Chester Green

CHESTER GREEN ROCKED THE BETA FRATHOUSE LIKE NO ONE HAS BEFORE!!!

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Chester Green is made up of two rappers, Blake C and Young Hii. The two have combined their unique styles to form an intense, lyrically superior version of hip hop that has slowly gained the recognition of the rap community in the last year. BC is from the 978, (an area in central MA) where the hip hop game is dying for a star to pop up, and without it... soon to be just Dying. Hii is originally from the Bronx, and has experienced the opposite, living in an area where Rap Stars come a dime a dozen. But Fly Hii (as he is also known) and Blake C of Chester Green have continually proven that they can rise above the stagnant, repetitive nature of today's average hip hop radio jam by recording 35+ quality songs in their first year together with no deal, no manager and no budget. These songs range from club jams like "Will it Jump" and "Do Ya thing" to intense gettin' money tracks like "doin the Damn thing" and more exclusives that you all won't hear unless you see them live!! (or cop a mixtape) These two have a gigantic repertoire of topics in their collection. Slow methodical songs that could remind you of a twista or bone thugs to metaphor heavy, lyric based songs like "Flip It" that are unique from anyone Rap has seen before. SO PLEASE DONT SLEEP ON THESE GUYS... and just when you think you have them pinned down to one style or another you will undoubtedly be surprised as they do a song with a message and a passion in their voices that makes you forget the intensity and savagery of the song before it. In the process, C Green has mainly utilized the production of the 978's own DJ Jemaine, and examples of their collaborations with him can be seen on songs such as "Light Em Up" and "Crooked in the Car". They have also worked with NY's Tommie Sox, Marc "Troubadour" Arena, MMG star Brandon Beal and MA's Pete Beatz. The combination of MA and NY along with the social impact of a group made up of a white and a black rapper allow Chester Green to represent themselves as the new wave of quality hip hop entertainment that crosses social boundaries and pushes hip hop back into the forefront of innovative music. These guys are the whole package; style, musical quality, consistency, variety, appearance, professionalism, work ethic, and they are both very well prepared for the spotlight. Do Yourself A Favor and Catch One of their Shows...Seriously. If You Like Hip Hop- YOU WILL Love these Guys, NO doubt . They are constantly Climbin on Speakers, Smashin Microphones, dancing in the crowd while rapping on the mic, and they get the message across while doing so. if you DONT like Hip Hop- there is a very good chance their music and on stage antics will make you change your mind. -Tallen Todorovich (editor :) Ismail Tahanto--------------- - Tallen Todorovich (independent writer)

Wesleyan has a rich hip hop culture with a deep history, from the graffitied walls of the Westco Cafe and the pre-painted over Butterfield tunnels to graduate Bobbito aka DJ cucumberslice '88. Its mix of talented, creative students and proximity to the Rotten Apple lends itself to breeding of all parts of the culture, from MCs and DJs to graffiti artists and b-boys.
Blake Curry '07, a cardinal wide reciever for three years who is getting ready for his fourth season on the basketball team, is carrying on that hip hop tradition, while juggling school and sports, as well.
I sat down with Curry, whose group, Chester Green, is making a name for itself as the next BIG thing to come out of WESLEYAN, to talk about the music and the challenges of coming up in the hip hop game.
AS=Andre Sternberg
BC=Blake C (Chester Green)

AS: When did you begin to become more serious about your music, and what was your motivation to start?

BC:I started freestyling when i was fifteen, but i had never put it all together until this teacher Mr. Marktavian Martin, told me to start making songs with a purpose.
I was influenced by my Brother who is a DJ, and i started thinking that music was going to be my thing when i got to college.(I first ) met Marc Arena, and he sparked my interest in making songs with a meaning. Then when i met young hii, I had been working on a solo album and both agree that we would be better served to make a duo album. From there Chester Green was created.

AS: That's an Original Name. How did you choose it?

BC:Chester Green formed when i met Young Hii on the campus of Wesleyan University, for what we later found out was supposed to be some kind of rap battle between the two of us. One of our mutual friends brought the two of us together, put on some beats, and we were so impressed by one another's talent, and by our ability to be compatible on a track, that night i called up Hii and he agreed to do the project.
(As far as the name goes) Chester Green is a combination of our nicknames. Hii is sometimes referred to as Chester, while i have been given the moniker the Green Light. So Came CHESTER GREEN.

The mixture of the two allows is to create tracks that have a combination of both underground and pop...Now we have made progress with our site www.myspace.com/
chestergreenmusic and added on DJ Jemaine and producer Pete Beatz.

AS:when listening to your favorite rappers, how do you decide who is going to be an influence in your own music?

BC:The thing is, I myself don’t ever listen to a record for its ability to be transferred into my rhyme somewhere.
You sort of start writing, and in order to continue, reflect on what you have heard, not only in a lyrical sense, but also in stylistics as well…
For example, I might say... yo this is a jay-z type rhyme, or this is a Pimp C type rhyme, but it’s more than that, because a writer has more than one influence in each verse.

AS: What do you think the role of white rappers is? What would you say to critics who accuse white rappers of appropriating black culture?

BC: There is no role for white rappers, nor black rappers, rappers do not have a set role, they are individuals, whose job is to entertain. And as far as the white question, it's never been a question of white or black; its a question of whether you are down or not. It just so happens that the majority of white people are not down. That is to say, a lot of caucasians enjoy the music, but are not accustomed to the lifestyle. The fact of the matter is no one calls eric clapton a wigger because he plays the blues, and no one is mad at Elvis, either.
The white rapper is an artist who constantly has to reaffirm to his fans that he indeed deserves to be on the mic, and the reason is because my expression as a white rapper is seen as fraudulent or farcical. All I can say is I live 100% what I spit. If you hear me vocalize something on record, it has validity.
That is not to say that I don’t write stories, or theorize about things I’ve never done... but you won’t hear me say “and then he tried to stab me” if nobody ever tried to stab me.
AS: what do you see for the future? do you want to pursue a career in music?

BC:Our future is in our hands. I envision myself and Young Hii performing on a stage in front of 50,000 screaming fans with DJ Jemaine on the tables behind us.
But in reality we are humble. We just want to get our music out there and get people to hear our unique sound. Our lyrics have a realistic yet creative and original style and delivery that should resonate with crowds of all kinds. We make rap of all different kinds because we listen to different styles ourselves.
We are doing as many shows as we can in the area until I graduate, then hopefully a tour/signing would be in the cards. The start of our future is our networking and persistence. So EVERYONE check out www.myspace.com/
chestergreenmusic
Even if you don’t have myspace. - Wesleyan University Argus-Andre Sternberg Interview