Unless you know absolutely nothing about Asbury Park — you know this is a city that was built on music. We all know the stories of Springsteen and Southside, and we can all see the current renaissance of the city fueled by Summer Stage shows, and the new Sea.Hear.Now.
However, when it comes to hip-hop, there seems to be a disconnect. This was made very apparent last year during the Asbury Park Music Awards when hip-hop was not included in the awards. Since this controversy, the APMAs have vowed to include hip-hop in the next show, and more and more hip-hop is being promoted at venues like Wonder Bar, House of Independents, and various other locations in Asbury.
One of the people making the push for the inclusion of hip-hop in the Asbury scene is Rodney Coursey, the founder of Garden State Hip-Hop, and the man behind New Jersey Live 3 (The Cypher), which runs February 22 at House of Independents. This show features a slew of established, and on the rise hip-hop artists from the Jersey Shore.
We spoke with Coursey to talk about the show, the Jersey Shore hip-hop scene, the lack of inclusion of the genre throughout the years, and how he and others are working to fix this problem.
On February 22, Garden State Hip Hop presents New Jersey Live 3 (The Cypher). For those who don’t know — can you explain what The Cypher is.
The Cypher is a collection of hip hop artists that showcase their lyrical aptitude as MC’s. This will be a celebration of lyricism and hip hop artistry at the Jersey Shore.
I did the first Garden State Hip Hop Cypher in 2011 up in Union City, NJ. It was an awesome experience. I did it again in 2012 at the now defunct Wave Boutique, which was on Brighton Avenue in Long Branch, NJ. We actually held the show a week before the huge fire on that destroyed half that street. In 2013 I had a show in downtown Newark, NJ. I took a break from The Cypher because so many cyphers were taking place in the hip hop community. So I wanted to take a break and come back with some more original.
In 2015 I planned to bring it back but there was a miscommunication with Madison Marquette and it ended up being canceled. I went on another creative hiatus, but I had so many people reaching out because of my work on the blog, the work I was doing in the Asbury Park music scene. They kept asking when I was going to bring The Cypher back. So I decided to bring it back, and do it live at a venue where everyone could see it — at House of Independents in Asbury Park.
What inspired you to start Garden State Hip-Hop?
I came up with the idea for Garden State Hip-Hop in 2009. We launched it in early 2010, and I created it to forge my own path within the entertainment industry. I was in college (William Paterson University), and had dreams of working in the music industry. From 2009 to about 2013, the hip hop blogosphere was at an all-time high. I figured why not start my own since I was spending so much time on other people’s sites. I decided that the site would cover hip-hop top to bottom, and people would never everything about hip-hop in the Garden State. This site helped me so much in my current full-time career in the media.
Let’s talk about the disconnect between the Asbury scene and hip-hop. Why does this disconnect even exist?
I think lack of knowledge and the stigma. Lack of knowledge in terms of the culture of hip hop, and what’s happening in the music industry right now. We’re all about of the music business [in Asbury], but if you’re looking at what publications are writing about, and what’s on the Billboard charts — you’ll see hip hop is dominating. Rolling Loud just sold out less than 10 days after announcing their music festival. That’s $450 a ticket, and they sold out. Hip hop is the dominate art form right now.
Yes, Asbury Park is known for its rock ‘n’ roll history which I appreciate and I admire as a music lover. But there’s also a hip-hop history that isn’t acknowledged. In 1998 we had DMX in our city. In 2012 we had Mac Miller and Chance the Rapper in our city. We’ve had Kid Cudi, one of the most influential artists in the last two decades, here. It’s very curious and very frustrating at times. I had to do my first concert in North Jersey because no one from this area would get on board with it.
Do you think that this scene has realize they made a mistake by not being more open to hip-hop?
In the local hip-hop community, yes. Concert Crave has done a great job bringing national up-and-coming artists to the area. I tip my hat to them. Chris Rockwell has been doing his thing for a while. Drew the Recluse, who’s a member of Black Suburbia Music, is doing awesome, and so is that whole group. You have a few DJs with residencies who spin ’90s and modern hip hop. So they’re making strides, and I appreciate that. There’s still something missing. It’s still an uphill battle. We have to constantly prove ourselves.
What do you hope to accomplish with The Cypher at House of Independents?
The Cyphers from 2011-2013 featured artists from all over the state of New Jersey. This year, all the artists featured are from the Jersey Shore and the Asbury Park hip-hop community. So for one night you have the best of our community under one roof and you get to see the progress of this community. You get to see Chris Rockwell, Mr. Encore (a local hip hop artist who’s been featured on Sway in the Morning), Most Dope, Mula O, Kidz from the Burbz (Absury’s version of the Beastie Boys). You get to see all these creative artists from the Asbury scene. We’re going to commemorate the progress, and renaissance we have going on.
Who are some people on the show who are flying under the radar that we need to be on the look out for?
Most Dope is an Asbury Park-based artist. A Montclair University graduate, and he has a solid fanbase in the area. He makes interesting music, great melodies, and he’s got raw lyrics. He’s kind of in that Drake lane. He can tap into some many different areas and he can create so many different vibes. He has a mass appeal.
You’ve been doing Garden State Hip-Hop for a decade while also maintaining a full-time job. What drives you to keep the site going?
It’s what I’m passionate about. Some of the things I’ve done have been huge accomplishments in my life. They mean the world to me. I’ve always felt when I help others that’s when I shine the most. I enjoy promoting good music, and good vibes especially in a city that’s on the rise and still developing. This is the most active the hip-hop scene has been ever.
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