No RNR for Rhyme N Rhythm

With a ten-piece band, it’s tough to coordinate practice times, gigs and even fit on the stage, but Rhyme N Rhythm has been jumping these hurdles successfully for the past few years. The popular local group (posse? entourage? basketball team?) has shared the stage with the likes of LL Cool J, but now it’s their time to shine. Today at Wasted Space, the funky hip-hop and soul group will celebrate their CD release of Hello Groove with a party and a concert.

“If we have a bigger stage the show is obviously a lot more entertaining.” Manager Shawn Denard says. “The MCs can walk around a little more and the musicians can actually breathe, which adds a lot more to the entertainment value of the show.”

Most of the group met while attending UNLV, where some are still in school. Their sound has evolved over the last year and a half as they fine tuned crowd favorites like “Hello Groove,” the title track off the new album. Denard says their last disc was “really a sampler. They have revamped a lot of the songs for this album just to find their own true sound.”

Ryan Mappala, guitarist for RNR, says the group started out as “a bunch of people just jamming out together and coming up with songs.” When it comes to finding time to get the entire group together for practice, he says, “We usually have to get together super late like midnight until 2 a.m. Some of us work nights and some are still in school, so we try to accommodate everybody.”

Rhyme N Rhythm will take the stage with Reallionaire Jream and High Definition. Check out a sneak peak of two of RNR’s tracks, “Flip Da Script” and “Ridiculous,” off of their new CD.