check out the article about the ciphers in this weeks willamette week paper...[
http://www.wweek.com/story.php?story=4766]
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Microphone Fiendz: MC Cipher at
Backspace
BY KIM COLTON
[email protected]
Desmond Gecho is a busy man. He calls himself a producer, a hip-hop organizer of sorts. In the past few months, the Vancouver, Wash., native has helped move an informal, outdoor gathering of would-be rappers to a more formal indoor venue. He's built a buzz about it without spending a penny on promotion. Not bad for a kid who just got his driver's license.
That's right--Gecho's 16 years old. And he's on a mission.
The mission to build something--and this something has to do with a hip-hop renaissance for the kids.
Just before 5 o'clock on most Wednesday afternoons, Gecho piles his friends into his car and heads downtown. For months, the destination was under the Morrison Bridge. Since November, it's been the Backspace, a coffeeshop-meets-art gallery that straddles the Pearl District and Old Town.
He moved the Wednesday-night gathering to the Backspace primarily because of weather. "It was getting cold," he says. The move may have been to avoid inclement weather, but Gecho's also helping legitimize a crucial aspect of hip-hop culture. The name of the event, "Microphone Fiends," is an homage to Eric B and Rakim's old-school rap song, and the night is, in essence, an homage to old-school street rapping and a time when ciphers--informal rapping circles of MCs--ruled.
Entering the Backspace, you're more likely to hear the MCs before you see them. That's because the event's held in the back room--a rectangular box set behind the cafe's computer terminals and comfy couches. It's stark white walls host bright, abstract paintings--and no tables or chairs. The lack of seating suggests this isn't the place for spectators but for participants, people who want to be a part of something.
Each week, the boom of the bass and the pitch of the rappers gets a little louder. At the last cipher, the group reached 30 in number. Not all participated with rhymes--standing by and lending an ear is participation enough--and not all of these rhymers are slick wordsmiths. The level of sophistication and talent varies, and the prevailing feeling is that this is a night for amateurs to sharpen their craft.
What's more impressive, though, is the age of the rappers. The night's turntablist, DJ Twelvizm, estimates the median age of the participants to hover at 18. Organizer Gecho knows from experience there aren't many places where the underage crowd can gather, especially in the winter. So does Twelvizm: most of his DJ residences occur at bars--places many of these rappers won't see for years.
As for the Wednesday-night ciphers, there's no need to worry about the temperature inside the Backspace: Things are heating up just fine.
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PEACE.
