Word: owusu
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Dates: during 2000-2009
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Named after a coalition of comic book superheros, Justice League, a hip-hop group consisting of Kwame Owusu-Kesse ’06, Brandon M. Terry ’05, Nicholas H.O. Barnes ’05 and Dominique C. Deleon ’04, may not be supermen, but they have all the makings of superstars. Only weeks after the group first came into being, Justice League made its first public appearance together last Thursday at the Orpheum Theatre, warming up the stage for the MTV favorite and chart topper Fabolous...
...chemistry, they all note in unison, was undeniable, enriched by the fact that each member brought his unique style and background to the League. Owusu-Kesse clearly shows his influences from the lyrical prodigy Jay-Z, with his low-slung staccato rhymes; Terry brings the in-your-face gangsta excitement with wit to spare; Barnes utilizes a Jamaican accent and silky vocals to represent a dancehall flavor with straight-up “ragga” delivery; and Deleon rocks a style that merges the playful, smooth lyricism of underground acts like De La Soul with the rapid-fire flow...
...their mastery of call-and-response with the audience, catchy sing-along hooks like “it’s your birthday” and onstage banter as they egged on each others’ intros started things off on a high note, despite some technical difficulties with Owusu-Kesse’s mic that took ten minutes to get sorted out. “I don’t think anyone expected the crowd to be as into our performance as they were,” Deleon says. “The crowd up front was going crazy...
...subsequent screams concurred. Barnes received frenzied applause for representing Jamaica; his voice and elegant style were featured in several impressive dancehall solos. Deleon surprised when he broke out into a beat-boxing session, breaking from his rapid melodic flow alternating with hammering back-up rhymes. Owusu-Kesse dependably delivered emphatic gestures and rhymes, epitomizing the hip-hop star. The group as a whole obviously knew how to keep the energy up, as Deleon got the audience hyped over a song about hating your job and boss, or, as they all enjoined the crowd, to ”bounce...
...Owusu, who teaches graphic arts, will be teaching the visual arts unit for the school five exploratory this spring. He says he is looking forward to the class but he wants to cover painting, drawing and sculpting and wonders if a five-week unit will allow students to get a feel for the visual arts...