“I was surprised to see folks already sitting in there by 9 p.m.,” Othello said, gushing with excitement about the results on Monday. “There were a lot of folks in there, coming in two by two or four by four the whole night. It's really encouraging to put something together and see it be a success.” {mosimage}

Elevation originated three years ago with Ann Arbor hip-hop staples DJ Graffiti and NowOn, a trio of two emcees and a DJ. NowOn later moved to California, but Graffiti, Buff1 — a member of fellow Ann Arbor hip-hop collective Athletic Mic League — and Lansing's DJ Benny Ben kept the night going in Ann Arbor. NowOn continued its own Elevation on the west coast.

Othello, real name Tyson Pumphrey, toured nationwide with NowOn and Buff1 on the 2007 Elevation Tour for most of November, and he approached them about bringing the event to Lansing.

“Having been around these cats and getting the vision of what the night's all about, I'm like, 'Lansing needs something like this,'” Othello says. “'I don't know if they can survive out here, but I'm going to take a chance.'”

Othello plans to make the event a weekly outlet for local residents to get a regular fix of hip-hop, funk and soul. Future events will have a few changes. Othello says Elevation will be held at Rendezvous on the Grand, 226 E. Grand River Ave., on Sunday nights to coincide with the nights in Ann Arbor and Los Angeles, and there will be a cover of $5 for 18 and older and $3 for 21 and older. Performers will include other rappers, spoken word poets and live bands, along with showcases from visual artists. He hopes to launch the weekly events starting Feb. 24, but some details still need to be worked out. For now people can get updates by visiting his Web site at myspace.com/othello.

While the live hip-hop aspect is similar, Elevation is set to be different from Respiration, the monthly hip-hop showcase at Mac's Bar hosted by Lansing rap duo F.O.S. The eastside bar has been the hub for hip-hop events in the area since the Temple Club closed in 2006, but Othello feels that a different venue and format can only help the area's live music scene.

“We need to spread the scene out.” Othello says. “… Respiration covers a lot of elements. It brings in the open mic element, it showcases a lot of artists in the area and abroad. It's been great. I'm happy that it's been going on strong the whole year-plus, but I also feel like there's some more that can be built from our scene in different ways.”

Othello has made quite an impact on Lansing's hip-hop scene in a short amount of time. He moved to the area two years ago from Seattle to be closer to his wife's family. Booking shows, building relationships with radio DJs and establishing a fan base in the area, he sees Elevation as an opportunity to further strengthen the scene that has supported him.

“Being here for the last two years and having my stuff be accepted, the scene kind of took me in and allowed me to do my thing here,” Othello says. “It's my way of giving back — not to be cliché, but being from Seattle, all these other cities, they've got stuff like this. It's not even a commodity. … Seeing Lansing not really have anything like that, it's like, I know there's folks here, there's a whole college and there's a bunch of dudes here who I know would appreciate a night like this happening.”