Chuuwee (legal name Dionte Hunter, born September 7, 1990, in Sacramento, California)[1] is a Sacramento-based hip-hop MC, characterized in Submerge coverage as a prolific local rapper who bridges 1990s boom-bap traditions with newer trap-influenced styles.[2][3] He was repeatedly identified as Sacramento's own, an "on-the-rise" and later "one of Sacramento's most prolific" MCs over a half-decade of coverage.[4][5] Bandcamp Daily (December 2018) described him as someone who was "Initially seen as a potential savior for boom bap hip-hop" who "remained flexible to the genre's changes without ever compromising his lyrical gift."[6]
At a glance
- Local Sacramento MC; described as "Local rapper Chuuwee" and "Sacramento's Chuuwee."[2][7]
- Born September 7, 1990, Sacramento, California.[1]
- Cites Big L and Nas among formative influences; self-styled as steeped in '90s hip-hop.[2]
- Signed to indie label Amalgam Digital in March 2012.[4][7]
- Discography spans the pizza-themed collaborative album Hot 'n' Ready (2010) through Wildstyle (2012), Thrill (2013) and AmeriKKas Most Blunted (2014).[2][7][3][5]
- Coined the term/style "Boom Trap" with producer Swoots of Wisconsin.[7]
- Known for releasing birthday albums annually on September 7.[6]
Origin and local status
Chuuwee is consistently framed by Submerge as a Sacramento artist rather than a touring visitor. The earliest feature calls him a "Local rapper" and notes that the producer Lee Bannon framed their partnership around the question of "the biggest thing you've seen come out of Sacramento in the last five years."[2] A 2012 news item calls him "our very own rhyme sayer," and a feature the same year refers to "Sacramento's Chuuwee."[4][7] A 2014 piece names him "one of Sacramento's most prolific MCs."[5] He spoke at length about the difficulty of earning support in his hometown, framing Sacramento as "out here in your hometown."[7] This origin (not fame) basis establishes him as local.
According to Wikipedia, as a child Chuuwee moved frequently across Sacramento neighborhoods before relocating to San Antonio, Texas for middle school.[1]
Age and influences
Submerge described Chuuwee as 19 years old in mid-2010 and 22 in late 2012, placing his birth around 1990.[2][7] This is confirmed by his documented birth date of September 7, 1990.[1] He has framed himself as immersed in 1990s hip-hop "since he started rapping," citing Big L and Nas (including a reference to the Illmatic line about never "falling 6 feet deep").[2] In discussing the album Wildstyle, he listed Wu-Tang Clan, Black Sheep, Bone Thugs-n-Harmony, 3X Crazy and Nas as influences he aimed to honor without imitation.[3] Submerge also noted his self-described Obsessive Compulsive Disorder as a driver of his meticulously conceived projects.[2]
Releases timeline
- Hot 'n' Ready (2010) — a collaborative album with Sacramento producer Lee Bannon, written in roughly three-and-a-half weeks. It was released with a limited "collector's box" packaging concept: forty pizza boxes (the project's pizza theme was reportedly sparked by Bannon being "inspired by a pizza box") containing T-shirts designed by 12ftdwende, stickers and the CD, distributed scavenger-hunt style through Midtown/downtown boutiques such as Havoc and United State. The pizza concept loosely ran through the album, including the closing track "Last Slice."[2]
- Crown Me King (free mixtape, announced for release April 24, 2012) — billed as a precursor to a full-length.[4]
- Wild Style / Wildstyle — first announced as a full-length album "out May 29" (2012), but per a later feature it was reclassified as a free mixtape due to label restrictions on sample clearance. Submerge described it as a 20-track (side A) all-original-production '90s tribute, with side A released Oct. 9, 2012 via Bandcamp and a side B expected around December 2012.[4][7]
- 3rd Coastin — described as his intended first official album, stylistically between trap and boom-bap, in the "Boom Trap" style; still pending/forthcoming across 2012–2014 coverage.[7][5]
