Dale City rapper stays positive

By Josh Eiserike

Published: July 24, 2008

Brick Flaco isn't your average rapper. He doesn't speak with profanity or any degrading words, to the extent that, even in speaking, he says "the b-word," literally.

Although raised in the church, he's not a Christian rapper either, just a rapper who wants to clean up hip-hop and present a more positive outlook.

Brick Flaco, 24, will be one of the handful of artists performing at "The Smoken Word," a hip hop-poetry-reggae-R&B talent showcase Saturday.

Potomac News and Manassas Journal Messenger hip-hop columnist Dennis Winn hosts the event at Cork'ed Wine & Cigars in Dumfries.

"I thought I would be perfect for this kind of setting because the beats in my rhymes are very mellow tones, very relaxed and very slow," Brick Flaco said.

Brick Flaco (Bruce Jackson Jr.) is originally from Jamaica, Queens, but now lives in Dale City. He works as a medical records technician at DeWitt Army Community Hospital in Fort Belvoir.

"It pretty much started Christmas of '93," Brick Flaco said.

His parents bought him a boom box and a couple tapes—LL Cool J's "Bigger and Deffer" and Dr. Dre's "The Chronic."

From there, he started rapping.

"I used to replace what they said so it fit my own style," Brick Flaco said.

He'd seen the way his mother reacted to some of the lyrics on the radio, so he would twist the lyrics around in a more positive light.

The name "Brick Flaco" comes from an amalgamation of childhood nicknames. People called him "Brick" as a kid because he had a short temper and, when he fought, "hit harder than a brick wall."

In high school some of his Latina classmates called him "Flaco" because he was skinny. Now, he said "Brick" stands for "Basic Reality Is Creating Khaos."

Being from Jamaica, Queens puts Brick Flaco in the company of hip-hop artists like 50 Cent and G-Unit. However, Brick Flaco owes more to other Queens rappers like A Tribe Called Quest and LL Cool J.

"A lot of the music that's out there has a lot of profanity and a lot of negative im-ages," Brick Flaco said. "The music I want to put out is the music that a mom is not afraid to buy her child when she goes to a record store… I'm bringing it back to that old school hip hop, that we all used to love."

In addition to A Tribe Called Quest and LL Cool J, Brick Flaco lists Common, Lauryn Hill and The Fugees and The Pharcyde as other influences.

In fact, Brick Flaco said he met LL Cool J when he was younger in the late '80s, but doesn't remember.

He came to the northern Virginia area about three years ago. His parents were here and he was serving in the Air Force.

Last March, Brick Flaco released his first EP, titled "The Revolution EP." He raps about why people perceive hip hop as negative, his feelings about issues such as plastic surgery and a lot of rapping about his flow, similar to the way artists like Kurtis Blow or Run DMC would describe their talent with metaphors without degrading anyone.

Next up for Brick Flaco?

He's trying to put together a showcase in Brooklyn with reggae artist Jah'Nette, who is also performing Saturday.

Staff writer Josh Eiserike can be reached at 703-878-8072.

WANT TO GO?

What's up: "The Smoken Word: A Showcase of Everything Local, Relevant and Ear Worthy!"

When: 3 to 9 p.m. Saturday

Where: Cork'ed Wine & Cigars, 17934 Main St., Dumfries

Tickets: $10 at the door

Call: 703-200-7402 or 703-221-2440

WANT TO HEAR?

Visit: Myspace.com/brickflaco

Buy it: "The Revolution EP" $3 at the showcase