Basements are a hallmark of Philadelphia’s music scene. Countless artists across the city go subterranean on a regular basis to record, perform or practice their craft. Queue Rainey has been doing the same for the past 26 years, but after a stint hosting his Freestyle Friday events at WRTI radio’s facilities, he’s ready for more fresh air.
“A lot of these guys, I think, deserve so much more,” said Rainey, founder and operator of Everquest Recordings. “Staying off streets, staying out of trouble, keeping their lives together, doing so much for themselves, and now starting their new families, and the newer generation coming in, one trying to find a place to fit in. I would hate to see it just get thrown away just because of lack of funds.”
Freestyle Fridays with WRTI were a hit, Rainey recalls. The station’s high-quality facilities drew a much larger crowd than the weekly events Rainey hosts out of his home studio. But they were cut short because of the COVID-19 pandemic, leaving a portion of the budget for the collaboration unused. The organizations have collaborated in the past year to host a jazz night at a club near South Street, but progress on a WRTI Freestyle Friday revival has stagnated.
Before COVID, WRTI worked with Temple’s Intellectual Heritage department to procure funds for the Freestyle Fridays. Students from IH classes were invited for studio tours and the recording sessions as a part of the general education curriculum and a means of community outreach.
The collaboration was halted when the pandemic struck, but WRTI hopes to rekindle their collaboration with IH and, eventually, Freestyle Fridays.
“It’s important for everyone in the community to try to find ways to connect,” said J. Michael Harrison, a jazz host at WRTI who coordinated the collaboration. “It’s just natural in many respects. But we’re part of that ecosystem and we play a significant role.”
The events started out of Rainey’s North Philly basement in 1998. Rainey and his wife, despite a lack of experience in music, were looking to create a way to keep their young children off of the street. They noticed the broad interest in hip-hop and began piecing together a home studio with whatever equipment they could gather.
Rainey, a carpenter by trade, remodeled his basement into what is now Everquest Recording’s professional studio on Van Pelt Street near Susquehanna, equipped with a recording booth, professional speakers and space to accommodate up to 30 attendees. Each week, he creates backing tracks and welcomes people to freestyle and workshop their music. On Saturdays, he invites people back for recording sessions based on the previous night’s progress.
The event’s turnout and content vary by the week. Attendance has taken a blow since COVID-19, but Rainey is working to rebuild the once-thriving community. His attempts at revitalization vary from his efforts to garner grants from Philadelphia nonprofits to his purchase of an inflatable projector screen, which he sets up outside to show old rap tapes.
“There’s not so many rewards I can offer them or give them,” Rainey said. “You know, we can do this and do that. I even, actually, I went out and bought me this 50 foot movie screen just to show random films out on the corner, just you know, maybe trying to get the attention of some of these kids.”
Rainey has also noticed a shift in the musical culture in North Philadelphia since COVID-19. He worries that social media has nudged much of the music into a more violent direction with the increasing popularity of drill rap, a harsher lyrical and production style that gained popularity in the 2010s with artists like Chief Keef and Pop Smoke.
He still believes that music is the way to connect to the younger generation and hopes the drill rap scene has begun to die out, noting a shift towards a more poppy, dance-forward sound.
“In Philadelphia, music seems to be more than just a part of life,” Rainey said. “I think it’s literally how the younger generation moves as far as clout, stature, being oneself, so to speak, and feeling proud within.”
Despite recent drops in turnout, the Freestyle Friday family still has a strong core of attendees. Jermain Bethay started coming to Rainey’s open studio sessions at their inception, and has kept coming back to keep himself out of trouble — something he says he’s known for.
“I’d rather you be in here than out there,” Bethay said. “Out there, you get in trouble in here you’re alright. You can show your talent and go from there.”
Besides, he said, “It’s family.”
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