Heavy Ghetto

Welcome to the Wild West- Denver: a city that is rife with underground hip-hop culture exclusive only to its inhabitants and untouched by the corporate, pop-culture driven market of the mainstream.
Four boys by a wall with tags on it Jason Chevarria / The Metropolitan

Unfortunately, this little club needs to get some national exposure if it wants to evolve.

"I think we're right on the verge of it," said Tony Kash a.k.a. Paupo Skywalka, the self-appointed head of this forthcoming movement and president of Heavy Ghetto Entertainment. "It only takes the right person to spin it the right way-that's us."

Denver's hip-hop scene is destined to leave its mark on the industry. When this happens, one

crew will gladly take up arms and lead the front lines of this new-age Western revolution, and Heavy Ghetto is just the group of hardened warriors to do it.

Heavy Ghetto, a 4-man clique of solo artists, family and friends, incorporates classic East Coast style into some real, fresh, Denver patented boom-bap.

"There is a lot of talent here and people are sleeping on Denver," Kash said. "Some people have really good music but their marketing sucks. Some people have really good marketing but their music sucks. We're trying to create the complete package ... we're on the level where it's not just good for Denver but it's also good for America."

Heavy Ghetto's sound is reminiscent of Harlem hardcore mash-out, but criminally smooth rap. That is where the comparison ends. Their lyrics are conscious, street but not overly assertive. Emcees Paupo Skywalka, One Pryor, Kartel and Wordplay spit rhymes that are intelligent, well executed and hot enough to melt the Arctic.

"Ayo these rappin' amateurs use the cannabis to advantages/ My style is panoramic to damage you verbal anarchists/ So grab an abacus cause I'm making numerous classics/ I stack 'em up in units to move them from here to Canada," raps Wordplay over a melodic head nodding beat.

Wordplay, a.k.a. Dan Cooper, is the younger brother of Kash and is the most vocal of the group. He is quick to interject his often-humorous 50 cents into the conversation. True to his rhyming style, he is not excessively flashy but is well aware that he is the center of attention. Cooper can also flow like a river; he flips topics with ease and finesse. Unlike his brother, Cooper is far from calm and collected.

Kash is the Voltron-like head of the group. His presence is commanding and although he is a soft talker, he is easy to relate to and understand. Kash is kind but he is also calculating. He is thinking one step ahead, planning the next move Heavy Ghetto needs to make in order to carve its niche into the hip-hop scene.

Hanging back and somewhat withdrawn from the group is the quiet but verbally menacing One Pryor. He is mentally razor sharp but at the same time he is not one to openly express himself to strangers. It is obvious that Nas' introspective lyricism influences Pryor in both his rhymes and approach to conversation. Pryor comes to the Mile High City from Pennsylvania by way of California.

Kartel, better known as the High City Hustler, is a Korean emcee, whose knowledge of the streets shines through in his music. His voice is unique and his braggadocio is untouchable.

"I speak for the streets," Kartel said. "There is a hood out here and it needs someone to follow."

Kartel has a rebel's perspective on the world. The emcee is a vital asset to Heavy Ghetto because he successfully conveys the mood of Denver´s hoods without putting on a fa‡ade.

"I see people that I can't change and the only chance I can get to help them would be to get money and give it back to them," Kartel said.

Although Heavy Ghetto Entertainment produces conscious "street-hop" music, they actively participate in the community and plan to give back to it once they find financial success in the mainstream hip-hop market.

"We're trying to help wherever we can ... sort of like Robin Hood; take from the rich and give to the poor," said Kash. "I think a lot of people are misguided; they don't have a positive direction as to which way to go in life or the help to get there. We hope to change that through our music. "

Heavy Ghetto Entertainment is on the verge of propelling Denver into the national hip-hop spotlight. They are motivated, hungry and ready to take over. When they do, Denver and the culture will be forever changed.

For more information or to cop their stellar debut mixtape The Block Report Vol. 1, contact Tony Kash at heavyghetto@yahoo.com - Justin Rennolds ( The Metropolitan )

D.O. the Fabulous Drifter sat at the end of the bar, watching The Shelter's main floor fill up with local hip hop fans - and a contingent that had come expecting to see hardcore Brooklyn don AZ perform. But AZ had cancelled, leaving it on host D.O. and a slate of local performers to keep the room happy. D.O. stepped to the mic and exhorted the crowd to put their drinks in the air, kicking off a night of on-point rhyming and irresistible beats that electrified the room all the way through DJ Chief Rocka's blistering closing set.

While acrobatic b-boys and girls tore up the floor, D.O. peppered the night with charismatic banter and bursts of freestyles, anchoring a lineup that shows why Friday's Community Development series at The Shelter (1037 Broadway) has become the city's premier hip hop showcase. Community Development is a platform for the best local hip hop talent to be heard alongside some of the nation's biggest names in underground and independent rap.

First up was Park Hill's heavy ghetto, who although they don't capitalize their name, capitalized on the chance to conduct a five-man, one-woman, full-on microphone assault. Backed by DJ Blizz, these young guns tore up their set with high caliber beats and an energy-packed spread of songs delivered with extra swagger and some great staccato back-and-forth from their stage-filling crew.

Following heavy ghetto, Babah Fly and Url Gray-V of once-dormant Tha Fly knocked off the rust and blazed their way through a full-set of driving, make-the-hairs-on-your-arms-stand-up rhymes. These are two of Denver's most creative, engaging MCs, and now that Babah and Url are back in the studio again, look for them to inject more of their trademark vibe into the Denver mix, which already sounds better for their return.

Radio Bums stalwart Chief Rocka closed out the night with a highly danceable set that put a sweaty exclamation point on the proceedings. Several women were dancing on stage by his third cut, grinding and swaying for a crowd that was ready to take the floor before last call.

Community Development Fridays are held each Friday at The Shelter, 1037 Broadway, and are promoted by Josh MacCurdy of Word of Mouth Music (303-585-1559). This story was written by Nate Warren, publicist for Five Points Plan, a Denver-based label that markets the works of D.O. the Fabulous Drifter and Dow Jones. For more information, contact nate@fivepointsplan.com. - Nathan Warren