Godamus Rhyme

By: Jason Gloss (early 2007)

Philaflava.com: Before we get to your new project, let’s take it back and let the readers know a little bit about Godamus Rhyme. Originally you’re from Maryland and later on moved to Florida to attend the infamous Full Sail Media Arts Institute in Orlando. At what age did you decide you’d be an employee of hip-hop?

Godamus Rhyme: I started messing around with rhymes when I was 13. Right at the end of 8th grade. At first I wanted to be a singer, but one day I started messing around wit some lyrics and just got hooked. It became an everyday thing. I hooked up with a dude in my math class who was rhyming and by the time I finished 9th grade I was serious. It was all I thought about.

PF: What do you enjoy more, producing what you believe is the perfect record or appearing on what you believe is the perfect record?

GR: I think I get more satisfaction from producing and mixing a great record because I really have to work at it. At this point, I've been rapping for going on 12 years. Verses don't always come easy, but I know that when they do come they'll be dope. I've always had a gift with words. Writing music is hard. It's a challenge. Every time I sit down to make a beat I'm trying to step it up and be on par or better than all your beatmaking heroes. And I never feel like I've done enough. As soon as I feel I've reached that point, I hear another dope beat I wish I did, and it's like, "Damn. I gotta hit the studio again."

PF: You’ve been rappin’ for a minute but you also have a pretty lengthy touring record. Who are some of the artists that you’ve performed with throughout the years?

GR: I've performed with Bootcamp Clik, Jean Grae, the Weathermen, some of the cats from the Justus League, CunninLynguists, Deepspace5, Mars Ill, Poison Pen, Diabolic, Immortal Technique, End of the Weak, Iron Solomon & Vangaurd, Sol illaquists of Sound, iCON the Mic King, Supastition, Murs... Alot of solid emcees and performers that I respect. It's been a blessing.

PF: Who was the most helpful artist you’ve been able to build with on the road?

GR: I don't really know. Some of the cats who have really become homies are L.E.G.A.C.Y., iCON, the Sol. illaquists, and Kenn Starr. Swam (from Sol. illa) & iCON are always on the lookout and trying to help me and give suggestions. Iron Solomon, Vanguard, and Webbafied from the EOW are all madd cool too. We're trying to see if we can put together a tour with them right now.

PF: Who put on the best show? Any memorable tour stories?

GR: Sol. illaquists of Sound has hands down one of the best live shows you'll ever see. I think the craziest show we ever rocked was the Bootcamp joint. That was when they were touring to support The Last Stand. It was just crazy seeing all them dudes I wanted to rap like in middle school and highschool up on stage and knowing that I got to open up for them. One of the best tour memories was me getting fall out drunk at a show in NY and battling. We had the whole crowd changting "Drunk Goddy! Drunk Goddy! Hey!" and cheering me on. One of the most rediculous things I've ever been a part of.

PF: Your new group Caveman Theory consists of 4 members, three emcees and one DJ. How did the group form?

GR: The other two emcees in the group are Kap and Redd Simpkins. Our DJ's name is Dolo. The whole thing came together kind of as an accident. I met Redd right after i moved to FL to go to school. We started hangin out and rockin shows together. Then Redd met Kap through one of his college buddies and they started hanging out and doing tracks. When I'd snatch up Redd to do a show, he'd bring Kap. Eventually we just got in the habit and started makin tracks with all three of us. Dolo came in about 6 months to a year after we had been rocking around Orlando as a group officially and offered to be our DJ after doing cuts for some tracks on a solo EP Kap did.

PF: The group’s debut album “The Stone Quartet” recently dropped, what should the average hip-hop listener expect from this album and why should they cop it?

GR: Our music is traditional east coast hiphop, but we're not caught up in trying to make shit sound like it's still '95 or '96. We respect the era, but it's 2007. We make modern music and everybody holds their own. Too many groups got one dude that outshines everybody else or everybody in the group raps exactly the same. That's not us. We all have our own styles and our own approach. It keeps shit interesting. And we dont preach to you. We're not trying to convert you to our hip-hop or life viewpoint, we're just trying to let you know what ours is. Too many cats on this level are crying about how wack the game is and trying to make converts. We just want to make fans.

