Rappers and hip-hop music fans from across Connecticut packed The Artisan Stack in Bridgeport early this month for Underground Mass Chaos.
The showcase highlights the state’s growing underground hip-hop scene while creating new network opportunities for independent artists.
The event, organized by The 203 Standard and LYPHr Promotions, featured more than 20 local performers competing for prizes including a radio interview with WPKN, a Bridgeport based non-profit community radio station. The winner also receives future performance opportunities.
Throughout the evening, audience members crowded around the stage to record performances on their phones and applaud as underground artists from across Connecticut performed their original music.
Between sets, performers and fans mingled throughout the venue, reflecting the collaborative atmosphere organizers said they hoped to foster.
Gregory Foster, a rapper from Norwalk, performs under his stage name Iclypzx (Eclipse)! Foster said Connecticut’s underground hip-hop scene is gaining momentum after years of being overshadowed by neighboring states of New York and Massachusetts.
“For a long time, I feel like Connecticut lived in New York’s shadow, but now we’re making a statement and proving this state is a force to be reckoned with,” Foster said.
Bridgeport rapper Jason Carter, who performs as ‘Metro 28’, said the Underground Mass Chaos event represents more than just a concert. Carter said the community reflects that Connecticut’s underground hip-hop scene has built over the years.
“To me, it’s the tribe, the community that’s been created over generations and is still forever evolving,” Carter said. “It’s people coming together to support the culture. One tribe, one world, one light shining across the world.”
Sheneta Nicole Walker, a radio programmer at WPKN 89.5 FM, said local radio stations can help emerging artists build grassroots support before reaching larger audiences.
“Local is where it starts. Local is where the mainstream will listen more,” Walker said.
Walker said similar events can help artists connect with audiences, fellow performers, promoters and future booking opportunities.
“It creates awareness, creates community,” Walker said. “It lets the artists know where they can go to advocate as an artist and position themselves in booking.”
After more than 20 performances, Carlos De Los Santos, who performs under the name NDO Hotwheelz, walked away as the winner of Underground Mass Chaos, earning a radio interview with Walker and future performance opportunities.
De Los Santos, who uses a wheelchair, said there was a time he didn’t think he’d ever be able to perform his own music. Events like Underground Mass Chaos, he said, have given him the confidence to pursue his passion.
“There was a point where I didn’t think I’d ever perform my own music,” De Los Santos said. “Now, nights like this make me feel like I can make it through anything.”
