#OnTheBlock : South Bend (IN) On the Rise… By: LaQuesha Williams admin Wednesday, January 22, 2014 On The Block, The Studio Music has always been popular worldwide as it comes to suit each persons specific needs and feelings. The genres vary from pop to country to R&B to Rap/Hip-Hop, and that’s only the beginning. Cities such as Atlanta, Chicago and Miami; just to name a few, are already known for breaking up and coming artists. It’s done practically every day. Now, there is a city that many, maybe millions have never heard of before, called South Bend, also known as SBI. The city where both Vivica Foxx and Skylar Diggins are from. The city where everyone who resides there hate, but fails to leave. To be extremely specific, “the city of South Bend is the county seat of St. Joseph County, Indiana, United States, on the St. Joseph River near its southernmost bend, from which it derives its name.” Many remember SBI and associate it with Notre Dame. South Bend is filled with talent from kids, to teens, to adults. What’s been hitting the headlines and even some local news stations lately is SBI artists. There are rappers such as T-Krazy, Bird B, Wally West, Billy East, DJ Noodles, Rex Rogun, Heavo and dozens more who has fans all over the city – and the horizons goes beyond the city. Each of the artist has collaborated on dozens of songs and shows with one another, and it’s likely if you visit South Bend, you’re bound to end up at one of their infamous performances. The most recent event in which several men took the stage together was at Club Fever on January 17. The Cypher Elites, who is a group of six young men, took their hottest lyrics and songs and put on the hottest show of the year thus far. This was a long awaited event and it was obvious by the outcome of the audience. Prior to The Cypher Elite, there was a mixtape release party from one of South Bend’s female rappers, Bird B. She’d been rapping for years, but this past August is when she decided to take her music career seriously. With the help and love of other artists, like herself, Bird completed her mixtape within four months. With the talent and knowledge floating around within the small city, it’s only a matter of time before South Bend becomes known worldwide. Below is a clip from Birds recent mixtape party, featuring several artists mentioned above. That is just a glimpse of what the city has to offer. In addition to these artist rapping and/or singing, they also all give back to their community in their own way. Some use their history as a way of telling kids what not to do. Some volunteer and give their time to other young men and women. These individuals are more than just musicians, rappers, and singers. They are people who aspire and aim to make a difference within their community.