LYRIC LEAK: AV THE GREAT

 Article by Harlin Anderson, Photos by Will Milne 

We recently ventured out on a school night to catch the hardest working entertainer in Denton, Chris “AV the Great” Avant, doing his thing. It had been too long since we checked out the thriving, local hip hop scene, and the raucous energy radiating throughout the venue made us feel like fools for staying away so long. Avant’s undeniable talents, and the passion he brings to his trade, are sure to keep us coming back again and again and again to see what AV the Great has in store for Denton – not to mention the world. 

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AV, how would you describe your flow? 

AV: I wrote this the other day, and I think it best describes my style: "Is he Gangsta rap, street rap, trap rap, or concious?? Why I gotta choose one? I like having options!"

What's the current state of hip hop in Denton? 

It's as strong as it's ever been. Gold mine if you're looking into investing in entertainment. The artists are together. We just have to get the public to stop feeling like if I listen to this DFW artist, then I can't listen to this DFW Artist. That’s the dumbest shit ever. Like, you listen to all of these other musicians from New York, Miami, Cali, ATL, Louisiana, but you act as though you can't listen to more than one rapper from your own city. That is dumb as hell. 

How have you honed your craft over the years? 

The premise is the same, but the confidence has grown and made my delivery better. At some point in time, I just said IDGAF what nobody says or thinks about my music. I’m talking about my life and the things that affect me – not what is politically correct or the trend in pop culture.

What comes first - the rhymes or the music?

Both. There is no preferred method. With “9th Grade”, I found the beat first, then I wrote the 1st verse, free-styled the hook, the 2nd verse then came out, and then I wrote the third verse.

You mention “Brenda’s baby” at the end of “9th Grade.” Is that a Tupac reference?

Yep.

“...putting this city on the map permanently in the Hip Hop world, and becoming The Greatest artist to ever come out of this area”

— AV on his plans for the future

Who are your musical influences? 

Erykah Badu, Tupac, Jay Z, Nas, Temptations, Nirvana, Led Zeppelin, Scarface, Jimi Hendrix, Bill Withers, Billy Joel, Al Green, Luther Vandross, Jodeci, UGK...a lot, I guess.

“9th Grade” is a cautionary tale spiked with anger and passion. Why is it so important for a song like this to be heard? 

“9th Grade” is all facts. People relate to facts, and everybody relates to High School. It puts the older listener in a reminiscent state, a deep emotional drift to the past, and it puts the current student in either a trance of "I feel what he is saying, this is happening now at my school" – or "I know what to look out for.” A song like this allows me to connect with the audience because when you hear it, you know I'm not lying. It's not really angry it's just emotion. 

Would you call yourself an entertainer or an educator?

I’d call myself a hip hop ARTIST.

Tell us some artists that we might not have heard of - but should definitely check out? 

My whole Trunk Pop Team is coming, and Shaheed Flow is a kid at Denton High School who has a lot of drive and ambition. 

What's next for AV? 

New album in 2014, bringing bigger and better shows to Denton, more videos, more money, and a nationwide presence. Helping as many people as I can, putting this city on the map permanently in the Hip Hop world, and becoming The Greatest artist to ever come out of this area – that’s that's the overall goal.

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AV the Great is a man with a plan. His recent track record of success – he was one of the highlights of this year’s Rock Lottery, and his video for “9th Grade” racked up over 20,000 views in the first week – suggests his master plan has a damn good shot at becoming reality. Don’t  sleep on this one, Dentonites. Get out to the club, and watch AV the Great blow the doors off the joint. You’re next chance isn't far off. AV is playing all the time - keep an eye on the Den10 for his next local show. Be there or regret it for the next 365 days. 

9th Grade by AV the Great

Who woulda thought. 

Back in 9th grade. 

