Finding Common Ground: Hip Hop, Community & The Inland Empire

Humboldt County is a mystical place that is often seen as its own entity when the conversation of Northern California is discussed.

The stark differences in climate, demographic and culture, all play into the utter peculiarity and uniquenesses this region has to offer in comparison to surrounding areas. Often seen as an afterthought for many, the immense influence of Humboldt County is displayed in a variety of agricultural industries, art shifts and social movements. Another region fighting for identity lies 700 miles south called the Inland Empire (IE). Slightly north of Orange County, sitting east of Los Angeles California, the Inland Empire resides in San Bernardino and Riverside Counties. San Bernardino is the largest geographic county in the nation. Similar to Humboldt, the IE has made several contributions to industries and culture-shifts, but has been left overlooked or disregarded entirely. A movement in the IE that has been readily overlooked in the past is the presence of hip hop culture.

Prior to the advent of the internet, hip hop has always been seen as a territory-based genre that differed depending on the region. Whether it be the gritty and aggressive lyricism of the east coast from artists like Nas or Biggie Smalls, the soulful storytelling perfected by southern legends like Scarface and Bun B or the smooth funk inspired gangster rap Snoop Dogg and Eazy E made famous on the west coast, hip hop has always been a medium through which artists display the realities of their communities alike. With this in mind, more often than not, this territorial grouping has led places like the Inland Empire to be overshadowed by the sheer popularity that markets such as Los Angeles have to offer, yet the Inland Empire and hip hop’s relationship continues to flourish.

Although lacking the typical amount of music venues found in bigger cities, some of the largest hip-hop festivals in history have taken place at the National Orange Show fairgrounds in San Bernardino. In the early 2010s, festivals like Paid Dues and Rock the Bells showcased the immense talents that were spawned during what was known as the “blog era” of rap music. Rappers like Wiz Khalifa, YG, Kendrick Lamar and others all headlined these shows in the beginning of their careers before becoming household names. On a micro level there has been a community effort in the IE to develop artists and archive the art that has been created over the last decade.

By: Anthony Aragon

The Foundation of the Scene

At the forefront of this community effort are the anchors of the Inland Empire hip hop scene, Noa James and his spouse Lesa James. In 2007, Noa and Lesa James founded their art collective, Brick to Ya Face, and began throwing hip hop shows all around the IE showcasing rising talents. In 2009, the collective began residency at a local dive bar in Riverside called the Vibe Bar and Grille. Effectively titled The Common Ground, these biweekly events became a platform for up-and-coming artists to showcase their talents, learn how to create a fan base and ultimately build a pool of resources that many still turn to today. Noting his lifelong affinity of professional wrestling as an influence, Noa James fell in love with the process of booking and

San promoting shows. Organizing these events not only helped create a sense of belonging for artists that were involved, but also gave him a unique opportunity to help guide a younger generation hone their craft, and teach them how to make the most out of their assets at hand.

“Building community taught me how to talk to young artists and talk to people in an aspiring way, without belittling them …. I’m not trying to break you down to build you up, I’m just going to build you up because you’re probably breaking yourself down already. I’m not going to add onto that. That’s not my job as a pillar or a community leader. That was a really important thing, because I didn’t have that.”

For almost a decade, the duo of Noa and Lesa James became curators during this rising movement. They threw shows at the Vibe that included notable names such as Top Dawg Entertainment artist Ab Soul, legendary independent artist Murs and hip hop legends Rass Kass and Chino XL. In hindsight, the Inland Empire never had a definitive sound like other major markets had, but all were welcomed at The Common

Ground. When asked what his main goal while promoting these events were, Noa James responded, “Create a place where you can go to express yourself and be safe to do it. Because we are no-nonsense when it comes to judgment. Come, be free, you know, and don’t worry about what others think”.

An Outside Perspective

During this time period, Common Ground became a rite of passage for many artists in Southern California. Elwin Williams, better known as Da Rap Nerd, was born in the Bay Area and spent his earlier years learning his craft here. Willams started delving into hip hop at the age of 25 after graduating from Fullerton College in Orange County. William’s lyrical content was distinctly different compared to typical rap content at the time, choosing to focus on his love for anime, video games and other pop culture references rather than common tropes found in mainstream music. He admits that it was places like the Common Ground that initially helped him gain the confidence to network with other artists and start throwing shows of his own. In doing so, he formed connections with other artists across the West Coast including those in Humboldt County and the Pacific Northwest, “One thing I learned from my OG’s was that you have to build community, and if you can make friends while you’re touring, it just makes it easier,”. Although the venue where The Common Ground took place ultimately closed in 2016, many artists had the opportunity to make a living creating music, while others pursued their art and found fulfillment in other career paths.

Bridging Two Different Worlds

Another descendant of the local scene who developed his artistry at The Common Ground is Adam Martinez. Originally growing up in San Bernardino, he began his career under the stage name Faimkills, eventually transitioning into Adam.et.al. He currently works as an English professor at Chaffey Community College in Rancho Cucamonga. During the last four years he’s worked with a team of colleagues curating and producing Chaffey College’s annual Hip Hop Summit. This summit acts as a showcase for all facets of hip hop culture including poetry workshops, guest panels, graffiti exhibitions and performances from local artists. Combining the worlds of hip hop and higher education has been a lifelong aspiration which Martinez has achieved.

“I’ve always felt sort of like an outsider in the scene, even though I’ve been received so warmly by everybody. But just like the idea of education and hip hop has always placed me in a weird place, because we have this sort of ethos in rap like The College Dropout you know?”

Even though Martinez admitted that trying to blend these institutions together may seem counterintuitive to some, he is thankful for the lessons he gained while rocking shows as an emcee. “Those [performance skills] help me just in regular teaching, when I’m building my lesson plan for the day, I think, like a set list. Alright, we’re gonna talk about this for twenty minutes, and then this for 15 minutes, so I’m definitely bringing those skills over.” Martinez’s ultimate goal is to inspire his students and assure them that pursuing higher education and art don’t have to be separate dreams. Each can coexist in the same realm and compliment one another along the way.

What’s to Come in the IE?

A significant challenge for the scene in recent times has been an overall shift to larger highly-produced music festivals taking place in the Inland Empire. With the growing success of massive events such as Coachella and Hard Summer, gone are the days of modest sized crowds and essential production. With this shift came a lack of opportunity for independent artists to perform in an environment suitable for their smaller fan bases. Joey Atilano, known by his rap moniker 60 East, has set out to bring hip hop fans an event that circled back to the basics of all the hip hop festivals that took place years ago. Beginning in 2018, Atilano has successfully produced The Happiness of Pursuit festival for the last five years in Ontario, California. THOP Fest has brought thousands of fans together over the years to embrace legendary acts such as The Far Side, Lighter Shade of Brown, Evidence, Murs, Benny the Butcher and many more. The festival also acts as a stepping stone for smaller acts to grow their fan bases while perfecting their live shows. Each year, the community that attends grows in numbers with all sharing their love for independent Hip Hop.

The most important facet of this movement that has allowed artists such as Martinez, James and others from the Inland Empire to reach success is community. With a combined effort to grow and nurture this local scene, many have found a place to create art while being a part of a network of artists that exemplify the uniqueness this region has to offer. When asked what advice can be offered to help guide other local movements continue to prosper, Lesa James said, “I think it’s just working together. It’s sharing your resources and being okay with being a team player, you know what I mean, you don’t always have to be the head of everything.”