At noon last Saturday, hip hop group Audio Imagery Inc. (A.I.) was doing its best to get a crowd of barely awake, squinty-eyed college students waving their hands and shouting at the top of their lungs.
"When I say A.I., you say big stage!" the three local MCs onstage said.
Audio Imagery, one of State College's only real hip hop crews, has been lurking around since 2003 and members say that now they are better than ever.
"I listen to a lot of our old stuff and it's obvious that we've grown a lot," MC Jason Browne (senior-mechanical engineering) said.
Since the groups formation, A.I. has released two full-length LPs to a barely receptive State College audience.
"When we first started, we saw that there really wasn't a solid hip hop group in State College," Browne said. "We want to become just that."
Since 2003, A.I. has not only toured the State College bar scene extensively, they have even branched out to do shows in other parts of Centre County. They have had songs on the radio and last Saturday, the group performed live on WBHV-FM 103.1 (Beaver 103).
However, the group first honed its craft remixing popular radio songs and moving on from there.
"One of our biggest thrills was remixing Lose My Breath (Destiny's Child) and Only U (Ashanti), and getting it played on the radio," group member George Webster said.
Browne and Webster met at the now debunked Hip Hop Anonymous night at Tall Shiva Hookah Lounge, 224 W. College Ave. Together with Malcolm Hurley, the three make up the lyrical stylings of A.I.
"It's a real good group dynamic," Browne said.
Browne and Weber acted like two old friends together. When one was not able to complete a thought the other would chime in without even a break in conversation.
"Jason's tends to write for the backpackers, like Mos Def or Talib [Kweli]," Webster said. "And I write with a more club-type style."
But this talented trio is not making it on their own. Ian Callanan (junior-mechanical engineering) has been the group's manager and bassist almost since its inception.
Along with Callahan is DJ Andrew Mackey (sophomore-material sciences and engineering), who recently joined the group this year.
"At first I didn't know if I'd fit in, but it's worked out really well," Mackey said.
And from the performance at Movin On it seems to be true.
The group performed at last year's Movin' On and surprised the audience with a full 13-piece band even though they won battle of the bands with just a DJ.
"We got a lot of slack from the Collegian last year; we had a great saxophonist and were called Kenny G in the review," Webster said.
But the criticism has not slowed down the group's ambition or pace. This year A.I. released its second album titled Under Pressure and hopes are still running high in the group.
"This summer is basically devoted to getting signed," Browne said. "We have no problem selling out."
All members of A.I. tote their new album as the best thing they have done as musicians.
"The old stuff is really not up to par with what we're doing now," Webster said.
For those that missed the chance to pick up Audio Imagery's new album at Movin' On, the group's Web site, http://www.audioimageryinc.com/, sells it as well.