PF: For a few months now you guys have been making some noise on the rap charts with tracks like “The Misses,” “Funk Box” and “Don’t Violate,” how’s it feel to get support from many college, mixshow and internet DJ’s?

GR: It's been great. We really didn't know what to expect at all. Nobody pays attention to the shit that comes from our area unless it's crunk or dirtysouth shit. Even the people who live here. I never expected to be charting with Brother Ali, El-P, and Sage Francis our first time out. We knew the music was good enough, but wether or not people would pay attention was up in the air. Now we're on the CMJ HipHop top 10 and getting bootlegged in other countries. We don't even have an official label behind us. It's great.

PF: How difficult is it for a hip-hop group based in Central Florida to break in hip-hop game? There is only so much the internet and touring can do in order to put you in the same rat race, so what do you believe the group must to do to get the proper exposure in today’s rap world?

GR: It's very tough. No one believes in this area. The same way no one believed in NC before Little Brother. Right now we're just trying to grind it out and spread the word as much as possible. We're starting to plan our next tour and starting to collect beats for the next record. But touring is actually the most important thing for us. We gotta remind people we exist and the only way to do that is to get in front of them cause we don't have any more money for an advertising budget or radio promo.

PF: I'd like you to rank the following 10 rappers you’ve toured with from best to worst. Cage, iCON the Mic King, Immortal Technique, Jean Grae, Poison Pen, Supastition, Talib Kweli, Pharoah Monch, PackFM & Murs.

GR: This is a tough one. I hope nobody gets offended.

1. Murs
2. Pharoah
3. iCON
4. Jean Grae
5. Poison Pen
6. Talib
7. Technique
8. Supastition
9. PackFM
10. Cage

I ranked em cause of who I enjoyed watching most. I'd give some of em equal numbers if I could. Only reason Talib was so low is cause he lost his voice the last time I saw him perform and I only knew what he was saying cause I knew the songs. He still rocked it though.

PF: Did iCON the Mic King end Copywrites career?

GR: I think Copywrite ended his own career. But the thing wit iCON didn't help any. I've heard alot of things about that dude, but I'm kinda biased on that situation so I don't really wanna speak on it since I'm not directly involved.

PF: If you could play hip-hop God for one day, name a few things you’d eliminate from the culture that you feel would make the music better today?

GR: Fairweather fans. The disenchantment of American hiphop with vinyl. Sampling laws. Payola. Clear Channel. Radio One. Viacom. The coporate consolidation of record labels. Oprah.

PF: What was the album hip-hop album you purchased? What was the last hip-hop album you were disappointed with?

GR: I think the very last one I bought was Army of the Pharoahs while I was on tour. I bought like $200 worth of CDs I'd been wanting to pick up when I was on the road. Havent bought any others since I got back. I been broke. I think the last one I was dissapointed with was The Procussions. I also bought that while I was on the road. They had done a show in Orlando recently that I missed and I was curious as to what the buzz was all about. A few songs were real dope, but overall it didn't grab me like I was hoping.

PF: The “Good Die Young” appeared on our last compilation “ A League of Our Own Vol. 2.” When submitting it did you know it would not only make the cut, but be one of the lead singles to the album?

GR: Truthfully I had no idea. We finished that song the day before the original sumbission deadline and it was done to a beat that I made like a year and a half before, but never really liked. I almost erased that beat, but people kept telling me it was hot so I held on to it.

PF: Whatever happened to Young Siah?

GR: He changed his rap name to Jon Connor. He's from Flint, MI originally and is part of a crew called Avie Squad. He's probably the biggest unsigned rapper in Flint right now. He's done an album and a mixtape since then that made a big buzz in Flint and I think he's supposed to appear in the Source Unsigned Hype soon. He's even gotten calls from some industry cats like DJ Whoo Kid and has a bunch of connections he's workin in Miami and California. You should hear from him on the major label scene in the next year or two. He's also featured on one of the most popular tracks from the Caveman album called "Step Right."

PF: Will there be a Godamus Rhyme solo album in the near future?

