story by Noah Levine
Inspired by the array of cultures and people in his hometown, raised
on the variety of sounds in his mother's record collection, and groomed
at the open mic nights that raised the generation currently holding
court over Chicago's booming hip hop scene, Diverse is hard at work
making his way as one the top MCs currently holding a mic.
Armed with cleverly dexterous wordplay and a sense that words should
have a purpose, Diverse makes tracks where what he says during the
verse is just as important as making sure the chorus hangs in a listener's
mind. During a recent conversation with Chicago Innerview, Diverse
said he's a product of the classic hip hop of the late '80s and early
'90s, as well as the local scene that produced artists like Common
and Kanye West.
"I think that a lot of Chicago MCs definitely focus on the words
and the content," he said. "I'm a fan of figurative MCs
who don't have to be so literal with every line for you to understand
what they're saying."
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DIVERSE'S INNER VIEW
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"If you can impress the people here
in Chicago, you can impress people anywhere."
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Diverse fits this description perfectly, crafting tight songs whether
he's dropping stories of the streets, pontificating about finding
ways for the world to be more tolerant, elaborating on a need to seek
out something new, or just giving his due to freestyle battles and
breakdancers. As versatile an MC as his name implies, Diverse's style
sounds just as at home when rhyming over high energy funk as he does
topping a lazy jazz-soaked groove.
He's had the chance to test out this range by working with some of
the hottest hip hop producers around. His debut album One A.M. featured
production from underground icons RJD2, Prefuse 73 and Madlib, along
with collaborations with top MCs such as Jean Grae and Lyrics Born.
His upcoming release Round About will feature work with DJ Spinna
and a bunch more beats from the seemingly ubiquitous Madlib. Diverse
thinks the success of artists such as Kanye West, Common, Mos Def
and Talib Kweli is a good sign for him and his associates in the underground
hip hop world.
"I've just been privileged to work with some people who are
real trendsetters in hip hop," he said. "I think that there's
an abundance of really talented artists, it's a really good time for
hip hop. It's just a matter of time, we've got to keep our nose to
the grindstone."
Diverse approaches his work with the lofty goal of creating music
with a lasting impact. Thus far his music is finding a positive critical
reception, and on stage he's found connections with crowds as far
away as Australia. Diverse said he's proud of what he's been able
to accomplish, but he still doesn't feel like he's won over the hometown
crowd. He knows that's a major accomplishment so he plans to keep
working to write his place in the city's musical tradition.
"I probably get a bit more energy from the crowds outside Chicago,"
he said. "But I think that Chicago is definitely warming up and
starting to appreciate that I'm an artist from this city. If you can
impress the people here in Chicago, you can impress people anywhere."
Diverse :: with Jean Grae and Abstract Giants :: Abbey Pub :: January
19.
Listen to an mp3 of Diverse's "Certified," courtesy of
Better
Propaganda.