206UP was a music blog that covered hip-hop originating in and around Seattle, Washington.

We opened up shop in July 2009 and shut our doors in summer 2016. 206UP was borne out of a love for the Pacific Northwest, its hip-hop music scene and a certifiably unhealthy need to critique it.

Chul Gugich is the founder, owner, and editor-in-chief of 206UP. He was born in Seoul, South Korea, came-of-age in the Pacific Northwest, and now lives in Los Angeles with his wife and their imaginary Burnese Mountain dog named Abe — imaginary because this blog shit doesn’t really pay and they can’t afford another mouth to feed.

Chul has also been a freelance writer for City Arts magazine, Potholes In My Blog, Beats Per Minute and SSG Music. He decided to close the book on 206UP after realizing that with advancing age and distance came a crotchety sensibility and fragmented sense of authority toward the Seattle hip-hop scene (which deserves so much better). He can now be found developing personal essays, screenplays and Stranger Things fan fiction to varying degrees of completion.

Check out his latest online endeavor, the Coastal Elite, here.

SQUAD (Valued Contributors to 206UP):

Emery Desper is a Seattle-based writer. She Eats Books For Breakfast.

Rafael Ochoa is a Seattle-based photographer and videographer. Visit his online portfolio here.

Castane Arias is a photographer and graphic designer based in the Pacific Northwest. View his online portfolio here.

JK Scroggins is a Seattle-based photographer. View his online portfolio here.

Zac Davis is a Seattle-based photographer. View his online portfolio, here.