In late 1999, John Reuben's former touring partner, VOCAB MALONE, moved from Columbus, Ohio to Phoenix, Arizona to attend college. Shortly after, VOCAB met dj-turned-producer CRE ONE and the two began working together. At one of their early performances, a young emcee named CHANCELLOR volunteered for an on-stage freestyle. The pair were struck by his off-kilter creativity and subsequently started doing shows with him.
At one of these said shows, VOCAB invited a work colleague who called himself DJ FIDEL CASTRO. CASTRO was impressed with the trio's ministry style and hip hop sensibilities. CASTRO, who was a turntablist with an indie-rock background, began tag-teaming with the multi-talented CRE to take on the "crew's" ever-growing cutting and producing responsibilities.
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Two years passed and the duo had embarked upon various solo projects. During one of these said ventures, VOCAB was promoting his new CD on a local radio station. The host of the show was EMCEE QUEST, a street hustler turned youth pastor. He had a fire and intensity VOCAB would remember for many days afterward. Eventually, the two became fast friends and rhyming partners.
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By 2003, all three of the artists were involved with Urban Artists United [UAU], a hip hop unity movement. UAU events soon began attracting heads from all over the city. A young mc/graffiti artist named FAYNT became a crowd favorite at UAU's Open Mic Nite. Faynt represented a new breed of artist: multi-talented, lyrically mature, and female! She soon recorded some scorching material with DJ Cre One that proved she was ready to be heard.
A California by-the-way of Michigan resident known as EMAYUS heard about
UAU and wanted to be a part of it - so much, in fact, he moved to Arizona with no car or job; just the hope of being used by God. Next thing anyone knew, the super-lyrical EMAYUS was opening up for Mars ill with CASTRO as his partner! After the event, VIDAL - a huge guy who actually used his real
name - came up to EMAYUS and wanted to know how he could be involved with this burgeoning scene. Of course, EMAYUS and CASTRO quickly introduced VIDAL to everyone they knew who had ever picked up a mic.
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By this time, all felt a special musical kinship. Talk of a group project was met with great excitement. The newly formed group chose a name that was unique, simple, and yet clearly descriptive ... PEOPLE THAT RAP! Why? Folks often forget that not all rap artists are caricatures, but legitimate creators and sometimes even relatively "normal" citizens - people who work, raise families, and go to school.
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In fact, people involved with hip hop may even be Christians striving for positive change within the genre and culture; such is the case with PEOPLE THAT RAP.
