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By Kathleen Dunphy

Daily Bruin Contributor 

Kids dreaming of being musicians usually think bright lights, stadium-sized crowds and tour buses that stretch for miles.

The third installation of The Subway Tour, kicking off its western North America trek at UCLA’s Cooperage this evening, exemplifies a different type of tour.

Made up of MCs who aren’t signed to major labels, The Subway Tour aims to get the word out on artists whose sound has an underground vibe in contrast to the music put out by commercial rap stars.

Mr. Complex, the self-described “30-something” MC, who is not only headlining the tour but also doing all the organizing, likens the “underground” sound to that of early-’90s hip-hop.

“It’s a whole different sound from what’s on mainstream MTV. It became a sound, and that sound is not for the masses. It’s not a sound that’s real easy,” Complex said.

Another artist on the tour, Mr. Len, doesn’t see as much of a difference between underground and commercial rap.

“The term underground is kind of used wrong to me,” Len said. “You’re underground by coincidence. I’m underground because I won’t pay for the airplay. You make music, you wanna be heard. I don’t make it just for the two people who live next door to hear it.”

The Subway Tour is a departure from the tours 26-year-old Len usually does. It gives lesser-known acts a chance to get road experience rather than showcase well-known MCs.

“It’s kind of home grown. For the cats on the album that aren’t as seasoned, it’s a chance to get some road work,” Len said.

Other artists on the tour include Mikah 9 and El-Fudge. Some of the stops will feature local acts as well, with the lineup varying between cities. With as many as 10 hours on the road between some of their shows, a lot of travel is involved.

Complex even triples as the tour’s driver. Seven men, 13 shows, one Chevy Blazer, and plenty of rhymes.

“A lot of the shows aren’t paying that much money, not enough to fly a driver out,” said Complex, who’s based out of Brooklyn. “It’s gonna be tight. I’m just bringing a few clothes. More drawers and socks than anything else.”

The artists, however, feel the crowds heading to The Subway Tour are coming more for the music than the onstage fashion.

“These shows are for hip-hop lovers, not just like a Saturday night party,” Len said.

Complex also discussed the crowds that attend his shows. He mostly sees older fans, people who appreciated his sound when it actually was the early ’90s. Occasionally he sees younger fans into the music.

“I look at him and think, I got rhymes older than him,” he said, after mentioning the 15-year-olds he sees at the rare all-ages shows his tours include.

It was in film school that Complex noticed friends were able to make a living out of music, and decided he could try it as well.

“Of this whole art of rap the part that I love the most is performing. I can’t believe people really pay me to do this,” he said.

Len expressed a similar sentiment.

“I like to be out on the road, so I get out as much as I can,” Len said. “As long as I know people are going to show up then cool – I’m down with it.”

MUSIC: The Subway Tour stops tonight at the Cooperage in Ackerman Union.

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