By COLBY BERMEL

The Principia Pilot

December 2012

 

It's difficult these days for aspiring rappers to distinguish themselves from the pack. Sophomore Dalton Cole, who performs under the stage name Daltony, is one of those individuals. His Nov. 9 debut concert at the Fubar in downtown St. Louis not only proved that he has the potential to do so, but also that his sound is uniquely different from that of his fellow Fubar performers and other nationally-known rap acts.

 

Cole does have a large shadow out of which to emerge, cast by the overabundance of white rappers on the come-up in the past few years. Some of these names include major-label Yelawolf, MGK, Action Bronson and Sammy Adams; independent-label Mac Miller and Logic; and unsigned Macklemore, Hoodie Allen, G-Eazy, Chris Webby and Twist. While the above-mentioned major label artists are heavily grounded in materialism and misogyny, indies and free agents rely more on witty wordplay and unique sampling.

 

Cole has delved into the latter style, also throwing his vigorous positivity and high-minded lyrics into the mix. This is seen quite clearly on his first mixtape, "Art Through Sound," distributed earlier this year. His sophomore effort, "Living Colors," was released in late November and ran through similar material.

 

All of this was showcased by Cole at the Fubar, a low-lit venue reminiscent of a biker bar. Many of the audience members certainly looked the part, donning black clothing and sporting excessive piercings and tattoos. This was a rap concert, after all, so there were also the baggy-panted, sideways-capped individuals enjoying the music coming from the similarly clothed performers.

 

The music performed by the nine other rappers that night all sounded exactly the same – literally. Heavy on booming bass and gritty samples, they exclaimed boasts and barked threats in the vein of thuggish rappers Waka Flocka Flame and Chief Keef. Unintelligible shoutings, gang signs and masked hypemen added to this overall experience.

 

Given this description, one would think that this venue to be a not-so-ideal place for a rapper like Cole to debut his distinct sound. However, Cole played the cards he was dealt and put on a fantastic show, channeling raw energy into a passionate performance. His DJ, sophomore Shamus Jarvis, backed him along with freshman Kenny Manning, the hypeman, and former student Harrison Sheehan, the quasi-manager/promoter.

 

Each crew member filled his role perfectly. Cole delivered his verses well and bounced around on stage. Jarvis put together a nice dubstep intro and mixed Cole's backing instrumentals. Manning sparked a great chemistry with Cole, accenting Cole's lines at just the right moments. Sheehan talked Cole up in the audience before he performed and introduced him before he came on stage.

 

Cole didn't wear fancy jewelry, rap about money and girls, or come to the venue in an RV – things his fellow performers did, unfortunately. As he said to the audience before performing, "I make music for a purpose." And after Cole finished his last song and walked off the stage, the music being performed at the Fubar that night went back to the status quo.