It began in a small studio apartment. Jared Young and his friend, Michael Bridgmon, started recording their debut album, “here.” A year later the two young men are making waves in Columbus’ local music scene with their group, Alleyes Path.

Bridgmon, the vocalist of the group, is known as Alleyes Manifest. Young, the producer, is known as Path. The DJ for the group is their friend, Daniel Johnson, also known as DJ Self-Help. Together, all three men are striving to bring new, positive hip-hop music to the inner city, Bridgmon said.

Bridgmon said that hip-hop has become commercialized. He said the music industry is becoming like a fast-food restaurant, where degrading songs are being created and sold fast because they have great beats. He said Alleyes Path wants to create music where you can sit down and spend an evening enjoying it, like you would a good restaurant.

The group’s debut album was released in the summer of 2009. Young said every Saturday he and Bridgmon would get together and work on songs. He said the inspiration came from being trapped inside during the winter. The room where they recorded became a sanctuary, where they would rid themselves of everyday annoyances, he said.
Since the release of their album, the group has had performances with Kool Keith, Blueprint and many other notable artists from all over the country. The have gone on tours outside of the state and have performed in bars all over Columbus.

The members of Alleyes Path have had individual success as well. Prior to joining the group, Johnson had one of his mixes played on the Solid Steel Radio Show. Bridgmon was featured on a song that NPR selected as their song of the day, and Young was called on stage at a concert to freestyle with Slug of Atmosphere.

Johnson graduated from Ohio University in 2008. Young is a business  student at Ohio State, and Bridgmon studies graphic design at Columbus College of Art and Design. The band members, who like to be collectively referred to as “ap,” plan to continue pursuing music after completing their education. They will put their degrees toward helping them break into the business, Young said.

Degrees are “good tools to use in music or life in general,” Bridgmon said.

The members of Alleyes Path are comfortable with each other as people and comfortable working together, Bridgmon said. Other groups often separate because of creative differences, but Alleyes Path has a great working relationship, Young said.

Bridgmon said the group has taken advantage of the vibrant music scene in Columbus. For the group, each venue they play feels like a new city, he said. The venues are unique on their own and include places such as living rooms, basements, barns, under a bridge, bars, cafés and art galleries.

Young said that the group has sometimes done four shows a week, and even two shows a night. Bridgmon and Johnson agreed that these days anybody could pick up the guitar or call themselves a rapper and walk around with Hollywood dreams, but they agreed that creating art is their job.

“If no one is buying your art, you’re not making good art or you’re not cut out for it,” Bridgmon said.

The group plans on releasing another album during the summer time, although they have not yet named the project, Bridgmon said. Young said after the release of their new album they hope to go on tour out of state and perform with some more artists.

On March 20, Bridgmon will be having his solo EP release party at Oldfield on High at 2590 N. High St. The EP is titled, “In Over Easy.” Both Johnson and Young will be at the event performing as well. It is a hip-hop show with six different acts performing. Admission is $3 and the show begins at 9:20 p.m.