Located above a clothing shop on South Beretania Street is a small recording studio that heats up to about 90 degrees. One band member is rapping behind a microphone, one is producing music, and another is writing lyrics on an iPhone.
Boys Of The Ocean, also known as Boto Bangaz, is a local rap group striving to make a name for themselves, creating music about their experiences growing up local in Hawaiʻi.
The creation of the band came from three friends rapping in a Costco parking lot about five years ago. They rhymed about anime and chicken bakes — the Costco food court staple.
Jericho De Leon, manager and one of the band's founding members, said the freestyles were for fun but he knew they could be more than just that.
"It would be fun to do this every day for a living," De Leon said. "Not only that, it would be cool to have someone from Hawaiʻi that's actually making out of Hawaiʻi, for Hawaiʻi."
Although they don't all play together in their live appearances, 21 members contribute elements — from backing vocals to instrumentals.
HPR recently sat down with De Leon and seven other band members: Brock Cunningham, Jakob Soto-Bauwens, Myron Armstrong, Joseph Kim, Quincy Dingle-Yee, Dominic Hill and Devin Cheff.
'Sharing energy'
Local references are sprinkled throughout their songs. They rap about what it's like growing up in Hawaiʻi but emphasize that they try to keep their music fun.
For example, the group rapped about "big stacks every day like the manapua man" in their song "Teapresso."
Armstrong, a rapper and founding member, said the main reason for creating the band is to impart their identities as locals in Hawaiʻi.
"Hawaiʻi is a melting pot of different cultures," Armstrong said. "The main principle of growing up here is being akamai (smart). We're sharing energy, not getting rid of it. Hopefully, we're able to take these messages to the mainland to show what's important to us."
The band tries to weave in styles from some musical inspirations, including Kolohe Kai, Kendrick Lamar, Michael Jackson, Kanye West, Eminem, Pharrell Williams and more.
They primarily focus on rap but are experimenting with different sounds. Some members even dove into pop and R&B music. They also sample local music like the classic pop-rock group Kalapana.
Their musical styles reflect some of their big personalities. Kim, the band's pop artist, said that's why they have chemistry.
"The funny thing is that we all have big egos," Kim said. "We're not afraid to put each other in check. We're just a bunch of brothers that come together to have fun."
Cunningham, a rapper, said the band promised they would always be there for each other, even if they make it to mainstream music.
"It's deeper than blood at the end of the day," Cunningham said.
Each member grew up in various neighborhoods on Oʻahu, including Waipahu, Kalihi, Makiki, Nuʻuanu and Mililani.
The band has been focusing on their music while still balancing full-time jobs. They recently invested in studio space earlier this year.
"One of the hardships we all face is that we're all kind of poor," Kim said. "We try to balance our professional work that gives us a steady income with our dream and passion."
Making a name for themselves
Their band name, Boys Of The Ocean, represented the group from Hawaiʻi but it also created the eye-catching and profane acronym that is: Boto Bangaz.
"Everyone is adopting California and New York slang," De Leon said. "How crazy would it be if people on the mainland started speaking pidgin?"
So far, the band has performed at Hawaiian Brian's, Harbor's Vintage and Sig On Smith.
Many artists talk about planting the seed and watching it grow. However, Armstrong said that's not what happened with this.
"We planted the seed and found out it wasn't a seed. It was just a pebble. We still took care of it, and we're trying to nurture and make sure that general idea from the beginning stays the same," he said.
