The Chachi Interview, Part 1 of 2

Chachi, the dynamic and entrepreneurial force behind the slept-on Providence, RI Hip Hop scene, rolled through the Amie Street office this week for a Q&A. In case you don't know, Chachi was an Amie Street first mover, dropping his tracks on the block from the get. If you haven't heard 2 FLOOR YACHT feat. SWANN , GROOVE feat. ICEY or THATS MY BOY feat. SWANN NOTTY you must.

What's up Chachi? You're in Providence now, but where are you from originally?

I'm from Pawtucket, next door to Providence. Same thing that's going on there is going on here.

There are a lot of people out there who don't know anything about Rhode Island and Providence. How would you describe the nation's smallest state and its capital city?

I like to call Rhode Island the "vacuum state". It's easy to get wrapped up in a lifestyle here. Rhode Island is so laidback; they're a lot of open minded people around here. If you want to live in the fast lane, you can. If not, you don't have too. A lot of people who move out of Rhode Island end up coming back, and a lot of people who move in, for school or whatever, end up staying. There's so much going on, so many cultures, it's so diverse.

I love Rhode Island. It will always be home to me. I love the people, I love the culture. Everything I know, I learned here in Rhode Island - my whole style, how I walk, how I talk.

I've seen Rhode Island change a lot over the years. I've been working with kids for over ten years. Now there aren't as many people around taking care of the kids. Violence is still on the rise and kids are controlling the climate. There aren't as many programs for the kids. Money is driving everyone, the adults, the kids. That's the biggest change. When I was growing up, we all wanted to be the best athlete. Now, instead of trying to be like Michael Jordan, you've kids trying to be the trying to be the biggest hustler. We had drug dealers but they operated in a totally different way.

What's the story with Hip Hop in Providence? What's the scene? Does it have a distinct flavor or does it reflect happenings in NYC and Boston?

It definitely reflects what's going on in New York and Boston. We're still way, way under the radar, but there's a lot of flavor and a lot of talent. The city of Providence is a rising arts community. There's a lot of potential for Providence to become the radar, not just stuck under it. The city's being renovated, they're tearing down projects to build condos, filmmakers are coming here to shoot movies. There's lots of media attention. Eventually it's got to filter down into the music community.

There is a community here of Hip Hop artists and supporters. There's been no major outbreak of artists but people have been supporting, just not in large numbers. I've been here ten years doing shows. It's the same grind - overworked, underpaid. I had to become a promoter out of necessity. But Hip Hop is what I love to do. I'd love to be a successful MC in the world of music and still be here in Rhode Island, and it's very possible. But unity is definitely needed in Rhode Island. Hip Hop is a competitive game in such a small state. People need to be more supportive.

Who are the hottest Hip Hop artists in Provi? Who needs to be heard now?

One artist in particular I can mention is my producer who's been with me my entire career, J'Depina. Most of the time the MC gets the bulk of the attention, but without the producer there is no music. J'Depina has a classic sound and it's only a matter of time before mainstream artists catch his vibe and steal him from me.

But I don't want to hand pick anyone else. I love the scene. Once Rhode Island Hip Hop gets some media focus, once we get eyes, people are going to realize there's so much talent you won't be able to hand pick. We've got a great voice with so many different people and cultures. Our view from the vacuum state is a good one.

What are your thoughts on Hip Hop nationwide? Who's doing it right, who's messing up?

A lot of mainstream Hip Hop is way too watered down. It doesn't really represent what I feel, the original art form, the hunger, the drive, or the rawness. It's a biased opinion based on my age. To younger kids, the Crunk Movement, the down South explosion, that's Hip Hop.

I don't consider myself an underground artist. I consider myself a roots based artist - all I need are some boom-bap beats, dope lyrics and a fresh hook.

If you pay attention, you can find good Hip Hop wherever you go. Or at least you'll be entertained. That's the beauty of Hip Hop, it's abused and exploited, but loved globally.