GR: I've actually got plans for 2 or 3 different solo projects in various stages. My second mixtape Cocky Bastard 2: Chicken Scratch, a solo EP called Dusted which is produced using nothing but old samples and drum breaks (no keyboard sounds or original drum programming), and a full length called Unbreakable that I'm doing some writing for. I have a bunch of material partially finished. I'm trying to decide what I wanna keep and what I wanna throw out so i can solidify the direction of the projects. But don't expect me to actually drop one of the solo joints till next year. I'm too busy working on touring and making beats right now to finish any of them before then.

PF: What’s on deck for Caveman Theory in the 2nd half of ’07?

GR: Just trying to get back on the road, make some loot, and become more known outside of our city. We're trying to build a brand and a fanbase. The only way to do it is to get out there and in the people's faces.

PF: Any last words for your fans, haters and of course the wonderful people at Philaflava.com?

GR: Yeah. This is our life people. If you like what we do, please support it. If you bought the album or if you bootlegged it, just keep telling people about it. Spread the word. It's the only way we can afford to keep doing this. I've been on records in the US, Canada, Europe, and Japan and i still gotta work a day job. If you can make money off your dream, why can't I? And to everybody in Russia who bootlegged it, you owe me a bottle of vodka. Hit us up online at http://www.myspace.com/cavemantheory. You can listen to some of the music and order the album if you feel generous. We got t-shirts and posters and all that good stuff too, but the most important thing is the music. - Philaflava.com

With rap fixated on drug dealers and ringtones, it’s never been harder for an underground act to break out and find an audience. Godamus Rhyme, Redd Simpkins, Kap and DJ Dolo, collectively known as Caveman Theory, are the newest true-school contenders demanding your attention in a crowded marketplace. This multi-regional crew hailing from Maryland, Florida and Washington State ignore current trends in Hip Hop, positioning themselves as the successors to the late 90’s backpack scene, for better or for worse.

Drawing on the laid back abstract vibe perfected by A Tribe Called Quest and Souls of Mischief, there’s quite a lot to enjoy on The Stone Quartet. Smooth tracks like “Friends F-ck” and “Sunraised” are perfect for late night smoking sessions and long drives thanks to Godamus’ head-nod inducing beats and Simpkins’ metaphor heavy rhymes. Aptly examining every day life, relationships and the art of rapping, the crew’s down to earth approach is a breath of fresh air in a scene dominated by technical wizardry and nerdy complexity. Elsewhere, Caveman Theory take on everything from politics to poverty all while avoiding the preachy tendencies of some of their contemporaries. Wisely, the group offsets their pensive rhymes and mellow beats with infectious road-tested hooks sure to get any crowd jumping. With so many underground emcees straying towards pedantic “conscious” rhymes over sleepy beats, it’s refreshing to hear boom-bap dinosaurs that remember that the Native Tongues had fun on wax.

The group half-steps on their harder edged material however. Whether it’s overly sparse production on “Step Right” or the clichéd complaints on “Don’t Violate”, the crew seems ill at ease on the rugged tip. Also, while admirable, Caveman’s wordy lyricism occasionally obscures their songwriting, burying their intent in a torrent of similes and wordplay. While the throwback approach is appreciated, this adherence to some of the less fondly remembered elements of the late 90’s white label scene can make the group seem…prehistoric.

Missteps aside, Caveman Theory have put together a well rounded debut highlighting their reflective version of traditional boom-bap. While no one will confuse The Stone Quartet with a party album or the hardest release on the block, those looking for beats rhymes and life will be well rewarded. With their debut laying a solid foundation, Caveman Theory is in the position to build on this release’s success and won’t be going extinct any time soon. - OhWord.com

Godamus Rhyme has a simple self-assessment: “I am one multi-tasking motherfucker.” With a non-stop work schedule and experience in every aspect of the music business, he’s exactly the kind of DIY role model Audible Hype readers are looking for.

In this interview, he’s got eloquent and honest advice to share on everything from booking shows to managing multiple projects. This is some serious science. Enjoy.

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AudibleHype: What’s worked for you in 2008, in terms of marketing and promotion? What kind of tech and tools have you been using to stay organized?

Godamus Rhyme: Truthfully, in 2008 I didn’t do much. There was a lot going in my life and the only thing that I really figured out was that my hustle was all wrong. Promotion for myself as an artist was practically non-existent and most of my time was spent in the studio working on projects for other people.

