Black Pegasus ready to spread his wings, fly higher

Name of band: Black Pegasus

Hear it: Independent Records 26th Birthday Bash, 9 p.m.-1 a.m. Saturday, 32 Bleu, 32 S. Tejon St., with Asoge, Stasis, Cowboyz, NEVERTHELESS with members of Summerdown, Leer 43 and Porcelain Hand Jive; free 21 and older, $5 younger than 21.

Aggie Theatre, Fort Collins, 8 p.m. Sept. 10, free 21 and older, $5 younger than 21.

University of Colorado at Colorado Springs, 7 p.m. Sept. 18, information to be announced.

Personnel: Black Pegasus, lead vocalist; Trigga, back-up vocals; and DJ An-I-rex-it on the beats (2 turntables and a mixer).

Style: Hip-hop/rap/soul

Influences: Wu-Tang Clan, N.W.A., Heltah Skeltah, GangStarr.

What's the live show like? "A lot of energy," says Black P. "We like to party and start riots on stage."

Favorite clubs to play:

32 Bleu; The Gothic, Fox and Ogden theaters in Denver; Aggie Theatre in Fort Collins; Boulder Theatre; "and wherever there's a lot of beautiful women."

The name: "The Pegasus was a poetic inspiration to Zeus in Greek mythology, then throw Black in front of it. Now you figure it out," says Black P. "We have been around almost six years now."

All about him: Black Pegasus, also known as Robert Houston II, is a Colorado Springs native who took off on his own after a member of his group F.O.S. was incarcerated in 2001.

He's had national attention with music on MTV's "Road Rules" and "Real World" and on the "NBA Jam 2" video game. He also took the stage with Jay-Z as a finalist at Denver's 2003 "Roc the Mic" battle. Out front were 20,000 cheering fans.

CDs: A self-titled album is in stores, as is F.O.S's "Focus On Skillz." Black Pegasus' newest solo, "Knuckle Up," comes out in late October.

Find him on the Web: www. TheBlackPegasus.com

What would 'making it' look like? "I've already made it because I do what I love for a living," he says. "Now it's time to get dough and expand."

Most rock 'n' roll moment:

"When I did a recent show with Mobb Deep, at the end of our set we got the crowd so hype me and Trigga crowdsurfed through the whole Fox Theatre, which is rare for a hiphop show," he says. "When the crowd finally calmed down, Mobb Deep came out and finished the show and gave us shout outs for having such a hot show. Mobb Deep is a multiplatinum rap group that has been making hard-core hiphop classics since mid-90's."

Day jobs: "I broke the chains of corporate slavery a long time ago," says Black P. "I'm free now thanks to my fans and supporters."

The Colorado Springs music scene is... ? "A baby, but it's getting bigger. Our crew has nearly sold out 32 Bleu each time we play there. That's 600-plus people. The only missing factor is support from local radio stations. Even 107.5 in Denver plays our stuff. My music is for the people and as long as the people got my back nobody can stop the growth."

CONTACT US: Hey, local bands! If you would like to be considered for a feature in Band Spotlight and you have local gigs booked, call 636-0374 or e-mail Lnavarro@gazette.com.

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