Hip-hop moguls who own their own empires are revered for their rag-to-riches accomplishments: after a life of hustling and hard knocks, they’ve managed to touch hip-hop heaven and become magnates of the rap game. For proof, they’ve got the record label, the deep-rolling roster, the ice-encrusted platinum necklaces, the bodyguards, and the superstar girlfriend on the side. Sometimes they’ll even record an album for fun.
Except for the record label part, veteran hip-hop duo GRITS is nothing like that. In a climate that’s grown exponentially hostile towards vacuous, superficial hip-hop posturing, the group’s artistic aspirations reach much higher. They’re older, they’re wiser, and, more than ever, they’re aware that their triumphs aren’t to be hoarded. They’ve been blessed to be a blessing.
Reiterate, their eighth full-length album, marks the beginning of this new era for the best-selling crew. Not only is the tandem made up of Teron “Bonafide” Carter and Stacy “Coffee” Jones still actively recording; after more than a decade with boutique independent label Gotee Records, the emcees are stepping out in faith and launching Revolution Art, an indie label of their own that, they hope, will make more than just hits.
“I want to be like Clive Davis—I want to have lifetime artists,” Bonafide says with conviction. His partner, Coffee, adds, “It can be a scary and overwhelming thing, but you’re just kind of at that point when you know it’s time to step into that place. It’s a risky business, but when you’re gambling on something you’re passionate about, that takes a lot of the fear away.”
Their decision, though, is far from a gamble. As the highest-grossing rap group in faith-fueled hip-hop, they have some clout. Already, the guys have secured national distribution for Reiterate and future Revolution Art projects through Provident-Integrity, a unit of Sony-BMG. And if that weren’t enough, GRITS also has a number of power players supporting their new venture. To wit, the duo’s former benefactors are one-hundred percent behind them.
“My hope is GRITS becomes part of the new wave of leadership in this industry,” says Joey Elwood, president of Gotee and longtime friend of the duo. “Nothing would make me happier for them than to see the future being developed by their thoughts and ideas. They’ve been shaping the future as artist for some time; now it’s time for them to take the next step, and I know they will do it.”
Elwood’s associate, Toby “tobyMac” McKeehan, has some praise of his own: “GRITS has changed the face of positive and spiritual hip-hop. They are relevant and have a knack for discovering talent that stretches our industry to places I love seeing it go.”
Endorsements like that are enough for any new enterprise to hit the ground running, but GRITS isn’t a group to fall back on others’ opinions to validate their work; they let their own art do the talking. “We want to make soundtracks for life and let it be what it is,” Bonafide says. “At the end of the day, it’s all art. We started a revolution but at the end of the day it is art. Let it speak for itself. I don’t have to give you my whole biography in life…I’m doing my art every single time.”
Upon that maxim—life as art—is that Reiterate and Revolution Art were created. The concept is nothing new for GRITS. As early as their classic albums Mental Releases and Factors of the Seven, the twosome was toiling autonomously, with a budding yet firm idea of who they were becoming—very little need for supervision or oversight. By the time their career-defining Art of Translation and Dichotomy albums arrived, the music was simply an extension of years of self-discovery and life on the road.
Now that they’re all on their own, the stakes are high and the hours are longer. But GRITS wouldn’t have it any other way. “Initially, there are always some reservations, but in the end we’re stepping out and doing it,” Bonafide says. “We’re finding that it’s definitely a lot more rewarding. You put a lot of work into it—a lot more calls to make, people to connect with, more time-consuming—but it pays off. In the end, we’re going to be glad for taking the time to step out on our own and not depend on somebody else.”
More than being able to call the shots and play boss, though, GRITS wants to invest into others’ careers, just like that small production company that once took a chance on two Tennesseans who moonlit as dancers for supergroup dc Talk.
“We care enough about artists,” Coffee says. “We know the realities of making a living on the road and in this business. We take that wholeheartedly into account. At the end of the day, these people’s livelihoods are going to be way more important than us selling some units.”
With faith, art, and people as their pillars, GRITS set out to record Reiterate, the boldest representation of their craft to date. The title may lead some to believe that these street poets are repeating themselves—rehashing ideas that have been done-heard before. But not so fast: “What we’re reiterating is almost like, instead of going back and trying to re-lay a foundation, we’re continuing on what we’ve already laid out 10 years ago,” Bone says. “We want you to go into the music thinking that. If you don’t, you’re going to miss it. It might mess you up.”
That’s putting it mildly. As first single “Remind Me of You” attests, Reiterate takes every preconception you may have about GRITS and turns it on its head. The song is an audacious primer for the rest of the album, as the frenetic, buzzed-out track incorporates backbeats and synth elements reminiscent of the glory days of the ‘80s. It’s a celebration of sound, juxtaposed by a somber lyric: “Subjectively, it’s a very heavy song, but the way it’s presented people will connect with it,” Bone says.
“Alone in the Cold” is also all about heartfelt connection, as a live bass, strings, and a soulful vocal inspire the downtrodden to live for eternity, not for life’s unending rat race. In the same introspective vein, GRITS communicates the need for real, authentic love in the hypnotic “Dusk Till Dawn,” as a low-key backmasked beat carries a mix of orchestral flourishes, electric guitar, and a magnetic female-led hook.
While GRITS knows how to handle the thought-provoking stuff, it’s the party numbers, the bangers, that have defined a large portion of their legacy. In honor of their Southern heritage, the deep-fried “Let’s Get It” is as crunk as they come, while the ferocious, club-ready beat of “Livin’ Dreams” is bound to join “Here We Go,” “They All Fall Down,” and “Hittin’ Curves” in the pantheon of classic GRITS.
In the end, the duo understands accessibility is key to leaving a mark, but they acknowledge is not the be-all-end-all of their methodology. If anything, they want all of their exploits—whether that be Reiterate, Revolution Art, or their lifestyles—to go much deeper.
“People are still going to hear the catchy hook,” Coffee says. “We understand at the end of the day that’s the business, that’s what people tend to latch on to. But we’re still going to be spitting that truth, man. Not to be cliché, but it’s coming from the heart. We’re sticking to the essence that we’re doing music because we love it, not because it’s a business.”
