With the release of his second rap album at the end of last month, Dartmouth Dining Services employee Lerrone Hill, known by many on campus as Lerrone, is finding time to balance his work and his artistic passions.
An employee of The Courtyard Cafe in the Hopkins Center for the past five years, Hill was drawn to the job by all the benefits the Hop had to offer.
"It was the perfect choice for me. I'm an artist. I write songs. I paint, I draw. This is the perfect building for all of that. I felt right at home," he said.
After working as a bodyguard for Liz Claiborne and as a bouncer at a strip club, Hill said that DDS is not only a safer job, but one that reflects his maturity.
"I'm older now, so I'm thinking more of the bigger picture than trying to show off what I can do physically. It's a big difference money-wise and everything. It's not as glamorous, but it's a job," he said.
Hill says that he enjoys his job as well as his celebrity status on campus, which he attributes to his upbeat personality.
"I like [the job] a lot. [I'm] probably the only person that's actually cheery enough to make [The Dartmouth] comic strip maybe seven times already, which is awesome. So I'm well-known all over campus," he said.
Working at the Hop is not only convenient for the artist, but it has also enabled Hill to develop close ties with many of his fellow employees, he said.
"Everybody here is a family. We have a couple of bad seeds, but not everyone can be happy. You have to have someone who is miserable. There's gotta be a yin and a yang," he said
One of his co-workers, Renee Plante, introduced Hill to her son, Jeremy Herrell, when she heard about Hill's musical abilities. Hill was skeptical at first, but once he met Herrell, the two hit it off and soon after released their first album together.
As an artist, Hill goes by the name of Weapon III, a name which originated from his role as the third string rapper -- or third weapon -- when his group of friends used to have rap battles.
Herrell is known as Lock Down, a street name he picked up after spending three years in a Chicago prison.
Coming from different backgrounds, both Hill and Herrell contribute different talents to their duo, Hill said.
"Basically I try to create more positive songs. Lock Down has had a harder life than I did even though he grew up in Chicago and I grew up in the middle of New Jersey. I've just been in the rap game longer than he has," he said.
Hill said the first album, which sold about 1,000 copies, was more about the party scene, while the second album is stronger because it touches on a lot of different topics.
"[The second album] talks about all the experiences in my life of losing an aunt to heroin; talks about the Bloods and the Crips; talks about how I hope that my kids grow up knowing the difference between right and wrong, about people searching themselves and realizing that God is with them and that the things they do affect those around them," he said.
The duo hopes that the album's title, "The Nasty North," will become a catch phrase in the hip-hop community, Hill said.
"We wanted to put the north on the map, create something that everyone can remember, like the dirty south and the 'Wild Wild West' -- create something where it sticks like glue," he said.
So far 5,000 copies of the album have been printed, and approximately 450 were sold in the first few days after the album was released, a figure which Hill said was good for local underground rappers.
The album can be found in music stores such as Coconuts, Music Matters and Newbury Comics, or can be purchased directly from either Hill or Herrell. The duo has a website in the works, and hopes to have it up and running within the next few weeks.
The two are also planning a release party at Electra Night Club in West Lebanon in the near future, where Hill said he expects about 300 fans in attendance, as well as a performance at Music Matters, also in West Lebanon. The duo hopes to get an outlet at the College and to connect with the student body, Hill said.
Both albums were released by CyroVibe, a local recording studio under the direction of Ed Goodwin.
