Longer than Sixty Minutes: Local Hip Hop Artist Set To Break The Trend

 

Longer than Sixty Minutes: Local Hip Hop Artist Set To Break The Trend

by Frank P. Rakaczewski
PA Music Scene.com
December 2011

“I got into music at a very young age. Since I was a little kid, I was into music and music videos. As time passed and life became life, I looked at music as an escape from the things around me. That love and connection with music always stuck with me and I have loved and lived it ever since.”

In the rural parts of Pennsylvania, music has taken many forms. Rock, metal and indie musical stylings have come from all parts of this area of the northeastern United States. Hip hop, however, has always been a genre that has seemed to be stymied in the rising crop of acts that you might see at your local bar or club. Sixty, a powerful new sensation out of Harrisburg, however, seems to poised to finally change a tide that has crashed against the beaches of modern music in the area.

Breaking out of the scene with his debut album, Saturn Synopsis, Christian Branch, PA native known in the music scene as “Sixty” seems to embody a new mentality in popular music from the area. “Every moment of life provides inspiration, good or bad. It is because of this that Sixty was born.” These words are part of Sixty’s own bio and embody the very spirit of his songs.  It’s apparent, as shown in his recent hit in the area, “Forever,” that the artist doesn’t easily forget where he came from. “When I was around 10 or 11 I had a tiny Casio keyboard that I loved dearly. I would play songs that I heard on the radio or TV… After a few years of making beats I started to really get the itch to write lyrics (and) songs. I had done it a little in high school but producing was my primary focus.”

Yet every great artist knows that music isn’t usually a solo effort.  “That song, (Forever), is the culmination of everything I strive for creatively, artistically and in life. It features some very amazing musicians, Zack Gingrich, Sean Saman and Jason Shaffer, all of who wrote their own solos and made the song a true collaboration. The message of the song is all about finding who you are and what inspires you. Then once you find it, you don’t stop working and chasing your dreams and finding your forever.”

Having just played a series of shows at the Coliseum in Camp Hill, Sixty seems ready to take his act further. Impressed crowds gathered around his performance and with his rising popularity in the area, it’s hard not to wonder where it all got its start. “As generic as it is, my inspiration comes from life. I take all of my experiences and the experiences of people l have connected with along my journey. I draw inspiration from hearing stories of people obtaining and achieving their dreams. I am also inspired by people who have let life get the best of them and have lost sight of what their dream was. I guess another way to put it, my inspiration is to inspire.”

Yet even with his growing popularity, Sixty seems ready to fight the stereotypes most up-and-coming hip hop artists face with the same high level of passion that surrounds his music. “The biggest problem is that there is a HUGE misconception about hip-hop. People are familiar with certain artist that talk about certain subject and basically rhyme about bullsh*t. They glorify the things that go on in our communities and make it seem as if that is what life is about. There is also a lot of violence associated with hip-hop which makes it very tough as well. Another aspect is that some people do not view hip-hop as a legitimate form of music. They look down on what we do and don’t give it the proper respect and recognition it deserves. I understand that part of all of this is because of a few lame “artists” that give us all a bad name. All we can do is to continue to create real music and open peoples eyes to what we do and what we stand for.”

Sixty can be found on his website, Facebook or ReverbNation or drop him an email if interested in bookings at brahverse@gmail.com .

** Album artwork by Jason Sullivan.
** Photos credits: (1) Derek Feldman. (2) Diana Robinson.

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