In W.Va., Hip Hop Has Gone From Marginalized To Mainstream

Last year, communities celebrated the 50th anniversary of hip hop. Over the past half century, hip hop has gone from a marginalized art form to a mainstream powerhouse. It developed in major metropolitan centers like New York, Los Angeles and the South, but took root in Appalachia, too. Folkways Reporter Vanessa Peña reports on hip hop in West Virginia.

This story originally aired in the June 16, 2024 episode of Inside Appalachia.

I’m in Eric Jordan’s home studio in Morgantown, West Virginia. He’s walking me through his process of making a beat. 

“As you can see, that’s the signal there, and I’m capturing it,” Jordan says to me over the music.  

The song “All My Love In Vain” by Sonny Boy Williamson II plays on Jordan’s turntable. The turntable is connected to his computer, and it captures the audio from the record. The signal is moving up and down in squiggly lines that identify sound waves.

“I’m just sort of listening for something that captures my liking,” Jordan says. He allows the music to play for a beat longer. “Alright, let’s mess with that.” 

Jordan takes a snippet of the song. He creates a drumbeat and layers it underneath the music. The sound of electronic drums begins to play as Jordan feels out the sound. 

“Alright, I got my drums. I feel comfortable enough to play around with these chops,” Jordan says as he puts his drumbeat to loop. 

Eric Jordan works at his desk, creating a beat using a song by Sonny Boy Williamson II as a base.

Photo Credit: Vanessa Peña/West Virginia Public Broadcasting

In 2023, communities all around the country celebrated the 50th anniversary of hip hop. Here in West Virginia, hip hop has gone from a marginalized art form, to a mainstream powerhouse.

Jordan is a familiar face in the West Virginia hip hop scene, where he’s known by his stage name Monstalung. Hip hop has been a big part of Jordan’s life from a young age, in part because of the influence of his father, Norman Jordan. Norman Jordan was a distinguished poet and artist.

In the ‘60s and ‘70s, Norman Jordan was at the forefront of the Black Arts Movement in West Virginia and Ohio. He was part of this nationwide effort to foster pride in Black history, arts and culture.

The Black Arts Movement inspired a diverse body of poetry, theater and visual arts, and in 1973, a new musical genre: hip hop. This was the backdrop of Jordan’s childhood. As a kid, he and his siblings often performed alongside their father. These performances included dance, music and Norman Jordan’s poetry. 

“He didn’t waste time with me. I was his bongo player when I was nine,” Jordan says as he reflects on his experience performing with his father. “I mean, we performed at Berkeley College, Howard University and different things like that. I was in all his productions. Me and my siblings and my mother were, you know, we were a family unit.” 

The drum Eric would use when performing with his father, Norman Jordan.

Photo Credit: Vanessa Peña/West Virginia Public Broadcasting

Inspired by his father’s passion for poetry and performing arts, Jordan started breakdancing in high school. He got gigs at mall fashion shows and local restaurants. Jordan says he and his peers were pushing boundaries. 

“At that time, people were doing hip hop, it wasn’t trendy yet. This is the early ‘80s so we stuck out like sore thumbs. You can see us coming a mile away,” Jordan says. 

After college, Jordan fully immersed himself in the world of hip hop — DJing, MCing and making beats — from Maryland to New York. In 1999, he returned home to West Virginia, where he started a record label with his brother. Their mission was to make hip hop music for, by, and about West Virginians. 

“We made a conscious effort to make music that dealt with self-esteem and state pride. We just felt like that was something that wasn’t here,” Jordan says. 

Jordan formed a hip hop group called the 304 Reconz under his label. They performed all around West Virginia, collaborating with artists in Huntington, Charleston and Morgantown. But it wasn’t easy getting started.

“It was rocky at the beginning, because there was really no hip hop scene here at all, so we had to create one,” Jordan says. 

By the early 2000s, hip hop had gained traction in big cities like New York, Atlanta and Chicago. But in West Virginia, it hadn’t built momentum yet. The 304 Reconz had to get creative.

“When we first started doing shows, we did raves, we did biker bars,” Jordan says.

The 304 Reconz were performing a genre of music rooted in Black culture to majority white audiences. And not everyone knew how to react.

