Backstage Pass: The Deans List performs at winter concert

In recent years, the College at Brockport has maintained a proud tradition of hosting up-and-coming rap artists before they hit the apex of their career. We've had the rising stars KiD CuDi, Wiz Khalifa, Chiddy Bang and most recently, The Dean's List.

Whereas Lupe Fiasco has already "Touch(ed) the Sky" with Kanye West, The Dean's List is standing low and looking up to new heights. Armed with the slick, uplifting production of DJ Mendoza and the love-hate charisma of rapper Sonny Shotz, this Boston-based hip-hop group seems destined to reach the heights so many underground hip-hop artists dream for.

Of course, the group isn't based in Western New York, the territory Backstage Pass covers, but I couldn't pass up an up-and-coming hip-hop group with this much talent and originality.

"I try to stay above the common rappers [and] elevate myself to a different plateau," Shotz said. "I stay true to who I am. [I'm] not trying to think too much outside the box, but [I] sort of live outside the box."

Shotz brings a kind of tongue-in-cheek cockiness to typical hip-hop subject matter: Weed, booze, parties, females and, of course, braggadocio. However, in person, Shotz carries himself with a kind of quiet confidence, and his answers suggest he takes the art of wordplay very seriously.

At times, Shotz takes a back-seat to DJ Mendoza's "indie" hip-hop production. He mixes a good variety of everything that's great about modern East Coast alternative hip-hop, a rap subgenre that has spawned stars in Brockport's previous performers: CuDi, Wiz, Chiddy Bang and Lupe Fiasco.

"I never go into a beat thinking I'm going to make this kind of beat, [such as] a party beat or whatever," Mendoza said. "I don't look at myself as a certain kind of producer."

Mendoza's beats generally feature a range of pitched-up soul vocals ("Dear Professor"), psychedelic, uplifting synths ("All Systems Go") and elements of electronic indie-pop ("Burn It All").

"What's cool about making music openly is that you don't categorize yourself," Mendoza said. "Personally, it's cool to not be considered in a certain category or genre of music. A lot of people say (we are) indie-pop or hip-hop, but we feel like we have our own lane."

The production is perfected by third-member Mik Beats, the sound engineer and another producer for the group.

Shotz, Mendoza and Beats met during their freshmen year at the Berklee College of Music and, like Kanye West (the indisputable champion of modern hip-hop), they dropped out to focus on their music career.

Naturally, I asked Mendoza if he ever fears that one day he'll regret that decision, which he said is a question they're asked often. Mendoza gave a confident "No."

Since the group's formation in 2009, The Dean's List has released two mixtapes: 2010's Undeclared and 2011's The Drive In. Many songs from the latter of these have amassed hundreds of thousands of YouTube views.

Their most popular songs include the uplifting pop tune "Light Up the Sky," the juxtaposing party-themed ballad "Burn It All" and "Dear Professor," which alone has amassed more than 700,000 views on YouTube. The catchy "Dear Professor" beat features a sample from The Band Perry's "If I Die Young," over which Shotz rhymes about the eternal anxiety of uncertainty about the future. Shotz considers it the stand-alone single from The Drive In.

The hip-hop trio is currently working on their third mixtape, Generation X, which will be released early next year. Shotz, Beats and Mendoza may have more time to work on it now that they've wrapped up a nationwide headlining tour that hit more than 40 cities.

Mendoza has high expectations for Generation X, which he said may be the group's last mixtape for a while. "Generation X is going to put things on the next level," Mendoza said. "[It will be our] last mixtape ever. We don't want to be one of those groups that have 10 mixtapes out."

Mendoza said they want to move into "albums, different projects [and] new things."

As for the near future of The Dean's List, Mendoza said he hopes to elevate their music to bigger audiences, do some collaborations with other artists and "just take things to the Kanye level."

Regardless of the success that may or may not come, the members of The Dean's List will continue doing things their own way.

"We just want to put our pieces of art out there," Shotz said. "What makes us different, in a way, is that we don't try to be anything specific, we just try to be ourselves."