Zerry be back in jail

He caught a double fault

Niggas that I grew up with is smoking wet

Kinda sad they used to be college prospects

Yeah, my Cousin Zerry almost got killed

In the pen this is real saying how it is

Over skrill and some bullshit

Niggas really dying and this game is bullshit

Yeah, they treat us like projects

Throw em in the hole and see if they make it out

That’s why they call it projects

That’s why niggas scream when he make it out

Bitch I come from a good family

We did dirty deeds but still we a good family

Granny raised me right

I know what’s wrong

But still I had to make mistakes to become my own

Man, no hating in this mufucker

I pray for everybody in this mufucker

No telling when he gonna judge us in the mufucker

Who woulda thought I’d have a family in this mufucker

Who woulda thought

Back in 9th grade 

Who woulda thought

Back in 9th grade

Who would a thought

Back in 9th grade

Back in 9th grade

Back in 9th grade

People getting money

People getting locked

Homies smoking rocks

Hoes on the clock

Who woulda thought

Back in 9th grade

Who woulda thought

Back in 9th grade

Who woulda thought

Back in 7th grade

Uncle Kev when to the pen

Back again

I was nineteen when he seat me

Going in the wrong direction so he tried to reach me

I told him, hey I got kicked out of college

Cops wilding on me cuz I was speaking knowledge

Much later

I got them pills

I got that dro

I got skills

Then the nigga got on probation

And he was standing there with that look just waiting

The look said enough

Ever since I been eating instrumentals

Good stuff

Good luck

It’s a war zone

DFW, yeah it’s a warzone 

Who woulda thought 

Back in 9th grade

I’d lose my Aunt Jean and my Uncle James

Who woulda thought

Back in 9th grade 

Who woulda thought

Back in 9th grade

Who would a thought

Back in 9th grade

Back in 9th grade

Back in 9th grade

People getting money

People getting locked

Homies smoking rocks

Hoes on the clock

Who woulda thought

Back in 9th grade

Who woulda thought

Back in 9th grade

Who woulda thought

Black president

2011 and the rich still getting rich

Politician is a politician

Real niggas stand up and stay out of prison

Give my dawg a gang/game

When he come home

Stay away from him

This block more than lukewarm

Hug your girl

Kiss your kids

Look at a map

And lets plan how we gonna take this bitch

Smoke in the chest 

Screaming fuck stress

Look around the club

We all want success

9th grade 

This shit’s crazy

Who would thought we still ain't found Brenda’s baby

AV The Great on Facebook

THE CONVERSATION

Labor Day Weekend is upon us. We're not sure about y'all, but we definitely need the long weekend. As we make our way through Friday, we're filling our headphones at work with local rappers AV The Great and Juicy The Emissary's newest single, "The Conversation." The video for which was filmed right here in Denton. We like that it makes us take a step back and reflect for a moment before we head into September - full speed ahead!

Watch their video and if you like what you see and hear, make sure you keep up with AV through his Facebook or Twitter to keep an eye out for his upcoming shows and new singles. 

SPACE CAMP DEATH SQUAD

photo by Marcus Junius Law ​

Ryan Darbonne went to school at UNT where he mainly hid out in the Radio, Television and Film building for four years. Now, he lives in Austin, working for the Austin Film Festival and rapping about racism in a highly entertaining group called Space Camp Death Squad. On second thought, maybe Darbonne actually got out of the RTVF building every once in a while. After all, he is best buds with plenty of people who still live in town, including our talented friends over at Amandus Studios. In fact, it was some of those great guys that introduced him to the incredible music and creative culture that make up our humble abode. 

You may have caught Space Camp Death Squad playing one of their two shows during 35 Denton, but if you didn't, we highly recommend that you make your way over to Rubber Gloves Rehearsal Studios this Saturday to check them out. 

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You live in Austin now, but you lived in Denton for years and still have a community and friends here that brings you back up pretty often. Tell us about your history with Denton.

In 2004, I moved to Denton where I attended the University of North Texas. In 2009, I graduated cum laude and received my BA in - Wait. Hold on. Jesus. This sounds like the formulaic dust jacket synopsis of my future autobiography (which, b-t-w, I have tentatively titled: “Oh no! There’s a Negro in my Wife! The Ryan Darbonne Story”). Here’s the real scoop: I went to UNT because my grades were shit and no one else would have me. Took some film classes and junk or whatever. Got to direct a thesis film. Had a crush on my French professor. Made sketch comedy videos with some of my best friends in the world. Had sex…once…and went to house shows. That’s it. No. Seriously. My history with Denton is pretty, preetttyy, preeettttyyy, pretty boring yet those five years were some of the best of my life. 

I love Denton. It’s my home away from home. My, short lived, time there not only helped me grow as a person but as an artist. The town’s dedication to its creative community served as a continued source of inspiration. Moreover, I was fortunate enough to meet an amazing group people (I knew Neon Indian before he was famous!!!! LULZ!!! SMH!!! FML AND MY BUTT!!!!) who became like family to me. I left Denton with an overabundance of fond memories (my favorite being the time Chris Flemmons, having just seen our sketch comedy series “Hello Optimism”, drunkenly accosted me at RGRS to tell me that was some of the funniest shit he had ever seen) and I miss it dearly.

