The job of most city councils is to meet and carry out the day-to-day services and needs of a city.
However, one city council is making waves in the Georgia hip-hop scene with a distinct hybrid mix of both Northern and Southern styles and a crossover sound that stays true to its roots.
Dwayne "Jubee" Webb and Perry Valentyne, along with the "The Paper Street Band," have gained a large fan base and have been nominated for numerous awards for their soulful sounds as the hit group City Council.
"City Council is, of course, a hip-hop collaboration between Valentyne and myself, one that we have loved and raised from just an idea," Webb said. "It's an attempt at bringing in a different version of what most cats consider hip-hop. When I say different, of course, I don't mean we are reinventing what hip-hop was or is. All I'm saying is that we feel it's different because it's got so many pieces from so many different people, places, emotions and concepts not normally experienced in hip-hop that most people know about."
The group, which hit the music scene in 2007, has been welcomed with open arms, partly because of the variety and uniqueness in their music, Valentyne said.
"There is no way to describe the music we make," Valentyne said. "Sometimes we make straight up club music. Sometimes we make jazz. You put us in the studio for a full day, and for breakfast you will have trap music, lunch we will serve you funk and come dinner we will serve you up a combination of musical genre's that will make your jaw drop."
While their music may be a collage of different styles, Webb and Valentyne's backgrounds are similar.
"My childhood plays a major role in my addition to the music I think, but on a different level then what most would expect," Webb said. "I started off in Brooklyn, lost some people close to my heart, got into a lot of trouble in the street and then got shipped off down to the South."
Webb said telling his story is not what makes it good music, but the emotion he is able to put behind it and convey to his audience is most important.
Similarly, Valentyne uses his childhood in Macon, Ga., to inspire the music he makes as well.
"Being able to be so close to where Otis Redding, The Allman Brothers, Little Richard and James Brown got their thing going has been inspiring," Valentyne said. "I like to think our music is something we can entitle 'Macon Music' in a way."
When the duo met at a photography studio in downtown Macon, they knew within hours that they should be working together.
"It took like two hours before we recognized each others' love of lyrics, music of all kinds," Webb said. "Likewise, we have similar background stories that both gave us similar outlooks on life, music and the world. Pretty much since that time we've worked together, teaching each other things, making music, beats, all that."
After three years of hitting the pavement, trying to make City Council a success, Webb said that all their work is starting to pay off.
"We've taken off over the last few months like we never did before, and the future is only getting brighter it seems," Webb said.
They are currently planning a three month weekend tour starting in late March and are looking to begin working with Grammy-winning producer Moon Brown.
City Council is working on booking appearances in Auburn, and is excited at the prospects of the upcoming tour.
"We've gone through a lot of transitions to become what we are now," Webb said. "And I know we will keep transitioning as time goes on." While the future of City Council looks bright. Webb said people should stay tuned to see what they bring next.
"We are going to blow up," Valentyne said. "All there is to it."
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