Bigger than the music
Pasadena Hip Hop Alliance opens mouths and minds to change perceptions
By Jason Kordich 05/22/2008
Hip-hop is normally thought of by many people — namely cops, clergy, parents and some teachers — as a destructive force; a misogynist musical genre that promotes drug use, gang life and violence. Heck, some classical musicians don’t even consider either hip-hop or rap as music.
But don’t tell that to Keisch Wilson’s students at Blair International Baccalaureate Magnet School, many of whom have joined together to form the Pasadena Hip Hop Alliance, a group they say aims to change popular perceptions of the music that provides them with a platform to creatively discuss issues in their own lives.
“Part of the problem is people hear hip-hop and they think commercial or gangster, or they don’t think of it as a culture, and this is something that all of these kids were able to understand,” said Wilson, who worked as a deejay and with the PasadenaLEARNs afterschool program before joining Blair’s faculty two years ago.
“Our whole mission is to clear up this huge misconception about hip-hop. We had a lock-down [on campus] not too long ago that was very serious, which was talked about. The whole black-and-brown issue and the need for unity are talked about a lot,” said Wilson, 26, who is called simply “Mr. K” by his students.
On May 29, the Pasadena Hip Hop Alliance will put its spoken-word skills on display at the school’s annual TalentFest, where students will also be managing the sound system backstage. Performers include 16-year-old Charline Gulley, president of the Alliance, and The Rapaholics, a group formed out of the club by junior Sean Washington and 16-year-olds Christian Terry-Smith, a club founder, and Dijonn Taylor.
“Before this club, I didn’t really have anywhere to go,” said Washington. “I had some problems and fall-outs with friends. I noticed around school that they have football teams, but they didn’t really have any artistic outlet that has flourished.”
The club meets during lunch on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays in Wilson’s classroom, a computer lab where he teaches computer technology and applications classes. Sessions draw about 20 students, who connect with each other through impromptu spoken-word performances and discussions about music and the positive role it can play in their lives.
“With the Hip Hop Alliance, I can go somewhere and have real conversations about real artists who are interested in making a change and not just about making money,” said Gulley. In addition to their lunch meetings, many Alliance members get together after school to continue discussions started earlier in the day, she said.
But this kind of positive synergy didn’t happen overnight. Wilson had tried teaching kids to use a deejay soundboard during his time with LEARNs, but said he found out quickly that while a few kids wanted to learn, others “once they heard the music, just wanted to dance,” he said. “With the Hip Hop Alliance, instead of just throwing a turntable out there, I have them learn the history of hip-hop and the essentials before they even touch the turntables.”
Still working as a deejay while with LEARNs, Wilson couldn’t even imagine himself a teacher until Blair Principal Rich Boccia pushed him to apply for the job. “He saw something in me that I didn’t see,” said Wilson. “I owe a lot to Richard Boccia.”
A first-generation American whose parents emigrated from Guyana, Wilson grew up in Arcadia and El Monte. He credits his older brother Kwame, who works as a deejay, with exposing him to hip-hop. “When I was young I played the drums and was big into music and computers, but I never thought I would be able to combine the two,” said Wilson.
During one recent lunch break, Wilson directed kids packed into his computer room to start a cipher, an activity in which people take turns spontaneously creating rhymes. As soon as Wilson switched on a beat, teens were taking turns speaking to each other in rhyme about topics such as racial inequality, problems at home and their own skills as artists.
“What a great job he’s doing with the kids, bringing them together — black, brown, white, young, old. He’s bringing them together to have courageous conversations about social issues, about race, about religion, about the war, about the economy, about the election,” said Boccia.
“Mr. Wilson has done a great job of giving kids a venue to have real conversations about real stuff that’s important to them,” continued Boccia, explaining that making curriculum relevant to students and building staff-student relationships is a cornerstone of the district’s secondary education reform policies. “Our next step,” he said, “is building more of that in a formal venue so more kids can participate.”
The club has also been an inspiration for Wilson. Along with two aspiring teachers, he recently formed a multiracial hip-hop group called Ground:Common, which will perform its first show at 9 p.m. Wednesday at Rude Dog’s Bar and Grill in Covina.
Although he encourages free expression among Alliance members, Wilson also stresses the importance of commitment to the club — showing up regularly for meetings and volunteering for various fundraising activities to pay for special events and field trips. Recently, club members were given a chance to attend a concert by RZA of the Wu-Tang Clan and meet the artist afterward.
Wilson’s other expectations include being peaceful and respectful, which is why the Alliance does not allow for student-to-student rhyme competitions (called “battles” when they’re done on the street).
“Your true test of skill is whether you can think,” he told his students.
Blair’s TalentFest runs from 4 to 6:30 p.m. on May 29 at the Blair East Auditorium, 1135 S. Euclid Ave., Pasadena. Tickets are $5. For more information, call (626) 441-2201 or visit www.blairibmagnet.org. Rude Dog’s Bar and Grill is at 114 N. Citrus Ave in Covina.
Deputy Editor Joe Piasecki contributed to this story.
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