The Country Club will not be featuring an act for old golf pros when Method Man takes the stage on Friday night. A group filled with Syracuse University connections will open for the rap artist at the club, just off Erie Boulevard and Bridge Street. Ian Weisz and Matt Jacob, also known as IBProfyn and M Dot, are SU alumni and rappers in the group The Higher Concept. The MC for the group, Jack Newman (known as Jack Brown) is a senior broadcast journalism major, and he spoke with The Daily Orange.

Daily Orange.: Where did the name Jack Brown come from?

Jack Brown: I was given the name on my first job when I started working. I was introduced as Jackie to someone and they were like, ‘Jackie Brown?’ So people started calling me Jack Brown and it just caught on. Most people don’t even know that’s not my real last name. Some people have known me for a few months and they find out and they’re shocked.

D.O.: What’s it like opening for Method Man?

J.B.: It’s a huge honor that promoters feel we’ll be able to bring a significant amount of people to the show. It made us realize that people are realizing that we’re getting appreciated. A lot of people come to see us.

D.O.: How would you describe your style?

J.B.: Our style is more artistic, conceptual. It’s next-level stuff just thinking about different issues, trying to make sense of youth and trying to have fun. There’s a huge aspect of being young, but also thinking about the world and being really analytical. We’re definitely taking rap out of the same type of monotony.

D.O. What’s the craziest thing that’s ever happened during one of your shows?

J.B.: A guy ran on stage, grabbed the microphone and started beat boxing with his mouth and all the members of the group just started rapping over him. Then all these people from the crowd came out and started break dancing. It was so out of nowhere and it was just awesome.

D.O.: What’s the best part about performing for you?

J.B.: The best part is definitely for me that rush. You just zone out when you’re up there. Everyone gets that same feeling, and we feed off it. You get so focused you’re on another level.

D.O.: What do you think Method Man’s groupies and entourage will be like?

J.B.: That’s what I’m most curious about, honestly. What you imagine in your head is the big show and how it would be. Getting to open for such a huge celebrity, you imagine all these sorts of possibilities, but you never know how it’s going to turn out.

Published on November 8, 2006 at 12:00 pm