DooWiTTle

Local hip-hop artist DooWiTTle seems to have begun to follow through on his plan to become a “family friendly artist,” as he was reported aspiring to in the Dec. 14, 2005, issue of the Syracuse New Times. DooWiTTle with his manager and partner-in-crime, Michael “Brix” Bambrick, have finished the planning phase for Christmas in the Cuse, a charity drive for the pediatrics unit at University Hospital in the form of a yuletide hip-hop show on Thursday, Dec. 21, 8:30 p.m., at the Paul Robeson Performing Arts Center, 805 E. Genesee St.

DooWiTTle and Bambrick continue to use sensational tactics to promote shows they’ve produced. The duo recently released a Christmas-themed rap video taped at Carousel Center (against the wishes of mall management, however) to the popular user-generated video content Web site YouTube.com to bolster the hype for this more traditional Christmas-themed endeavor.

Such tactics are considerably watered down from last year’s highjacking of radio station WJPZ-FM 89.1 (Z89) in order to spin DooWiTTle’s own tracks, as well as the rapper rapping knuckles with Jeffrey Scala, co-owner of the now-shuttered bar Fat Tony’s. Although the artist-manager pair have openly expressed frustrations with publicizing music in the Syracuse scene during the past few years, Bambrick explains that pairing concerts with charity events is a strategy that their promotion company, SOS Music Group, intends to employ for future events.

“It’s just a whole other route to take. I think it helps,” Bambrick reasons. “If we go to Z89 and tell them it’s a charity event, they listen.”
Along with collecting holiday gifts for children at the concert, Bambrick says they have a slew of holiday-related entertainment acts lined up for a show they hope to make an annual event. “We’ll feature the Christmas song we used for the YouTube video,” Bambrick explains. Bambrick hopes the egg-nog touch will lure an extended hip-hop crowd.

Still, DooWiTTle is focused on the overall difficulties with the Syracuse music business. “There are very few venues and sponsors who will get involved in things like this because it seems hopeless,” DooWiTTle explains. “They think it’s not worth it, from the negative image to the lack of profit it may make. We’re trying to change all that.”

DooWiTTle is uncertain whether hip-hop itself is unpopular in Syracuse. “Maybe it is just hip-hop, maybe it is local talent,” DooWiTTle says. “We’ve had a lot of discussions, wondering if it’s just the genre of music we were doing. But we’ve become so versatile; I have acoustic rock songs and all these things.”

DooWiTTle also believes that Central New York bar owners inform local hip-hop artists that they won’t have much of a chance without a national stamp of approval. “They always shun us off and tell us, ‘You need to go to major cities, and if you were getting airplay there, then they would adapt here.’ It’s funny that when you go outside of Syracuse, which we have done, they will say that their answer will be to work from the inside out: You have to first identify with your region, dominate it, and then expand it.”

Regardless, DooWiTTle continues to fight the good fight for hip-hop. “Something’s going to change. I’m afraid that the outlets will try to turn {Christmas in the Cuse} into some negative thing when what are we fighting for is to say that our city isn’t just a hopeless dead end. We always tie something positive to our shows, and we will always do that. This event is just one of many.”

Tickets to Christmas in the Cuse are $8, with $3 going toward a donation of toys to the pediatrics unit of University Hospital. For more information, call 442-2727. - Syracuse Newtimes

Syracuse rapper DooWiTTle has set up a little contest in conjunction with his June 3 show at the RedHouse.

A fan will be announced at the show as a winner of a pair of Timberlands from J. Michaels, a trip to Skin Care by Dina, clothes from Modern Pop Culture and a dinner date with the rapper himself.

The contest is open to women 18 and over.

To link to DooWiTTle's web site, click here.

At the show, Sal Chisari of Syracuse label RedBrick Records will spin hip-hop from 8 to 9 p.m., then DooWiTTle will perform.

Sunday's big show at the dome showed that DooWiTTle's got a national rep. Chicago's Rhymefest, Kanye West's good pal and his opening act, fit DooWiTTle's name into a freestyle.

Keep listening,

Mark Bialczak
mbialczak@syracuse.com - Syracuse.com

Three local finalists named for Tom Joyner Morning Show
Randy Gordon, Mbusi Ntombele and Mike "DooWiTTle" Widger will perform live during the "Tom Joyner Morning Show,'' which will be broadcast nationwide from Syracuse Friday morning.
The three finalists - named Thursday night - will compete during the "Tom's Big Break," talent competition for a $1,000 prize.
Joyner's "Sky Show" will broadcast from the Oncenter on WPHR-FM (Power 106.9) from 6 to 10 a.m.
The nationally syndicated show will also feature R&B band Mint Condition and comedian Beth Payne. - Syracuse.com