Cooperage will go underground via Subway Tour
By Daily Bruin Staff
Feb. 28, 2002 9:00 p.m.
By Kathleen Dunphy
Daily Bruin ContributorÂ
Kids dreaming of being musicians usually think bright lights,
stadium-sized crowds and tour buses that stretch for miles.
The third installation of The Subway Tour, kicking off its
western North America trek at UCLA’s Cooperage this evening,
exemplifies a different type of tour.
Made up of MCs who aren’t signed to major labels, The
Subway Tour aims to get the word out on artists whose sound has an
underground vibe in contrast to the music put out by commercial rap
stars.
Mr. Complex, the self-described “30-something” MC,
who is not only headlining the tour but also doing all the
organizing, likens the “underground” sound to that of
early-’90s hip-hop.
“It’s a whole different sound from what’s on
mainstream MTV. It became a sound, and that sound is not for the
masses. It’s not a sound that’s real easy,”
Complex said.
Another artist on the tour, Mr. Len, doesn’t see as much
of a difference between underground and commercial rap.
“The term underground is kind of used wrong to me,”
Len said. “You’re underground by coincidence. I’m
underground because I won’t pay for the airplay. You make
music, you wanna be heard. I don’t make it just for the two
people who live next door to hear it.”
The Subway Tour is a departure from the tours 26-year-old Len
usually does. It gives lesser-known acts a chance to get road
experience rather than showcase well-known MCs.
“It’s kind of home grown. For the cats on the album
that aren’t as seasoned, it’s a chance to get some road
work,” Len said.
Other artists on the tour include Mikah 9 and El-Fudge. Some of
the stops will feature local acts as well, with the lineup varying
between cities. With as many as 10 hours on the road between some
of their shows, a lot of travel is involved.
Complex even triples as the tour’s driver. Seven men, 13
shows, one Chevy Blazer, and plenty of rhymes.
“A lot of the shows aren’t paying that much money,
not enough to fly a driver out,” said Complex, who’s
based out of Brooklyn. “It’s gonna be tight. I’m
just bringing a few clothes. More drawers and socks than anything
else.”
The artists, however, feel the crowds heading to The Subway Tour
are coming more for the music than the onstage fashion.
“These shows are for hip-hop lovers, not just like a
Saturday night party,” Len said.
Complex also discussed the crowds that attend his shows. He
mostly sees older fans, people who appreciated his sound when it
actually was the early ’90s. Occasionally he sees younger
fans into the music.
“I look at him and think, I got rhymes older than
him,” he said, after mentioning the 15-year-olds he sees at
the rare all-ages shows his tours include.
It was in film school that Complex noticed friends were able to
make a living out of music, and decided he could try it as
well.
“Of this whole art of rap the part that I love the most is
performing. I can’t believe people really pay me to do
this,” he said.
Len expressed a similar sentiment.
“I like to be out on the road, so I get out as much as I
can,” Len said. “As long as I know people are going to
show up then cool ““ I’m down with it.”
MUSIC: The Subway Tour stops tonight at the
Cooperage in Ackerman Union.