In 2009 I’m changing all that. I’m very national and global in my mindset. I’m really trying to strategize, prioritize and put myself out there more from a musical and promotions standpoint. The internet is naturally my greatest tool. Especially for keeping organized. Right now I’m pimping Gmail extremely hard as well as sites like ArtistData.com, SonicBids, ReverbNation, DivShare and Media Fire. Google Reader is a must for trying to stay up on what’s going on in the Blogosphere. Before I discovered that, I was driving myself nuts trying to remember what blog was where and making a gigantic list of bookmarks on my computer. For actual in hand tech, I depend on my sidekick 3 to keep me connected. I have all my email forwarded there and all my phone numbers in it. I refer to it as my mobile office. I also write a lot of songs and business notes in it.

I’m very particular about what I like, so I am strictly a PC dude and I’m very anti-BlackBerry. I’ll probably switch up my phone to G1 when my contract is up cause there are certain things about the sidekick I’m fed up with at this point.



AudibleHype: I’ve caught you live with the mobile destruction unit Caveman Theory and you’ve been on the road for years now. What’s been the biggest surprise lesson from life on the road?

Godamus Rhyme: At home, I’m a very private dude and don’t hang out a lot. I’m either at my J.O., in the lab, or with my girl mostly. But out on the road, I find myself more easygoing. On my last tour dudes who I previously had issues with I ended up getting drunk and having a blast with. The road can be a very freeing place. It can also show completely different sides of people. Some folks who I swore were the coolest ended up turning into complete monsters. I’m not gonna name names, but the ones who were there know.

Just so its officially out there, there is no more Caveman Theory. That got put to rest at the end of 2007. I still mention it from time to time when I write about my personal history, but CMT is gone. I’m strictly a solo act, but I am affiliated with some very dope crews.

AudibleHype: What are the most common mistakes you see newer acts making, onstage and on the road?

Godamus Rhyme: The first mistake is thinking that you’re owed something. A lot of cats don’t know how to be humble anymore. I mean… I’m a cocky ass dude. I know my skill level and I make no bones about it on records. But when dealing with people you gotta know when to fall back. I’m extremely thankful for every person who’s ever said “that shit was hot” or “you’re dope” to me. You gotta come in willing to learn and work at building people’s faith in you.

Onstage and the road… Most of these dudes are lame. New and old. Performing is a craft. It’s an art. These dudes don’t put any time into it. They think they can get up there and as long as they got bars, people will respond. NO. You gotta learn movement, banter, crowd control.... How to put a set together. And you have to be honest with yourself about the reactions your material gets or your show will never improve. It’s easier for cats who got a rep. You really don’t have to try as hard if people already know your songs and are into your shit. But as a new artist your show can break you. Especially if you don’t have anything on radio or the blogs or nuthin. All cats got to go by is your stage show.

Considering you wear pretty much every hat in the industry from engineer to emcee, how do you keep balanced when you’re crunched for time?

Godamus Rhyme: Truthfully? I don’t. Most of the time I’m in full panic mode running from one place to another. I have tons of things that need doing and I don’t have a manager, publicist, booking agent or any kind of staff. For me, networking is more important than ever cause anything anybody does for me is based off friendship, mutual respect or favors owed.

I’m blessed enough to work in my field (audio engineering) and made more money than ever off music last year, but nearly all my extra loot was from engineering on the side and production. Now that I’m mostly focusing on me, that cashflow is even more sporadic. I also have a lot of late nights and jam packed days as I try to improve my grind.

For instance, I work at a TV station and right now I’m doing this interview as I’m taping news segments. When I get a break, I’ll head to a computer work station and try put some time into my webdesign/blog shit. I’ll get off a little before midnight, then I gotta go home and get ready for a photoshoot tomorrow morning (monday). I got a show tuesday night, and then I have to be at work at 3AM Wendsday. Then there’s a recording session and radio interview thursday night.

Around all this I’ve got to schedule a meeting with a local promoter I’m friends with to talk about setting up a string of shows for a band I’m trying to help tour this summer and find time to sit down and start the next few beats for an EP I’m doing that’s dropping in June and record a track for a producer up in Massachussets. I also have to design and order flyers & posters for my mixtape release party I’m throwing next month.

