Counted among Kavet Omo's most life-altering experiences is his participation in the 1999 B-Boy Summit at Venice Beach, Calif. Featured in the eminent music-and-dance expo were some of hip- hop's brightest and most respected orators; the exalted Afrika Bambaataa and KRS-One among them. Hip-hop heaven
Kavet the Katalyst
By Shawn 'Speedy' Lopes
brings it home
Star-BulletinNear the close of the three-day gathering, a riot squad was sent in to disperse the largely young, male crowd who was viewed -- quite mistakenly -- as a threat to local security. In the ultimate act of b-boy defiance, several attendees chose to make a stand for hip-hop, not with violence or hateful chants, but with nifty, gravity-defying break-dancing moves.
"There wasn't any trouble until the cops came," remembers Omo. "Aw man, I wish I had a camera because I just stood there watching kids doing headspins right in front of the riot police. The funny thing was the cops couldn't really do anything because they were only dancing."
There was a true unspoken kinship among those in attendance, who at day's end, understood that despite all the unfounded fears of the unenlightened, despite the negative media coverage of street culture over the years and the constant dilution of the urban art form by money-hungry powers, hip-hop could indeed be a unifying counterforce to violence, ignorance and greed.
Omo returned to the islands surer than ever that what the Honolulu scene needed most was a generous dose of positive hip- hop culture. These days, as one of Honolulu's premiere exponents of serious underground hip-hop, his Thursday night "Light Sleeperz" show on the little-heard but well-loved college station KTUH boasts a playlist of such crucial below-the-surface acts as Project Blowed, Aesop Rock and Anticon -- names you'll never hear in rotation on such jiggified commercial outlets as I-94 or Da Bomb.
Former on-air guests include such hip-hop luminaries as Q-Bert, Shortkut, Vinroc, Peanut Butter Wolf, The Visionaries and Jeru The Damaja, all of who, for lack of base appeal to the lowest common denominator, would seem rather awkward as guests on pop radio.
"Q-Bert would call the show and do weird skits and stuff," recalls Omo, who conducted an interview with the renowned turntablist in which answers would come in the form of manipulated record sounds.
"I would say something like, 'Hey Q-Bert, how's it going? You doing all right?' and he'd answer by scratching a 'Yeah! W-w-w-w-word!' on his record. He wouldn't even leave his hotel room; he'd just set up his turntables in his room and practice all night."
Furthering the cause for genuine hip-hop, Kavet the Katalyst (as he's known in local circles) has also ventured into promotions. His current series of events, titled "Hip-Hop Theater," is a heady blend of turntablism, freestyle emceeing and hip-hop cinema. This weekend's show is highlighted by a DJ battle between a number of Hawaii's most skilled turntable terrors. A final wild card berth is still up for grabs and Omo encourages interested DJs to sign up just before this weekend's show to battle for the final spot. "There are no rules, really," he explains. "It's a head-to-head battle where everyone's basically got two minutes to cut it up."
It seems good word among b-boys can spread like wildfire, even from the center of the Pacific. "There was this one cat from Alaska who showed up not too long ago, got involved, grabbed the mic and ripped it," he says. "There were some other guys that came through from Canada looking for real hip-hop. For some reason, someone told them to try Pipeline Cafe and World Cafe, but that wasn't what they were looking for. They later found out about (Hip-Hop Theater) and I was stoked that they dropped in."
"There's this understanding between people who truly love this music who won't settle for what's on MTV or the radio," he explains. "And if they happen to be visiting from another part of the world, it's good for them to meet 'heads' here who are also about the upliftment of the music. It's like a community; real hip-hop has that 'aloha spirit,' no matter where you're from."
In concert: 9 p.m. tomorrow; DJ DJ Battle
Place: University of Hawaii Hemenway Theater
Cost: $3
Registration: 8:30 p.m.
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calendars and events.