“You know, a couple of times I thought we had to fight ourselves out of these places, but ended up winning over the crowd and winning over the differences in culture,” Jordan says. 

Through their efforts, Jordan and his peers laid the groundwork for a new generation of hip hop artists in the state.

One artist who is at the forefront of this new generation is Isaac Fadiga, commonly known by his stage name Shelem. Shelem is 27 and lives in Charleston. When he first started making hip hop music in 2007, the 304 Reconz were already well established. And with the internet, he could learn from successful hip hop artists all around the world.

Shelem at his home studio in Charleston, West Virginia, demonstrating his work flow and organization.

Photo Credit: Vanessa Peña/West Virginia Public Broadcasting

“Right around the time I started writing my own stuff was when Soulja Boy was big, so that was an inspiration in itself, because he was so young and he was doing everything on his own,” Shelem says. “He was producing his own songs, and he was using the same software that I was, so it was like a clear vision of what it could be if you did it right.” 

As a student at Marshall University, Shelem started performing in public.

“I did the talent show. That was my first time performing. And then that same week, there was an open mic,” Shelem says. “And then from there I met this band called The Heavy Hitters and they ended up inviting me to play as part of their set at pretty much every venue that they played at in the area.” 

In just a few decades, hip hop artists in West Virginia have gone from “sticking out like sore thumbs” to being accepted and even celebrated by the mainstream. Last year, Jordan and Shelem spoke at Marshall University on a panel about hip hop’s 50th anniversary. And now, Shelem is the face and voice of the West Virginia restaurant Tudor’s Biscuit World in a commercial that launched last year

“I got a call from their marketing manager who said, ‘Hey, we have this idea we want to do, we want to do a rap about the breakfast wraps and we thought you’d be good to do that,’” Shelem says. “It was exciting to have been chosen for something like that.” 

After getting the deal with Tudor’s to make the jingle, Shelem called Jordan to tell him the news. Jordan remembers Shelem thanking him for paving the way for hip hop artists in the state. 

“New people like Shelem,” Jordan says, “I think he’s the future of our state when it comes to hip hop.”

In January, Shelem released his third album titled Hope This Helps. Later this year, Jordan will release a memoir titled Child of the Poet, Son of the Dreamer along with an accompanying album, An Appalachian Hip Hop Story

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This story is part of the Inside Appalachia Folkways Reporting Project, a partnership with West Virginia Public Broadcasting’s Inside Appalachia.

The Folkways Reporting Project is made possible in part with support from Margaret A. Cargill Philanthropies to the West Virginia Public Broadcasting Foundation. Subscribe to the podcast to hear more stories of Appalachian folklife, arts and culture.

Erik Hall: Home Recording A Masterpiece

Erik Hall has done something remarkable, even Herculean in scope. By himself, he has home-recorded Steve Reich’s Music For 18 Musicians. The score calls for more than 18 players, in some cases doubling on other instruments. Eclectopia’s Jim Lange speaks with Hall about his masterwork.

“More than anything, this record was about making many little decisions.”

Erik Hall has done something remarkable, even Herculean in scope. By himself, he has home-recorded Steve Reich’s Music For 18 Musicians. The score calls for more than 18 players, in some cases doubling on other instruments. The sheer scope of this task is beyond daunting; let alone the skill required to play this unrelenting music with rhythmic precision. Hall downplays the difficulties and challenges; describing the experience as very enjoyable and even spiritually immersive.

Who is Erik Hall?

To answer that, first we must answer who is Steve Reich and what is Music For 18 Musicians?

Steve Reich, born 1936 in New York, is an internationally recognized composer of Minimalism. Fellow “minimalists” include Philip Glass, La Monte Young and John Adams, among others. Minimalism, in the Reichian sense, is generally the use of repetitive short melodic figures, an often slow harmonic rhythm, echo-like canons and continuous percussive ostinati.

However, Reich differs from his colleagues in the rhythmic vitality of his works. After all, he was a drummer in a jazz band and often his music seems to swing. Or at least grooves.

