Running into Store 24 for a bottle of water between classes or for cash from the ATM before hitting Thayer Street bars, you've probably met Charles White, the gregarious cashier whose other career - as a rapper - is starting to take off.
With a new CD in the works and an upcoming show at AS220 on Sept. 17, White, whose stage name is Charles Exsavior, is poised to become the latest breakout artist in the Providence rap scene.
"I just want to bring honest-to-good music back," White said. "Everyone hates what's on the radio, what the higher-ups are telling people to like."
Though he cites such influences as Jay-Z, Nas and Common, White stresses rap's ability to express a wide range of experiences and emotions. "(Rappers) all share the same view, but rapping doesn't have to be a one-sided view. Everyone is talking about drugs and violence. It's a bigger story," he said.
With his current CD, "A Professor Gone Mad EP," White explains his world view in 14 tracks with his friend and fellow rapper, Dante Inferno. White mixes other rappers' beats and then rhymes over them, giving the CD a "mix tape feel," he said.
But his upcoming album will consist of purely original music, showcasing White's other passion, producing and musical engineering. White said his Big Brother in Providence's Big Brother Big Sister program taught him to use a Macintosh computer. "He got me into engineering," White said.
White has been rhyming since he was young, but he spent the last two years focusing on his rap career. He has played shows at the Black Repertory Company, Club Octane and Loom Studio Gallery, among others. His show at AS220 next week will showcase material from his current album.
"I want to influence people and let them know that I can rap and show them my soul," White said.
Born in Ohio, White grew up in Providence, and his childhood in the city has clearly influenced his music. "Professor Gone Mad" continually references Providence and offers shout-outs to sections of the city. The album cover features a photograph of downtown Providence and a highway sign.
"I try to take a worldly viewpoint. I get political. I try to mix up my style," White said. "I try to think of the people, definitely. The chorus is still catchy, but it's me."
With a stack of fliers announcing White's upcoming performance and his CD often playing in the background, Store 24 has become the nexus of White's burgeoning rap career. In the course of a 30-minute interview with The Herald, White sold three CDs to customers.
On one of his tracks entitled, "What You Can Have," White raps: "You better learn how to flow in the mic / Exsavior is 'bout to show you the light."