- Thrill (2013, self-released) — ranked No. 19 on Submerge's Top 30 Albums of 2013, praised for combining trap beats and lyricism and called "One of Sac's best in top form."[3]
- AmeriKKas Most Blunted (2014) — a full-length collaboration with Southern California rapper Trizz and producer AC3, released via iTunes with physical copies through Allchucaneat.com and Therealtrizz.com; described as West Coast "stoner rap."[5]
- In 2014 Chuuwee told Submerge he had a large slate of forthcoming music, naming Cool World, The Chuuwee Channel, The South Sac Mack, 3rd Coastin and Be Cool 2.[5]
- According to Bandcamp Daily, Chuuwee has maintained a tradition of releasing birthday albums annually on September 7.[6]
Style and "Boom Trap"
Submerge framed Chuuwee as a rapper who deliberately straddles "old school" boom-bap and "new school" trap.[7] He said he spent roughly five years studying production to authentically recreate a 1990–1996 sound for Wildstyle.[7] He credited himself with originating a style called "Boom Trap" together with "the homie Swoots out of Wisconsin," describing it as delivering a message through the popular sound of Southern hip-hop.[7]
Label history
After teasing fans via Twitter, Chuuwee announced a deal with indie label Amalgam Digital in March 2012; Submerge noted the label's past roster (Curren$y, Saigon, Lil B, and per a later piece Slaughterhouse) and a 2008 Source characterization of the label.[4][7] According to Wikipedia, Chuuwee was first signed to management by Amalgam Digital's CEO — known as Anyextee[8] — in 2010, after impressing him with the track "Post Mortem," and became a full recording artist on the label in 2011.[1] His work at Amalgam placed him on a roster that included Joe Budden, Curren$y, and Lil B.[1] Wikipedia documents his subsequent label affiliation as Below System / Making Loud Noise,[1] indicating he has operated under multiple labels across his career.
Media coverage
In 2012, Chuuwee was interviewed by Forbes at SXSW as a rising artist and received a feature in XXL magazine, with additional coverage on HipHopDX, AllHipHop, Complex, and 2DopeBoyz.[1]
VR music video
In 2016, Chuuwee collaborated with 8i Reality to produce what was described as "the first full music video shot in volumetric virtual reality."[1]
Scene relationships and shows
- Lee Bannon — Sacramento producer and Chuuwee's collaborator on Hot 'n' Ready; the two met by chance at a local beat battle, with Bannon initiating contact. Bannon, three years Chuuwee's elder, had credits with Inspectah Deck, Talib Kweli, The Jacka and U-N-I.[2]
- DLRN (formerly Delorean) — Chuuwee appears as a guest on DLRN's 2010 album The Bridge.[9]
- Doey Rock / Mean Doe Green (Kahallie Oden) — veteran Sacramento MC who cited Chuuwee admiringly as a competitive/inspirational younger artist ("I heard a Chuuwee song, damn that little mothafucka tight!").[10]
- Dibia$e — Sacramento beatmaker (relocated from L.A.) who listed completed work with Chuuwee among his local collaborations.[11]
- Trizz / AC3 — Southern California collaborators on AmeriKKas Most Blunted (2014).[5]
- Submerge witnessed Chuuwee in the audience at a June 11, 2010 Busdriver show at United State Boutique in Sacramento, describing him as "local fledgling talent."[12]
- Opened for T.I. (with Big Country King) at Florida State University's Homecoming, 2012.[7]
- Performed at Undwrld Fest 2 at Sol Collective (2574 21st Street, Sacramento) on Nov. 9, 2012, alongside Abstract Ninjaa, Keno, J.Good and Konkwest.[7]
- Billed at Harlow's on April 18, 2014 with fellow Sacramento MC C-Plus, plus P3tro and DJ Cos The Kid.[5]
Hometown reception
In a 2012 interview Chuuwee spoke candidly about a mixed reception in Sacramento, saying he gets "more hate here" while acknowledging it was "turning around," and characterizing the city as hard to win attention from: "Sac doesn't really support much of anything I've come to find."[7] He also said performing locally trained him for the road's "no one gives a fuck who you are" mentality.[7]