2008 Woodie Awards
Carter, Jones hit road to bring rebirth of hip-hop
Jaz Gray
Issue date: 4/19/07 Section: Exposure
Since Don Imus made his comments about the women's basketball team at Rutgers University, people have been asking the question, "What about hip-hop?" My answer is, "What about GRITS?"
Progressive hip-hop group GRITS, comprised of Teron "Bonafide" Carter and Stacy "Coffee" Jones, has set out for the past twelve years to use hip-hop as a tool to reach people and enrich their lives. Although they agree with some critics who say that hip-hop has lost its way, they are witnesses to the positive messages that hip-hop has to offer.
"Now, it's just [an] over saturation of the market, and people are talking about the same old monotonous things," Coffee says. "Of course, if there is no diversity in [hip-hop], if it's just going to be snap music for the next twenty years, then of course [we're going to] die out."
GRITS says in order for there to be serious changes in the music industry, artists have to step forward and make their music a little more empowering and inspiring.
"[Some of us] have been irresponsible in the way we write songs and the kind of songs that we deem as 'what's hot and what's not,'" Bonafide says.
GRITS believes they are a group that can help change the image of hip-hop by not only having music that people can groove to but delivering powerful messages.
"I feel like we bridge the gap between what is already out there and what isn't out there. We give it that happy meeting," says Coffee.
GRITS started in 1994 and dropped their first album in 1995 during what Bonafide calls the "Golden Era of Hip-hop."
"Everything was pretty much straight-up positive," Bonafide says.
From the start of their career in 1995, GRITS says that they set out to offer people something unique and different, by combining exciting beats with positive, spiritual messages.
"In our personal lives, we are men of faith, and you can tell that it influences the way we write our music, That's the way we choose to be," Bonafide says.
Progressive hip-hop group GRITS, comprised of Teron "Bonafide" Carter and Stacy "Coffee" Jones, has set out for the past twelve years to use hip-hop as a tool to reach people and enrich their lives. Although they agree with some critics who say that hip-hop has lost its way, they are witnesses to the positive messages that hip-hop has to offer.
"Now, it's just [an] over saturation of the market, and people are talking about the same old monotonous things," Coffee says. "Of course, if there is no diversity in [hip-hop], if it's just going to be snap music for the next twenty years, then of course [we're going to] die out."
GRITS says in order for there to be serious changes in the music industry, artists have to step forward and make their music a little more empowering and inspiring.
"[Some of us] have been irresponsible in the way we write songs and the kind of songs that we deem as 'what's hot and what's not,'" Bonafide says.
GRITS believes they are a group that can help change the image of hip-hop by not only having music that people can groove to but delivering powerful messages.
"I feel like we bridge the gap between what is already out there and what isn't out there. We give it that happy meeting," says Coffee.
GRITS started in 1994 and dropped their first album in 1995 during what Bonafide calls the "Golden Era of Hip-hop."
"Everything was pretty much straight-up positive," Bonafide says.
From the start of their career in 1995, GRITS says that they set out to offer people something unique and different, by combining exciting beats with positive, spiritual messages.
"In our personal lives, we are men of faith, and you can tell that it influences the way we write our music, That's the way we choose to be," Bonafide says.
Be the first to comment on this story