Even before meeting their third MC, The Upperclass Men had already performed many local shows.Their name symbolizes being different and rising above the rest.
The group was started “to make hip hop music that doesn’t sound like everything you hear on the radio. The goal is to be as creative and out there as possible and make music that isn’t conventional.”
Each member is from a different part of Brooklyn including Coney Island, Fort Greene and Flatbush. Their stage names are Hollis "H.D." Stephenson, Coy "Mr. Harris" Harris, and Shareef "RhymeSHARK" Swindell .
As a group one of their influences is Kanye West. Individually they each have their own influences.
Coy’s influences are Biggie and West Coast Rap. Hollis’ influence is Fall Out Boy. Swindell’s influences are Eminem and Jay-Z.
Swindell said that the group consists of two parts, “The three man emcee group and the live band that backs them. Everybody in the live band shared a connection with Hollis within the fact that all of their fathers were musicians and used to play together.” Swindell and the keyboard player were friends since high school.
In order to increase its popularity,The Upperclass Men created endless self promotion and marketing on Facebook. Their friends contributed to their Facebook promotion as well.
Their fan base is currently over 2,500, according to their Facebook page and they usually have 100+ fans at their shows.
The biggest venue they performed at was The Bowery Ballroom in February 2011. However, their biggest accomplishment was their performance at SXSW music festival in Texas in March 2011.
Their music and lyrics are based on “raw emotions” that are incredibly motivational.
These guys are also very well- rounded young men. They all balance jobs, school as well as rehearsal but they know their priorities and have learned how to successfully manage their time.
There has been a rumor of a break-up. On the contrary, The Upperclass Men are expecting an album release in mid October. “There is no breakup as of now” Swindell said to confirm the false rumor.
If you are interested in listening to The Upperclass Men, search them on Facebook or going to their official webpage:
http://www.theamazingupperclassmen.com/
Their webpage includes upcoming concert dates, as well as tracks of their music.