“I prefer old-school hip-hop,” Hetep said. “I like Rakim because of his flow and the clean message he was putting into the world. He rapped about positivity, and that’s also what my music ...

The spirit of old-school hip-hop collectives such as Wu-Tang Clan and ... and the energy the members draw from each other will make you wish that rap groups were still en vogue.

“I take them back to old school hip-hop,” he said. “I take them back to that time when hip-hop was very special and I have the crowd stand up with their hands in the air screaming.

All the merch pieces and magazine covers.” When Conduit first started releasing music around four years ago, he found it difficult to find venues that aligned with his old-school take on hip-hop.