Down with Webster: Partying on the Road to Success

They have been at it for almost 12 years, and 2010 is certainly Down With Webster’s time to shine. What started out as a bunch of junior-high kids jamming in their basement has evolved into a seven-man hip hop/progressive band that earned Warped Tour status last summer, signed with Universal Motown Records just last year and attracted the attention of music moguls Timbaland and Gene Simmons.

One would think that all of this success would go to their heads, but when I caught up with Cam Hunter and Bucky Buck, the two rappers in the group, during their most recent visit to Vancouver, it was evident that Down With Webster is just a bunch of easy-going Toronto guys trying to live their lifelong dream. This passion, combined with the group’s musical diversity, has transformed them into one of the most eclectic bands in the industry.

Down With Webster’s infectious mix of hip hop, pop-rock and jazz has stretched their fan base far and wide – a result of having members who are so different from one another: “It allows for our music to be a little bit universal,” says Cam. “We hear people who say, ‘I only listen to rock music, I never listen to rap, but I love you guys!’”

And it’s safe to say that DWW fans have been loving the group’s debut album, Time to Win, Vol. 1, a project that is based around a simple concept: partying. “Basically, ‘winning’ originally started from a term that was thrown around the neighbourhood for partying really hard. If you really partied hard, you won the party, so Time to Win was just like time to party, but also time to do this for real... time to start living our dreams,” explains Cam.

With the first single off the album, Rich Girl$, gaining heavy rotation on the radio, it is no surprise that it is a crowd favourite at DWW’s chaotic live shows. “I think everything we end up doing turns into a party,” Bucky says about their roof-igniting performances. “Whether there’s no one there or the room is full, we’d still be going just as crazy because we’re doing what we love,” he adds.

Looking back on all that has led to the band’s success so far, Cam has one piece of advice for today’s high-school bands. “Do it because it’s a passion of yours, not because you think you’re going to make money, get girls or have an excuse to party because that gets really old really fast. As long as you do it for the right reasons, you’re never going to be let down.”

For more than a decade, the guys of Down With Webster have been preparing for this moment in their career – they have taken the music scene by storm and are having a great time along the way.