A lot of hip-hop artists talk about giving back to the youth, but few actually follow up with serious actions. Enter the Figureheads. The Figureheads are a Wisconsin-based hip-hop group that has dedicated its last two albums to children and adolescents, creating songs that reach kids with real-life messages of understanding and hope.

The group, made up of three youth educators with backgrounds in therapy, mentoring and community service, is being recognized by educational programs all over the country for their ability to connect with kids through music. With an educational book and two highly-revered CDs already in circulation, the Figureheads have helped give rise to Kiddo Publishing, a non-profit which publishes resources that encourage and facilitate dialogue between children and adults.  

With a recently completed album on its way for adults as well, the Figureheads continue to build their brand of positive conscious hip-hop. Luckily, emcee Jeremy Bryan took some time out to answer a couple questions, and here’s what he had to say:

What is your personal definition of hip-hop?

A movement towards self-expression for a new generation (mostly of the politically oppressed) manifesting in graffiti, breakdancing, emceeing, deejaying and more.

If you had to pick your top 5 MCs of all time, who would they be? How have they influenced your music and direction as a group?

1.  
   1. Common
   2. Treach (Naughty by Nature)
   3. Tupac
   4. Notorious B.I.G.
   5. El-P

Each MC has had a different influence: Common has always inspired the positive poetic side of what I do, Treach influenced me as one of the first MCs I obsessed over at a young age (memorizing lyrics and stuff), Tupac spoke to the prophetic power of hip hop, Notorious B.I.G. spoke to just raw genius and depth in the music, and El-P hit me with the abrasive and brutal but beautiful and poetic stuff…all of which I try to incorporate into my music.

You create music aimed at children, teenagers and adolescents. What do you try to teach them? Why have you decided to take this approach with your music?

It isn’t our primary aim to “teach” them anything, but rather to awaken them to their potency as intelligent beings, to encourage their search for meaning…also we’re trying to help them process the craziness of life as a kid.

We decided that most artists we know give lip service to mentoring the next generation but nobody was really stepping up to the plate…too focused on their own little thing…so we swallowed our pride and said “we’re gonna write stuff specifically for the young even if we risk our street credibility”.

Plus, we were working with a lot of kids with significant challenges and experienced the lack of resources to help them on their journey. Most music they listen to has nothing to do with their real lived lives…it just feeds a fantasy world that won’t help them and will probably do the opposite.

Your first album, “You Come Too,” was aimed at young children. What was the message of this album? How was it received? And what made you decide to make it into a book?

We were just messing with our version of kid’s music and the message became something like “here’s some ideas on how to express your energy as a kid in positive ways,” stressing the connection we all have to one another beyond race and culture. Plus we were just telling stories of our work with kids with special needs and inner-city youth.

It was received really well by young (K-3rd grade) audiences and teachers. 5th graders and teens thought it was cool but too kiddish.

Teachers kept asking for ideas on how to use the music in the classroom and we wanted to get parents and teachers in on the dialogue of how to incorporate arts into education more.

Your latest album, “The Movement,” targets older children, and attempts to deal with issues of anger, isolation, and depression common among the youth. What is the overall message of this album? How did you come to create such an album? What experiences influenced your desire to speak directly to kids about these problems? And why do you think it is helpful for adolescents who can relate?

“You are a gift and you have a gift to share, you’re part of a movement towards justice and peace, and it’s on you to make your move.” We had matured to a point where we knew exactly what we wanted to communicate. This album is us finding our voice for kids, incorporating powerful and prophetic and fun messages through hip hop.

Mostly our encounters with youth who desperately need to feel connected, to be encouraged, to know there’s somebody on their team committed to their growth and development. Growing up listening to hip hop, it was therapeutic to hear MCs give voice to struggles and anger and whatever, so I think what we’re doing is therapeutic for a lot of kids on an even more practical level, because it’s about life in school, on the street from their perspective.

What are the backgrounds of the group members? What qualifies them to relate to children? And why use hip-hop as the medium?

Each group member has a different background. I grew up in Syracuse and Milwaukee, greg in Lodi, WI and Dave in Minneapolis. So, some city and suburban/rural history among us. My background is in inner city atmospheres where my parents worked as ministers. We’ve all worked with kids.

Hip-hop is what we do, so whether its kids or our peers we’re connecting with, it’s hip-hop.

How do you explain your abilities to speak directly to the youth and relate to them through hip-hop music? How do you come to understand the issues they deal with?

It’s a natural gifting I guess. We live life, study stories, seek to understand, stay connected with youth by working with them and mentoring them.

Do you find it difficult to make hip-hop for children in light of the media’s current negative perception of the genre? How do you overcome people’s preconceived notions of what hip-hop is?

Not really. People know right away that we’re coming from a sincere and strong stance of “we’re here to use our gift to refresh and revitalize the community, not exacerbate all the negativity.” We’ve definitely experienced some opposition from the ignorant.

We don’t overcome people’s preconceived notions. We just do our thing and people’s perspectives are transformed in the process.

I understand that The Figureheads work with a company called Kiddo Publishing. What is Kiddo Publishing? What are its goals and missions? How does it reinforce or contribute to what you do with your music?

Kiddo Publishing is an idea that Greg in our group came up with as a way to help sustain a non-profit by releasing music and books by artists who want to serve the special needs community and the community at large. It’s goal and mission right now is to make enough money to keep going, but beyond that, to resource the educational community with helpful and artful ideas about relationships

Are you working on anything new? Where do you see your music headed next?

We just finished what I’d consider our best work so far. It’s our first full length for our peers. We’ve done 2 EPs so far that we perform in clubs and music venues but this is our first full length effort. It’s self titled and we’re wanting to shop it to some independent hiphop labels and tour it some this year and lots next.

Aside from being a rapper, what are your interests? Do you have a family? Hobbies? Other job or hustle?

Literature…i’m considering an interdisciplinary masters degree in literacy and community development I have a wife and 2 sons. Reading. I work as a youth programmer/consultant for after-school programs, churches, etc.

One of Figureheads’ goals is to be a consulting agency for any youth educators/programmers that want to better connect with their kids.

If hip-hop was a person, and you could ask him or her one question, what would it be?

“Where do you live?”