Hip-hop is making a name for itself in the Valley thanks to a collective of musicians and artists known as Universatile Music.
Acting as both a record label and promotion company, UM was founded in 1999 by ASU alum Michael Horowitz and DJ Pickster One.
UM's current lineup includes recording artists Anglo-Saxon, Brad B, The Drunken Immortals, Jawa, Foundation, Pickster One, Skip Skoolnik, Mic Cause, Deeskee, Morse Code, Die Young, and visual artists Jim Mahfood, Fyce, Dumperfoo, David Joseph Perez, Jay Fotos, Lalo, Matt Dickson, and Jeltsoe.
"It all kind of came about through skateboarding," Horowitz says. "I started getting into hip-hop, started hanging out at local hip-hop nights and chilling pretty tough with Morse Code, Pickster and the Drunken Immortals. I also wanted to be a DJ, and was going to school for business, so it made sense to do my own promoting and make my own label."
Besides releasing records, UM has been busy promoting shows at steady intervals around Tempe, including Blackalicious, MF Doom, Talib Kweli, Sage Francis and Atmosphere.
Additionally, UM holds down two separate hip-hop nights a week in Tempe. Hosted by the Vinyl Rockers, The Boom Bap Room runs every Monday night at the Big Fish Pub. Its predecessor, The Blunt Club, has become a staple for local hip-hop heads.
On a typical night, Tricky T or DJ Hyder spin underground jams and old school favorites, while artists paint live on stage and break dancers take care of business on the dance floor.
For the rhyme fiends, MCs including Bukue One, Scarub of the Living Legends and the Souls of Mischief, make regular appearances. Drinks are cheap and everyone
is usually in good spirits -- a testament to the positive nature of hip-hop.
"Most of the kids that grow up around here and are into hip-hop eventually want to move to New York or L.A. because that's where all the shit's going down," says Horowitz. "But there are so many people moving to Arizona right now, it's insane. If we can build everything up out here, maybe they won't be so anxious to get out."
