The hip-hop landscape in Tucson has changed dramatically since Jahmar Anthony was a junior high student in the ’90s.
“There were about 20 rappers in Tucson back then,” Anthony said. “Now there are hundreds of rappers, if not thousands of rappers in this city. There are more and more rappers here every year. Hip-hop is growing in Tucson.”
Anthony, 40, a veteran DJ who resides in the southside, is dedicated to promoting local hip-hop. The 2003 Tucson High School graduate will present Tucson’s third annual Hip-Hop Awards on Saturday, Sept. 14. Twenty-five categories will be awarded, and there will be live performances.
“I’m so excited about this show,” Anthony said. “I love the support the Tucson community has had for hip-hop and the first two Hip-Hop Award shows. It’s been amazing.”
The initial ceremony was held at The Rock in 2022. In 2023, more than 600 hip-hop fans congregated at the Rialto without the draw of a national headliner.
“I think that says a lot,” Anthony said. “But we also have so many great local hip-hop artists.”
Tommy Will, who will perform at the Hip-Hop Awards show, is at the top of Anthony’s list of local rappers. “Tommy is phenomenal,” Anthony said. “Not only is he so talented, he helps locals with songwriting. He teaches a class about the music business. He’s such a good guy. And then there’s Dan, OBEY!, who is awesome. He is a great artist, who helps locals as well.”
OBEY!, 34, who is from Southeast Tucson, will perform and is up for two awards, Song of the Year, which features the aforementioned Will, and for Male Artist of the Year. “I’m very excited about this event, which is so great since it puts a spotlight on this city,” OBEY! said. “It’s an inspiring event, which is a positive for our city.”
The South Gate Academy alum, class of 2007, has been a hip-hop artist for 18 years. “I came out of that ‘8 Mile’ era,” OBEY! said, referencing the 2002 Eminem film.
“That’s when hip-hop became more mainstream. I love what I do, and I’m blessed to be at an event with so many talented artists.”
Anthony is as stoked as anyone about the event.
“We got all of these talented guys, who give back,” Anthony said. “They get that it’s all about coming together and having unity in Tucson. We can come together at the show. It’s all Tucson. The presenters and the winners are all local. I want people to know about what we have in Tucson.”
Anthony is a DJ that folks should know about because the Detroit native often spins at local venues. Anthony has won AZMT’s DJ of the Year and has scored hardware for Tucson Weekly’s Best DJ and Best Reggae Artist.
“I’m thankful for all of the recognition,” Anthony said. “But it’s not just about me. It’s about hip-hop. I do this because hip-hop is a way for people who don’t have a voice to have a voice. It’s a very powerful medium.”
Anthony learned how much of an impact music makes from his late father, the renowned DJ Papa Ranger, aka Dennis Francis.
“My father had a huge impact on me with music and as a person,” Anthony said. “You always hear about kids, who are mama’s boys but for me it was the opposite. I was a dad’s boy. My dad was my whole world. It was all about me and my dad. I emulated him.”
Francis succumbed to cancer in 2022 at 63. “I miss him but I’m grateful I had him for all those years,” Anthony said.
Anthony is thankful his parents moved from Detroit to Tucson when he was a child. “I fell in love with Mexican culture and Native American culture as a kid,” Anthony said. “It’s funny because when I was a kid in Detroit, I never saw a Native American or a Mexican, but I developed such an appreciation for that culture here.”
Family and music were leaned upon during Anthony’s early years since he had trouble assimilating. “I’m mixed race,” Anthony said. “My mother is white, and my father was Black. When I was growing up, I wasn’t white enough for white people and I wasn’t Black enough for Black people. My parents were from Jamaica, but I never went to school with other Jamaican kids.”
Anthony didn’t play sports or have sleepovers like his peers. “I would play music and fix cars with my dad, who was my best friend,” Anthony said.
Jamaican music and culture are a huge part of Anthony’s life, and he visits his parents’ native country at least once a year.
“I get booked for an event every year in Jamaica,” Anthony said. “I do a charity event for the homeless. I’m big on giving back. I love going back to Jamaica and I love putting this Hip-Hop Awards show together.”
