The band Super Team will soon be more than a Guilford presence; they may just be a household name.Super Team is scheduled to perform on the University of Virginia’s campus on Sept. 18 at 9 p.m. They are opening for Chiddy Bang, another hip-hop group that also saw their beginning on a college campus.

“We’re gonna bring out our sound,” sophomore Beau Young said. “A little bit of black, that gold, and green.”
Super Team first started making music in Guilford’s own Bryan Hall.

Young is one of two founding members of the up and coming hip-hop group hailing from Washington, D.C. His lyrics are clean and lean toward the mainstream, making the group highly marketable.

“We try to take the muscle out of hip-hop,” co-founder of the group Daron Whitmore said. “We just want to watch people have fun; that’s our definition of success.”

Whitmore’s lyrics feel as though they should be painted on a canvas. His style is much less mainstream than Young’s, and adds a different dynamic to the group. Whitmore will not hesitate to reference obscure topics; for instance, a women’s pranayama and anahata, two different terms used in yoga.

The group has grown since its birth last year. They now have a guitar player, senior David Krongel, and sophomore Leia Gaskin-Sadiku on vocals.

Sadiku’s voice has a wide range, combined with clarity that really shines. “I started out singing along with the radio, doing other people’s songs,” said Sadiku. “Then I started singing my own lyrics, which people seemed to enjoy.”

“I’m super pumped for this show,” avid supporter Timothy Leisman said. “I also really like Chiddy Bang a lot.”

The new Super Team played their first live show on Aug. 27 in Sternberger Auditorium.

“They performed with a lot of energy, and really rocked the crowd,” said Lauren Barriocanal, group photographer.

Their performance at UVA will be in a much larger venue than Sternberger Auditorium, and Chiddy Bang is a much bigger name than anything around Greensboro currently.

“I still haven’t processed it yet,” Sadiku said. “This really is an amazing opportunity for us. If people like what they hear, they will tell a friend, and so on.”

“Of course I am excited,” said Young. “But I am trying to remain calm; I know we have a long way to go.”

The group had to turn down an offer to play at North Carolina A&T on Sept. 16 because they are putting all of their efforts into the big show coming up.

“I was honored when I heard that we would be opening for Chiddy (Bang),” said Young.

“People often contrast our style to Chiddy Bang’s,” said Whitmore. “That’s actually how I first came across their work. Someone told me that they thought our beats sounded similar, so I gave it a spin.”

Whitmore creates the group’s beats on his Macbook Pro, sampling songs from a wide variety of genres.

“I use a lot of samples from my mom’s old records,” commented Whitmore. “She always plays the best music when she is cooking, so I decided to use them in a new way.”

The group is excited about playing in this bigger venue. It will allow for more people to hear their music, and gain popularity.

“People listening to our music is our ultimate success,” Sadiku said.