CHS seniors Joseph Hurley and Elijah Pantoja have decided to collaborate with senior Josh Villa, also known as DJ Pops, to produce their very own first musical album called “Dapper.” The name of the album is a fusion of words “dance” and “rap” derived from the musical talents of Pantoja, who loves to create dance music and Hurley, who loves to rap. With their inspirations and ideas for music augmenting since their freshmen year, Hurley and Pantoja have finally decided to compile their notes and compositions at the beginning of this school year to create a hip hop mixtape with a few other genres said to be released in early 2014.

“The album is about our lives,” Pantoja said. “It’s a way to express ourselves, our dreams to perform our music in front of a large gathering, and our personal problems with relationships and identities.”

Hurley and Pantoja describe themselves as passionate music lovers. Utilizing over 15 hours a week to create music, Pantoja frequently brings his laptop to school to work on them. He had previously created songs by himself that he shared via YouTube. Writing songs and singing their hearts out to the community allows Hurley and Pantoja to release their anxieties in life. “Dapper” became the outlet for their vehement feelings. Hence it features songs ranging from political issues to love songs that each person has experienced some time in his or her life.

“Writing songs and recording them is something I’ve always wanted to do,” Hurley said. “When the album finishes and is ready to go, I can’t help but to see it as one of my greatest accomplishments. It’s gratifying to know that others are willing to support all the hard work we’ve done.”

Hurley, Pantoja, and Villa create and record their music in Villa’s in-house studio, aptly named Pop’s Studio. Hurley takes the position of lead vocalist as Pantoja takes the job of producing the sensational beats and rhythm to the songs. Villa takes on the important role as the mix engineer, fusing Hurley’s voice with Pantoja’s beat into an unbroken rhythm. Their album will be sold to those who are willing to support and will be released online free of charge to anyone who is interested in giving their songs a try.

“Sometimes life’s greatest surprises come from the least expected places, so I think people shouldn’t go in with the expectation that because we are high school students in Claremont we can’t rap,” Pantoja said. “Take a listen to our songs because good music can be found anywhere.”

As their album is currently in the process of finalizing, Pantoja and Hurley are continuously working hard on forming their songs into their most appreciable state. Friends and supporters can look forward to relishing a unique experience created by our own fellow Claremont students.