Dave Ghetto and Tha S Ence

“People come out with what’s hot for the moment and always trying to come out with the next hot shit; I bring the hotness all the time. Dave Ghetto is Dave Ghetto all the time, still the same person. People feel comfortable paying attention with what I do, because I’m comfortable with what I do and who I am.”

So, the question he has for you is; where is the significance in hip hop? From message music to snap music, our choice in determining worth is slim and for real hip hop heads; music for your ears is scarce. It’s time for artists to talk about real issues. Dave Ghetto and his producer Tha S Ence are the brains behind Hustle Simmons. The album dedicated to the struggle and lively hood of adults, their realities and the tour de force being an emcee in a business targeted to money spending teens that don’t think beyond their next pair of kicks. Candid would be a great word to use, their approach is subtle yet raw enough to grab your attention and keep it. This isn’t a game. Too many artists of today target their demographic to young people because they know their attention space is slim. Not to degrade the mentality of our peers 15+, but…it’s true. Soldier Boy couldn’t be critiqued in a college class based on hip hop, the time spent wouldn’t be worth it; consequently the reason why Hustle Simmons isn’t for the young minded. “I always say this; it’s an age group of people that grew up with hip hop and nobody makes music for them anymore. Even Jay-Z at his most mature point still makes reference to drug relations. When I got to get up in the morning and get ready for work. I’m not trying to hear that. Tell me about child support and baby mama drama. Relate to me on that shit. People don’t do it. The powers that be aren’t ready for it. With youth, they spend a lot of money, they buy anything. As an adult you are more aware of how you spend your money. But, at the same time children’s attention span is that of a mosquito and once they suck your blood it’s over. With hip hop the thing about being an artist is longevity. I’ve been releasing records since 1997 consistently, featured, toured, had shit in movies. Not too many people in my circle can say that.”

It hasn’t been that easy for Ghetto to transition to a man of his competence. From early influences of street violence, drugs and rift raft, Ghetto made choices that eventually provided opportunities that would give him the advantage of weaving in and out of street culture. Outside of being an emcee, he’s the director of Camden’s YMCA Achiever’s Program. Taking his life experiences and using them to influence positive change in the lives of youth today. “Despite where we go, we know where we’ve come from. We came up in the streets, but at the same time I have a Masters Degree and I’m the only one that I know that really attempted college. And, my friends that I came up with are still my friends…we still have a lot in common.” He hasn’t left his familiar atmosphere and that’s the beauty in his approach. He knows how to relate to those that need to be heard. Music lacks this balance. Internet outlets, television and radio stations are focused in the mainstream side of hip hop. In Ghetto’s words; “Music completely lacks balance. Like certain internet sites are focused on the tree hugger rappers where mainstream radio and TV are focused on the bang bang shoot-em up rappers. A lot of tree hugger artists want to make you think that they don’t go to the club and party, or get with chicks…I do all that. I’m too gangster to be back-pack, but I’m too backpack to be gangster. I can write something and fit in with someone from the city; any dudes that say they sell crack and shoot people, without saying exactly that. I’m able to walk that fine line that many people aren’t.”

Able to relate is the plus side of Ghetto and Tha S Ence’s latest album Hustle Simmons. As producer of this project, Tha S Ence has mastered the ability to make a record, where many only know how to make a beat for a single track. “I listen more to beats on an album and how other producers put songs together. I’m instantly attracted to J Dilla. I can’t listen to most mainstream producers,” explains Tha S Ence. As critical as he sounds, it’s benefited. “When we sat down to create this album, we created more than just making a track. A lot of the interweaving is a part of production and that’s the problem with the record business now, people are just buying singles because no one knows how to make an album.”

So, perhaps that’s the issues with hip hop! Both artists agree that hip hop is regional right now; the South being the dominating coast. “They do have quality artists down there and with the internet it’s so easy for Pookie from up the block to put a song on MySpace or YouTube. That’s what I like from the business side of music; you had to be polished to get a record out. You don’t have to go to school to be an engineer or a producer, everyone writes rhymes right now. Now that there are 100,000 records coming out and you have to search to find the 4 great records, there aren’t that many quality artists.” You could probably count quality artists on both hands. Selection is very low these days, but as Tha S Ence puts it, “We’re surrounded by so much garbage.”

So, how do artists fix this? With Ghetto’s previous album, Love Life?, the question he posed was to get his audience thinking. Do you love life? Is what you do and how you live worth your daily fight? There’s no easy answer and development of this project definitely reflected Ghetto’s position in his life. Appreciating the little things was the focus. “The album developed quickly and I wanted to get to the core of what people were dealing with. Do you appreciate what you a have despite what you don’t have? I could sit and complain about the shit I do have and the shit I don’t have, it rounds me to be the person I am today. I got a shit ass job, some would say, but I have a job. Or I have to put X amount of dollars in my car, but some people don’t have cars or are living in cars.”

Love Life? could be considered the soft album, where Hustle Simmons surfaces real life issues without hesitation. It’s not preachy nor is this a message packed album, but it’s a guarantee album that will keep your head movin’. “It’s a project we’ve been working on for little less than a year. To be honest, the album was done last year, very quickly. We are releasing it on iTunes and other digital distribution sites. We are leaning more towards the digital download thing, because people are less programmed to go into a store and buy CDs than we were.” As true as that may be, you can check out Hustle Simmons at www.myspace.com/daveghetto hip-hop’s revolution is here.