Aayu’s hip-hop sound is influenced by his varied musical background.
Aayu / Terror On The Screen / Warning Level / STA: Fri., Feb. 17, doors 6 p.m., show 7 p.m., Vintage Theater (119 Penn Ave., Scranton), free. Info: aayumusic.com
“I like hearing people trying to pronounce it,” said Mark Ciccone, otherwise known as Aayu, of the creative name he goes by when he’s making the rounds in his hip-hop career.
“Some people think it’s an acronym, but it’s actually pronounced ‘eye-you.’ The name came from Sanskrit … it’ll translate to ‘lifespan’ in English. And it kind of means something to me. It’s not like a gimmick name.”
Originally from Bucks County, Aayu is stationed in the Scranton area and is slated to put on a free show (and dance party) at the city’s Vintage Theater Friday, Feb. 17 at 7 p.m. While he feels mainstream success is “relative to the amount of work that you put into it,” he noted that when it comes to booking gigs locally, it’s a slightly different story.
“As far as what I do rap-wise, it’s tougher to get booked, it’s tougher to get shows, because what I do isn’t pure hip-hop, and it’s not punk, it’s not rock,” he explained. “And I’m not even saying I’m like some hybrid music, it’s just a little different. I don’t really fit into a category where I’m able to get booked as frequently.”
The explanation for his musical style comes from his varied roots, where punk and rock played a prominent role.
“I went more the rock avenue because my mother played bass, so I learned how to play bass and drums, and I played in punk bands, (but I) always liked rap,” Aayu said.
He also toured with Zolof The Rock And Roll Destroyer, played bass in a band called Spring Victory and played drums with Valencia. And though he’s got that background, his path to hip-hop was formed out of a somewhat desolate situation.
“I went through a phase of my life where I was abusing drugs and alcohol, and my priorities shifted,” he shared. “So I got to a point where all my instruments, everything I owned instrumentally, was gone … I was left with just, I guess, my voice.
“So I started rapping a little bit when I was in situations where I wasn’t able to use drugs anymore, like jails and rehab, and I would just write. And I always (rapped) for fun, but that’s when it actually took the turn to be a little bit more serious, because I felt like I still needed to express myself in some way.”
Aayu is working on a new album, but his most recent offering, “Despite It All, We Evolved,” was released in October and is still available for free on his website.
“I think it’s important to offer some of what you do for free sometimes, he said. “Yeah, I’ve got to make a living, I’ve got to make money, but I’ll get to that point if I expose myself to people through free downloads and stuff like that.”
He’s “extremely grateful and thankful for everybody that supports what he does,” and although Aayu’s past plays a role in his music, it’s not in quite the way one would expect.
“I wouldn’t consider myself a recovery rapper, but it’s a huge part of my life,” he said. “One of the things that I think is amazing about hip-hop is the authenticity about who you are and telling a story … I’m not much of a storyteller in my raps, but I’ll bring up my past.
“I more so, except for a couple times, make fun of it or laugh at it, because to me, it’s funny. But I’m the kind of person that finds humor in a lot of shit that maybe some people wouldn’t. It’s funny to me, it’s a past, everybody’s got one, and people that don’t have one, you don’t know too well.”
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