The first music release of a youth-run record label showcases the musicianship of some of the youth from Sunset Youth Services.
Upstar Records created its first CD, entitled Hard to Ignore. The album was released on July and will be available online soon.
Upstar Records is part of the Artistic Expression Program at Sunset Youth Services. The label is youth-run with the objective of "turning today's hip hop enthusiasts into tomorrow's digital technology leaders," according to the Sunset Youth Services website. Moreover, the Artistic Expression Program is a program that allows youth to interact with digital filmmaking, digital audio recording with the use of modern digital media and technology.
"The Artistic Expression Program helps kids have a positive creative outlet, which a lot of times doesn't exist in their [environment]," said Artistic Expression Program Director Joel Tarman.
Hard to Ignore is an album that showcases 15 different vocalists, ranging in age from 14 to 21 years old. Hard to Ignore also lists young musicians under the names of their personal rap personas, including Kazz, Gullie, RE$$Ez and eXile.
Tarman explained one of the objectives of the record label. "One of the goals is [for the kids] to have a positive place to express their emotions and to kind of vent," continued Tarman, who acknowledged that some of the youth have dealt with situations like losing loved ones to violence. "[The record label is] helping kids learn how to record and get music from a creative standpoint [which is] something we're proud of."
Tarman also commented on the diversified subjects of the songs on the album. "[The songs on the album] are a reflection of what some of the youth in San Francisco experience in their daily lives, which can be everything from things that are really negative, like crime and violence, to positive things like friendship and resilience," said Tarman.
Tarman said the album will be available online on sites like iTunes and Amazon in January.
Sunset Youth Services is an organization in the Sunset District dedicated to youth support by providing services like violence prevention, case management and afterschool programs. For more information about Sunset Youth Services or the Artistic Expression Program, visit www.sunsetyouthservices.org/p-youth-development.htm.
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