We’re about five weeks into our Wednesday night BGC Beat Club up at the Cultural Arts Center, and I must say, this last session I saw the original vision for the teen hip hop program come to fruition perfectly.  I brought in Lord Judah (above right), my dude from White Plains who teaches hip hop workshops for kids all over Westchester and NYC, to help lead us from the very first week.  We’ve worked together alot in the past (and performed together) and through a grant provided by the Westchester Arts Council I was able to pay him for his time.  He brings all his beat machines (SP-505, SP 606, and we own a SP-404 at the club) and works with the kids on production, teaching them how to program drums and sample songs, and even dabbling in hip hop history and songwriting with them.  With the use of Garage Band, which you can actually chop samples really easily on the low with, and all the other equipment, we created alot of possibilities for the kids to choose from to make tracks.  Some are more into writing, so we work with them on their bars and hook them up with lots of instrumentals to write to while our beat team puts together original joints for them.  And some just want to dance, like my dudes Team Highlite who I featured recently right here at Westcheddar.  Check them out dancing to one of my new songs “Do the Dumb Out”…LOL at me going in at 2:50….

That video was made in one take, just a warm up of sorts.  I played them the song last week, which they actually inspired me to make (I never made a dance song before!), and they loved it and couldn’t stop singing it.  You should hear them imitate my voice, it’s hysterical.  All they ever want to do is dance, and I support that completely, kna’ mean?  I’m glad they felt it.  We got some other great footage too that I’ll be helping the kids put together next week…

No that’s not a gang sign, that’s the Team Highlite symbol, ya heard?  Check some other pics of what’s been going on in the lab.  Our set up is tight.  We have one room for dancing and a lab for making beats, recording, and writing…

I’ll keep you posted as we progress.  We’re just getting started, but there’s alot of potential in this group.  For now, just do the dumb out and poke ya thumbs out.  NOW DO IT!!! HA HA HA HA!!!!  Peace…