The Hostile Takeover

 

Last Saturday, the musical branch of local art collective Hostile Natives made their debut at The Clubhouse in Greensboro, N.C. The Hostile Natives are a group of young artists who employ all manner of creative media, from music to graphic design.

“The thing about Hostile Natives is, we’re an art collective,” said Hostile Natives co-founder and visual artist Charlie Markers, explaining the group’s involvement in a hip-hop concert. “Part of our mission is to encourage people to engage art in any way they can, because we believe that’s part of the path to personal liberation. And then personal liberation [can lead] to widespread change. So for us to spread that message, we have to lead by example and present our art however we can, or feel. So tonight, we’re a rap group.”

            Rappers Tony Stanzas, Kraft-O-Matik, and Rhetoric delivered an energetic performance with Charlie Markers serving as a hype man. Local promoter and show headliner Ed E. Ruger, who was standing behind the Hostile Natives on the stage, posted a picture of the artists to Twitter with the caption “Hostile Natives…im impressed!” Other Natives present in the crowd were Bei Dior, a songwriter, kevobeats*, the group’s producer, and DJ Mista Mist, a house and electronica deejay.

Hostile Natives was formed in the fall of 2011 on the campus of North Carolina A&T State University. “I came up with the name on a lark, really,” says Stanzas. “We were all sitting around the table in the cafeteria one day, and I threw it out there that we should do something with the name. Everybody had a different talent: Markers is a dope visual artist, I was writing poetry at the time, Kraft raps, and Mist DJs, so we just decided to put those talents together and try to change the art world, and the world at large through art. We believe everybody is capable of creation, and if people indulge that creativity, we could get a cultural revolution started. A new renaissance, if you will.”

The Hostile Natives make their art in what Kraft describes as an “organic” way. “We have some scheduling, but that’s basically the extent of organization as far as actually making stuff. We just get together and make whatever we feel. Sometimes it means me and Markers are drawing up pieces or [graffiti] tags, or we’re all in the booth recording.” The Hostile Natives’ “booth” is a humble place, in that it’s wherever there’s room, relative quiet, and a microphone.

“We’re definitely budget ballin’,” said Tony Stanzas with a laugh when asked to describe the recording space. “We record in dorm rooms and apartments. If we can set up the mic[rophone] and there’s not too much echo, that’s the studio for the day.”

Kraft and another rapper from the collective, Frank D., have released a number of solo albums recorded in this fashion, and almost every member of Hostile Natives has recorded single tracks, which can be found on Soundcloud and Bandcamp, two popular sites for musicians to host their work for download and playback. The collective relies heavily on the internet for marketing and promotion as well, using social networking such as Twitter, Facebook, and Tumblr to get their music and artwork to listeners and viewers.

That use of technology has paid off, as it’s one of the main reasons the Hostile Natives were able to perform on Saturday. Kraft’s contact with Ruger over Twitter and in person at different events established a working relationship, which the rapper then used to get the collective booked for the show. The Hostile Natives’ Twitter promotion further convinced Ruger that they were serious, and in light of the crowd and energy they were able to bring to the performance, the promoter expressed an interest in having the group perform at future events.

 “Our primary goals here tonight were to have fun, make some fans, and show people what we can do. I think we accomplished those goals,” said Stanzas. One young lady approached Stanzas and Kraft after the set, exclaiming, “You guys are the sh*t!” “Thanks,” Kraft said, a large, sheepish grin spreading across his face, “Want a mixtape?”

The future appears bright for the young Hostile Natives, with more performances, releases, and opportunities on the horizon. Stanzas, Kraft, and Bei Dior all have projects in production, and the collective is currently working on a collaborative mixtape due to release later this summer. 

“I’m ready for the next [show],” said Stanzas. “This is the first step on what I hope will be a long and fruitful path. I can’t think of anybody else I’d rather be on this journey with. I love my family. We’re ready.”