CNS - Gwop Ghettas

Norman "Pravity" Longshaw hasn't hugged his mother since he was 15 -- in almost a
decade.
His mom, Charlotte Marlene Longshaw, went to prison for murder when he was 11. His
dad turned to drugs, his three older siblings left their Glendale home and he bounced
from house to house.
Longshaw started getting in trouble at school, then with the law, resulting in losing
visiting privileges to see his mom behind bars. He eventually quit high school, served a
year in jail and became a father by the time he was 19.
"I used to want to be a doctor or dentist, but all that went out the window," he said.
Now, at 25, Longshaw seeks refuge in hip-hop music, hoping to ease his life's pain and
struggles through his passion for rapping.
Longshaw is one of three members in The Commission, a Utah hip-hop group that
released its first CD in July.
For the three Salt Lake City-area natives -- which also includes George "Savvy yola"
Bendfeldt, 29, and Cole "Coleone" Shields, 25 -- the album was the result of years of
trying to do something with their musical talents, working hard even when people
discouraged them and staying focused on their goals.
"We couldn't do it without each other," said Bendfeldt, who lives in West Valley City and
recently got laid off from his warehouse manager job. Bendfelt grew up in Southern
California and was raised by his mom and grandma, both Guatemalan immigrants. He
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moved to Salt Lake City at age 10 with his mom, step-dad and baby brother because his
mom was trying to get him away from gangs, drugs and crime. But, Bendfeldt said he
started associating with gangs here in seventh grade because he wanted to "feel safe." He
started staying out late, fighting, drinking, taking drugs and stealing, which got him in
trouble with the law.
Bendfeldt started writing music as a teenager in 1996 after his 5-year-old brother, Joshua
Morales, and grandma died in a car accident. He said he was angry and couldn't cry, so he
decided to write a song called, "The good die young; the bad die slower." After that,
Bendfeldt said he felt some relief and felt "like I was actually good at something." But, he
"kept being bad." He dropped out of school and continued hanging out on the streets. He
later got his GED. When he was 18, Longshaw said he wrote his first song called, "Could
you imagine?" about having no food, no electricity or no mom to come home to. He was
never in a gang but some of his relatives were in white supremacist gangs. Music became
his "medication" or his form of counseling to deal with his issues stemming from his
childhood. "It's like an addiction," Longshaw said. "It's my life." About the same year,
Bendfeldt began rapping with friends at parties about his experiences with being poor,
gang banging, drugs and friends who were or locked up or killed. He later started
performing at local clubs with his friend, Pete Martinez, and they released a CD in 2006.
It was the same year Bendfeldt met Shields and then Longshaw. The three friends decided
a year later to form The Commission, named after the gangster movies they love and
trying to create unity among the Utah's hip-hop community. Longshaw, who lives in West
Valley City, has written lyrics in letters for his mom and also his brother who's serving
time in federal prison. He hasn't been in trouble with the law for about four years, and
plans to keep out of trouble. He got his GED and is taking some online classes through
Ashford University. Longshaw wants a different life for his four kids. He estimates he's
attended at least 30 funerals of friends and relatives in his lifetime; about half of them
were the result of violence, including his childhood best friend, Joe Saldana, last fall. For
Longshaw and Bendfeldt, The Commission provides motivation to keep going. It took
them two years to release their first CD with 19 tracks. They plan to spend the next few
months promoting their album, building their fan base and trying to schedule gigs outside
of Utah. "Instead of hitting the street when I'm angry, I can do it over the microphone,"
Bendfeldt said. "You can reach your dreams. You just need to focus." - Salt Lake Tribune

The Commission is: Savvy -- hooks, raps and harmonies; Coleone -- raps, concepts and production; and
Pravity -- punch lines, lyrics; song creativity.
Pravity, SavvyYola, and Coleone form The Commission.
By Amanda Chamberlain
achamberlain@inthisweek.com
It won't be long before the bigwigs running Musicland discover Utah's hip-hop scene, which brims with artists
who could easily give T-Pain or Chamillionaire a run for their money in a chart race. But despite the amount
of mainstream appeal packed into our salty scene, local rappers are holding on to their undiscovered status,
saying it's a "good thing" that the scene is still "underground."
"There's a strong unity building between artists because we're all underground and we all are chasing the
same dream," says the three rappers of local group The Commission.
In fact, The Commission's commitment to camaraderie in SLC's hip-hop community influenced their group
name.
"Originally, 'The Commission' was a MySpace idea to unite artists in Salt Lake," they say.
Underground ideals aside, The Commission's mainstream-worthy music makes me wonder how in the hell
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their tracks aren't all over the radio. Hook-y melodies and a backing buzz from a voice box give The
Commission's brand of hip-hop stacks of crowd-pleasing appeal, while lyrical topics like cocaine and running
the streets exposes its Gangsta Rap foundation. Hints of Dre waft from the darkly epic track, "Watch Who U
Trust," while "Tattoo" flaunts chant-a-long capability with its spell-out chorus and head-bobbin' beat.
Of course, you can hear the tunes for yourself on IN's Web site, but if you want to learn about the local
rappers behind the beats, read the following Q&A with the three emcees of The Commission: Savvy,
Coleone and Pravity.
In Utah This Week: When, and how did the group form?
The Commission: About two and a half years ago, Savvy and Coleone were working on an album called "2
Face." Around the same time, Pravity was doin' his solo thing. Pravity met Coleone at a venue and later, we
all collaborated.
IN: What's the band currently working on?
TC: The upcoming album, "The Commission" featuring The Game, and working on the video for "Hundreds
Burning." Plus, much more!
IN: If The Commission were a flavor, what would it be and why?
TC: A habanero 'cause we fire! LOL.
IN: What does the band plan to accomplish in the near future?
TC: Exposure, success and most importantly, reaching more fanz.
IN: Which is better, domestic or imported beer?
TC: All of the above.
IN: Describe your music.
TC: It's universal and appeals to all crowds.
IN: Biggest pet peeve?
TC: Hayterz.
IN: What are the group's biggest accomplishments?
TC: The number of fanz that continues to grow; exclusive interviews with 97.1 ZHT; our mixtape featuring
DJ Warrior; and more to come.
IN: What's your discography?
TC: Savvy Yola's "Street Musick Vol. 1" and "Young, Broke and Ambitious;" Coleone's "Money Over
Anything;" and coming soon, Pravity's "Struggle 2 Strive."
IN: What do you think of the current state of hip-hop (with all the radio play, it seems like it's the new "pop")?
TC: That's the problem; it's not pop, it's hip-hop. It's street, it's urban -- that's what our idea of hip-hop is.
There are a few artists that hold it down still but it's mostly watered down.
IN: Describe your idea of a fresh-to-death outfit.
TC: Fresh white tees and a mean shoe game!
IN: Who are some of your comrade artists in the scene?
TC: Sick Lake, Charlie Soul, Young Neff, P. Thizzle, JQ, J Gee, D. Taylor, Troy Vigil, The Franchise, Albie the
Great, Lump Sum, Mak Demon, Big Bridge, King Caputo and the list is just too big!
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IN: Last words?
TC: We care and appreciate all our fans because without people supporting us, we wouldn't be where we
are. We are real kick back cats, humble in this game and very open-minded to change. - inthisweek.com