The Athens hip-hop scene has a new outlet for performance and community interaction with the Writer's Bench, a hip-hop showcase running the second and fourth Thursday of each month at Casa Nueva, 4 W. State St.
The name the Writer's Bench comes from benches in New York subway stations where graffiti artists, writers
would meet and trade tags. Charles Budde, who hosts the Writer's Bench and who also does hip-hop booking and promotion for Casa, said he chose the name because it's where the hip-hop artists can hang out.
The Bench, which began at the end of Winter Quarter, combines the four elements of hip-hop: DJ, MC, graffiti artists and breakers. Budde wants to provide a place where hip-hop fans can come together and interact, rather than just see performances.
It's an attempt to get an actual community scene going on Budde said.
Graffiti artists who bring in their black books can get into the show for $2.
It's always been a big part of the hip-hop scene he said.
He also is going to give discounts to breakers that he sees perform.
An event Tuesday at the Union will be The Writer's Bench presents
and MC Mars Ill is scheduled to perform with DJ Dos Noun. Budde will perform under the DJ name FUBAR. He is also an MC in The Resurrected with DJ Indigo Child.
In the future, Budde plans to have battles at the Bench, probably once a quarter. He plans to keep it going through next year, when Casa will be twice as large.
Once we can establish a crowd I'll feel comfortable bringing down more bigger-name shows
Budde said.
He is hoping that word-of-mouth will spread knowledge of the show and draw hip-hop fans.
Jim Korte, a senior visual communications major, headlined the first Writer's Bench in March. Korte, who performs under the name Kres Tiu, said that while the first event began slowly, it should get better as the weeks go by.
Korte said the Athens hip-hop scene is definitely starting to develop this year and there are five times as many opportunities to perform hip-hop now as compared to last year.
Senior audio production major Dan Haug, aka DJ Ruckus Roboticus, said he expects the typical Athens hip-hop crowd to be at tonight's show. Haug, who performs at Dance or Die, said they are a great crowd and because they are knowledgeable of hip-hop he can play obscure and older music.
I don't have to play popular stuff; I can play the really good hip-hop that the mainstream might not be aware of
Haug said.
Haug said there are a lot of performers and fans in the Athens hip-hop scene, as well as leaders, including the Hip Hop Congress - a national student organization - and Budde. We have numbers and it's a positive vibe and there's leaders that can really take charge and make things happen.
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Megan Chew
