Las Vegas Weekly

HighDro by the numbers (June 17 at the Bunkhouse)

Photo: Richard Brian

1: Year of existence enjoyed by his Wednesday-night Bunkhouse showcase, Hip-Hop Roots.

2: Years since HighDro (aka 24-year-old local rapper Joe Coburn) chose to pursue a musical career.

3: EPs recently released/on the immediate horizon. Rise Up (June 10) is the more rootsy effort; Concrete Jungle (June 17) his take on mainstream, club fare; and The Time Is Now (another month or so) an angrier, more political statement. “I’m trying to let people know the time is now, to not just sit here and complain about all the problems we have going on, but to stand up and do something about it. Also, ‘the time is now’ represents that this is the end of the three EPs, and I will be going into making full-length albums.”

4: Months his just-launched tour, encompassing California, the Northwest, Vancouver, Chicago, Detroit, Toronto, Montreal, the East Coast, the Southwest and everywhere in between, will last.

5: Other acts on tonight’s bill, including Samson, Mob Zombie and the Wu-Tang Clan’s Cappadonna.

6: Songs in HighDro’s set, plus a brief, socially conscious, free-form a cappella.

7: Number of full-length albums currently in production, three of which are already half completed. “I really like to bring in other bands for more of an organic feel. I like the sound of live instruments.”

8: Genres HighDro’s label, Fresh Talent Entertainment, claims to incorporate: hip-hop, rap (hey, ask him the difference), R&B, reggae, funk, jazz, soul and spoken word.

9: Females currently shaking their moneymakers at the edge of the stage.

10: Age at which HighDro moved from North Las Vegas to Vegas proper. “I grew up in hard times. I got into reading, I got into reggae, and it completely changed what I felt. People always said, ‘Oh, you should make music.’ It wasn’t until I noticed the sad condition that I felt hip-hop was in that I really did want to start making music … There is nothing in my life I feel stronger about doing. I’m at the point where I feel there isn’t a peak that I’ll stop at. The day that I’m satisfied in as far as I’ve gone is the day that I’ve failed.”