Pop out to one of the many hip hop showcases or events going on in the city and you'll find yourself mingling among a host of nightcrawlers--scenesters, musicians, MCs, and the usual bar dwellers fraternizing, flirting, drink spilling, and networking. With attention on everything but the stage, intention of support becomes partially an artificial cause. Investigate the scene a little more and you'll probably find him -- producer and UB college student Jamie "Jacebeats" Catania, plunging through the crowd straight towards the performance, withdrawn from all the distracting clutter only to be caught up in the rapture that is art. If the feeling behind music was rendered on canvas, Jamie would be its easel, sturdy and unrelenting, the support holding up an underground hip hop scene to Buffalo and beyond beckoning,"Hey, look at is being created. Look at what it could become." He is actively the onlooker, the protector, and the server of such a cause. In a city where artistic support appears fickle and stubborn and tensions are petty, individuals like Jace are needed to point us in the direction of faith.
Jace will always be Buffalo hip hop's biggest fan, but in stepping out of his role as the onlooker, Jace can now become more of a fan and critic of his own work. As a producer, he also steps into the role as rescuer of the forgotten. He plucks records belonging to deserted corners of time and space, revisiting and repairing with care, gently guiding them through a process of renewed exuberance. Something old is always new. Inspired by Diana Ross, The Commodores, and positively charged messages of 60s and 70s soul, Jace creates new uplifting dimensions of sonic travel, leaving people on the return trip home hungry for more of the crackle and pop of soul healing times. One must treat a Jace beat like they would handle a vintage garment. Wash by hand, and rarely wash. Admire the imperfections. Appreciate what it has endured, where's it's been, and how it so preciously ended up in your possession.
~ Photos by J.K. Media
Nicceee!
A little much, honestly. Well written though, and it's good to see that Catania is doing something cool and productive for the arts.