Empire - Talk of the (Mexican) Town
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KC Hispanic News
Empire finds no radio respect in KC
For a rapper, street cred is everything, lose that and you might as well be a lounge singer. Empire, the latest project of Grant Rice, Mark Luna, Panic and SG (Steve Garcia) is a group with a mission and a lot of cred on its tracks. Empire is four Hispanic hip-hop artists with deep roots in the local underground music scene.
The group recently released their first CD, “Crowned,” on the heels of a thirty-city promotional tour. Their music is getting airplay in thirty major radio markets across the country.
KPWR-FM Power 106 in Los Angeles, one of the largest hip-hop stations in the country, is currently playing two of their songs. They are also featured on their popular syndicated program “Pocos Pero Locos.”
You would think that these would be the glory days for the group. The truth is that the Hispanic quartet is facing a little of a stumbling block in their own backyard.
“We are a Hispanic based group out of Kansas City. I feel that we represent the commnity as far as music goes here,” said Rice. “It is kind of a slap in the face that in Kansas City we got to fight to get radio play. I think with us, it is the fact that we are Latinos. We have heard through the grapevine that Mexican rap does not make much sense in Kansas City. It is up to us to prove them wrong,” said Rice.
The group encapsulates that attitude in one of their songs “Do What I do.” “I don’t really care what you think about me. I do what I do and I do it proudly. Don’t need no excuse or abuse to cloud me. I say what I say and I say it loudly.”
Mike Savage is the group’s manager. Savage is best known in the Kansas City area as the Executive producer of the popular morning radio show on KQRC 98.9 FM. “I can get their record played in Los Angeles but I can’t get their record to play here in Kansas City.”
“It is tough here in Kansas City. We have actually reached out to local radio stations here, and we have been told there is no market for Hispanic hip-hop,” added Savage. “The group is discouraged because this is their hometown. I think you always want to impress people at home before you impress anyone abroad.”
If it’s credentials you want, Grant Rice & The Empire has it by the bucketful. Rice is from Kansas City and a veteran of the underground scene. He had a long collaboration with Techn9ne. He also co-wrote “Anghellic” a big hit for Techn9e and their label Interscope. Rice pays the bills as a ghostwriter for other music groups in Los Angeles.
Panic is from El Paso Texas and speaks fluent Spanish. “A lot of his lyrics are really spiritual, he is a spiritual guy,” said Savage. Panic has released a solo CD “Weapons of Mass Dysfunction” and is a popular club DJ.
SG (Steve Garcia) was born in Mexico and has lived in Kansas City for close to twenty years. He produced ‘Crowned” and is well known for his beats and production abilities.
Mark Luna is from Kansas City. He has a regular nine to five job working as a butcher at HY-VEE. SG turned him on to rap in 1995. He used to write poetry and when he heard SG’s beats, something clicked. “When I heard the beats I knew I could use my passion for poetry and put it to music,” said Luna.
Like many groups before them the groups is paying their dues on the road. “With zero money we did a thirty city tour, and I am not lying to you, we slept in the back of the van. The next day they went out and played again.” said Savage. “I am very proud of the guys, I think we have been very successful so far.”
Savage believes that the group’s message sets them apart from other hip-hop groups today. “A lot of hip hop artists talk about things they don’t necessarily need, like big houses, big cars, clothes, diamonds, bling bling, lots of women. These guys are true to their roots. The guys struggle day to day, they talk about it and live it. It is in their music.” “We are taking hip-hop back to early days, when it was about the struggle.”
Savage notes that the promotion picture of the group is real to the group image. “The picture is where Grant lives, it is his backyard, it is a pretty desolate place.”
As Grant Rice & The Empire look at the future they acknowledge two obstacles in the group’s radio success in Kansas City. “One of the things making it tough is we are not signed to a major record label. Unless you have that major conglomerate behind you really pushing promotion, a lot of people don’t want to hear what you have to say, they don’t want to take you serious.”
Two is “The hip-hop world is a predominantly African American genre,
that is who created it.” The group believes they are sometimes viewed as outsiders. “It is like when Eminem first came out,” Luna added “It was like ‘he is a white guy trying to do black music?’ Here we are Hispanic kids trying to do black music.”
The irony is not lost on Rice. “I started rapping when I was 13, just messing around because all the black kids in my neighborhood were rapping. I started getting lots of attention because I was the only kid who could rap who wasn’t black.”
According to Savage, the group feels a responsibility to other young Latinos. “What the guys want is when Hispanics kids hear their music, they can be role models. “It is like they are saying, “Listen, we are out here, we are Hispanic kids, and we are from Kansas City, and we are out here doing it, why can’t you?”
Rice is convinced that in time KC radio will recognize what the rest of the country already has. In the first week of the CD’s release the group had sold over four hundred copies in KC alone. “As long as we keep doing what we are doing, local radio will hop on the train pretty soon,” said Rice.
Grant Rice & The Empire’s CD is available locally at Streetside Records, 7th Heaven and Warehouse Music or online at www.GrantRiceEmpire.com
Empire finds no radio respect in KC
For a rapper, street cred is everything, lose that and you might as well be a lounge singer. Empire, the latest project of Grant Rice, Mark Luna, Panic and SG (Steve Garcia) is a group with a mission and a lot of cred on its tracks. Empire is four Hispanic hip-hop artists with deep roots in the local underground music scene.