Does that answer your question? I don’t think it does. Whatever. Eat a dick. 

Space Camp originally started as a kind of social commentary... Can you give us a little more insight into why you started Space Camp - why hip hop?

Noah Swords (founding member who left the group in February to build mosques in Lubbock, TX) and I originally started SPACE CAMP as a joke. Nothing more. We had no intention of ever playing shows or even being a hip-hop group proper. We both loved Das Racist and just wanted to rhyme about non-sequiturs (our first three songs were about pooping in space) over electronic dance beats. We chose hip-hop as a medium because it was a cheap, and relatively easy, way to make music.

Eventually, SPACE CAMP (we added the Death Squad later) became a lot more involved. We got a DJ (Murk Jones AKA I’m Legally Obligated To Stay 400ft Away From Schools) and started playing shows.  We started to take the writing more seriously and out of that the sociopolitical aspect of the group was born.  Noah and I both hated hip-hop culture and wanted to lash out against it in the most aggressive way possible. So we evolved into a group that represented all the worst parts of hip-hop (the materialism, the violence, etc…) and we, in turn, became id personified. However, we had rules in place. We would never refer to women as “bitches, hoes, or cunts” nor would we ever advocate violence against women. In addition, we would never use the word “fag” or any other derogatory term against the LGBTQ community. Everything else was up for grabs. Soon race became a defining factor in our lyrics and whatever else we wanted to make fun of. SPACE CAMP Death Squad has gone from a tactless joke to a satirical performance art piece.

After Noah left local (white) rappers P-tek and Secret Levels joined the group.

photo by Marcus Junius Law ​

Most of your lyrics really seem to center around racism... Tell us about why and how you attack such a heady issue in such an entertaining way.

This goes without saying but racism is absolutely fucking ridiculous. I am continually horrified and humored by its existence. I write about it because it’s a way for me to explore why it exists, as a social construct, and why it’s such big deal for me (sometimes I feel like the black Woody Allen when it comes to racial paranoia). Even though the lyrics are heady it’s really important for me to approach race in a comedic and entertaining way; I want an audience to like the music and not feel alienated (although screaming “fuck white people and their cargo shorts” doesn’t help). There’s something to be said about a group of strangers who can all come together and post-post-ironically mock racism. Also, for us as a group, it’s important we don’t take ourselves too seriously. For every line about apartheid or black on black crime there’s a doo doo joke in there. At the end of the day we’re performers who want to put on a good show.

Outside of your role in Space Camp Death Squad you have some other pretty creative pursuits... tell us about those.

In addition to being the sixth best rapper in Austin, TX, I am a repertory film programmer and filmmaker. I’ve dedicated a lot of time and effort to the art of filmmaking. Writing, directing, film theory/criticism/history are all things I’m insanely passionate about and will, probably, spend the rest of my life trying to master. For me, it’s much more than a hobby; it’s my raison d'être. Given the opportunity I would drop hip-hop in a fucking heartbeat to make films full time.

I sound like an asshole.

​photo by Marcus Junius Law 

How does a creative community come into play when you’re writing lyrics, filming a short, or planning a feature?

A creative community means fuck all to me when it comes to writing rap lyrics. SPACE CAMP is a self-indulgent project. It’s a semi-healthy outlet for me to exorcise aggression and all the things I hate about myself. I could care less about the homogeneous music community in Austin. 

However, in saying all that, the creative community is absolutely essential when it comes to filmmaking. Film, by design, is the most collaborative art form there is. As a director, you’re only as good as the people you surround yourself with. Whenever I direct a new project I am beholden to my crew, to my cast and to anyone who offers their free time to help. Austin is an ideal place to shoot a film because the community support is overwhelming and without that making a GOOD film would be virtually impossible.  

Biggest creative influences?

The Cohen Brothers, Mark Twain, Sugar Ray 

Favorite three things about Denton...

1. All the overeducated college grads that still make minimum wage

2. All the ugly white guys with beards

3. Waffle House

Details about Saturday’s show at Rubber Gloves:

Saturday’s going to amazing! In addition to us (SPACE CAMP Death Squad Bang Bus Squad We Whip Our Dicks Out For Money And Smash Mouth Tickets), the lineup includes: MC Sex, Tijuana Bible and that other band no one I know has ever heard of. It’s $5 to get in. $7 if you’re under 21. Doors open at 9pm. Show starts at 10pm. If you like watching mediocre bands in a mediocre venue then you definitely want to check this show out!*

*http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Satire

​photo by Marcus Junius Law