Q + A: Norfolk's Trendsetters, hip-hop/rap

THE NORFOLK HIP-HOP/RAP GROUP Trendsetters will release its second CD, “Vol. 2: The Alliance,” on Collabo Records with a party next month in Virginia Beach.

Trendsetters consist of three artists: Kap Rizzy (Nathaniel Brown), G Stax (Gary Turner) and Supress (Leslie Richardson).

Purnell Salter, Trendsetters’ manager and owner of Lockout Entertainment in Chesapeake, also manages solo artists Vanity (Vanity Williams) and Marvaluz (Wendell Thomas). Both artists will appear as guest performers on the   CD.

“We’re going to be releasing a mix CD along with the album and an old school disc in one day,” Salter said.

In 2007, the group released “Vol. 1: Sky’s the Limit.”

Back in 2003, Kap Rizzy was a solo artist with Collabo. He then reconnected with schoolmates G Stax and Supress from Booker T. Washington and Granby high schools.

“Being that everyone struggled for years with their solo careers, we decided to form a group that will bring our stuff together,” making them more marketable, he said.

Has the band ever been stiffed by a venue and what happened?

I use what I like to call “A Move Forward Practice” I avoid entertaining negativity as much as possible. I knew coming into this business you would have to deal with people who have other interests in mind than what you may have and more times than not can result in me getting the bad end of the deal.

Has the band played outside of the Hampton Roads area? If so, where?

Yes. The band has performed in Brooklyn at BET’s “Blaze the Stage” competition event.

If the band could write its own headline, what would it be?

Trendsetters makes history in Virginia with the first triple CD release.

How do you promote the band online?

As an independent label, the Internet has to be one of your best friends.

Patty Jenkins, (757) 446-2298, patty.jenkins@pilotonline.com