Together/Apart is the official Rhymesayers debut album from Grieves & Budo and it dropped this past Tuesday. It’s the best work yet from this duo who (I hear) are back living in The Six. Actually, I spotted Budo roaming the sidewalks of Capitol Hill just before last Saturday’s Blue Scholars concert at Neumos — I sometimes forget how small this Town is. Peep the video for “On The Rocks” off Together/Apart, above.
VIDEO: “The Morning” – The Weeknd
This video by The Weeknd is smarter than your math teacher and sexier than your Saturday night jump-off.
DOWNLOAD: Sleep Deprivation Mixtape – Second Family
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The South Sound has been buzzing about this mixtape since May so #LatePass on this one. Second Family is the Tac-Town duo of Element and NoQuezt. Their deliveries exist at opposite ends of the spectrum. Element brings a gruff hardrock flow (something like a Pacific Northwest version of Bun B) and NoQuezt has a raspy, high-pitched smoker’s intonation. Streets are the subject matter, typical to a lot of 253 sh-t these days, but what sets the men of Second Family apart are their MC skills, which are far and away better than most of their peers.
DOWNLOAD: “Weakdays” – Kung Foo Grip feat. Tay Sean
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It’s become increasingly clear that a Tay Sean beat will make the most of any MC’s talent whether black, white, man, woman, dog, cat, alien, or paramecium. Here he makes it nice for Kung Foo Grip, not that these cats really need it. This crew has come far in a relatively short amount of time and with a limited catalog. Initially known for chopping heads in cyphers, their seven-track Make Moves EP revealed them to be nostalgic Golden Era geeks at heart with remarkably diverse skill sets on the mic. “Weakdays” is in advance of the crew’s already overdue CAPITALIZE which might just turn the local rap game on its head.
SHOW REVIEW: Blue Scholars Cinemetropolis Album Release Party @ Neumos on 6.18.11
Photo by Canh Solo
At Saturday’s sold-out Cinemetropolis Album Release Party, the second of a two-night run at Neumos, Blue Scholars had Seattle hip-hop fans eating out of their proverbial hands, as has been the case at all of the duo’s local shows for the last six years or so. The energetic all ages crowd followed Geo and Sabzi’s lead for nearly an hour and a half as the crew marched through a set list heavy on new material with a few select older favorites.
DOWNLOAD: “Get Off My Tip” (B-side “Awkward”) – That One Show
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I imagine the formation of That One Show is kind of like what happened in the feudal days when four court jesters from neighboring kingdoms realized they were not only much smarter than the royalty they were forced to perform for, but also much more powerful as a united group. Or something. In any case, this crew is four talented (but relatively unknown) dudes from the area who make party rap and sh-t talk fun for the people. Get more familiar with Shast, Ripynt, Notion and Know Choice.
VIDEO: “Sounds Of My City” – Luck-One
A few months ago, when I wasn’t slacking as much on the blog, Luck-One’s “Sounds Of My City” was a candidate on The TrackMeet (R.I.P…for now). I try really hard not to insert myself into the conversation over which track is the freshest because the whole point of the contest is to let the readership decide. But for this brief instance, I digress. Inexplicably, Luck-One finished last in the voting — an insane notion considering dude is one of the most exciting lyricists to emerge from the Pacific Northwest in a minute (503UP). For proof, cop his debut album True Theory now. To see/hear a little of his backstory as a struggling artist, watch the clip above.
VIDEO: “Fou Lee” – Blue Scholars
Geo is one of the best lyricists at taking simple ideas and extrapolating them into something larger and more complex. On “Fou Lee” one of the best cuts from Cinemetropolis, the name of the venerable Beacon Hill Vietnamese grocery store is used as an emblem for the source of Blue Scholars’ inspiration and sustenance, literally and figuratively. This is an intimate Town jam, in which the best reference is the MC Foods corner store at Alaskan and Columbian. I always get a laugh when I pass that spot. Directed by Canh Solo.
Cinemetropolis officially drops tomorrow, but if you ain’t got it already, then you probably aren’t a fan. The live jump-off is this Friday and Saturday.
Click flyer for more info and tickets.
VIDEO: Maureen Interviews Ishmael Butler of Shabazz Palaces
As previewed a few weeks ago, here is the full interview of Shabazz Palaces’ Palaceer Lazaro (bka. Ishmael Butler) by “budding Wooster, MA journalist Maureen.” Black Up coming June 28. Take advantage of advanced promo offers from Sub Pop Records, here.
DOWNLOAD: The Sandlot: Collective LP – Farid Xan & DJ Phinisey
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This LP popped up in the Inbox a couple days ago and turned out to be a pleasant surprise. MC Farid Xan, a 253 representative by way of the Bay Area collaborated with South Sound producer/singer DJ Phinisey to produce The Sandlot: Collective LP, a 12-track album inspired loosely by the movie of the same name (which, for any kid who spent the greater part of his or her adolescence attempting to hit small spherical objects with sticks, continues to resonate into adulthood). It features Tacoma and Bay Area MC’s of the likes named above. The highlight is the come-up joint, “Dirt to Diamonds,” which features a star-making turn by Justis of Quarter After. Get the album for FREE below and above.
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