Macklemore — Seattle’s most platitudinous rapper — dropped a new song today about being a new dad. It is filled with the kind of advice that only the greatest of Hallmark card authors could pen. Guest Ed Sheeran urinates liquidized pop gold all over the thing.
Travis Thompson is an emerging rapper from the Town who fits right alongside the current wave of young, pop-oriented artists gunning for wide appeal: Think Ryan Caraveo and Shelton Harris who, incidentally, both appear as guests on Living For The Future, Thompson’s well-executed eight track EP. This debut positions Travis as the unassuming but ambitious rookie; an underdog story for the teenager (Travis himself is just 18) who’s always dreamed of rap stardom.
Seattle indie favorite Sisters gets remixed by Sol and his production team, the Zillas. “Back 2 U (Zillas Remix)” debuted on the venerable Okayplayer a few days ago. The soulful pop sensibilities of Sisters plays well with Sol’s introspective lyrics and sharp, in-the-pocket delivery.
Dave B’s new joint with producer Stewart Villain, “Do You,” makes you want to break out in uncontrollable body shakes.
Prometheus Brown and Bambu are The Bar. They are on a West Coast tour. They have a new EP. Son of Barkada is a self-referential curio; an objet d’art for the Filipino community (and those desperately wanting to be down). Maybe, just maybe, if you’re on that Tyrese artwork, you too could be baptized in The Bar’s holy rap waters.
Brothers From Another waited for the perfect moment — and the perfect Seattle summer — to drop their best work yet. The trio of Isaiah, Cole and DJ Beeba is billing This Summer as their “debut album,” certainly a debate-able declaration considering the group’s extensive back catalog, but let’s not split hairs here. Summer is the feel-good Seattle rap record of the year — hands down — and you don’t need to look any further for the perfect soundtrack to bump with the sunroof open. BFA makes the Town living so easy.
[Update, 8/2/15: Click here for our full album review of BFA’s This Summer, published on City Arts online.]
Headphone masterpiece MC young Dex Amora lets loose another vintage groove before his Capitol Hill Block Party debut this Saturday at Barboza. If you missed his Aura EP from late last year, don’t.
Brothers From Another are prepping for the release of their full-length debut album This Summer, scheduled to touch down tomorrow (Tue., 7/21). Summer has already started in Seattle (duh) but the breezy “One More Time” ensures an extended period of warmth.
The women of THEESatisfaction are finding their respective grooves outside the bounds of a creative union and that’s fresh as hell.
SassyBlack (aka. Catherine Harris-White) has a few projects under her belt. The most recent is Personal Sunlight, a brief 6-song EP that bends, flows and stutters in many unexpected directions. Sassy’s self-reflection and free form vocal instincts set the pace, which isn’t necessarily beholden to a metronome. The record is simple, yet oh so complicated, as anything so Personal should be.
Malice and Mario Sweet have added a third vocalist, Shelby Poole, to their already dynamic R&B/hip-hop/soul mix. The trio’s new EP is called S.M.S. and you can grab it on iTunes here. Preview the group’s latest single “Crushin'” which documents the temptations that arise when your significant other brings their sexy friends around. Ruh roh.
A SEATTLE HIP-HOP BLOG 