By Thomas Cottingham
Features Assignment Editor
After a large exposure with the Bonaventure student body, Olean rap group Microphone Mafia is back with another album. The group’s claim to fame on campus was discovered by their first mixtape and standout, Bona-related songs, “Bona Chick” and “Smart Girls Only,” released last year. The rap group consists of Jason “Knix” Childs, Crystal “Crystapo” Childs, Gary “Pretty Gary” Coleman, and Kwane Jae. This new project shows the group’s progression of reaching towards a definite party sound, clever and quick bars, chilling production and substance for their songs.
This project took around a year to make, compared to their debut mixtape which took only three to four months. This gave the group more time and focus to come out with a cohesive, feel good party album.
“I love [everything] about this album,” said Jae. “I felt so much energy off of it. This one was short and sweet.”
The group says that making this album was not easy as anyone would think it is. In the first album, the group “was just making songs,” but this project has more songs that mean something more to them.
Although the album is stellar, there is no reference to St. Bonaventure in this project. This is because the group is moving forward and changing its ideas and sound. Microphone Mafia is working more on the subject of social issues while still being able to make feel good music for the party animals. Knix uses the Colin Kaepernick story as one of his examples of why the group is moving toward social justice subjects in their music.
“People [are] worried about this dude taking a knee during the national anthem, but there’s really people getting shot out there,” said Childs.
“It’s just people’s focus and attention are on the wrong things.”
The group did receive buzz from the school with their music, but they also feel like there is disconnect between St. Bonaventure and Olean.
“Bonaventure sports give Olean so much pride, but you guys don’t really see or feel that,” said Crystapo. “There’s disconnect there.”
Knix believes that there is a way to fix this. “We’re trying to amend that somehow,” said Knix. “Maybe [it’s by] us performing here or other things, we just need community interaction.” The group wants to be recognized, and can be contacted through Facebook to put on show or DJ an event. Their music is also available on YouTube and SoundCloud.
Microphone Mafia is also working on a new album. Jae explains that the album will be different than both of his previous works.
“The next one that comes out will be more about us. It will be experimental in the fact that we’re the ones making the beats,” said Jae.
The working title is “Home Grown,” and should be the most genuine Microphone Mafia project yet.
cottintf14@bonaventure.edu
