Spring break may have been two weeks ago, but the musical group 17th Floor doesn’t seem to notice. The hip-hop group from Chicago plans to perform Wednesday night at Rick’s Cafe, for students who need another break.
“We’re a party band,” Aaron “AT” Thompson said. “We’re a band that likes to have fun. Whether it’s because their classes are stressful, or whatever the stress is, our audiences want to party and let loose. We will entertain them. That’s what we live for.”
The group consists of a changing rotation of performers. The current lineup features D-Luv as emcee and rapper. Frankie Blaze plays the guitar while do-it-aller Thompson takes on the bass, keyboards and background vocals. Mike Robertson also handles keyboards and background vocals. Melza J serves as producer in the studio, but a rapper on stage. Markie is the new drummer with Swift and El are the lead vocalists.
17th Floor is not your average hip-hop group, nor are they entirely hip-hop.
Instead, they blend a fusion of hip-hop, rap, hood rock, pop, gospel, etc. Whatever genre it takes to engage the audience, the band performs it in an alive, rollicking and up-tempo style.
“I would call it just real music,” Thompson said. “The focus of our group is on our live performances and on entertaining. Not just rap, not just pop, not just rock, but real music.”
Whatever you would like to call it, 17th Floor’s music has a way of keeping the crowd involved, said Rick Welch, owner of Rick’s Cafe.
“The 17th Floor is the best hip hop dance band,” Welch said. “Extremely high energy from start to finish, and always a great dance party. The 17th Floor is how a lot of hip hop/dance band gauges themselves. I hear bands tell me all the time that they are as good as the 17th Floor. They’re not.”
The group’s live performances keep the college fans coming. And the relationship seems to be mutual, as the majority of tour spots are college towns.
Despite opportunities to play larger venues, Thompson said college students have always been the group’s ideal audience.
“The college scene, they want to party,” Thompson said. “It’s the same with us. You know, we feel like we’re about to get big. And if we do, we’re still gonna come back to college towns and Starkville and party in the college scene.”
While the predominant focus is on its live show, the group has been working on an album. It will be the band’s second released work since they formed in Chicago in roughly 1999.
The band set out to make a record that would capture the feeling of the live sound. Janie Jennings, a record label representative, and Toxic, a multiplatinum music producer, are said to be helping out with the album. Toxic has worked with pop artist Ke$ha, while Jennings has worked with rapper Twista.
“The new album is really unique,” Melza J said. “Especially for hip hop, because it’s got a blend of rock, R&B and just high-energy stuff. We’re trying to release it ASAP. Also, we’ve got singles on this album that could play on any type of radio station, some real variety.”
He said the new album is different than their debut. Contrary to the first album, Mutiny of the Industry, the latest addition will have less focus on rhythm and blues.
“Our first album was more R&B, which didn’t reflect our live shows,” Melza J said. “But this new album is gonna have a lot of different influences and be lot like our high-energy live shows.”
Set lists will contain a mixture of cover songs and original music written for the group’s latest albums.
Doors open at 8 p.m., and the band is slated to begin at 10 p.m. There will be an $8 cover charge at the door.
For more information about the band, its upcoming shows and media, visit 17fl.com or myspace.com/the17thfloor.