. “Every customer should be satisfied,” Jay P. says. “I want to leave them with a lasting impression.” The rest, he hopes, will be history.


Philly Skyline from Fort MifflinPhoto Courtesy of Mike Dillon

Mike [email protected]

267.971.3215

Rude Boy Photography

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