If you throw out the name "Jason Burke" at any number of music clubs in metro Grand Rapids, you most probably will get a shrug, a blank stare or "Don't-know-'em." But say "Nixon," and anyone familiar with the local hip-hop scene will immediately recognize the low profile producer with the high profile name.
At first glance, you would never assume Jason Burke is a rapper, let alone two-time Producer of the Year at the Grand Rapids Hip Hop Awards. He looks more like a grunge rocker, complete with long hair, indifferent stubble and sporting a Led Zeppelin t-shirt.
“I don’t wear hip-hop clothes. I just do me," says Burke, 29, who came up with his stage name about 10 years ago as a nod to the controversial former U.S. President. “To me, it says a lot about everyday life. On the one hand we are supposed to look at the president with respect, but on the other, he was pretty shady. There’s two sides to everything: Yin and Yang."
Bad to the Bone
His tag line is "The Backbone of EastTown," a title he conferred on himself in the lyrics of a rap song he wrote. But Rick Chyme, a local hip hop artist who has worked closely with Nixon on projects, says the moniker fits him well due to all the effort he has expended to promote open mic nights and the music genre.
Underground hip-hop in Grand Rapids isn’t all that “underground” anymore: it is quickly emerging as one of the most successful genres of live entertainment in town. In the past two years, attendance at shows has nearly tripled, growing from an average audience of 150 people to as many as 600 at some shows.
Ask any rapper in the area and he or she will be quick to tell you that this success comes from the hard work of several artists within the scene. There is a tremendous sense of mutual respect among rappers and producers, who largely strive to work together to build a strong scene and create quality music rather than engage in competition. In any discussion, Nixon's name comes up one who works hard and commands respect in the local hip-hop community.
Nixon likes where the scene is headed: “I’ve seen a lot more interest and a larger fan base for everyone. A lot of AB and Coconut Brown's fans are becoming my fans and vice versa. People are really interested in the music, and the scene in GR is very original. Everyone is their own individual.”
He recently took the Grand Rapids Hip-hop Awards by storm, netting awards in several categories including Solo Artist of the Year, Album of the Year, Street Anthem of the Year, and Collaboration of the Year for the song Tradin’In A Chevy which features Chyme.
Evolution as a Producer
Chyme, the front man for the group Southpaw Players, says that working with Nixon now is different than when they first met back in 2005. “I did what you should never do to a producer. I kind of put him in a rough spot by setting a release date for an album before coming to him.”
Chyme and Nixon spent as long as 14 hours a day in the studio working on tracks for Chyme’s album, "Autobiography of the Unknown." Through this process, the two became good friends.
“Working with Nixon doesn’t feel like work anymore. Now it’s more like we just hang out and make music,” says Chyme, noting that Nixon has grown in experience as a producer. “Before he would just give me a beat he made and ask me to rap over it. All the content and the verse lengths were predetermined. Now he invites me over to the studio and I can hear the tracks while he’s working on them and we can customize it. He’s the best at what he does. He’s very diverse. He can engineer a style he’d never use himself or make a track for someone who might never come to one of his shows.”
Adrian Butler, the AB part of local hip-hop horn powerhouse AB & Coconut Brown, also praises Nixon’s diversity in the studio and as a performer on stage.
“When he makes beats for me, they don’t sound like the beats he uses.," Butler says. "He caters to my rhyme patterns and style. The one thing that remains the same is that his beats are always quality.
"When he’s performing at a show, Nixon can rock any crowd: black, white, hippie, prepster. He’s good at what he does. The dude is on top of his game.”
Butler credits Nixon’s authenticity as the core of his success. “I like his style. It’s gritty and kind of dirty, in a good way. It’s raw and honest. That sound stands out.”
Learning the Sounds
Originally from Owosso, Burke studied recording engineering at Lansing Community College before going to Full Sail University, a school in Florida that specializes in sound and video production.
When he moved to Grand Rapids, Nixon began making a name for himself at the Billy’s Keyboard Lounge open mic and quickly gained a reputation as a producer for his knowledge of ProTools, the industry-standard recording software. He used his knowledge and his gear to crank out as many as six albums a year, all while working 40 plus hours at his day job, managing retail.
Recently Nixon has teamed up with another award winning Grand Rapids outfit, 3Sense Group. 3Sense is an up and coming local record label and prolific live music promoter. Founded by Josh Cearlock, better known by his stage name Ed Niño, and his long time friend Matt Nunn, 3Sense is focused on promoting live hip-hop in the area. The group is still small: Nixon is currently the only artist besides Niño officially signed to the label.
Still, 3Sense has a large impact on the scene by booking large live shows that feature many local acts. They frequently work with artists including Support, Rick Chyme, AB & Coconut Brown, and Muskegon based Strangebox. 3Sense derives its name from a life-changing accident that Niño suffered in 2005 when he lost control of his vehicle and was thrown through the windshield.
Doctors didn’t expect him to survive, let alone make such a remarkable recovery. Aside from several scars, the only significant residual effect from the accident is the loss of his sense of taste and smell, leaving him with only three senses. “Considering how bad it could have been, I don’t really consider the loss of those senses that big of a deal. I can walk around and live a mostly normal life. I consider myself to be very blessed,” Niño says of his affliction.
Nunn and Niño decided to make Nixon their first official artist because of his strong reputation and work ethic. “He’s more active than Niño. Every week or two he has a show. He’s always working on new projects,” says Nunn, who isn't a performer with 3Sense, focusing solely on the group's business and promotional aspects.
Nunn says the major reason they have signed Nixon as their first artist is his reputation as a producer. Currently Nixon is working on producing tracks for Niño’s new album due out in mid October.
3Sense has not only helped to boost turn out at familiar hip-hop venues like Billy’s, they have also opened up many new opportunities for artists. They have established a successful hip-hop night Thursdays at Louie’s Bar. Perhaps their most exciting conquest though, is their upcoming show on July 23 at Nightclub Moxie.
Moxie is new territory for live hip-hop and the bill promises to be exciting. In addition to Nixon, Ed Niño, and StrangeBox will perform. DJ Eminent will be manning the turntables and mixing beats all night. The show will also feature the highly acclaimed break-dance group, 61syx Teknique. (See this week's G-Sync)
We aim to bring underground hip-hop into mainstream entertainment,” Nunn says, “Not that we want to change the music and make it mainstream, but we want to present good hip-hop to mainstream audiences.”
Nunn strives to keep his shows free of some of the stereotypes affiliated with the genre such as violence and offensive lyrics. His concept is simple, “We book artists we like. The tone is set by music they make and their attitude on stage. The goal isn’t to make a new club hit or to be radio friendly, although it would be nice."
Jason Lester is a local freelance writer who has written for ReVue magazine covering the Grand Rapids music scene. He also plays trombone for the End Times Orchestra and with several other bands. Jason fancies himself as something of a 21st century Renaissance Mercenary.
Photographs by Brian Kelly - All Rights Reserved
Nixon photographed outside and inside his Eastown recording studio
Performance photo courtesy of Julie Davidson Sheffey
Brian Kelly is Rapid Growth's managing photographer. Explore his portfolio and his photography adventures here on his blog.
Enjoy this story?
Sign up for free solutions-based reporting in your inbox each week.