Let's Clear the Air
Pride, prejudice, and the art of selling out
Commentary by Megabusive // Photos by Abe Menor

Click images to view photo essay

(PLEASE NOTICE THAT I ONLY MENTION ANYONE'S NAMES IN A POSITIVE LIGHT. ALL NEGATIVE FACTIONS HAVE BEEN REDUCED TO THEIR ROLE IN OUR COMMUNITY.)

I was born in San Jose in 1979. With the exception of a 3 year hiatus in San Francisco, I have lived here my entire life. Even when I was living away from San Jose, I would make frequent trips "home" to stay in tune with the community that raised me. During these visits I would perform at local venues and record music with friends of mine that are involved in the local underground rap music scene. Of those that I would spend my time with when I was visiting, the ones who put the most effort into making sure that I was able to get opportunities when I was back home were the Thunder Hut Project, Jason Dooley (Soul Glo), and my brother-in-arms Dave Dub.

While away I would often hear stories about the San Jose rap "scene", which was once a self-developed thriving example of community in action, having been reduced to a handful of rappers and promoters who had begun to emerge and only appeared to be emulating what they had seen come before them. They say that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, but in underground rap music, imitation is the basis for copy cats to thrive, and originators to be treated like lepers.

One thing that always set San Jose apart from other rap scenes was our ability to invite folks from other towns to participate in something we were all very proud of. An important fact to keep in mind is that in the early and mid-nineties, underground rap was still "underground". To us, groups like Freestyle Fellowship, Project Blowed, and Unsigned and Hella Broke (before they were the Living Legends) were not booked as the $15 headliners that they are today. They were merely champions of a burgeoning cause, who knew after a visit or two that they also would receive love in San Jose.

Today the San Jose rap scene looks like an auction open to the highest bidder. We no longer have a Cactus Club, which played an integral part in opening doors for YOUNG independent musicians to get a fair shot. It was also open to the 16 & up crowd. The cover charge was generally less than 5 bucks, and you always knew you were going to get your money's worth. Let's forget the smell of stale beer and bleach that would permeate out into S. First street when they opened the doors for the night and the bathroom odor that could kill a small child. Let's remember the smiles, excitement and opportunity that lept from this unassuming hole in the wall. Without the Cactus Club and a couple other places (The Works, Phoenix Jazz Club, etc.), it is almost definite that the West Coast underground hip-hop scene would not be the same, and may not even exist in San Jose today.

San Jose was the kind of place that people would come to because they knew talent when they saw it. Even with some of the controversies that arose out of these times, many of which I was personally a part of if not directly the cause of, stories would spread of the epic battles and encounters that would take place between different acts. Lets keep in mind that throughout this time, there were little to no fights, and over the years these encounters would work to strengthen bonds between people through mutual admiration and respect.

The landscape now looks like a total 180 turn from what it once was. What used to be based on reputation and dedication has now become a haven for people to stand outside while other acts are on stage, promote cronyism between folks with money and venue owners, and an overreaching sense of entitlement acted out on by people that had absolutely nothing to do with where it all came from. Also important to consider is that virtually none of the downtown San Jose clubs and promoters are putting any sort of money or attention into all age venues, which were a key component in creating this scene. Without MACLA, De-Bug, and South First Street Billiards, performers are at the mercy of the whims of the venues and their biased promoters. While this may sound like the rant of a rapper scorned, it is in fact a testament to what was and what will always be.

I can honestly say that I would have little to no concern for any of this, had I not been confronted with pure examples of this treachery at work. A couple years ago I was referred to by an overambitious young man, as a has-been, told that i was no longer relevant, and essentially that it was time for me to move out of the way. Funny thing is, this was during a freestyle "competition" not a battle, and I was head up against someone who at the time I had some amount of respect for due to our having mutual friends. Let's keep in mind that I myself have been releasing products continually for the past 12 years and have always been a good to moderate seller in places in and outside of San Jose. I am not saying that makes me untouchable. I am however stating that since I had also won a battle in the same San Francisco venue a couple months prior, the statements directed at me were downright malicious and untrue. This should work as a good example of the lengths one will go to make themselves look or seem important. "Let's just throw principle out the window and concentrate on the money!"

Money has never been the motivation for our scene. In fact, a lot of the pioneers of the scene will tell you that merch makes money, and shows are for selling merchandise. To me it always seemed like a good ethic. Put in the work, then go showcase it, and push your product. Nowadays any rapper with 3 songs can do any number of shows, not get paid, and probably give up rapping not too long from now because "it doesn't pay" It almost seems as if the concept of making a demo has long been forgotten. We went from dubbed radio shack tapes with copier machine covers, to an age of kids having their first releases shrink-wrapped and barcoded. This upsets the balance.

Hard-work and dedication has now made room for privilege and disclusion. Call me archaic, but getting 1000 copies of a CD pressed up, only to have half of it collecting dust for the rest of your career does not seem like a wise business move. The underground DIY aesthetic that San Jose has always been known for left room for cats to bring a new tape or CD-R to every show. Sure, every once in a while you might get a blank tape, or a scratched CD-R, but artists were more than happy to replace them or refund money at the next show. That was just the way it worked. In this new age you're lucky if one of the groups that you're performing with isn't standing in front of the spot bad mouthing you. I have seen this all first-hand. You would be surprised at some of the things people will say when they assume you give a rat's ass. This in turn effects one's ability to sell their music in an environment that is not inclusive.

If you live in San Jose and are in to "underground" hip-hop as it is, you know doubt have seen the multitude of shows being performed at the same venues by the same people. Sure, I got a lot of run in my career with certain collectives, but I would never even consider going out of my way to make sure that only my crew got on, or that no other groups would be allowed to get shine. If I had an issue with someone, I took it up with that individual, and never hid my feelings. This may have worked to my disadvantage in some cases, but it was honest.

