Duo Lexicon ready for mainstream
By Daily Bruin Staff
Feb. 27, 2002 9:00 p.m.
 Lexicon
UCLA student Nick Black, with his brother,
Gideon Oakley Black, make up the hip-hop group
Lexicon, performing at the Cooperage, Friday.
By Ruvin Spivak
Daily Bruin Contributor
Nick Black is a fifth-year senior leading two lives. By day,
he’s a sociology student, occasionally working at the Wooden
Center, but by night, this mild-mannered Bruin becomes Nick Fury,
half of the hip-hop group Lexicon.
How does Nick Black balance school and music?
“Not very well,” he said, laughing. “I think
I’ve handled it as best I can, but it’s definitely
taken its toll.”
Last fall, Black went on tour for two weeks in the middle of the
quarter. By the time he got back, he’d dropped two of his
four courses. Despite the hurdles of promoting his music, Nick
Black is going to graduate this year, and unlike many graduating
Bruins, he’s got his career path set. He’s ready to
find success in the music industry.
It’s been a busy year for Lexicon. He and his
brother/partner, Big Oak (Gideon Oakley Black) recorded their first
full-length album, “It’s The L” and have been
touring on and off across the country.
The sibling duo got its first breaks when Nick was only a
sophomore in high school. He and his mother moved up to Santa
Barbara to be closer to Gideon, who’d just begun attending UC
Santa Barbara. Gideon made friends with the disc jockeys on campus
radio, which eventually opened the two brothers to the music
scene.
“We would record our music karaoke style and then pass the
recordings off to friends and other people,” said Nick.
Even then he had to juggle school with his passion for music.
The difference between then and now is that high school seemed like
a breeze. UCLA, on the other hand, has been a serious
challenge.
There was a time when Nick Black hoped to double major in
English and sociology. Today, with the success of Lexicon, he has
to settle for just a sociology degree. The trade-off has been worth
it because Nick Black has received more job experience than most
alumni after college.
The Black brothers’ efforts have put them in a good place
as Nick gets ready to say good-bye to UCLA. Perhaps one of the
biggest roles in their success comes from college radio stations.
Besides getting exposure at UCSB, another University of California
campus proved to be instrumental in the group’s recent
success.
While doing interviews for UC Irvine’s radio station,
Lexicon met DJ Cheapshot, one of the program managers at the
station. They remained friends and collaborators. When Cheapshot
decided to start SpyTech Records, Lexicon became one of the first
groups to get signed.
Nick and Gideon had good reason to hop on board with SpyTech.
Their boss is one of the underground’s foremost producers and
DJ’s. He’s barely started the record label but is
already responsible for production credits with Styles of Beyond,
Linkin Park remixes and Nappy Roots’ debut album.
Needless to say, Lexicon is happy to be working with someone
they look up to and trust as a friend.
“We’re all basically starting at the same level and
building together,” Nick said about Cheapshot.
Lexicon is building the foundation for a successful underground
career, but they’ve also got their eyes set on mainstream
audiences. They’ve been doing shows with underground artists
such as Brand Nubian and Mystic but they’ve also done
interviews with Felli Fell on Power 106 FM.
Nick’s theory on Lexicon’s future is simple.
“We’re not doing it like other underground
artists,” he said. “We don’t spend our time
selling tapes and CD’s for 10 bucks at other people’s
shows. We’re really trying to get out there.”
Through touring, Lexicon has built a wide base of listeners.
They’ve played in a variety of places, from their current
big-city home base in Los Angeles to small college towns from
Eureka, Calif. to Missoula, Mont.
In March they will release the follow up single to
“It’s The L,” which peaked at No. 2 on the CMJ
charts and eventually became the 17th most-played hip-hop single in
the country on the same charts.
Aside from a special noon appearance at the Cooperage on Friday,
March 1, and a UCSB show with MixMaster Mike, Planet Asia and
Aceyalone, the two brothers have been asked to help promote
Ezekiel’s spring fashion line.
Clothing sponsorships signify success in the hip-hop community,
but this spring Nick Black will be sporting some other items that
mean success everywhere else ““ a tassel and robe from
UCLA.
A bachelor’s degree in sociology may not mean much in the
music world, but to Nick Black, a degree is one more accomplishment
to add on the resume.
“It’s been hard to balance school and music but
it’s been worth it,” he said. “When we all first
get to college they tell you to pick a major. Unfortunately I
wasn’t offered the major of my choice. I had to go out and
create my own, but it’s been a great experience. I
wouldn’t trade it for anything.”
