Nappy Roots

While carving out their own unique niche, the group parlayed their hustling instincts into a number of early entrepreneurial ventures - including the Nappy Roots T-shirts that quickly became the hottest-selling item on the WKU campus. However, their biggest venture came via the local ET's Music record shop (with ET short for ER'Thangs Tight). It was at ET's, which also doubled as a production studio, where the six would musically take shape with each Nappy Roots member bringing their own distinct flavor to the mix.

Of course, the Nappy Roots creative formula has been paying off for years now, giving rise to an underground following courted through tantalizingly belligerent flows, intuitive hood analysis, and PA-melting beats. Created and sold at ET's, the Nappy Roots 1998 indie album, "COUNTRY FRIED CESS," flew off the retail shelves from the word go. In fact, NR garnered such a tremendous buzz with the album that representatives from Atlantic Records soon came a-knocking.

In shying from narcissistic, flashy images, "WATAMELON, CHICKEN, AND GRITZ" stands as the antithesis of the norm. "You ainýt gotta be country to understand it," says Big V. of the album's title and overarching themes. "Our music is just like those foods - fresh of the earth, of the soul." Indeed, the Nappy collective s serves up a hearty helping of soul food for thought with tracks like the pensively absorbing "Peanuts," a semi-autobiographical account of the group's ongoing struggles. Over the splatter funk of the Groove Chambers produced "Peanuts," the listener is hit straight up with introspective lines like "Ain't about thuggin'/it ain't about hustlin'/its about seeing your kids go without strugglin'."

However, proving their musical muscle is only part of the challenge for Nappy Roots - there's also the responsibility of holding it down for their often over-looked hometurf. "It's like a plant," says Big V. "If there & yacute;s no light to shine on Kentucky, it won't grow." "We do have a burden on our shoulders because a lot is riding on the success of Nappy Roots," adds Ron Clutch. "But we're not worried. Our music speaks for itself."