Wednesday 11.6.2013 | MACE & CROWN | B2
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OLD DOMINION UNIVERSITY STUDENT NEWSPAPER
Student Producer Orchestrates a New Album Cameron “Cello Figaro” Cloman drops new beats in November with “Concerto Grosso” By: Adrienne Mayfield Assistant A&E Editor Mace & Crown Old Dominion University Senior Cameron Cloman is a musician, songwriter and producer who wants to take you on a journey with his newest project “Concerto Grosso.” Cloman’s sixth hip-hop project, “Concerto Grosso” is a free album built on the concept of classical pieces, meaning that it has three movements that sound completely different but flow cohesively. It’s set to release online on Nov. 22. Formerly known as Cello Kid, Cloman is now producing hip-hop music under the stage name Cello Figaro. He derived both of these names from his roots in classical music. Cloman is a classically trained cellist whose musical talent took root at age 12 in small town Sanford,N.C.. “When I first got into music it was through orchestra… I eventually just branched off into recording and writing my
own stuff. I just keep ‘cello’ in my name as a reminder for what music did for me early on. Before that, I was kind of lost.” Cloman said. Cloman described his first music program in Sanford as low-funded. Orchestra students actually had to practice their instruments in a storage closet. Although it was rough, Cloman said the experience was fun because it had a “garage band feel.” Cloman continued to play the cello seriously through high school. However, when he reached ODU’s campus he decided to expand his musical reach into other instruments such as the harmonica and piano. Colman said he still keeps it in the family when it comes to his favorite instrument. The string family that is. “I’d have to say the guitar… You can make so many different noises and emotions come out of a string instruments…. The guitar is one of those instruments thats like the human voice in a way. There’s so many ways your voice can display different emotions without having words,” he said. Cloman also enjoys playing synthetic instruments, a little bit of beat making and the
production process. He said he prefers the production process over the beat making, but has experimented in both. “I mix and match a lot… you have a song or idea or emotion already and everything after that is just thinking ‘alright, what do I need to get that across.’… I do the majority of the production myself. This time [‘Concerto Grosso’] is probably the first time I’ve really sought out other people to produce for me,” he said. He has utilized these skills and his new proficiency in multiple instruments to convey his drive through “Concerto Grosso.” “With this album, the emotion I want to get across is hunger… With this project, I kinda just didn’t want to get lost in the concept so much I just wanted to display hunger through my voice,” Cloman said. Not through what I’m saying but more so how I’m saying it, so that when people hear it they’re gonna know I want this more than anybody else.” Find Cloman on Facebook and listen to his early release “The Loner’s Anthem 2” on www.hiphopsince1987.com
Cameron Cloman, also known as “Cello Figaro,” branched away from his orchestral upbringing for a calling in rap and hip-hop.
Iguana Falls Back An Hour 1980s Murder Mystery Comes to Life With Powerhouse Hip-Hop The Big Question: “Who’s done it?” poisons a concert By: Kadeem Porter Staff Writer Mace & Crown The Iguana, located on 37th Street and Hampton Boulevard, was ready for a late night of powerhouse hip-hop featuring artist, Adlib and Fugitive 9 on Nov. 2. ODU students and locals paid $5 and loaded the room as they waited for the show to begin. At 11:15 p.m., with an audience of approximately 50 people, Ryan Baker of Rhyme Crafters took the stage after a successful attempt to get the pack of people pumped up by Cuda Brown. Baker performed three original songs including “Life Is Good.” The young artist was sure to include the crowd by performing from the floor, not even using the stage. In fact, all of the acts seemed to find it important to get the audience involved either by rapping from off stage, getting the crowd the raise and wave hands, or having them shout out chants like “hip-hop.” Cuda Brown from Fugitive 9 came to the stage again to perform a solo song to fill the gap before other local rappers such as Anthony “High Priest” Wilson, Daniel “Googz” Woodward, and Shane “Shane Dollar” Johnson went through their songs. The first main act was a traveling hip-hop artist born and raised in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania by the lame of Adlib. He proclaimed to have traveled to 10 different countries on tour and was showcasing his skills in Norfolk. Adlib remained humble as he informed everyone about a group he represents called the Battle Axe Warriors (BAXWAR), which is a global positivity movement of over 4,000 supporters.
