So there’s a lot of talk about the scene and what it is or means to be Hip Hop. Personally, and I’m sure many would agree, Hip Hop is a lifestyle and from that lifestyle we, (some of us) get to be able to translate that life into music. For other it’s poetry, graffiti, and even painting. I think that we get so caught up on being labeled that we forget the essence of it all is the actual lives the music comes from. And since I believe that, to know Hip Hop, there has to be some desire to learn its history and from that create its future.

So I’ve decided to at least be the educator on the inhabitants of this scene in Hawaii. Big ups to all of the local artists… support local art (…whatever it takes the form of). Peace. The first look into the Hip Hop scene HI calls home, is my homie Rhyme the Old. Of all the cats I’ve had the honor to know, this brother has the knowledge and the character to carry him.

Rhyme the Old Man…born Raymonte’ Leviticus Britt, in Brooklyn New York, waayyy back in 19?? (got to have some mystery), I was pretty much raised during the early stages of Hip Hop. I cut my teeth during those days but got really focused during the “golden age” of the culture during the 90-95 time-frame, the era of boom-bap. I had an older cousin who was considered the “Q” (like the character from the movie Juice) of East New York and I was his roadie. Since 1984, every block/basement party in the projects of Brooklyn, from 585 Blake Ave to 832 Ocean Ave over in Flatbush, you would find T-Rock and his little cousin “The Great Rockwell”. He would later change my name to Rhyme, which used to be spelled “Ryme” (RaYMontE). He said that “The Great Rockwell” carried a sound of expertise to it that was most definitely beyond my level of then wackness, and that there was room for only one person with the moniker “Rock” in their stage name, besides who was I to argue, as he put it “Ryme” was already built into the name my parents gave me, and here I am today.

“I have dabbled in every aspect of the culture from B-boying, DJing to even graffiti, no aerosol on the trains mind you, just Black Book Battles in the lunch rooms at my school. My true love however was Emceeing. From the first time I picked up a mic at a neighborhood block party to lunch room ciphers and neighborhood talent shows, I have been in love with Moving the Crowd. Early influences (and I will date myself) range from Kool Moe Dee, Slick Rick, Dana Dane, LL, KRS, Rakim and even Fresh Prince. I emulated them and began to pen my own rhyme verses. The style was pretty much lame in comparison to aforementioned talented Emcees, but I forged ahead and eventually created my own 3 minute and 20 second lyrical movies.”

“As I mentioned one of my earlier influences was Slick Rick who really opened my eyes to the art of storytelling. To this day his classic song “A Children’s Story” remains a favorite of mine and still rips up the party when the DJ throws it on. Rick created a very visual and easily understood piece, but provided the basic framework for his style of rhyme and later what mine would evolve into. Emcees like KRS, Rakim and Nasir Jones who brought a more gritty and visual almost movie tone to their lyrics would help me hone my craft and help create joints like “Misery”, “Charlie”, and “Smoggy Eyes” (hey everyone had an ode to the Spliff), as well as prep me for early battle arenas on the streets of East New York in Brooklyn.”

“Determined that my style, story based as it was, pretty much needed it’s own sound to go with it, I ventured to nearby studios (both home and pro) to see if someone could develop the sonic sound-scape I was in search of. Needless to say after countless trips to studios and walking out feeling like no one understood me, and the 25 to 50 dollar an hour blocks of studio time (crooks…this was my mom’s money), I decided to venture into what I considered the next element of the culture of Hip Hop, making my own beats.”

“Wackness abounded but again I was determined. I went from simple 4 bar drum patterns on battery operated store keyboards to using a Casio SK-1 to make loops. I would later graduate to an SP-1200 then a raggedy but potent EPS, which helped me craft what I deemed my “art of noise”. My equipment would grow and shrink over the coming years until I rested on my bread and butter piece the Ensoniq ASR-10.”

“If you listen to the track ‘Matter of Time’ It truthfully describes my coming into the Hip Hop culture. The original beat I made for that song included a banjo chord that I ripped from the ending of Bonnie and Clyde (Warren Beatty version) and Billy Squier’s Big Beat (a classic break), it was real punchy and had that Boom Bap feel to it that I loved, now this was written and produced back in 1994, fast forward to 2007 and well, some say the song is still relevant. Today I have changed the beat and given it a more earthy and bohemian twist plus added the sweet vocals of Goapele in the background for some background filler.”

“I have almost traveled the world thanks to my enlistment in the Air Force and have been in cyphers from Haiti to Seoul, Korea and have witnessed German Emcees breaking each other down. I am currently enjoying a run with the local Hip Hop music scene in Hawaii, the love for the culture is very evident, and I’m blessed to be a part of it.”

We will have more of Rhyme the Old Man on Juanderings soon, music and and interview… so stay tuned kiddos. pce.

-know