The rapper Wizdom has a new album dropping next week called The Next Step. First up to bat from that project is his opus to the Town, “My City’s Filthy”, featuring vocal assists from Grynch and Fearce Vill (of Dyme Def), and a cinematic instrumental backdrop by D-Sane. A nice re-entry point by Wiz who we haven’t heard from in a minute.
Nope, Key Nyata isn’t talking about Scientology on this latest drop. Somewhere under the beat produced by Baltimore’s Dsavage is a hard lesson about celebrity. Mackned also joins the hazy fray.
Operation Take Over the World (OTOW) is: Massiah, Ka.lil, Uce Wayne, and Mic Flont. The first member of this 206 hip hop crew wrote this impassioned ballad to the late Kurt Cobain. Click here to read more about the particular inspiration that Massiah gleaned from the Seattle rock legend.
The plot line for Chimurenga Renaissance’s new video “The B.A.D. Is So Good” is small in scope, but massive in intention. B.A.D. is an acronym for Black American Dream which constitutes everything the video portrays: music, community, aspiration, and the demand for a better tomorrow. “The B.A.D. Is So Good” is a single from CR’s new album, riZe vadZimu riZe, available to stream below and read more about here.
Ka.lil and Vancouver’s RLGN team-up again for “Heavenly”, a breezy spin around the block for exercise and higher learning.
Tacoma’s Rockwell Powers and DJ Phinisey released a brief new track called “101”, an outtake from their most recent collaborative effort, Build. It’s a perfect companion piece to that record, Rockwell and Phin speaking truth to power in a hardcore fashion. Check out the duo’s live, in-studio performance of “Denial” and “101” on KEXP below.
Donte Peace takes a sinister victory lap after scooping some other dude’s lady on “Our Girlfriend”. It’s more of that possession-is-nine-tenths-of-the-law bullshit men indiscriminately apply to relationships with members of the opposite sex. When done with an even-handed dramatic flourish it can be interesting — subversive even. This doesn’t get there, though.
The set-up for this video is not exciting but it don’t need to be because the rapping is fairly bananas. The Bar — and La and Kixxie Siete — are for the children.
206UP and Jae Change have collaborated to form 28Hundred, a new media company dedicated to producing original video content and in-depth, personality-driven interviews with some of your favorite artists. Stay tuned here for the latest 28Hundred productions.
We caught up with Seattle hip hop artist Raz Simone at the New York City listening session for his 300 Entertainment debut, Cognitive Dissonance. In the interview, the rapper discusses being contacted by music industry legend Lyor Cohen for the first time, the creative process behind his lyrics, and his hopes for the future of a career in music.
Northwest producer Marcus D has assembled some of the finest underground hip hop talent for his new full-length, Simply Complex. Funded via a Kickstarter campaign, expect more of the same refined, well-composed boom-bap you’ve already heard from the young beatmaker.
A SEATTLE HIP-HOP BLOG 