Words spill out of Stephen Brackett’s mouth like glitter. Just as they fall, they stick with a lasting imprimatur that no matter how hard you try to pick them up, they remain there, glittering with hope, promise and wisdom. Brackett, aka, “Brer Rabbit,” doesn’t throw words around lightly. As one of Denver’s own, and one of the world’s most beloved rap musicians, he and his longtime friend, Jamie Laurie “Jonny 5” created the Flobots at George Washington High School in the 1990s. They released their first cassette, “Masters of the Universe” in 1994 and their meteoric rise to fame was amplified by their top-forty hit, “Handlebars,” in 2008. The Flobots’ music has always been a means of conveying a message. They are a self described, “Band with an agenda” whose goals are to advocate and engage with social justice issues in the community and world; educate students and teachers to find their voice in order to deal with tough, challenging issues; and to connect people through their pain to their power.
Brackett has been rapping for fun since he was in the fourth grade. He fell in love with Hip Hop, too. “To rap, requires no equipment. It was a low barrier to entry for a lot of kids. I had a group of super nerdy friends who loved comic books, Anime and sci-fi when they weren’t cool. We could write and draw our own messages with a pen and a pad. Rap was free-style with a beat, a joyous celebration and improvisation. It was a means of expressing yourself and a way to express freedom.”