Vet harnesses ‘power of words’ as musician
The Army infantryman carried the music he created to Fallujah, inside the Iraqi war zone. Each day, he looked forward to losing himself in rap and rhymes after dangerous armed patrols, looking out for comrades, trying to survive.
A reconnaissance scout with the combat infantry, he found peace in a makeshift recording studio in his “Chu,” a containerized housing unit. The shipping container, built for two to eight soldiers, was his refuge. When his Humvee rumbled to a stop, the days’ horrors and 14-hour gunfights lingered until he washed it away with the dust and sweat from 100-plusdegree heat.
He’d adjust a microphone, hooked to the low ceiling, and tap ‘record’ on his laptop. That’s when his frustrations and fears flowed through lyrics that would later inspire an album called “Let Me Vent.”
Cedric Bellamy is still venting.
“The power of words is amazing,” said Bellamy, 38. “My body of work covers depression, PTSD and mental illness in the mind of a Black man.”
Performing as Legacy City, the 10-year Army veteran rose in the music industry with the support of family, high school friends and people he went to war with. He is CEO and founder of Streetligion Productions, which includes a recording studio, television network and radio station. Streetligion is a mix of the words “street” and “religion.”
Bellamy has performed in Europe, opening for internationally known artists such as J. Cole, Kendrick Lamar and Kanye West. As a music producer for independent artists, he has been certified platinum six times and twice as a gold executive producer. Bellamy has also charted on the itunes Top 100 Hip Hop charts six times.
Plaques in his studio are etched with “1,000,000,” the number of streams on Spotify, in gospel, R&B, jazz, reggae, comedy and hip-hop.
Bellamy’s path to becoming a streaming titan wasn’t easy. He grew up in Columbus, Ga., by way of Phenix City, Ala., between the secular and religious worlds. Words in books spoke to him, slipping into rhymes he mimicked like Tupac, his favorite rapper. Bellamy was 13 when he began battle rapping against his older brother Jerell Harris in their bedroom.
It was an accident the first time he showed his skills. He was at a neighborhood block party, called a “Hay Good,” when his older brother challenged him and pushed Bellamy in the center of the crowd. Bellamy, underage, launched a verbal assault that drew roars and cheers. Becoming a professional rapper became his goal.
He sharpened his skills, focusing on poetry and history. Unable to afford studio equipment, Bellamy enlisted in the Army in 2005 to pay for his passion. In 2006, he was one of 170,000 soldiers who took part in the surge of the Iraq War.
The Army taught him structure and appreciation for other cultures. He married young, and multiple deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan strained his marriage. Bonds forged in combat became his support network as a civilian.
After leaving the Army, Bellamy had to learn the ways of the civilian world, a striking difference from military life.
Bellamy’s introduction as a spoken word artist in San Antonio came at 2nd Verse at the Continental Cafe, a hub for spoken word poetry, hip-hop and up-tempo music. He honed his skills performing with Gloria “Glo” Armmer, Kinton “FYI” Armmer and San Antonio poet laureate Andrea “Vocab” Sanderson. After eight months, Bellamy earned the spotlight, displaying his artistry in the intimate room packed with crowds, close enough to touch.
For two years, Bellamy saved his earnings from performances to buy his own recording studio. The proactive move had a cost — he was homeless. No one knew he slept in his truck beneath underpasses and bridges after shows.
Retired military veterans helped set his life on track. Elvin Vega and Bryn Williams put Bellamy in touch with the Veterans Affairs office to secure benefits.
On his 34th birthday, Bellamy received the keys to his studio on West Avenue.
His most important album is the second of a three-part series titled “I’m Still Venting” — it features soldiers who deployed with him and high school friends from his hometown.
“The making of me is in that album,” Bellamy said.
He is represented by Aplaz Management, owned by retired Army 1st Sgt. John P. Baker. His first manager, Willie White III, aka “Will Flux,” a retired Army sergeant first class, still keeps up with the artist’s career. He called Bellamy’s work ethic the prototype other men should follow.
“I’m amazed to watch someone of his caliber,” said White, 51. “He’s a strong man who decided not to accept defeat.”
Bellamy’s daughters, Melanie and Maya, both 8, are his heart’s desire. He carries a video of Melanie, who is autistic, walking with an adaptive device in Special Olympics. He’s invested in his daughters’ futures, featuring them as album producers so they will receive publishing and writing credits. The veteran said his focus is teaching independent artists financial and economic literacy.
“I’m trying to offer what I didn’t have, which is opportunity and resources,” Bellamy said. “I’m trying to be what I didn’t have growing up.”