Credit: ct mirror The birth of the art form that became hip-hop is traced back, in music legend, to a party in the South Bronx, some 50 years ago. DJ Kool Herc spun his turntables on August 11, 1973, introducing a now infamous drum break during a back-to-school party in his apartment at 1520 Sedgwick Ave.     It wouldn’t take long for this poetic, rhythmic and incisive form of cultural expression to make its way just a few miles up the Metro-North Railroad into Connecticut. But the state’s hip-hop scene, now nearly a half-century in, can get lost in the shadow of the big city. Last summer, The Connecticut Mirror traveled the state, interviewing and photographing individuals who represent the past, present and future of the state’s homegrown hip-hop culture. DJs, rappers, producers and music executives have all played a role in advancing the culture and sound of hip-hop in Connecticut.  DJ Terrible Tee at his home in Stratford. Credit: Tabius McCoy / CT Mirror The beginnings  Hip-hop emerged in Connecticut in the city of Stamford in the late 1970s, less than an hour from the Bronx.  “It was an aftershock from what had happened next door” said Stamford native Tyrone Dunmore, better known as DJ Terrible Tee. Dunmore has been a DJ since the ’70s, inspired by the rhythms of rapper and producer Afrika Bambaataa and DJ Grandmaster Flash. “I knew I had to get a set of turntables,” he said. “Their cadence, the rhythm. It was a show, man. And it was like, ‘Wow, I can relate to that.'”  Rap was distinct from the disco scene that dominated clubs and stereos throughout the late 1960s and ’70s. Community centers and roller rinks across Fairfield County — including the Yerwood Center, Chester Addison Community Center, South End Community Center and Stratford Roller Park — became hubs for hip-hop parties. And they were packed, Dunmore recalled. “It was a bit different from what everyone else was doing,” he said, reflecting on hip-hop’s early days in Stamford. “We didn’t know it at the time, but we were witnessing something epic.” Thanks to hip-hop DJs and MCs (Masters of Ceremonies) — such as Starchild & T-Bone, Terrible Tee, Mr. Magic, Tuff Two MCs and others — the budding music form and the culture around it grew in popularity. Word of Connecticut’s hip-hop scene was starting to spread.   James Harrison (Superman Jay), Jacque D. Lloyd (The Human Jock Box), and Shaun Harrison (Shockin’ Shawn) made up the Skinny Boys, who are considered to be the first Connecticut hip-hop group to sign to a record label. A couple of teens out of Bridgeport By the 1980s, major record labels were taking note. In Bridgeport, two smooth, lyrical, rhyme-producing brothers and their cousin, who possessed a distinct, yet well-respected, beatbox talent, formed the group The Skinny Boys. They were James Harrison (Superman Jay), Shaun Harrison (Shockin’ Shawn) and their cousin Jacque D. Lloyd (The Human Jock Box).  The group signed in 1986 with Warlock Records, a label founded by Adam Levy, the son of music executive Morris Levy, who managed major labels like Buddah Records. (Buddah boasted other major stars like Gladys Knight & the Pips.) “At the time there really weren’t any major groups or solo hip-hop artists from Connecticut that had signed major record deals”, Dunmore explained. “Part of their key to success was being in the right place and being dedicated.”   The Skinny Boys signed with Warlock Records in 1986. The Skinny Boys are widely considered to be the first hip-hop artists born and raised in Connecticut to sign a mainstream record deal, according to many MCs and DJs who came before them. The group released its debut album, “Weightless,” in 1986. A year later, they released “Skinny and Proud” under the independent label, Jive Records. The Skinny Boys have traveled the world, and their music has been featured in commercials, TV shows and movies. But even now, they say they owe a lot to the MCs who came before them. “We didn’t start hip-hop in Connecticut. We just inherited it,” James Harrison said. New Haven rapper Jimi Slice. In the 1990s he was one of Stezo’s recording partners. Credit: Tabius McCoy / CT Mirror New Haven’s very own Around the late-80s and early 90s, a new talent was emerging in New Haven — an artist with a clean box fade haircut, a larger-than-life personality and groovy dance moves, who went by the name of Stezo. Stephen “Stezo” Williams first caught the national eye for his moves while working as a backup dancer for the famous hip-hop duo EPMD. After leaving the group, Williams connected with friends Jim Dennis (Jimi Slice) and Chris Lowe and the trio produced Stezo’s debut album, “Crazy Noise,” in 1989.  In 1994, after a five-year drought, Williams and Dennis released the hit single, “Bop Ya Headz.”  