on the cover / By Maxwell Schnurer

Humboldt Hip Hop

Maturing and enduring – a state-of-the-scene report

(Sept. 13, 2007) The Father

Humboldt Hip Hop graffiti art by Eureka artist/rapper Bryan “Nac One” Wallace.

GALLERY >

They used to call Garth Culti-Vader “The Humboldt Father” because of his supply of ganja clones. Standing tall with his 14-month-old son Taurean between his legs, he grins and says, “Now it definitely has a different meaning.” It’s obvious that Garth is a dedicated dad: At this summer’s Reggae Rising, in front of thousands of fans, he brought Taurean out on his shoulders at the end of his performance.

It was a significant moment. Garth Vader, eyes covered with wraparound shades, loomed extra-large on the edge of the stage, flailing arms covered with tattoos — a bombastic Humboldt gangsta. And then at his crescendo, he smiled at the crowd with Taurean clenched lovingly in his arms.

Garth rhymed in Humboldt before almost anyone else. Like most of the MCs in Humboldt County he started rapping as a teenager influenced by the sounds of New York and Los Angeles artists. In the 30 years since the Bronx River Housing Project dances where DJ Kool Herc initially articulated what we now know as hip hop, the sound has changed and the business of the music has matured.

At this point, the hip hop movement is pushing middle age — along with many of those who participate in it. What happens to a music scene when the formerly teenage MCs get older and become parents? What happens to an underground art form now that its performers can be seen on MTV. Can we trust hip hop made by people over 30?

One of the biggest changes has been hip hop’s rise in popularity. Formerly underground art forms are now seen on T-shirts and commercials and are big business. Hip hop has moved from the urban birthplaces to become global — a means of communicating the importance of place, be it Brooklyn or Redway.

Garth Vader is a quintessential Humboldt MC. His crystal clear flows grace more than a dozen musical projects and reached an apex on his 2003 album Humboldt Knights, where he documented the life of a hard-struggling marijuana grower for whom life has not been kind.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 NEXT PAGE >SHARE