Too White Crew just wants to spread some “old skool” joy around.

The Chicago-based band, which claims the title of the world’s first and only all-live hip-hop tribute band, will play classics of the genre at Starbusters Bar and Grill, 930 Pappas Drive, on Friday. Three of the six members are NIU alumni.

-Too White Crew has opened for Digital Underground and has performed live on WGN News and at David Schwimmer’s Madhatter’s Ball in Chicago. Weekender caught up with C-Note, the group’s lead “hood rat” to discover just what this old-school hip-hop “thang” is all about.

Weekender: First, lay it all down. Why do you do this?

C-Note: I have been an old school hip-hop junkie for years. It’s what I grew up on. I always wanted to perform the music live, and it’s especially challenging because it’s never been performed that way, not even by the original artists. Every sound is triggered live by one of us. We don’t just loop tracks or use sequencers.

W: As a former NIU student, are you looking forward to coming back to DeKalb?

CN: Woodsy, the drummer, and QueLyte also went to NIU. I can’t wait to come back. I’m looking forward to Lukulo’s beer nuggets. Everyone who has gone to Northern and has gotten plowed has eaten beer nuggets.

W: Talk about the show at Starbusters.

CN: We might have break-dancers, and we’re giving out T-shirts that say “Got Back?” to those who have back and shake it like a Polaroid picture. We’re also bringing a DJ to the show to spin old school songs before and after the show. Real vinyl.

W: How did you get started with Too White Crew?

CN: I was playing a show in Chicago with my old band, Common Ground, which was about to close up shop, and I just realized I wanted to keep performing. I asked Woodsy, the drummer from that band, if he wanted to drum for a hip-hop tribute band. It’s pretty difficult. In the song, “Baby Got Back,” for instance, he plays three different bass drum sounds and three different snare drum sounds all in the same kit. Basically, he has to forget his formal drum training in order to play this music.

W: What about the origin of your name?

CN: My name came from my childhood nickname, which was “Cords,” and the note part is obviously related to music. Also, a C-note is a hundred dollar bill, and lots of rap songs talk about throwing those around. A friend of mine came up with the name Too White Crew because it’s hard to miss the fact we’re all white, so we decided to embrace it. Too White Crew is a parody of 2 Live Crew, the group who prompted the need for the parental advisory label.

W: How do you decide on songs to play?

CN: It varies. We keep 25 to 30 songs in regular rotation. We’ve contemplated doing newer music; the whole vibe is different. The music turned ugly. You can’t throw a party around the gangsta rap that got started in the mid-’90s. We want music that’s fun, colorful and rowdy and not just about money and bitches and hos. How can you not crack a smile at Biz Markie’s “Just a Friend”? When we played that at Indiana University, we became captives of the audience. They just kept singing.

W: Talk about some of your other memorable moments.

CN: One time, I was sandwiched between two 300-pound queens when I played “Baby Got Back,” and man, those two had back. The most memorable show was when we opened for Digital Underground, the band that sang “Humpty Dance.” I exchanged one of the clocks I wear around my neck for one of Shock G’s false noses. Usually the wildest shows we do are the college ones.

W: With a name like Too White Crew, do you ever get a negative reaction?

CN: We really haven’t. Once someone comes to see us, they see that we’re serious about this. A big part of our fan base is multiracial or African American. This band is more work than any other band I’ve been in. Nothing is prerecorded, but all the sounds have to be set up in advance. I don’t think anyone is stupid enough to do what I do. It has consumed my life.

W: What’s your favorite old school hip-hop song?

CN: “It Takes Two” by Rob Base and DJ Ez Rock. It’s off the hook and everyone loves to dance to it. They all know the first verse, but no one knows the rest. The shocker is that “Ice Ice Baby” is such a crowd favorite after all these years.