Going Mainstream

For Hawaii-based artist Nabahe, success comes with a price

 

photos: David Croxford

As 24-year-old Nabahe sprayed another blast of pink paint onto the expansive white walls of an upscale recording studio in San Bernardino, Calif., the feeling was surreal. His now trademark pink elephant graffiti had earned him a roundtrip flight from Oahu, a place to stay, a commission of more than $3,000 and the promise of a hip-hop recording contract.

But Nabahe had made sacrifices to get there.

His girlfriend left him during the past year, only months after their son was born, largely because Nabahe’s newfound success demanded too much travel. Success also meant going mainstream, and, ironically, such conventional things as paying taxes, a concept not exactly rooted in the values of a young artist raised by Native American activists. And although Nabahe was doing what he loved, success meant forfeiting some of the ideals that led him to pursue an alternative career in the first place.

His journey to this moment began in 1997. After moving to Oahu with his mother, Nabahe (born Nabahe Carlyle Benalli) found a job working for less than minimum wage at a Kailua restaurant. He hated the job. “It wasn’t really about the money. I just don’t want to work my ass off for somebody else’s dream,” he says. “I’d rather struggle on my own terms.”

So Nabahe decided to capitalize on his passions. He thought back to his childhood in Los Angeles, when he used to sneak out of foster homes to admire and imitate graffiti, and began creating his own signature piece. “When you’re a little kid, you see something, and you like it. It’s not so analytical,” explains Nabahe, whose childhood ambition was to become a Disney animator. “Character art appeals to basic human interest. It’s just meant to be looked at.”

He chose a warm and unusual palette of pinks and purples, which helped to feminize the mostly masculine graffiti style. He also created a more inviting feeling by using rounded, organic shapes. Adding a dash of Disney, Nabahe came up with his in-demand pink elephant, the trademark he has painted on tabletops, bathroom walls, handbags, stretched canvas and almost anything else with a paintable surface.

The first year of business wasn’t pretty. To establish himself, Nabahe hustled painted odds and ends, including small pieces of lumber and canvas bags, outside of Chinatown clubs for $25 a piece. While the art barely paid his share of the rent, it quickly established his artistic presence within a targeted demographic. Coupled with a graffiti marketing campaign (he stuck painted postal stickers on street posts and bus stops), the eclectic assortment of mini-masterpieces whetted the tastes of young Honolulu urbanites.

Commission work followed. He landed jobs at clubs such as downtown Honolulu’s Detox Lounge and even got a gig at the Hawaii State Art Museum during an event for youth in arts. Soon he had enough buzz for his prices to skyrocket to anywhere from $150 to more than $3,000, and he was making enough to comfortably pay the bills. Not bad for a 22-year-old artist, who definitely wasn’t starving. A small underground hip-hop career ensured that he was eating well. Most importantly, though, the work was still on his terms.

About a year later, after a typical live art demonstration during a hip-hop show in a downtown club, four Native American men approached Nabahe, impressed by his abilities. They happened to be managers at San Manuel Indian Bingo & Casino in San Bernardino, and they had deep pockets – deep enough to offer Nabahe a roundtrip flight and a hefty sum to paint a wall in the new recording studio that they had started.

Fast forward to May 2007, past the discovery of his music, signing a contract with Grimm Image Records, negotiating distribution contracts and meeting up with his manager. Within a few months, Nabahe found himself suddenly thrust into the mainstream.

His contract secured 50 percent of his earnings and full ownership of his music, and he’s still working on securing royalties with the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers. He’s currently in the process of recording his first album with the label (no release date has been set), and his manager is even helping him line up an art deal for a clothing line. Even though there is now a lot more money involved, he’s still getting used to working for The Man.

“I get a lot of leeway in what I can say in my music, but the engineers sometimes won’t let me say stuff because it might disturb sales,” Nabahe says. “I don’t know if this is good or bad. I just have to pay the rent.”

For now, he had a mural to finish. As he shook the paint can and sprayed another punch of pink in the California studio, he refocused his mind on the task at hand. The record label had promised him a $20,000 advance, and he could use the money. His son could use the money.

In the meantime, he’s got a back-up plan: real estate. “Weird art? Obscure music? Those things are luxuries,” Nabahe says. “If I can sell people things they don’t need, I can sell a house.”

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