Gator Glimmers

He gives his heart, his soul, and then some, at every meeting, performance, and show. He gives his time, his energy, and of himself for the pure purpose of inspiring youth.

Christopher ‘Gator’ Ockletree gives because it is his calling.

“If I don’t do it, who will?” -[Gator, March 2008]

Up until earlier this year, his position as Co-Founder and Group Leader of The Cipher: Austin’s Hip Hop Project, was strictly on a volunteer basis. One organization changed everything. Glimmer of Hope does exactly that: gives sufferers of exclusion, social injustice, neglect, abandonment and educational disadvantages a glimmer of hope for a promising future.

The foundation awards grants to organizations that demonstrate an entrepreneurial approach to building the self-esteem and life skills of excluded youth and seniors. Gator will be the recipient of one of those grants.

“When I was in high school, I was rapping all the time. Something like this [The Cipher] would have been helpful to launch my career even further than where it is now. Also, I am a hip hop and spoken word artist and I’m part of this community. I’m at an age where I can blend in with certain youths on this side of town. -[Gator, March 2008]

While the average 21-year-old male may be in college, working their first job, or enjoying their freedom of finally being able to hit the bars, Gator’s very limited non-Cipher hours are spent still giving.

First and foremost is his loyalty to the Public Offenders. Alongside Black Prophet, Lyricist, Phenom, and Yoli, the revolutionary five-person crew write their own lyrics, create their own ideas for beats, and book their own shows, in addition to producing and promoting their own albums.

Public Offenders are a staple of Austin’s hip hop scene having performed at First Night Austin, SXSW, and a countless number of other shows on and away from Sixth Street. Castleview Productions is currently producing a documentary about the group and they have partnered with A Call to Men to produce an album encouraging men to talk with other men to stop violence against women. Co-Founders Ted Bunch and Tony Porter understand that you must use music, especially hip hop, in order to effectively reach this generation.

When he’s not working with The Cipher, or working with Public Offenders, or volunteering his time with other organizations such as SafePlace, United Way, Voices for Youth and Education, he somehow finds the time to give attention to another passion: poetry.

He placed 2nd for Austin’s Under-21 Youth Slam team in 2005 and often performs a poetry piece when explaining The Cipher program to funders and community leaders. The performance really hits it out of the ballpark – people begin to truly understand the effectiveness the program has on the youth.

In addition to the Glimmer of Hope grant he’ll be receiving, Gator was awarded a $500 grant from DoSomething.org last November. As a recipient, he was the only one invited on an all-expense paid trip to New York for the organization’s non-profit boot camp for leaders under 25, which he attended earlier this month.

Gator and Shannon (and the rest of The Cipher support team) are constantly on the lookout for more training opportunities and other resources that will keep the program moving.

In a nutshell, without Gator and all that he gives, there would be no Cipher. Shannon Sandrea, Co-Founder and Program Director, couldn’t agree more.

“Without him teaching, there is no program.”

The Cipher Mixes In

It’s SXSW season again here in Austin, which means three things:

1. Too many things to see and do, not enough time to see and do it all
2. Forget about parking anywhere NEAR downtown.
3. Babysitters of the city will be overbooked as parents battle for just one night to enjoy the sounds of the season.

This year is no different, but there is one exception: The Cipher will be making their SXSW debut!

The only official youth-geared event of the SXSW Interactive Festival, The Cipher will perform hip hop-inspired spoken word and poetry at Café Mundi.

Being invited to an event of this stature may not mean much to veteran performers, but for the young Cipher artists, it is a life-changing experience. The teens are not published poets, seasoned singers, or rappers with five CDs under their belts. In fact, producers, filmmakers, and industry movers probably won’t be going anywhere near the neighborhoods the Cipher youths are from.

If you don’t already know by now, SXSW is a music, film, and interactive conference and festival event that brings in over 7,000 people to Austin every March. Everyone will be listening; it’s an opportunity to be heard. Luckily, The Cipher members have a lot to say.

“To be included in an event like this is really breaking down the walls,” said Shannon Sandrea, Program Director.

Hosted by Ypulse, a media platform for youth media and marketing professionals, the all-ages mixer will showcase how hip hop fuels The Cipher. Hip hop is their way of life, not just a market forecast for the next quarter. It has bonded the youths, it has educated them, and it has reached them in a way no other “trend” can.

Of all the unique activities going on around town during March madness, this is one event where the performers will gain more from it than the audience will. Also performing is Austin’s own teen band, Blues Mafia.

The show is open to the public, which means, forget the babysitter – just bring the kids! And experience this year’s SXSW season together.

In the Spirit of the Season

In the true spirit of Hip Hop Culture, members of The Cipher have been invited to the ultimate come-one, come-all freestyling session downtown on Friday, March 14, in front of the Driskill Hotel, 604 Brazos St, 8:30pm SHARP.

Coordinated by Aaron Berkowitz of Hip Hop Congress, the very essence of the culture began similarly. Groups of rappers, beatboxers, and fans alike would converge for a cipher of rhythms and rhymes on street corners throughout the Bronx. No one cares how old or young you are, your gender or ethnicity, or your financial status; it’s all about the skills. If you’ve got ‘em, bust ‘em.

The Cipher definitely has skills and they’re ready to represent. Joined by other community members, including Fresh Boy Crew and F5 Records, Berkowitz hopes the session will draw even more attention to the local hip hop scene already in the spotlight for SXSW.