Music For 18 Musicians, composed in 1976, is a true turning point in Reich’s compositions and 40-odd years later, it remains one of the masterworks of the style. ECM released a recording in 1978; a touchstone still influencing generations of musicians and composers. Slipping outside the concert hall and into rock music, luminaries such as David Bowie, Brian Eno, Peter Gabriel and Robert Fripp have all cited Reich as an influence. (This author included.)

However, for the majority of listeners, this piece, and others like it, sounds like the “record is stuck.” I completely understand this response. It repeats and doesn’t seem to change at all.

But, it does.

Perhaps those listeners cannot discern the subtle changes occurring within the music. Take the opening, “Pulses,” for example. Marimbas and pianos “pulse” in continuous motion as 12 individual chords unfold. These chords are not played by a lush string section, but rather bass clarinets, violin, cello and four women’s voices articulate them in rapid-fire staccato succession. Like an approaching storm or a swarm of bees, it is truly an unearthly sound.

Right from the start, we’re hearing something different. The traditional expectations of symphonic or chamber music are absent. Where’s the first theme? Is this the introduction? The listener is not, to quote a phrase, “in Kansas anymore.” The audience, not on familiar ground, may find this unsettling.

Indubitably so, because Steve Reich has done what all great, seismic-shifting composers do: change the definition of music and how to listen to it.

Personal note: I distinctly remember my first listening to Music For 18 Musicians. It was like floating on a warm, undulating ocean wave or drifting down a wild winding river in a pilot-less boat. For me, and I’m sure for many others, it was simply a transformative experience.

Erik Hall, from his website, “is a musician, composer and record producer in southwest Michigan.” In 2020, Hall recorded all the parts for Music For 18 Musicians in his home studio.

When I read that Erik Hall recorded this masterwork alone in his home recording studio, I couldn’t believe it. All this was done by overdubbing in real time, section by section, without loops or quantization: meaning no help from digital software which can generate perfect loops or correct wonky rhythms. Then to realize he covered all the parts himself, even the voices, I was floored.

If the 1978 ECM recording is analogous to a freighter, then Hall’s version is a sailboat. Or from an imposing monolith to a intricately carved sculpture: lighter in weight, transparent, energetic, warm and grooves like dance music. He has taken this seminal minimalist work, given it a new personality with a joyful new interpretation. The groove, the feel and the spiritual experience remains intact.

I spoke to Erik Hall on April 9, 2024.

https://wvpublic.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/061724_JimLange_ErikHallQA_Extended-Interview.mp3
Listen to an extended version of this interview.

More Reich performances:

Falling Angels: https://www.numeridanse.tv/en/dance-videotheque/falling-angels

Biophony Solstice 2024: https://biophony.metropolisensemble.org/projects/biophony-solstice-2024

Free Poster Of W.Va. Covered Bridges Available Through Department Of Transportation

The West Virginia Department of Transportation (WVDOT) has created a free, digitally accessible poster depicting 17 different covered bridges around the state to raise awareness about the sites.

The West Virginia Department of Transportation (WVDOT) has created a free, digitally accessible poster depicting 17 different covered bridges around the state to raise awareness about the sites.

The Philippi Covered Bridge, which spans 286 feet across the Tygart River in Barbour County, takes the most prominent position in the center of the poster, the WVDOT said. The Civil War-era bridge, with its iconic double arches, is a local landmark and remains in use today as part of U.S. Route 250.

Covered bridges typically include wooden walls and a roof. But constant exposure to the elements means these sites require frequent upkeep, the WVDOT said in a press release Monday.

Many covered bridges around the Mountain State and the nation at large were first constructed in the late nineteenth and early twentieth century, making them historic sites, too.

The WVDOT said it created the poster to offer a glimpse into West Virginia history and remind residents of the work that goes into preserving the centuries-old structures.

The poster also features the Carrollton Covered Bridge in Barbour County, the Staats Mill Covered Bridge in Jackson County and more than a dozen other covered bridges from around the state.

Residents can access and download the poster online at the WVDOT website.

The Mountain Valley Pipeline, Child Protective Services, Rural Libraries And Fire Safety, This West Virginia Week

On this West Virginia Week, we’ll look at fire safety in the Summer months. We’ll also hear about the launch of the Mountain Valley Pipeline and we’ll talk to the President of the National Library Association about Rural Libraries.

