Beyond the Myth of the Evil Rap Star

Time for this week’s pop quiz. We promise it will be fun and rewarding. And we won’t make you turn the paper upside down to read the answer.

Question: What do swing music, rock ‘n’ roll and rap have in common?

Answer: An older generation on hand to warn of the inherent evil of the new music style.

This decade, it’s rap’s turn. Rap concerts get the kind of press usually reserved for British soccer matches. As a style, it’s fast, it’s in-your-face and, quite frankly, it scares some people.

But set aside the stereotypes. Imagine instead the style of Sheila Kilgore and her company, Jus Us Productions.

This is a kinder--though not necessarily gentler--rap she will be presenting Friday at the second annual Rap-A-Thon at Lynwood’s Bateman Hall. This is still the rap born of an aggressive, street-level rage, just without the swear words.

The Rap-A-Thon features artists who have recorded on small labels and includes amateur groups competing for cash prizes, followed by a hip-hop dance. The competitors Kilgore has signed up so far include hopefuls that range in age from 9 to 35, she said.

But all performers have at least one thing in common: They will all perform without profanity.

Well, one Christian rapper signed for the show does use the word “hell,” Kilgore admits, but the point is it isn’t gratuitous cussing.

“You’ve got to keep it clean, that’s what I tell these kids, because anyone can get up there and curse,” Kilgore said.

That doesn’t mean that the heart or the rage has been edited out of these acts. In the three or four minutes every performer has on stage, judges will be looking for the aggressive, hard-core quality that comes with the energy of the best rap performers, Kilgore said.

Judges for the event include street promoters, a comedian, a record store owner and the chief executive officers of two small record labels: Elphas Records and Xcite Records.

The first show held in November found its star in a 4-foot 9-inch, 16-year-old girl by the name of M.C. Little (Paulette Jones). She picked up the first-place prize money of $100 by showing that she could be aggressive, hard-core and still be clean. Plus she had that elusive “star quality,” Kilgore said.

But the best thing about last year’s show was the atmosphere, Kilgore said. Parents dropped off and picked up their children from Bateman Hall, something not usually seen with the teen-agers who frequent rap events, she said. Some of the parents even came in, mingling with the crowd of about 300 people that included all ages and races, Kilgore said.

The invited artists for this show include rappers Royal Ace, Orreaon, R&B; rappers In Good Taste, and the dance group Pure Mission.

And in keeping with the good, clean fun being promoted here, vendors will be serving barbecued hot links, popcorn and sodas--no alcohol.

Presented by Jus Us Productions and the Lynwood Recreation Department, the Rap-A-Thon will be held Friday at Bateman Hall, 11331 Ernestine Ave., Lynwood, from 8 to 11:30 p.m. Admission is $5.

Information: 288-5072. Tickets: 603-0220 Ext. 413.