“Never let a person on stage act like they’re above you. If it weren’t for you at the door, there would be no show,” he said before toasting the spectators and performing the next song. His newest album “Bad Newz” was available for sale at the show but is also in stock at any Best Buy. By 1 a.m., the crowd was riled up and ready for the finale and, since it was daylight savings time, the bar time was extended by an hour. The drink specials seemed to keep the bartenders and customers happy as Fugitive 9 all lined up to take the stage. Contrary to the group’s name, there are actually only eight members, seven of whom were present. The members included brothers, Nick “Cosmo Texx” Jublou and Alex “Sintax” Jublou, Nate “Wyze Oner” Gandy, Bartholomew “Cuda Brown” Asman, Maurice “Moe Hendrix” Oswald, Alexi “Dyslexia” Zeren, and Ryan “Sun Soul MC” Watson. Delta Automatik, who lives in Lorton near Richmond, Va., couldn’t make it to the event. The band made sure to give a high-energy show with their unique performance style of starting small circles inside of the audience for extended mobility. Such was the case during the performance, which included songs from their recently released EP “Immobilize,” which is for sale at their shows and on the group’s Bandcamp account. One of the fan favorites was the titular single where the group displays their witty lyricism, Their next album “Vision Alpha” will be realized hopefully before 2013 is over. Meanwhile, Fugitive 9’s music can be found at http://fugitive9.bandcamp.com and http://youtube.com/fugitive9tv
By: Eric Smith Staff Writer Mace & Crown
Halloween took at time travel traveled back in time Wednesday night when Student Activities Council ran hosted an ‘80s themed murder mystery event in the Chesapeake and Portsmouth rooms at Old Dominion University. Murder Mystery Inc., an independent company, coordinated the game play. On each table were binders about with the
rules, money, paper for notes and a laminated sheet with ‘80s phrases. Phil Jones, the special event coordinator for SAC, came up with theme while the rest of the council SAC voted on it and approved the event. It was their second event with a murder mystery theme. Participants dressed in ‘80s clothing or as a celebrity of the time. Some had real ‘80s names, while others had altered names. Most notable portrayals include Poison band member Bobby Dall, Cyndi Lauper, Doug-E Fresh and “Annie Fannie” from
the titular 1982 film. Bobby Dall was called “Poison” by participants. The mystery unfolded. Poison was set to perform a concert. Muffy, a fanatic of Poison, would do anything to win Poison’s affection. Olivia John, another character, had just divorced Poison. Poison did not want to perform at first, but Johnny, a Long Island native and Posion’s agent eventually persuaded him Poison to perform.
SEE MYSTERY, PAGE B3
The Stars Align in “Escher’s Universe” Pretlow Planetarium presents documentary on artist M.C. Escher By: Adrienne Mayfield Assistant A&E Editor Mace & Crown Old Dominion University’s Pretlow Planetarium is putting on a show unlike the usual. Primarily known for dazzling the audience with math and science themed astronomy shows, this semester the planetarium wants to take viewers on a journey into the mind of complex artist Maurits Cornelis Escher. Every Tuesday and Thursday at 6 p.m., the Pretlow Planetarium screens the short documentary “Escher’s Universe.” The film is set in Escher’s study and animates some of his most popular pieces alongside the mathematics, science and history that inspired him and how he transformed it into art. Born in 1898, Escher was a skilled enthusiast of mathematics, crystallography, astronomy, optics and geometry. He was
fascinated by the way the world naturally fits together like a puzzle. His true passion was art and he used his knowledge in other fields to visually explain complex concepts about the earth and cosmos. He produced pieces with a combination of carving and printing. Linked with his love of geometry, Escher was especially fascinated by the Arabic style of pattern making which fills every inch of the intended canvas completely with interlocking shapes. Many of Escher’s woodcuts, lithographs and mezzotints, all forms of printing, feature flawless multishaped tessellations. Escher also enjoyed exploring impossible architecture and the concept of infinity in his work, creating pieces within his pieces. ODU’s physics lab research specialist, Justin Mason, said that “Escher’s Universe” was deliberately picked out by the university because of its uniqueness.
“Choosing ‘Escher’s Universe’ was trying to do something a little bit different. Usually we do very astronomy related movies so this was a little more artistic. It gives a different look at astronomy and science,” Mason said. He said that “Escher’s Universe” feeds the curiosity of art lovers and inspires current physics students, many of whom, like Escher, know the math behind physics but are artists themselves. It also attracts a new group of people to the planetarium. “It catches a different crowd… If people are more artistic and come in and see some of the different things he [Escher] did with art,” Mason said. After the documentary is aired, one of the presenters from the physics department takes time to answer questions the audience may have. He or she may also take them on a quick tour of the galaxy from Norfolk’s point of view using the department’s computerized telescope.