RADIx’s ‘The Staple’
holds it down
By Bobby Hankinson

For those of you who don’t believe in fate, consider the following: MCs Seek Brian Seekins) and Quite Nyce (Ja’Quaine Lamer Coe) were randomly assigned to be each other’s roommate at Fitchburg State in 2001. They began rapping together the first day they moved in and, nearly five years later, the duo known as RADIx hasn’t stopped yet.

“He’s my best friend,” Nyce said of Seek. “He’s like my brother.” Whether it was luck or destiny that brought the two together, it’s their pure talent that makes their debut album The Staple shine.

Featuring rapid rhymes, smooth jams, and guest appearances from established hip-hop names like Akrobatik and Mista Sinista, the album is a stand-out in a genre flooded with commercialized commodities ~ The hip-hop of RADIx isn’t exactly what you may have been used to up until now. “We want to change the average person’s perception of what rap and hip-hop are,” Nyce said.

As they espouse on their track “R.A.D.I.x.,” the group is looking to rap on a more cerebral level. “R-A-D-I-x, what’s next? Ideas, concepts: nothing more, nothing less.”

The Staple isn’t full of the guns, gangs and groupies of, say, 50 Cent’s music. Instead, Seek and Quite Nyce spit rhymes touching on identity (“Air”), love (“3 Words”), and loss (“Pain”). Seek echoed his partner’s sentiments: “We want to touch as many people as possible, even as we go up.”

And up is exactly where they’re heading. From start to finish, The Staple is a flawless collection of masterful tracks. Seek and Nyce have quick tongues and perfect diction. Together, their two voices weave in and out of the melodies and, at times, meld into one. Their relationship shines through as they become one voice, one mind.

The addition of other hip-hop icons only enhances the sound. The track featuring Akrobatik, “AkroRADIx,” has a great hook. His seasoned voice complements Seek and Nyce quite well and takes the song to the next level.

On “From the Ground Up,” RADIx lets the listeners in on their organic writing process. These aren’t the larger-than- life rap superstars on BET. This is art at its finest and the guys of RADIx aren’t afraid to let their true-life personas come through.

“Air,” Seek’s personal favorite, is easily the most compelling on the album. Its hook nicely sums up exactly what it is about RADIx that will take them far. “Through the air that I breathe, through the words that I speak, I’m rather unique.”