Did I mention I work fulltime and the only one of those activities I am ever fast at is recording vocals? Cats don’t know how hard I work.

AudibleHype: Did you go to school for sound design and engineering or are you self taught?

Godamus Rhyme: Both. I started out recording myself and one of my best friends in high school. Convinced my mom to buy me a 4-track one christmas and never looked back. By senior year I knew I wanted audio engineering to be my day job if music never popped off.

I got a full academic scholarship to Hampton University and majored in Music Technology, but the program sucked. There was a whole lot of traditional music theory and instrument/voice lessons which I can now appreciate, but none of the technical shit I really wanted to learn. You didn’t get into that until your third year. I learned more about making and recording music fucking around in Cool Edit and Sonar in my dorm room or at my homie Dane’s apartment. After two years of being miserable I left, went home, and convinced my parents to help me go to Full Sail, which is where I had really wanted to go the whole time.

Full Sail let me get my hands on some of the best industry level equipment and helped expand and refine the foundation I built for myself during highschool and those 2 years at Hampton. I learned alot of tips and tricks from hit-making engineers and producers. But I’m still learning new shit all the time. I always want to get better.

AudibleHype: Now that you’ve got a few finished projects under your belt, what are the biggest lessons you’ve learned about planning an album or EP?

Godamus Rhyme: #1. There is no one way to make an album.

#2. Mastering engineers are your best friend, but a shitty mix is a shitty mix. If your mixing engineer is retarded, get a new one. I don’t care if he’s free and your best friend. Your record will sound like shit and no one will listen.

#3. Quality is way more important than quantity in a tracklisting.

#4. I make better music when I have a definate goal in mind.

#5. Every artist works differently. As an engineer and producer, you have to adapt and be flexible.

AudibleHype: Finally: do you have any standout book recommendations, in terms of doing music professionally or just business in general, that have proven valuable to your career?

Godamus Rhyme: All You Need to Know About the Music Business, by Donald Passman.

I think that book is the single most valuable resource any musician can have when they’re first thinking about getting into this business. The author is a former entertainment lawyer and the book is revised and updated every year. It goes in depth into different types of deals, contracts, building a team, publishing, etc. If there’s something you might need to know about the industry, it’s in there.

I learned a hell of a lot from that book. This game is filthy and everybody’s looking out for themselves, so it pays to be knowledgeable. Read that and you’ll be at least somewhat prepared for 75% of the dumb shit that happens in this biz.

- AudibleHype.com

With all the love for melodic rapper/singers like Drake and Kid CuDi lately, it’s a little surprising that Godamus Rhyme hasn’t built more of a buzz. Perhaps he just hasn’t dumbed it down enough yet. Having put in serious work over the course of the last decade, promoting his solo projects as well as his work with the former group Caveman Theory, Godamus has honed his craft and developed a unique style that’s equal parts singer and rapper.

On his latest project, "6th Sense vs. Godamus Rhyme: The Adventures of Rhyme & Sense," produced entirely by rapper/producer 6th Sense, Godamus challenged himself to rap over any beat Sense brought him, whether soulful, synthy, acoustic, hard, or R&Bish. Rhyme manages to appropriately match the energy of each production, proving his own versatility as an artist in the process.

On “Peter Panning” Godamus combines his singing and rapping skills to simultaneously reminisce over 80’s cartoons, toys, video games, and the simple pleasures of childhood, and lament the stresses of adulthood. On “Everyday Struggle,” Rhyme paints a picture of the stresses facing many young adults trying to turn their college degrees into a steady paycheck in an economy that doesn’t support many rent paying entry-level jobs. With "The Future" Godamus reminds me of Brother Ali a little bit (in a good way), as he weaves his soulful flow over a bass-heavy synth production that wouldn't sound out of place on a mixtape or album for Bishop Lamont or The Game.

Perhaps the most impressive of Rhyme's recent recordings comes courtesy of Philaflava's "Our Rappers Are Better Than Your's" project. On this joint, which has Rhyme providing his own take on the Beatnuts "Let Off A Couple" from their classic Street Level album. This will be part of his upcoming project with the TROY Blog entitled "Classically Trained," which has Rhyme reimagining and repurposing many classic hip hop tracks from scratch.