On this West Virginia Week, we’ll look at fire safety in the summer months. We’ll also hear about the launch of the Mountain Valley Pipeline, and we’ll talk to the President of the National Library Association about Rural Libraries.

We’ll also discuss what it’s like for a child caught up in West Virginia’s Child Protective Services system, a governmental agency facing increasing scrutiny.

Briana Heaney is our host this week. Our theme music is by Matt Jackfert.

West Virginia Week is a web-only podcast that explores the week’s biggest news in the Mountain State. It’s produced with help from Bill Lynch, Briana Heaney, Chris Schulz, Curtis Tate, Emily Rice, Eric Douglas, Jack Walker, Liz McCormick and Maria Young.

Learn more about West Virginia Week.

Appalachian Hip Hop And Our Song Of The Week, This West Virginia Morning

On this West Virginia Morning, Folkways reporter Vanessa Peña explores the history of hip hop in West Virginia and beyond. Plus, Mountain Stage provides our the Song of the Week — “So Much Love” by Southern Avenue.

On this West Virginia Morning, Folkways reporter Vanessa Peña explores the history of hip hop in West Virginia and beyond. Plus, Mountain Stage provides our the Song of the Week: “So Much Love” by Southern Avenue.

West Virginia Morning is a production of West Virginia Public Broadcasting which is solely responsible for its content. 

Support for our news bureaus comes from Shepherd University.

Appalachia Health News is a project of West Virginia Public Broadcasting with support from Marshall Health.

West Virginia Morning is produced with help from Bill Lynch, Briana Heaney, Chris Schulz, Curtis Tate, Emily Rice, Eric Douglas, Jack Walker, Liz McCormick and Maria Young.

Eric Douglas is our news director. Teresa Wills is our host. Chris Schulz produced this episode.

Listen to West Virginia Morning weekdays at 7:43 a.m. on WVPB Radio or subscribe to the podcast and never miss an episode. #WVMorning

Marshall Memorial Fountain Nominated For National Registry

The Marshall Memorial Fountain is now being considered for inclusion on the National Park Service’s National Register of Historic Places.

The Marshall Memorial Fountain is now being considered for inclusion on the National Park Service’s National Register of Historic Places. It was created in memory of the 75 people who died in the November 1970 Marshall plane crash and officially dedicated in November 1972. 

The West Virginia Archives and History Commission nominated the fountain during a meeting Thursday on Marshall’s Huntington campus. The nomination now goes to the National Park Service for review. It’s anticipated the formal decision will take approximately 45 days.

On Nov. 14, 1970, 75 members of the football team, coaching staff and community died in a plane crash. To remember that day, members of the community lay carnations at the fountain and turn it off for the winter.

Photo Credit: Eric Douglas/West Virginia Public Broadcasting

“The possible inclusion of the Memorial Fountain on the National Register of Historic Places reaffirms its significance as more than just a monument,” Marshall University President Brad Smith said. “Adversity can lead to an excuse, or it can lead to a reason. The Memorial Fountain is a symbol of our reason, a space where we gather to remember, reflect and find strength in our community’s resilience.” 

The fountain, designed by Italian sculptor Henry Bertoia, is more than 13 feet high and weighs 6,500 pounds. The fountain received extensive repairs in 2008 including a new granite surface for the foundation, a copper catch tray and a higher water spray like the original output when it was installed in 1972.  

Being listed on the national register recognizes the historical, architectural or archaeological significance of a site. It helps ensure the preservation of important cultural resources and can provide benefits such as eligibility for preservation grants and tax incentives. 

Randall Reid-Smith, secretary of the West Virginia Department of Arts, Culture and History, said the nomination was written by Marshall two-time history graduate S. Cody Straley, who serves as the national register and architecture survey coordinator for the state Historic Preservation Office.  

Straley said writing the official nomination was his small way of paying back the institution that gave him so much.

“We know why this fountain is important, but today the national government will provide federal recognition for the fountain’s importance,” Straley said. 

Marshall’s Old Main was placed on the registry in 1973. 

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