The group recently released their first CD, “Crowned,” on the heels of a thirty-city promotional tour. Their music is getting airplay in thirty major radio markets across the country.
KPWR-FM Power 106 in Los Angeles, one of the largest hip-hop stations in the country, is currently playing two of their songs. They are also featured on their popular syndicated program “Pocos Pero Locos.”
You would think that these would be the glory days for the group. The truth is that the Hispanic quartet is facing a little of a stumbling block in their own backyard.
“We are a Hispanic based group out of Kansas City. I feel that we represent the commnity as far as music goes here,” said Rice. “It is kind of a slap in the face that in Kansas City we got to fight to get radio play. I think with us, it is the fact that we are Latinos. We have heard through the grapevine that Mexican rap does not make much sense in Kansas City. It is up to us to prove them wrong,” said Rice.
The group encapsulates that attitude in one of their songs “Do What I do.” “I don’t really care what you think about me. I do what I do and I do it proudly. Don’t need no excuse or abuse to cloud me. I say what I say and I say it loudly.”
Mike Savage is the group’s manager. Savage is best known in the Kansas City area as the Executive producer of the popular morning radio show on KQRC 98.9 FM. “I can get their record played in Los Angeles but I can’t get their record to play here in Kansas City.”
“It is tough here in Kansas City. We have actually reached out to local radio stations here, and we have been told there is no market for Hispanic hip-hop,” added Savage. “The group is discouraged because this is their hometown. I think you always want to impress people at home before you impress anyone abroad.”
If it’s credentials you want, Grant Rice & The Empire has it by the bucketful. Rice is from Kansas City and a veteran of the underground scene. He had a long collaboration with Techn9ne. He also co-wrote “Anghellic” a big hit for Techn9e and their label Interscope. Rice pays the bills as a ghostwriter for other music groups in Los Angeles.
Panic is from El Paso Texas and speaks fluent Spanish. “A lot of his lyrics are really spiritual, he is a spiritual guy,” said Savage. Panic has released a solo CD “Weapons of Mass Dysfunction” and is a popular club DJ.
SG (Steve Garcia) was born in Mexico and has lived in Kansas City for close to twenty years. He produced ‘Crowned” and is well known for his beats and production abilities.
Mark Luna is from Kansas City. He has a regular nine to five job working as a butcher at HY-VEE. SG turned him on to rap in 1995. He used to write poetry and when he heard SG’s beats, something clicked. “When I heard the beats I knew I could use my passion for poetry and put it to music,” said Luna.
Like many groups before them the groups is paying their dues on the road. “With zero money we did a thirty city tour, and I am not lying to you, we slept in the back of the van. The next day they went out and played again.” said Savage. “I am very proud of the guys, I think we have been very successful so far.”
Savage believes that the group’s message sets them apart from other hip-hop groups today. “A lot of hip hop artists talk about things they don’t necessarily need, like big houses, big cars, clothes, diamonds, bling bling, lots of women. These guys are true to their roots. The guys struggle day to day, they talk about it and live it. It is in their music.” “We are taking hip-hop back to early days, when it was about the struggle.”
Savage notes that the promotion picture of the group is real to the group image. “The picture is where Grant lives, it is his backyard, it is a pretty desolate place.”
As Grant Rice & The Empire look at the future they acknowledge two obstacles in the group’s radio success in Kansas City. “One of the things making it tough is we are not signed to a major record label. Unless you have that major conglomerate behind you really pushing promotion, a lot of people don’t want to hear what you have to say, they don’t want to take you serious.”
Two is “The hip-hop world is a predominantly African American genre,
that is who created it.” The group believes they are sometimes viewed as outsiders. “It is like when Eminem first came out,” Luna added “It was like ‘he is a white guy trying to do black music?’ Here we are Hispanic kids trying to do black music.”
The irony is not lost on Rice. “I started rapping when I was 13, just messing around because all the black kids in my neighborhood were rapping. I started getting lots of attention because I was the only kid who could rap who wasn’t black.”
According to Savage, the group feels a responsibility to other young Latinos. “What the guys want is when Hispanics kids hear their music, they can be role models. “It is like they are saying, “Listen, we are out here, we are Hispanic kids, and we are from Kansas City, and we are out here doing it, why can’t you?”
Rice is convinced that in time KC radio will recognize what the rest of the country already has. In the first week of the CD’s release the group had sold over four hundred copies in KC alone. “As long as we keep doing what we are doing, local radio will hop on the train pretty soon,” said Rice.
Grant Rice & The Empire’s CD is available locally at Streetside Records, 7th Heaven and Warehouse Music or online at www.GrantRiceEmpire.com
Grant grew up in Leeds I thought! Tech and Grant signed at Interscope that is interesting. I think it is to bad how hard it is to get music played anywhere on radio, but it is the game and it sucks. The article is retarded, to much bullshit to sort through to get to the reality. The article sounds like a whine and bullshit session, dont tell me that certain people in that group are struggling cause some of us know better. They may not all have fancy houses etc, but that is for now. It is absolutely about the bling and the houses and the cars and all the other fun stuff. If it was just about the love of the music then they would be giving up all proceeds to some charity other than themselves! Grant sleeping in a van, I dont believe it! Maybe Empire should stop worrying about radio play and worry about teaching there members on how to behave at other peoples shows!!!!!!!!! It wont matter how much radio you have if you are acting like trash.
