Rsun

BY G.K. HIZER

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Totally Ill. Whether driven by girl problems, issues arising from mixing friends and business, or simply audiences not understanding what RSun is trying to accomplish, anxiety set in to the point that he felt like he was having a heart attack. To take all of his issues head on, RSun produced his second album, Emotion Sickness.

Totally Ill. Whether driven by girl problems, issues arising from mixing friends and business, or simply audiences not understanding what RSun is trying to accomplish, anxiety set in to the point that he felt like he was having a heart attack. To take all of his issues head on, RSun produced his second album, Emotion Sickness.
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Although most of Tulsa's hip-hop artists bubble under the surface of our local music scene, there are still a healthy number of them out there, slowly working their way to the top.

Everyone has their own identity and is working to find their own niche, and every once in a while another artist pops their head up with a new release that makes people take notice.

The latest local Hip Hop artist to make such a move is Rodney "RSun" Cox. No, he's not new to the local scene: He's actually logged 11 years as a rapper, starting when he was 15, but as his writing and production have grown, he's started to turn heads and make people take notice. Now, with his latest disc, Emotion Sickness, ready for release, he's got something in hand that should make a larger group of people sit up and take notice.

RSun's story is not that far removed from many others. Toiling away working on his art and playing as many shows as he could, he eventually moved to Tulsa from the Tahlequah/Muskogee area roughly five years ago, as his music career started to take off. At that point, he was one of the first hip-hop artists to score a weekly gig, playing at Sax, which was then located at 18th and Boston.

With repeated performances and a developing songwriting style, more bookings started to come as he played shows throughout Oklahoma, from Tulsa to Oklahoma City to any small town that was ready for a show.

In a move that showed his drive and desire to succeed, he even toured up and down California and the west coast, living homeless for two months to do so and growing a small but loyal fan base there and landing on a couple of mix tapes.

Since returning to Tulsa, RSun has continued his work ethic, playing around town in gigs at Monolith (which has since closed), Eclipse, Crystal Pistol and the Marquee. He even landed a coveted local opener spot for mash-up artist Girl Talk at Cain's Ballroom last year and completed a successful mini-tour of the south, working his way through Texas and Louisiana.

After beginning his career in Tulsa playing venues that hosted more hip-hop shows, such as The Hive (which has since closed as well), RSun has found himself sharing the bill with more bands and expanding his audience.

Now, with his latest release, he's hoping to combine audiences and reconnect with the hip-hop crowd that he hasn't been able to spend as much time in front of recently.

Although RSun's music has been described by others as alternative hip-hop, blending his rap roots with an alt-rock sensibility, a preview of his new tracks and a review of similar tracks on his last disc, Manic/Depressive, actually reveal an artist who has stayed true to his original influences. Yes, there's a modern twist to the music, but old school beats and the narrative flow recall rap heavyweights Tupac Shakur, Notorious B.I.G. and Dr. Dre.

"This CD is a little rougher around the edges and a little rawer than my last couple," RSun said. "It's more like what hip hop was to me when I got into it. It wasn't pop, it was about telling it like it is and saying how you feel whether people liked it or not.

"That's what got me into rap to begin with 11 years ago. That's what I want to do now. I don't care what's on radio, I want to tell stories that make me feel better, and if people identify with them, then they'll know they aren't alone," he said.

When discussing the concept behind Emotion Sickness, RSun revealed that throughout the past year, stress and circumstances pushed him to the point where he felt ill. Whether driven by girl problems, issues arising from mixing friends and business, or simply audiences not understanding what he's trying to accomplish, anxiety set in to the point that he felt like he was having a heart attack, and he finally sought counseling.

"It was a combination of all those things and more," he said, "and not dealing with grief in the best possible way."

On Manic/Depressive, he addressed similar issues, but in a different manner, by using satire to approach his topics with humor and a more pop edge.

This time around, RSun has stripped away the satire and attack issues such as depression and isolation head on. It's a bold move and gives his songs a dark edge, but the results are incredibly engaging and draw you in.

"The more I talk about it, the more people tell me that there are others out there who feel the same way," he said. "I think if they can hear it (Emotion Sickness), it will be able to deal with those things a little easier."

RSun releases his new disc Friday night, June 4, with a release party at the Marquee. Although in the past he has performed with a full band or DJs from the Bassmeant crew, this show will be his first for his current live set-up, performing with live drummer Kevin Wiegmant and DJ Revival.

The night's performance features a cross-section of Rsun's five-disc catalogue, for which he writes all of the beats and lyrics and collaborates only with Justin "Caprice" Workman.

The evening's lineup will be completed with opening acts Jabee, The Ne'er Do Well (featuring X-Cal), indie-rapper Algebra and a set by DJ Revival.

Doors open at 6pm, and the show starts at 7pm for the all-ages show. Tickets are only $10 but purchasing in advance via ticketstorm.com will include a free copy of the disc at the show.

If you've been wondering what's bubbling under the surface of Tulsa's hip-hop scene or looking for someone who channels a more old-school, strict rap vibe, RSun's CD release for Emotion Sickness is a good place to start. - Urban Tulsa Weekly

The Dream Stops at Hip-Hop
By Jeff Jeffries
The Current
Vol. 3 No. 9
Pg 28

The Dream Theatre is open a lot this month, inviting an array of Bluegrass, Electronica, Rock and Jazz music into its space and the last show of the month will feature the best local Hip-Hop on Sept. 27th, giving everyone at least one show at the downtown venue.
Oklahoma native Rsun, aka Rodney Cox, is blowing up in the independent Hip-Hop scene. His work is being recognized at MTV2 as being valid and street credible, but Rsun is not like the rest of the players in the Rap game. He’s giving it a facelift starting right here in Green Country.
So much of Hip-Hop is centered on conflict and there’s been a slow, yet steady increase of M.C.’s battles that start in the studio and end violently in the streets. Luckily, not many feuds end in 2pac and Notorious B.I.G. fashion, where death lent itself to answering disputes between the two. Rsun is not only a million miles away from any feud or separation, he’s pulling brothers and sisters from the local Hip-Hop scene together to make Tahlequah’s Dream Theatre a podium for Green Country lyricists and party people alike. Rsun will also capitalize on the evening by filming his live performance at the Dream in conjunction with releasing his debut album, Fuel for the Fire.
Supporting Rsun and returning for the second time to the Dream Theatre are 3rd Flow. When they put on the show last spring, Tahlequah showed support and love to the group and turned the movie house into a “rappers delight.” People came out looking good and went home feeling good, sporting the big grin usually found on the faces of folks after shaking it to hours of hot, local music.
Two more Tulsa rappers are scheduled to perform – PDA and lady lyricist Lega-C. Another fresh face, Bo, will perform with Rsun during his headlining set. Your MC for the evening will be DJ Zen and he will keep the party going in between every act. If you don’t know, now you know. Get out and support your live and local hip-hop.
- The Current