If you Google image search the word “Araless”, this is what comes up. This is not a picture of the rapper named Araless. I don’t think.
Winner of a past edition of THE TRACKMEET, rapper Araless hit the 206UP inbox with his new track “Attention” (produced by Bellingham’s Goldenbeets). Boom bap with clear reference points for hip hop heads (check that Brother Ali flow in the second verse). I like this.
Tacoma’s The Breaklites make rap kitsch and tongue-in-cheek Americana worship hella catchy on “Shine”. No small feat. Watch for I ❤ America coming this winter.
You might know Perry Porter as one half of Sleep Steady, the enigmatic duo that’s been making underground noise around Town for the last five years or so. Kings Only is Perry’s new solo EP and the rapper sounds the most self-assured he’s ever been. Vocal comparisons to Jay Z are a little lazy but not completely out of bounds (from a superficial standpoint anyway). Nay, Perry Porter seems like that rare cat who marches to the beat of his own inner metronome — definitely one to watch. Kings Only features production by the Supreme Sound Architects (BlackMic x The1storn x DJ Semaj).
Fresh off the internets today: A remix version of Ka.lil’s “Whiskey Mask”, featuring Grynch and Fatal Lucciauno. Check for Ka.lil’s Between Saturday Night & Sunday Morning here.
Peta Tosh borrows four beats from Big K.R.I.T.’s 4evaNaDay instrumentals album for this brief mixtape, Thanks Krit.
Thaddeus David goes in a different sonic direction with the first drop from his upcoming Laws of Attraction. “Sarah’s Last” is a glance at the rapper’s more introspective side over an emotive track by SAT Beats.
Made In Heights seems to get busiest during the Holiday season. Winter Pigeons found the first light of the internets in December three years ago. When we caught MIH’s first live show in Brooklyn last month, my fiancee described their music as “romantic”. I agree, and what better time of year for romance than the Holidays. “Pirouette” is a delicate ballad to curl up to.
Ah, Manny Pacquiao… To carry the weight of an entire embattled nation upon your shoulders is a burden I wouldn’t wish on my worst enemy. On the new track, “Manny”, The Bar (who is Prometheus Brown + Bambu) lament last year’s KO at the hands of Juan Manuel Marquez, but are now likely celebrating last night’s victory over Brandon Rios. (I smell a follow-up track.) The Bar’s Barkada is out soon.
“Play It Off” is the most recent evidence of the massive creative growth found on The Physics’ upcoming album Digital Wildlife (December 13). The ballad is synth heavy with a dramatic, churning beat. And is that Thig Nat singing? How did we not know dude could blow like this before?
L.A.C.O.S.A.’s Carl Roe and local rap veteran Ripynt teamed up for Underrated, a nine-shot EP of furious rhymes, bars and lyrics… Oh, right, those are all the same thing. Well this duo has ’em in spades. Carl Roe’s production is serviceable boom-bap: check the well-interpolated Jimi Hendrix sample on “Want It For You” (featuring Mack E) and the retro futurist knock of the title track. Eminem would sound damn good rapping over these instrumentals — whatever that means. Download Underrated for free below.
A SEATTLE HIP-HOP BLOG 