Inland acts aim for hip-hop big leagues with ‘Draft Day’
Sub Pop Records helped grunge explode out of Seattle. Sun Studio in Memphis launched rock ’n’ roll. Now, Chrome Studios wants to be the reason people associate the Inland Empire with hip-hop.
And to do this, the Montclairbased outfit drafted more than a dozen Inland Empire rappers, producers and vocalists to record an 11-track compilation of original music titled “Draft Day.”
“Be ready, we’re coming because all of these artists are on to something individually and together. If you don’t know about us now, you will,” said Rojaynae Tillis, a 26-year-old Moreno Valley resident who raps under the name Activethegreat and is one of the artists featured on the newly released album.
The album is being followed by the release today of a documentary that chronicles the recording process, which started with the launch of the studio in May.
“This is not only to get as much attention as we can for the artists but to try to get as much attention for us as a community,” said Mohammed Moussa, co-founder of Chrome Studios.
“The scene here shouldn’t be ignored. There are talented people here; they got their own sound and they’re proud to be where they’re from,” he said.
Moussa and co-founder Nima Ghamari operate Chrome Studios out of a 1,400-square-foot warehouse space that’s not just going to be used as a way to expose the Inland Empire’s hip-hop scene, but to help local artists of all genres record music near their communities and to hold events like concerts and other gatherings.
“We want to invest in local creators. That’s all we want to do; we want to help turn their ideas into reality,” Moussa said.
There’s even a basketball tournament planned for Aug. 14 at El Barrio Park in Claremont, where many of the artists on the album will play against each other and any members of the public who sign up to compete.
Showing what they can do
While numerous hip-hop artists have risen to fame out of the Inland Empire, including Curtiss King, Noa James and Lighter Shade of Brown, the idea for the studio’s first project was spawned when Moussa noticed so many local talented artists performing at backyard and garage shows and not getting much stage time in formal music venues.
“I don’t feel there’s a lot of local talent that’s getting the chance to show what they can do, and there’s definitely a lot of talent in the Inland Empire,” he said.
So Moussa and Ghamari tapped local artists they knew for the album, which is a true collaboration, since each song features at least two artists.
Those artists then spread the word to other rappers and vocalists in the Inland Empire, like Tillis. The album also includes A+, DBD Halo, Don Luxe, Dynasty, Eddie Teak, Fungshway J, Hannah Abrahim, LaHenny, Newell,
Omod and Yace.
“The hope is that we can pull all these people together because they are all talented and they all have their individual audiences, and then put them in one place with the hope that throughout this entire process fans will become fans of other artists on the tape and they’ll collectively give themselves a boost,” Moussa said.
Tillis, who performs all over the Inland Empire at house parties, warehouses, hookah bars and street shows, had just finished recording her own album and jumped at the chance to collaborate with fellow Inland Empire artists.
“One of the producers started cooking up a beat on spot and it was over from there. Like everyone just vibed, wrote together, made beats together,” she said.
“It was beautiful because it was not about anything else but the music,” Tillis said.