15723: (Hermantin) Maimi Herald-S. Florida trio puts rap accent on Creole (fwd)

[Bob Corbett <corbetre@webster.edu>]

From: leonie hermantin <lhermantin@hotmail.com>

Posted on Fri, May. 30, 2003

S. Florida trio puts rap accent on Creole
Cary Darling
The Miami Herald

As last week's International Hip-Hop Exchange in Miami Beach showed, with
its emphasis on Cuban beats and rhymes, hip-hop is definitely a global
affair these days. There's hip-hop from England, Japan, South Africa,
Australia and even Maori rap from New Zealand.

However, what's gotten less attention is an offshoot much closer to home:
Haitian hip-hop. Last year, Miami Haitian rap act Kurse teamed with local
Cuban rapper Pitbull for a track called Across the Water, which hit local
airwaves in the wake of Haitian refugees landing at Key Biscayne.

Now comes West Palm Beach's Sky'z da Limit, a trio of college kids of
Haitian descent who combine hip-hop with a distinctly Haitian vibe on their
debut CD, Haiti: Love and Politics (Golden Quest Records). Rapping in a
mixture of Creole and English, they talk about Haitian pride and survival in
tracks like Young Haitian in America, Kiyes Ki Responsab (Who Is
Responsible?), and Koripsyon (Corruption).

''When I was in high school, Haitians were afraid to admit [they were
Haitian],'' says group member Harold Figareau, who also goes by the name of
Sly 1, in a phone interview. ``One of the reasons why they thought that was
that they didn't know their roots and culture. It was very hard for them to
admit they were Haitian. Now, a lot of us know where we came from and what
our culture is.''

The group -- also including Rodly Madeus (Oz'Mosis) and Saint-Tenor Camilus
(St. Mic) -- came together when Figareau and Madeus met in high school. ''We
became best friends and Oz'Mosis knew Mic from Haiti and we decided there in
high school to form a band,'' Figareau, now a student at Palm Beach
Community College with Madeus, recalls. ``Me and Oz'Mosis used to do
American hip-hop in English. We've had a lot of rappers in Haiti do hip-hop
-- they call it hip-hop and they're trying to make it sound American but
they try so hard. But they're limited. We recorded the Creole hip-hop album
and it's a blueprint. Right now, a lot of groups are coming out.''

Figareau is not worried about alienating non-Creole speaking hip-hop fans.
''Once they listen to the music, they get the vibe from it,'' he explains.

Figareau, Madeus and Camilus won't all be going to the same school come the
fall, but that's not going to put a damper on the act. ''We already have our
second album recorded,'' says Madeus. ``It's amazing how powerful hip-hop is
becoming and how the whole world is embracing hip-hop.''

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