Three Fresno State students and one alumnus have turned coincidental collaboration into a growing success, taking them from recording music at home to an actual recording studio.

N.Y.C.A, an acronym for the members’ home states — two are from New York and two are natives to California — had its humble debut one night at Bulldog Village, giving the residents a performance outside.

This Saturday the group will perform for the Step the Union show in the Satellite Student Union starting at 2:30 p.m., along with other artists. The event is $7 for students and $12 for the public.

Growing popularity

The members, Devon Wade and Trevor Shamblee of New York and Davion Baker and Alex Lindsey of California, came together one by one to record “Cali,â€Â the group’s first song. Fans can view their music video “My Lifeâ€Â on their MySpace music page, along with a playlist of all their songs.

N.Y.C.A has started to become known not only in Fresno nightclubs and bars, but also in other California cities and even out of state. The unique blend of rap and the R&B twist that Baker brings to the group has begun to get it air play on radio stations, including Fresno̢۪s B95. To date, the group has made appearances in Sacramento and Los Angeles, sometimes driving for hours after class to perform, only to have to come back the same night and go to class the next day.

Overcoming setbacks to get “to the top”

As with any musical group, it has not been all roses; they have had to overcome obstacles in addition to their success. Shamblee described the group̢۪s anticipation for a gig at Chuchanksi Park, which was supposed to be the biggest performance to date.

“They were so unprofessional,â€Â says Shamblee of the Chuchanksi Park staff, who failed to provide them with more than one microphone and a sound check before the performance. To make matters worse, they were asked to stop in the middle of their show because fans had become unruly.

As a fight broke out, fans started to disperse. “I’m rapping and everybody was leaving, and I’m like, I know we ain’t that wack… and some lady ran up and told us to stop, waving her hands like she would for an airplane,â€Â recalls Lindsey.

Despite this letdown, the group continues to work hard, recording new songs in a real-life studio, a new experience for all of the members. Wade describes his feelings before a performance as “the calm before for the stormâ€Â, because once they start, that’s when they explode.

When asked about the future of the group, they all agreed they wanted to take their group “to the topâ€Â, and once they are there, to consistently provide new music to keep from fading from the music scene.

“We are trying to be like Michael Jackson, where there are people fainting,â€Â said Shamblee.