Check out other Godamus Rhyme news and projects at the following sites:

www.godamusrhyme.com (Currently being redesigned. Will be unveiled same day as mixtape drops)
www.myspace.com/godamusrhyme
www.twitter.com/godamusrhyme - SteadyBloggin.com

6th Sense’s production moves all over the place with his sample use which provides a fresh original soundscape for Goddy to open up and really let go (pause). With quick jabs, Godamus darts through each composition with the tenacity of a sabretoothed tiger who’s been deprived of a meal. Originality has always been one of his strengths and this mixtape builds upon that fact. As Godamus rips through the Allen Toussaint’s sampled evil instrumental, he explains “School budgets are slashed, the parents are pissed and Governor Charlie Christ is a bitch…” I thought I was the only one who called Gov. Christ that. But as the mixtape moves along it loses a little steam but pick rights back up with High Stakes & Coast 2 Coast, a lyrical tour through the regional map of hip hop. The only drawback that I find people will look at is the frequent use of autotune and that electro sound. Make no mistake about this mixtape, its extremely fresh and original, I hope you enjoy your listening experience, I know I did.

Strong Tracks: The Maguire, Too Complex, Murder Rap, High Stakes & Coast 2 Coast. - HeavyCrate.wordpress.com

If Hip Hop wasn't so caught up in auto-tuning hooks and making TV stars into rappers then the whole world would be looking at my next interview victim, Godamus Rhyme. The man does it all, like Magic Johnson sweeping the floor after the game, writes, produces, engineers, is in a group and does the solo thing. He brings it all to the table like a waiter at a buffet, and even with hip hop currently hand selecting makeshift artists it won't be long until the whole nation knows about Godamus Rhyme. This is 7 questions with Godamus Rhyme...

1.Explain your current situation, signed, unsigned, distribution deal?

My situation is complicated. At the moment, I am really a free agent, but I have relationships with three different labels. There's no paperwork that obligates me to anybody, but I'm trying to help all 3 build their position in the industry and they're doing the same for me. They're all family type situations.

2. Give me two studio essentials?

Good music and privacy. I hate having mad people in my studio sessions. Most of the time I record myself running back and forth from the booth. If you're not actually on a song or a part of the creative process, you don't need to be there.

3.What projects are you currently working on?

My mixtape The Adventures of Rhyme & Sense is out now. People can download that for free from www.godamusrhyme.com.

Next is Classically Trained, an EP of classic hiphop remakes that I am doing with Philaflava.com and the T.R.O.Y. Blog. I sample the same source material as the original songs and rewrite/reflip them my way. We're trying to release that for free before the end of the year.

I'm gonna be doing some work on iCON the Mic King's first release on his Master Works Unlimited imprint. I'll aslo be mixing a few projects for my homie Jon Connor out of Michigan in the next 6-8 months.

The big thing is my debut LP. It was supposed to be called Sing My Dreams. My direction and focus has changed a little bit in the past year so that title may change. I just started working with Swamberger from Sol. Illaquists of Sound, so who knows what the end result will be?

4. I see you produce, engineer, and rap, which one is your favorite?

I love all three equally, but if I had to choose, I'd probably say producing. It's the challenge. I know I can rap. I've been doing it for over 10 years and I do it extremely well. I'm dope on the beats too, but it's way harder to keep coming up with new and innovative ways to make beats than it is for me to write some bars.

5. If you had to pick one song to listen to every morning to start the day it would be?

"Do Anything" by B.o.B. That song makes me feel like I should go out and conquer the universe.

6. Where will you be in five years?

Hopefully doing a whole lot of touring, recording, and producing records for other people. My friends especially. Everybody I roll with is extremely talented. And most of them are already out there getting paid for what they love doing.

7. Football season is upon us, give me your Superbowl pick?

I'm from the DMV (DC/MD/VA) originally, so is there any other choice than the Redskins? Not on your life.
- Orlando Music Examiner

‘I feel like I’m not street enough to be street and I’m not nerd enough to be considered a hip-hop nerd,” says Orlando MC Godamus Rhyme at a Bumby Avenue bookstore, and he appears to be wrong on both counts, at least on the surface. Built like a freight train, with broad shoulders that test the fabric of his T-shirt and a mountainous bald head (though he’s let it grow in a bit lately, softening his features just enough to keep the fellow café diners from moving over one table), it’s hard to imagine that he couldn’t walk the roughest neighborhoods without a problem.