One of the first albums released by Stezo. Jimi Slice is on the cover (far right). Credit: Tabius McCoy / CT Mirror “The song came about when me and Stezo were just chilling at a cookout in his backyard and started freestyling over Roberta Flack’s ‘Back Together Again,’” Dennis said. “We were just having fun, and sometimes that’s what hip-hop is all about.” When Williams died in 2020 at age 52, the news came as a shock to the hip-hop industry — not only in Connecticut but worldwide. “I remember getting the call from Chris Lowe and I just started crying because that’s not something I would expect,” Dennis said. “I expected for us to age gracefully, we weren’t supposed to pass away like that.” June Archer at his home surrounded by Recording Industry Association of America awards. Credit: Tabius McCoy / CT Mirror The businessman The downstairs foyer of June Archer’s home in Ardsley, N.Y., is lined with platinum and gold plaques from the Recording Industry Association of America, along with certificates and letters of recognition. Several of the honors feature famous names of co-collaborators like Jay-Z. A native of Windsor, Archer started his career in music as an R&B singer for the Connecticut-based R&B group Room Service, which performed on big stages like The Apollo in New York City. Later, as a music executive and entrepreneur, Archer worked alongside some of the biggest names in hip-hop — not just Jay-Z, but Beyoncé, 50 Cent and many more. But Archer’s work goes beyond the hip-hop community. He serves on the board of the Hartford Symphony Orchestra and as a community advocate; he’s widely respected in the music industry and beyond. In 2023, Archer earned a Presidential Lifetime Achievement Award for his accomplishments in music, entertainment, community service and philanthropy. “The hip-hop scene is unique because there’s nobody like Connecticut,” Archer said. “There’s something about us, just the swag is different.” Big Regg of Hot 93.7, recording promos for the Buck n Regg morning show. Credit: Tabius McCoy Keeping the radio scene alive In an age of streaming platforms and digital downloads, Hartford-based radio station WZMX-FM, also known as Hot 93.7, plays an important role in nurturing hip-hop culture. It’s currently the state’s only hip-hop-focused commercial radio station. Every weekday, listeners across the U.S. tune into the Buck n Regg Morning Show — on car stereos, smartphone apps and web players — from 6 a.m. to 10 a.m. Eastern. Co-host Reggie Lester, aka DJ Big Regg, has been on the air for more than 25 years. “Before a station like Hot 93.7 came on air, it wasn’t the easiest for Connecticut hip-hop artists to get national commercial attention, as many of the hip-hop stations in Connecticut were smaller college stations” he said. “Connecticut is just a market that loves good music,” said Lester, who was born here. “I always make it a point to do something with local artists.” ANoyd at his mom’s house where he lived as a teen and wrote many of his first raps. Credit: Tabius McCoy / CT Mirror Just a kid from Bloomfield Dashorn Whitehead, who uses the artist moniker ANoyd, was born and raised in Bloomfield. Known for his thought-provoking and lyrical flow, Whitehead has worked tirelessly in the music scene for over a decade, striving to show the world that the suburbs are a fount of hip-hop talent.  Many of his singles have reached over 1 million streams on platforms like Spotify. And while he’s gained global attention performing alongside the likes of famous hip-hop artists Chris Webby and Apathy, and with legendary audio journalist Sway Calloway, Whitehead has stayed true to his home state of Connecticut. “I’ll always rep Connecticut. It’s home to me,” he said. Joe Grit$ with his daughter in the Norwalk neighborhood where he spent part of his childhood. Credit: Tabius McCoy / CT Mirror The unsung art Joe Thompson, better known as Joe Grit$, is one of the originators of the battle rap scene in Connecticut, which got its start in the early 2000s. Battle rap is a form of freestyle rap in which artists compete against each other, taking turns delivering lyrics and trying to come up with the most creative rhymes. Usually, battles end with a winner.  “I just started battle rapping originally in the high school cafeteria,” Thompson, a 2003 graduate of Central High School in Bridgeport, explained. “I don’t want to say I introduced battle rap to Connecticut, but I started at the beginning of the YouTube era” he said. Thompson spent time in both Bridgeport and Norwalk growing up, and began exploiting what were then new platforms to publish rap battles and “diss records” — tracks criticizing other rappers — in the early 2000s. “I remember using Napster to burn CDs back in high school to burn instrumentals before we could go on YouTube” he said. Cityy Towers, a prominent battle rapper from the east side of Bridgeport, has been on the hip-hop scene for more than a decade. Credit: Tabius McCoy / CT Mirror “Battle rap, in a way, is the lost art” Cityy Towers, a prominent battle rapper from the East Side of Bridgeport, has been on the scene since 2009 after graduating high school. He said he felt there weren’t a lot of battle rappers representing Bridgeport so he decided to take on the competition.  Cityy Towers, who didn’t give his real name, has competed in some of the industry’s premier battle rap leagues, from King of The Dot to iBattleTv. “No beat, no rhythm, just words,” is what makes battle rap so powerful, he said. “No one cares about what you did in the past. You gotta perform in that moment.” Laquaysha Brown, aka QB Black Diamond, was born and raised in Bridgeport. Credit: Tabius McCoy / CT Mirror In a male-dominated industry, Laquaysha Brown might be one of the most-streamed battle rappers from Connecticut. Brown, better known as QB Black Diamond, was born and raised in Bridgeport, and she’s immensely proud of her city. Since entering the battle rap scene in 2010, Brown has made her mark. Many of her battles have clocked over 1 million views on YouTube.  