Word Up: Nine 11 Thesaurus

Dec 31, 2009 by Juliet Linderman

The creative chemistry between the seven members of Bushwick-based hip-hop outfit Nine 11 Thesaurus is contagious. They are sitting around a computer table on the third floor of Bushwick Community High, where three of the members go to school and all seven volunteer as after-school mentors at the Beacon Center for Arts and Leadership, which occupies the space after hours. Each is dressed in some variation of the red, green, yellow and black colors of the African flag, and liberally dole out tailor-made high-fives and secret-handshakes to one another. Several members of Nine 11 Thesaurus are actually blood related—for example, Riddic and God’s Sun are first cousins—but after more than a year of writing, rapping, hosting a radio show and working together at the Beacon Center all seven consider themselves brothers, bonded by their common experiences, their neighborhood, their involvement in the community and most importantly, their collective love and passion for hip-hop.

Nine 11 Thesaurus consists of a solid and committed roster of young men from Brooklyn, ages 18-20—with the exception of Tai Chi, 29, who is considered to be the group’s “team captain”—who go by the names of Breezy, God’s Sun, Hollywood, P. Dot, Riddic, Shasty and Tai Chi, an acronym for True Artist In Command of His Insight. A reincarnation of a previously formed hip-hop mob called Nine 11 GZA, Nine 11 Thesaurus is hotly anticipating the release of their first full-length studio album, Ground Zero Generals, out in the spring of 2010 on Social Registry Records. The album will be the second installment of the Representing NYC series, which features various youth hip-hop groups and individuals who participate in the Beacon Center’s Teen Action program.

“Teen Action is a community-based group trying to make change and keep us off the streets so we can do something positive,” God’s Sun said. “We all make music here, to express ourselves through the talents we have. Hip hop is about what we say every day, and how it affects youth—and it’s positive. Just because we live in Brooklyn, in the ghetto, doesn’t mean we can’t do something positive and make something of ourselves.”

Several of the seven members of Nine 11 Thesaurus met through the Beacon Center, at a series of hip-hop workshops coordinated by Sam Hillmer, the executive director of teen programming and creator-slash-curator of the Representing NYC series. While Nine 11 will willingly wax poetic about their love of writing, rapping, freestyling and recording whenever the opportunity presents itself, , their particular brand of hip-hop—veering towards the consciousness variety—represents much more than just music. Rather, for these seven individuals, hip-hop is a message, a lifestyle and a philosophy: After years of gangs, drugs and violence on the streets of Bushwick—and in Tai Chi’s case, a 14-month stint in jail—hip-hop is a positive and productive alternative.

“We were always trying do something positive, but in a negative environment,” Riddic said. “Music is like a bible, a tool, a life lesson. And it’s not just about being black—we have a white DJ! It’s about people of all colors and creeds, not being afraid to be yourself and speak your mind.”

The members of Nine 11 Thesaurus host their own weekly radio show called Real Talk, where they freestyle, play records, and discuss and debate issues pertaining to the hip-hop community—or whatever else is on their minds. They also work at the Beacon Center as mentors for younger students and neighborhood kids—Shasty even teaches his own class—and use their music as a medium through which to motivate and inspire the next generation. With the help of Hillmer, Nine 11 will begin working with a group of 11-year-old emcees calling themselves Yung Starz on writing, recording and producing their album, slated to be the third Representing NYC release.

Representing NYC is Hillmer’s brainchild, now in full swing with two full-length releases and many more in the works. The series pairs youth hip-hop groups with established musicians and producers, who ultimately help create professional studio albums to be packaged, marketed and distributed accordingly. The first Representing NYC album featured the The Fly Girlz—a group of girls ranging from ages 12 to 14 from Brownsville, Brooklyn—whose album, Da Bratz From Da Ville was produced by Excepter’s Nathan Corbin. Similarly Nine 11’s record will be produced by Matt Mehlan of Skeletons and Tim Dewitt of Gang Gang Dance, two popular indie bands from Brooklyn.

The Representing NYC series certainly functions as a platform to showcase young talent, but more importantly it serves as a way to inspire and empower young people from the neighborhood, and encourage them to channel their energy into positive and creative endeavors.

“We’re like big brothers here,” said Shasty, who admitted that before discovering hip-hop and joining Nine 11 he didn’t think he’d ever make it to college, let alone through high school. However, after getting involved in Real Talk and the Beacon Center, he graduated from Boys and Girls High School in Bed-Stuy, and is now a sophomore at the Borough of Manhattan Community College, where he studies liberal arts and African American literature. “We give these kids the inspiration they never had,” Shasty continued. “You gotta let kids be themselves, and inspire them and give them respect. We show that if we can do this, if we can put a record out, anybody can.”

Perhaps the most striking thing about Nine 11 is their poise, and level of professionalism. Though they are young, and have only existed as a cohesive hip-hop group for a little over a year, their focus, drive and dedication is overwhelmingly evident in everything they do.

“You sit down with Nine 11 and you think, these dudes are no joke,” said Hillmer, who showed up briefly to administer a high five to each Nine 11 member. “Everybody was always super deep, but they really saw the necessity for a real focused sense of organization. I have seen them make strides, and I’m always so impressed by it—they are so focused and mature and professional.”

Since their inception in mid-2008, Nine 11 has done a variety of live performances throughout New York City—most recently, they headlined librarian collective The Desk Set’s annual winter dance fundraiser, the Biblioball, at the Bell House in South Brooklyn. Nine 11’s next performance is scheduled for January 22nd at J.H.S. 291 at 231 Palmetto Street in Bushwick at 6pm, after which they will head to Washington DC for a fundraiser: they are hoping to raise enough cash to finance a trip to Austin, Texas for the South-by-Southwest music festival. While in Texas, Nine 11 plans to visit and perform at inner-city high schools, and speak to students about hip-hop, inspiration and positive change.

“The fact that what we are doing is so powerful that it could actually get us to Texas is amazing,” said God’s Sun. “I didn’t think this could get me around the block!”

“In Bushwick, we aren’t promised a tomorrow,” he continued. “So we give this everything we’ve got every day.”