Hip-Hop Not Welcome; Why the 315 Lacks Space for the Culture

By Sharee Turpin

In their own words, hip-hop artists tell about their struggles to make it in ‘Cuse

The closest local rappers get to a stage at the New York State Fair is the Pan-African Village; a small stage in the back of a small delegated section of the Fairgrounds. There were 14 festivals in Syracuse held during this year’s summer months. Most were in Clinton Square, Armory Square or right in front of city hall. 

Not one of the festivals included a hip-hop artist. 

A visitor passing through to catch a Syracuse University game or a student brand new to the city of Syracuse have one thing in common; it is rare for them to see a hip-hop event promoted while they’re here. Social media and word of mouth have been the consistent way of boosting the attendance of shows, but local artists feel that’s just a piece of the bigger problem. 

When it comes to hosting events, rap catches a bad name. The thought of leaving Syracuse has been an idea for some but others want to stay and pave a path for the future. There’s a strong desire to put Syracuse on the map that comes from the pride for the area. A nameworthy artist like Post Malone, who was only born here not raised here, has yet to come back and help those like him; a trait artist looks down on universally. Andy Mineo, another local-born rapper has found great success and was credited on a Grammy Award-winning album; he too has not been seen since his departure in 2013. 

 There are five active recording studios within the city of Syracuse but only two have been the most accessible when it comes to rap. Subcat Studios is the most popular recording studio and has been here for years. Audio engineer, Steve Brown has been with Subcat since 2013 and was the first to fill a void. Before him, there were no engineers who knew how to mix for such a genre. Brown admits seeing artists go elsewhere to book shows but believes the genre serves better as a recorded market and the craving to see live performances doesn’t exist as much as Rock n’ Roll or Pop. Nonetheless, he still feels getting their music out there stands as a necessity after creating the right relationships.

“I think in our area over time in some regard, club owners have lost the trust of almost the whole genre from bad experiences,” he says. “But I think overtime with professionalism and just booking some sweet shows that go really well that’ll change.”

From the artist’s perspective, there’s a different opinion. Winner of the 2019 Syracuse Area Music Award (SAMMY) for Best Hip-Hop Artist, Gnetics, feels the stereotype follows the genre as a group of troubled individuals who are misguided. 

“When I was at the SAMMY’s to accept my award, the mayor Ben Walsh was there and made a comment saying he always wanted to be a rapper but yet shows no support to the Hip-Hop community,” he says. “Give us a chance like you give the other bands in Syracuse.” Gnetics believes the fear of being shut down prevents venues from even opening their doors to artists like him. However, the silent competition amongst artists play a role in opportunities.

Fellow rapper Xavier Sanchez, known by his stage name Exoticz, considers venue owners listening to the whispers of people not wanting to share a stage. 

“Although opportunities are scarce, artists that are able to get in good with venues are usually stingy and protective about letting others perform at the same venues,” he says. “They don’t want to ruin a potential performing platform.”

CEO of Little Rock Music Group, Ian Larochelle, is known for being one of the only promoters that work towards bridging the gap between the hip-hop community, live music community and venues alike to crank out actual events specifically meant for them. As a marketing and booking manager, he’s built relationships to make sure all genres have a chance to take their career to the next level. 

“I believe we have some talented artists on the rise right now that at least one of them if not many will break through to the national level which will, in turn, help the overall support locally,” he says. “I think Syracuse hip-hop as a whole is headed in the right direction, shoot we even have a local hip-hop artist represented in our local government in Councilman Joe Driscoll who is still regularly on stage doing his thing.”

The leader in bringing the culture to the people is Funk N’ Waffles where the city knows they can find a good cypher or album release party. Besides the decent sound system and stage, the company is welcoming. The talent buyer for Funk N’ Waffles, Charley Orlando, teamed up with Larochelle in 2017 to strengthen the music scene. Their long-term goal is to have a yearly hip-hop festival in downtown Syracuse displaying all elements of the culture from break-dancing, graffiti, djing, emceeing, etc. 

Money and fame aren’t the foremost goals as many believe. Gnetics knows the power in music and what it’s done for him. Growing up in shelters, moving from school to school, he never had the chance to play sports or join clubs. The only thing consistent in his life was his notebook. 

“My music has been a positive outlet for me to have a voice and be able to inspire people who are struggling just as I was,” he says. “I have to show them if I can make it so can they.”