On December 14th, 2008, my friends (San Jose Rap Vigilante Death Squad) and I were performing at a well-known venue in San Jose. From the beginning of the night our crew and the promoter (who was not able to attend due to medical reasons) were already being badmouthed by the security and for the most-part their staff was not being very cooperative. I heard us referred to as a "cluster-fuck", and at one point we were even almost threateningly asked if we would be bringing a "gangster crowd". When called on this inquiry, the security manager stated "we just have to ask...we always ask...just don't be causing trouble". To me it looks like profiling, especially considering that we showed up more than an hour before the doors were open so that we could set-up, had the entire situation under control, and their staff seemed to be more confused than we were. Over the course of the night we had a phenomenal showing of support and I had even heard the ornery security manager commenting that he was even surprised at such a good turn-out for a rainy Sunday night.

With everything going so well, we were all extremely happy and the vibe was extra positive. Things were going magically until a verbal spat broke out between a member of our group, and a local DJ/promoter who is not affiliated with us, and in fact is a known source of contention from our group. Prior to entering the venue, said promoter was aware of the environment he was in. He made an attempt to speak to one of our members and was told that he would not be talked to and ought to leave the situation alone and try to handle it another day, away from OUR venue. With a crowd gathering around the two, security understandably was concerned and was assured that the situation would diffuse itself. That is in fact what happened. This did not stop said promoter from continuing throughout the evening to attempt to convince my friends and I that our compatriot was wrong and that he needed a talking to. This is nothing new to us considering we have become somewhat of a menace in the eyes of our detractors. What would ensue at the end of the event was also nothing new to us.

During the last set of our super-crackin' show, the above mentioned promoter was in the front of the crowd making gestures at the person on stage, which he had early gotten into a confrontation with earlier in the night. The gestures included making Hulk Hogan-esque hand-to-ear motions and even giving "the bird" to him and other acts on stage. At this point I asked the DJ to cut the music, and I announced to security that they should remove the promoter before something stupid happened. At this point our mics were cut off and the sound man began rapping about us and the situation from his sound booth elevated above the venue. He went as far as to side with the promoter and make us sound like we had no business to say what we want. As Americans, we are guaranteed first amendment rights. While all may not like what we say, until we threaten you with violence, we have done no real wrong.

The act of the staff sound man advocating the belligerent behavior of the promoter, and obviously choosing sides escalated the situation. Instead of escorting the drunken promoter out, they allowed him to stay inside the venue, and even go as far as to get on stage. Based on the acts of the venue security and their sound man, our group felt threatened and began defending itself. Security at this point still did not drag out the person that caused the disturbance, and instead protected him and allowed him to continue making threatening statements and gestures. A small melee broke out, and led to us being told to leave.

As the details would unfold, it was brought to our attention by non-partisan witnesses to the situation that they had observed certain staff and the drunken promoter continually talking about our acts throughout the evening. Some witnesses even said that they saw a conspiratory plot against my friends and I. It was also made very clear that said club is in cahoots with a faction of folks in San Jose with which we do not get along, and continued to exercise such affiliation by making statements such as "you're not the only rappers in San Jose" and "you'll never rap in San Jose again." The drunken promoter who was in no way connected to our show even said "You can't fuck with me...this is my house!" For them to believe any of this could even be true, already tells me that some people are just plain clueless.

The irony of the situation is that we had never really wanted to do any shows at this venue, and only did this particular one because one of very few unbiased promoters in the area asked us to. It ought to be noted that there a ton of shows happening every weekend in our fair city. New low-key venues are popping up all the time, and more and more people are getting a shot at what should have always been open to everyone. What these promoters and venues fail to realize is that they need us, we do not need them. When I say "we" I speak of all my young homies who can't see their favorite groups because promoters will only book them at bars and charge ridiculous amounts of money. I'm speaking for the rap groups who dismiss popularity as a means of spreading truth. I'm speaking of people that see through the corniness of these new heathen havens and would rather spend their time at house parties and quaint gatherings of like-minded folks.

Anyone I have made mention of as our not getting along with are not considered enemies of ours. They are considered opposition. This is due to a small group of people who show no support for other artists from San Jose, or artists with limited notoriety visiting from out of town. Throwing shows for yourself is all fine and good, but remember that other people come to your shows, and you refuse to go to theirs. This is not just about us.

The buzz in the street is that there needs to be more unity in San Jose. This to me seems hilarious considering the most common statement you'll hear when asked why these people won't mediate between folks that don't get along is "I don't want to get in the middle of it." By not doing anything about it, you are in the middle of it! By fence-sitting and trying to stay out of the mix, you are only allowing two sides of your alleged friends to find no closure, because there is no diplomacy. What hurts the most is knowing a lot of this comes from people thinking they won't get shows at these precious downtown venues. Grow some balls! Fight for something! No one is asking anyone to take sides, but if you see a problem and you do nothing about it because you feel it does not involve you, please do not even attempt to talk to me about peace.

And as far as anyone trying to convince me or any of my friends that we need to stop being so negative, maybe you ought to stop being spoiled instigators who think you're right just because you have an opinion and some club staff may be your homies. We understand what we're facing when we say what we say. Llet us determine our own actions. Thats why we throw our own shows. And feel free to ask your homies about who we invite to do music with us. We're wide open. Maybe its these johnny-come-lately types you like so much that need the talking to.

We are more than open to resolve any issues involving us that may be jumping off in San Jose. I would like to make it very clear that no apologies will be given, but we are open to suggestions on how this scene could be more useful and positive for all concerned.

Thank you for your time.

-Megabusive

San Jose Rap Vigilante Death Squad. Honor for hood and no love for lames.