Self-made rappers aim to produce songs with substance
Charlie Ferris and Kamari Pope, both sophomore television writing and production majors, members of rap duo “Maplewood,” have three songs on SoundCloud. There most popular song, “i’m doing well now,” has 1,486 views. Photos by Orion Huang
Rap is the second fastest growing music genre, with artists like Cardi B and Migos spending multiple weeks at the top of the Billboard Hot 100 chart according to USA Today, but some artists in the genre have turned to a new way of releasing music. Rappers like Post Malone, Lil Yachty, Ugly God, Lil Uzi Vert, Lil Pump and 6ix9ine have gained recognition through SoundCloud, a music streaming platform that allows anyone to listen to, create and share musical content.
Some Chapman students have capitalized on the new platform, like Charlie Ferris and Kamari Pope, who make up the rap duo “Maplewood.” Ferris and Kamari were saddened by the recent death of rapper Mac Miller on Sept. 7 due to drug overdose, they said.
“He saved my life,” said Charlie Ferris, a sophomore television writing and production major.
“Mac Miller has always been one of my favorite rappers … What made me really respect him was when he started talking about mental health. His music has taught me we can always do better, and that the way you feel is valid, but you don’t have to let that pain affect you in harmful ways.”
The duo said they want to promote positivity, like Miller.
“It’s sad to see him go at such a young age, but it’s definitely added to our conversation about what we’re talking about, and how it needs to have substance,” Pope said.
Ferris and Pope have been best friends since kindergarten. Together, they chose the group name Maplewood to honor their kindergarten school on Maple Avenue in New York, they said. Maplewood has three songs posted on SoundCloud and is still in the process of finding their sound, they said.
“I respect artists who do this for fun,” said Ferris, “but that’s not what this is for us. My mom was a hip-hop journalist. This is a part of her legacy. For us, it feels like we have to be saying something, even if it’s a turn-up party song, we have to pepper in (expletive) that’s real.”
Everett Pearson, a junior business major with a music technology minor, is also a part of the rap world, but on the more technical side ﹘ including vocal processing, mixing and mastering. He produces music for many different artists, including Spit Infinity, a rapper based in Portland, Oregon, who gets more than 9,500 monthly plays on Spotify.
Pearson first heard about Chapman’s music technology program as a freshman in high school, and started submitting his own work through the program’s online collaborative opportunities.
“It forced me to put things out regardless of how good or bad it was, and that’s really important as a producer ﹘ to put yourself on deadlines like that. You need a volume of work,” Pearson said.
The members of Maplewood enjoy performing their music live. In the past, they’ve done backyard concerts in both New York and Los Angeles, and they plan on doing more performances throughout the year. Ferris and Pope are especially interested in starting a new music event at Chapman where different student artists can collaborate and celebrate their work.
“One of the beauties of being at Chapman is the music scene is ripe for the taking,” Ferris said. “It’s a place that’s yearning for an environment like that. We have to set the precedent. What we’re trying to do is not just get us out here, but start a movement.”