Feature

Mob-town turns into hip-hop incubator

Talent, determination and an excellent business acumen propelled Mobile’s Maurice “Rich Boi” Richards into the national hip-hop spotlight, and that same magic combination seems to be working for other local artists of the genre.

Marvell Caster (aka Hood Scholar/Bossman) along with his label Triple Threat Entertainment, is a busy man. Whether working with regional or national artists, performing with his group the Verbal Assassinz or rapping as a solo act, Caster is playing the music industry games and getting ahead at every turn.

“It started back in ‘99,” Caster explains.

“I had a record label called Twinn Tower Records. It was me and a partner of mine that I used to play basketball with. We had an artist that was a real good friend of mine, and his life was music. So, we wanted to get behind him and get him out of the streets and stuff like that. That particular artist was actually killed last year on Father’s Day.”

The inspiration for starting this label was not based on the stereotypical view that individuals get into the hip-hop game solely for the material benefits presented in music videos. For Caster, his reasons for starting Twinn Towers ran much deeper.

“I guess it was just the love of music and just being around it and the nature of it and just having a competitive nature,” Caster says. “When I first started getting into it, just with the business side of things, I was able to deal on a lot of different levels with a lot of major people. That right there was just a spin-off of making me get into something I really wanted to do to feed my family and make some changes in my life.”

It was during the days of Twinn Tower Records the Verbal Assassinz were born, the first hip-hop group on this label. Eventually, the time came when the line-up for the group Assassinz needed a change. Caster felt that it was time to fill another void, and the Bossman stepped up to the mic, along with fellow Assassinz Swann Song, L.E.X. and Casino Flick. They quickly hit the studio and put out their first song “Gator Chick” in 2002.

On its own, “Gator Chick” created buzz throughout the regional hip-hop scene and began moving up the charts and received positive feedback in record pools across the nation.

The Verbal Assassinz accented this with a tour through the Florida Panhandle. Along the way, their sounds caught the ears of Club La Vela DJ Scotti C., who saw great potential. He quickly made arrangements for the group to share the stage with some hard-hitters in the hip-hop industry such as Lil Jon and the Eastside Boys, The Black Eyed Peas and The Ying Yang Twins. One year later, “Gator Chick” had sold 10,000 units, and a majority of the sales were not exclusive to the Port City.

“We also sold a lot of units here in Mobile, but the Panama City market ended up blooming for us,” Caster says. “We ended up gaining a pretty big fan-base, with us playing down there every year at Club La Vela, which is supposedly one of the largest clubs in the nation. That helped out the Verbal Assassinz’s name.”

Their next full-length effort on Triple Threat is “Bullseye.” Even before its release, the track “Hate 2 See Me” (featuring Da Real Choppa) is already getting attention from various clubs and radio stations across the nation.

In addition to Choppa, “Bullseye” features other nationally known hip-hop artists, such as Young Bleed and Rich Boys, as well as local figures like L. Boogie. When Caster is not busy getting the word out on “Bullseye,” he is working on a Hood Scholar solo-project called “Double Major.” Local fans can get a taste of “Double Major” courtesy of a DJ Fullmoon mix-tape that will be hitting the streets very soon.

When comparing Verbal Assassinz to his solo material, Caster has enjoyed being able to fully place his soul into the music.

“The group is four different flavors,” Caster explains. “That’s what actually makes the group unique is that we have different styles. Spinning off that, I’ve gotten a lot of good feedback from just different DJ’s and a lot of people in the streets that have actually been waiting for me to do a solo project, because I actually have a lot of features out that I’ve been doing with a lot of people. I feel like my sound is actually distinctive. With myself, I can get more involved with my personal issues and doing the music that I want to make.”

Even though he has stepped into the spotlight, Caster still makes time to concentrate on the business side of Triple Threat Entertainment, and the artists they support.

“With the hip-hop scene doing what it’s doing, I just want to kick back and get back on the business end and push local artists like what I was doing when I first got in the hip-hop scene,” Caster says.

Currently, he is working with Mobile’s Ace the Dealer, who will have a role in Flo Rida’s upcoming record. Caster also plans on working with Rich Boy in the very near future as well as local artists such as Fat Rat and the Amazing Kojak. Caster mentioned that there was the possibility that Triple Threat might be working with local hip-hop legend C-Nile. There is also talk of another Verbal Assassinz album in the works. Otherwise, Caster is content to watch the local hip-hop scene continue to grow and be a part of something that could very easily explode onto the national scene.

“The local scene now has really blossomed over the years since I’ve gotten into it. You know, we only have one urban radio station and not really any other competition. From where it was then, there was a major, major jump. Being that we now have artists on major labels now. It’s really helping out the hip-hop scene in Mobile.”

Stephen Centanni is Lagniappe music editor. Contact him at scentanni@lagniappemobile.com.

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