As Cityy Towers put it, “If you have a Mount Rushmore of Connecticut-based rappers, QB is definitely on there.” Chill Shump, an award-winning producer and Connecticut native, has worked with globally recognized artists including Lil Wayne and Joyner Lucas. Credit: Tabius McCoy / CT Mirror The guy behind the sound Nestled in a studio in Bristol, 15 minutes from his hometown of New Britain, Marquan Shumpert-Reid bobs his head to the snare drum and high hat-dominated track he just created.  Shumpert-Reid, who uses the stage name Chill Shump, is an award-winning producer who has made beats for globally recognized artists such as Lil Wayne, Joyner Lucas and Young M.A, among others. He started producing at 14 in his mother’s basement. Now, a decade later, he still loves the work.  Shumpert-Reid is a versatile producer, comfortable in nearly every genre of music. But he became a pioneer — and highly sought-after producer — of a sound and style native to Connecticut called “Yankin It.”  “It’s fast-paced, energetic, 808 bumping — the drums are just super punchy,” Shumpert-Reid said, describing the style. The “808” is a low bass and percussion machine sound that is often used in hip-hop. Chill Shump makes new beats on FL Studio. Credit: Tabius McCoy / CT Mirror Connecticut-based artists, such as Zoe Dowdell and Snowsa, have featured the sound in their music. A Chill Shump-produced song by Snowsa, featuring Young M.A, called “Yank Riddim,” has been viewed on YouTube over 2.8 million times.  “The sound and the dance in the video is literally birthed here,” Shumpert-Reid said, as he queued up the music video, which was shot in Connecticut. “There’s just a certain bounce to the music,” he said.  “My love for writing music really came about during my freshman year of high school after we lost our house in a house fire, and we were homeless for a little bit,” said Brandon Alers, aka Prolific. Credit: Tabius McCoy / CT Mirror Youngsters from Hartford County Some of the youngest members of Connecticut’s hip-hop scene are two emerging artists from Hartford County. At the age of 20, artists Dahmarre Bournes and Brandon Alers have managed to put their hometowns on the map. Alers, who goes by the name Prolific, was born and raised in Bristol. His parents own a dance studio in Meriden where he spent a lot of time hanging out as a child, and after crossing the stage at Bristol High School’s 2022 commencement, he knew he wanted to pursue music full time.  “Music has always been something that was instilled in me,” he said. Since then, Alers has focused on writing music he hopes will resonate with others. “I have had people message me and say, ‘I like that song you made, it helped change my life,’ or ‘I really appreciate your vulnerability in your music,’” he said.  KWDaGoat with his mom and siblings outside his childhood home. They’re inspirational to his music career. Credit: Tabius McCoy / CT Mirror Bournes, aka Kwdagoat, is a 2022 graduate of Windsor High school. “Windsor is home to me, and I’m never afraid to say where I’m from,” he said.  Bournes discovered his love for making music while in the 7th grade, when he started writing to help him get through a depressing point in life. Since then, he has relied on music to help him get through other rough times.  He dedicated a single from his most recent album, “Life is Beautiful,” to an aunt who died in 2020. “When I lost my aunt, it hurt and I would just use my music to help me express the hurt I was feeling,” he said.  Hip-hop artist Joey Batts. A scene like no other Across the state, hip-hop artists and fans have found their way into a scene they describe as welcoming and unique — and they’re defensive of the strong community that’s grown here. Hip-hop artist Joey Batts, who moved to Connecticut in the early 2000s to attend college, went on to found the nonprofit Hip Hop For the Homeless, which raises money to provide resources for people who are unhoused by hosting hip-hop concerts. “I appreciate Hartford because in a way it welcomed me. I was … the adopted stepchild,” Batts said. Hartford-based artist Andre Blue, known as Dre Got the Blues, said he likes how eclectic Connecticut’s hip-hop culture is. “I think what makes the Connecticut hip-hop scene so unique is that you have so many talented artists, but they each have their own style and a unique sound that they bring,” he said. “There’s no one sound.” BloodBath Blair performing at an outdoor music event in downtown Hartford. Credit: Tabius McCoy / CT Mirror “To be an artist from Connecticut, you have a chip on your shoulder because you have to work twice as hard to prove yourself,” said Hartford-based artist Vincent Blair, who is better known as BloodBath Blair.  “People try to count us out because they think Connecticut is just white fences and no real struggle,” he said.