In contrast, his reading material for the night is the just-released paperback edition of The Phoenix Endangered: Book Two of The Enduring Flame, a fantasy novel involving elves and unicorns with a dragon on the cover. And he takes his hip-hop pseudonym from a 1994 Japanime film called Fatal Fury, which seems more than nerdy enough.

“It came from the villain [Laocorn Gaudeamus],” says Godamus Rhyme (aka Alexander Minor), 27. “He kicked a lot of ass, so I always thought the name was dope. Everyone thinks it’s from [Transformers’] Optimus Prime. I was a fan of the show, but that’s not where it came from.”

But like his initial appearance, the different facets that make Rhyme feel out of place in the polar ends of modern hip-hop can be deceiving. He was raised in the suburbs of Fort Washington, Md., by a happily married lawyer mother and preacher father, far from the gritty streets of Baltimore as seen on the HBO show The Wire.

“Baltimore City is not Maryland,” says Rhyme. “It’s its own animal. The rest is Maryland. Like every city, there are good and bad parts of Baltimore, but the bad part can be pretty bad. I never got in much trouble [growing up]. My parents weren’t the type to spend wild money on me, but we were always comfortable. Looking back on it now that I’m on my own, I didn’t have to worry about too much. Sometimes I feel like my parents did too much for me. Once I stepped outside the house and being on my own, it’s like I was lost.”

He grins at the thought of his safe upbringing. Until high school, he never gave much thought to hip-hop beyond chart-toppers of the day like MC Hammer. Even now, he admits, he enjoys Nickelback and System of a Down as much as anything in the hip-hop genre. In fact, for most of his life he wanted to be a singer.

“Michael Jackson was my first idol. I probably wore out my dad’s Bad tape. If I had known about voice training, my parents probably would’ve done it. But I thought, ‘That’s cheating. If I ain’t got it, I ain’t got it.’”

The summer before he hit high school, Rhyme started getting into hip-hop in a big way and converted his poetry into verses. In 2003, he moved to Orlando to attend Full Sail University’s audio engineering program – he currently works full-time at Central Florida News 13 – and formed the respected hip-hop crew Caveman Theory with Redd Simpkins, Kap and DJ Dolo that combined his singing with his breathless, brisk flow.

Now on his own, Rhyme has crafted a bootleg mix tape (based on instrumentals from New York producer 6th Sense) that showcases his skills. The Adventures of Rhyme & Sense (available for free download at www.godamus.wordpress.com) features an hour’s worth of a rapper on the verge of a breakthrough, pierced throughout with the giddy energy, clever one-liners and soul-baring confessionals of an artist unafraid to speak his piece on anything from money problems (“I’m worried about the day I can’t afford tomorrow/And my pride won’t let me ask for more to borrow”) to the President (“I’m optimistic but realistic/’Cause at the end of the day he’s a politician and government got a sickness”) and even his least favorite 6th Sense beat (“This on some incense-and-candles shit/When all that I want to do is manhandle a bitch”). It’s the kind of showing from an effortlessly crossover-appealing artist with rock tendencies that seems to point toward a post-rap phase and, with it, a greater light on Orlando itself. But Rhyme says he doesn’t have much interest in either.

“I like the city of Orlando,” says Rhyme. “I like the people on the scene here, but I can’t focus on the city no more. I gotta think nationally. The only people who are making any noise [in Orlando] are people who have looked beyond the borders of Orlando and have had to stop caring about Orlando. I’ve seen too many make the mistake of trying to conquer Orlando. I don’t need anybody to tell me I’m the best in Orlando. I know it. I’m very honest when it comes to my skill level.

“My whole direction and focus now is to make hip-hop more musical, but not to get away from hip-hop,” says Rhyme. “I’m past making good hip-hop. I can make that with a cookie cutter all day. I want to make music people can feel. Sampling is the soul of hip-hop and that’s why I can never abandon it.”

- Orlando Weekly