While the Seacoast hip-hop scene has ebbed and flowed over the years, Patrick “DJ Ayo Beat Perv” Bernard and Jamal Cooley are part of a coalition of artists, old and new, focused on building the hip-hop community and honoring its past.
“I think New Hampshire hip-hop will be on the rise shortly. There’s a new awakening and a new appreciation for different stuff,” Cooley said. On April 30, Bernard will DJ and Cooley will host the “Return to the Mothership” event featuring Ape the Grim, Boogie Boy Metal Mouth, Def Rock, Human Speakers, and King Sekou & Konsyce at The Red Door in Portsmouth — and pay homage to the radio show that started it all.
Brian “B2” Bernard debuted New Hampshire’s first hip-hop radio show, “The Mothership Connection,” on WUNH in 1992. The show would eventually become a springboard for local talent, including pre-eminent acts Granite State, Monkey Biz, and The Press Project. Today, in addition to those mainstays, there is a new tide of musicians who have created an increasingly diverse collection of music and projects.
“If you want to see something a bit different, that’s what we’re going to be doing.”
— Patrick DJ Ayo Beat Perv Bernard
Since 2005, Patrick Bernard has, in a way, carried on what his brother Brian started. He’s booked, hosted, and DJ’ed his “Tuesday Scissor Test” series at The Red Door. His most recent event, the sold-out Dre Day celebration in March, proved there is still a committed audience for hip-hop in the area.
“I want to expand it and see how far we can push it,” Bernard said. “If you want to see something a bit different, that’s what we’re going to be doing.”
In addition to booking shows, Bernard releases his own mixes and mash-ups.
Jamal Cooley is always looking to try different things in his music. On the heels of releasing “Maladjusted” in January, he’s already working on a new project that bridges some surprising musical gaps with punk and metal engineer Mark McElroy.
“You’d never expect it,” Cooley said. “He just blends all different kinds of sounds into hip-hop beats. We have New Orleans, a blues one, and he did the beat for (my song) ‘Peace,’ which is R&B and just smooth.”
The partnership with McElroy is a source of motivation for the MC as well. “He also really challenges me in the studio. He never lets me just write something and stay content with it,” Cooley said.
DJ Myth of Human Speakers performs at The Red Door in Portsmouth.
The spirit of collaboration has connected a new generation of artists that come from unexpected backgrounds to new audiences. Punk and hip-hop, both historically defiant genres, have increasingly overlapped lately. Most notably, “Seth on Gray Street” Gagnon and Michael “Eyenine” Dionne of Human Speakers, and Cody Pope, among others, have all maintained connections to both scenes.
Together with Manchester’s DJ Myth, Human Speakers is an all-star group. Hailing from Portland by way of Dover, Eyenine has parlayed his distinctive voice into a prolific career with a national audience. And Gagnon, who currently lives in Dover, has earned considerable notoriety for his live skills and his latest record, “Paisley Everywhere.” Cooley speaks highly of Gagnon’s smooth, nonchalant approach. “Seth didn’t take things too seriously, but he was taken seriously. It was inspiring,” he said.
The reach of local hip-hop artists isn’t limited to the region. “Return to the Mothership” headliner and Seacoast hip-hop cornerstone Jesse “Ape The Grim” Lannoo is set to release his long-awaited “The Idealist” this summer on the Trap Jaw Affiliates label. Always a magnet for the area’s best talent, Ape’s latest record features an all-star lineup that includes industry legend Kool Keith and production giants Statik Selektah and DC the Midi Alien. The recording also showcases a host of local talent, including Rayel, Trap Jaw’s Undo Kati, and Granite State’s Doug York and Bugout.
Linking up
In addition to great new releases, a number of ambitious projects have sprung up to expand opportunities for Seacoast hip-hop. Cooley has teamed up with Kirby “Konsyce” St. Remy, Erin B. McKay, Derec Clark, and Mike Morrison to create “The Link,” a new music video show on the Portsmouth Public Media Television (PPMTV) channel.
“(PPMTV station manager) Taylor Michael mentioned that they were looking for content, and that just lit up a light bulb in my head. Why not try to make a music video show?” Cooley said. “So many people I know are working hard, just trying to do what they love. (Michael) was looking to connect with a different, younger demographic.”
“The Link” will feature videos, live performances, news, and interviews with local artists of all genres. The crew will be filming the “Return to the Mothership” event for the debut episode in June. They’ll also be hosting their own events, bringing Granite State, Lady Essence (Maine’s Hip Hop Artist of the Year), Cody Pope with DC the Midi Alien, and Shane Rise to the Dover Brick House on June 6.
Last December, Dover-based Illa Recordz artist King Sekou began the “603 Campaign,” a series of YouTube performances and hashtags that aim to put New Hampshire hip-hop on the map. To date, more than 100 videos from MCs and DJs all over the state have contributed to the cause, including 61 videos from Sekou himself. Mike “Mic Murd” Herring’s Illa Recordz label has continued to stack an impressive roster, including Konsyce, June Jack, Isaiah Sky and Indica Styles.
Konsyce and King Sekou perform at the Dre Day show in February at The Red Door.
TVP Records owner Scott Ruffner points out that the level of talent in the Seacoast isn’t so different from what he saw in the booming Minneapolis scene in the 1990s. Through his “Groove: Lounge” compilation and show series, he aims to help foster that talent.
“A lot of what I’ve been doing with the ‘Groove: Lounge’ is shining the light on fellow locally based producers and beat-makers,” Ruffner said.
Ruffner will release a new “Groove: Lounge” record this summer, having previously featured Mainella, Roosty La Rue, DC the Midi Alien, Andrew Riordan, and Teeba, as well as many of the MCs on Thursday’s bill.
That spirit of collaboration is a recurring theme of the region’s hip-hop community. Area hip-hop artists record and perform together, promote each other, and share ideas.
“Variety stimulates creativity,” Cooley said. “We’re trying to get the community tied together. Why not embrace everybody?”
Ape the Grim, Boogie Boy Metal Mouth, Def Rock, Human Speakers, and King Sekou & Konsyce will perform on Thursday April 30 at 9 p.m. at The Red Door, 107 State St, Portsmouth.
King Sekou and Konsyce at The Red Door