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Central District-bred turned Cali resident Avatar Young Blaze is an imposing figure in rap, not just because he threatens to cause bodily harm if crossed, but because he seems to improve as an MC with each subsequent release. “UK Grime” sounds like East London trap music and is in advance of Av’s next project, The Iron Curtain.
“UK Grime” – Avatar Young Blaze “UK Grime” – Avatar Young Blaze
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Avatar Young Blaze is probably the most polarizing figure in Seattle hip-hop and not because he tries to be. By all accounts, he’s a hard-working young cat who grew up hard in the Central District with a love and knack for gangsta rap (though he doesn’t describe his music as such). He reps his ethnic roots proudly, just like anyone should (dude is Russian), and rarely makes a big deal out of the fact he’s a scrawny white kid playing quite successfully in a game dominated by blacks and Latinos.
The expectations and preconceived notions about the emcee are all bestowed by those bearing witness to Avatar’s hustle. When the general populace hears a white kid spitting hard over trap music, the immediate reaction is to reject and question validity. The obvious f-cked up thing about this is the implication that whites could never be gangsters, but blacks and Latinos always are (thank you, Institutionalized Racism).
I hesitated to even make an issue out of this since these truths have all been posited before and by folks with far greater eloquence and expertise. But admittedly I’m still getting comfortable with Avatar’s ever-increasing presence in Seattle rap’s landscape and certainly with his voice inside this particular sub-genre. My experience with hip-hop continues to be intensely personal at times, so consider this post part of my own awkward form of racial reconciliation therapy.
Thankfully my ace-in-the-sleeve in instances like this remains the fact that I’m not white. As a Korean-American it’s much easier for me to dissect the stereotypes and imposed perceptions of the power structure (read: White America) on people of color, simply because I suffer from them personally. I know that fear as a result of racism occurs in degrees. The level of false menace that America detects from people of color is hierarchical, with black and brown folks hovering somewhere near the top of the scale and yellow people coming in a distant third. Asians are the model minority, after all. We don’t tote guns and knives, we pack calculators and smartphones. We aren’t a threat to steal your car or your jewels, but we will snatch all the good computer jobs.
We don’t make gangsta rap music, but we will play every got-damn stringed instrument better than you.
Now here’s a false standard that hip-hop music (especially as it exists in Seattle) can help solve. Local emcees like Logics and Language Arts (aka. La), and non-Town artists like Bambu and of course Jin, buck the assumed trend of Asian men as emasculated, non-threatening figures. It’s likely they have to work twice as hard to garner affirmation from those that determine the status quo (white and otherwise), but their presence in the rap game is an assist to the greater cause of diverse representation. Whether they acknowledge it or not, they are torchbearers for every one of us who suffer marginalization as a result of being Asian. Not to say we should be proud there are Asian gangsters committing the same atrocities as other races, but the ironic twist is that the acknowledgment of their existence is itself an indication of progress.
The problem with America accepting the term “white gangsta rapper” as anything but an oxymoron is that the philosophical chasm necessary to cross for acceptance is a far greater trek than the one associated with “Latino gangsta rapper” or even “Asian gangsta rapper.” In the end, White is Alright continues to be the accepted maxim and that is often unfortunately the case even with people of color (hello, Internalized Racism).
Of course, personal experience has much to do with our perception of the world. People whose only exposure to minorities is through television and other forms of media will formulate their standards based on such. I grew up in an incredibly rural setting with very little racial diversity and subsequently have had to learn virtually everything about non-white races (including my own) later in life. That process has been a perpetual un-matriculation of everything I came to accept as truth.
Fortunate to my cause is the fact that I don’t possess white skin, a physical essence of being that I’ve ironically come to refer to as a “handicap” in conversations about this subject. In the often frustrating and stagnant process of racial reconciliation, I’ve taken solace in the fact that it is indeed a handicap for most white folks, one that prevents them from seeing beyond their false reality. By this definition, people of color will most assuredly always be more philosophically advanced, and I find some amount of petulant satisfaction in that.
As far as Avatar goes, I appreciate his hustle in the rap game. I’ll always believe that, fundamentally, we all deserve the fruits of our hard labor and struggle, regardless of the color of our skin. I’m also perversely satisfied, however, that a white rapper finds it much harder to gain acceptance within some realms of hip-hop, regardless of his or her personal experience. It’s a complicated and perhaps unfair stance to take, I know, but Avatar and other rappers like him shouldn’t take it personally. In the end, the consequences of racism aren’t about one or two people, they’re about everyone.
As a hip-hop and baseball obsessed youth, I constantly formulated Top 10 Lists. Athletes, shoes, songs, movies — if it was rate-able, I was Top 10’in it, practically weekly. This is probably why 206UP.COM’s year-end list is my favorite post to write. Last year I waxed not-so-poetically on how, in 2005, Seattle’s underground rap scene single-handedly renewed my faith in the music. This year my affinity for Town rap became even tighter knit.
The albums, songs, free downloads, and videos that originated strictly in Seattle were enough to keep my hip-hop appetite satisfied through the whole year. Not to say excellent new albums by nationally known artists (Big Boi, The Roots, Kanye West, etc.) weren’t heavy on my playlist, or that the underground movements in other cities weren’t relevant. It’s just that hip-hop in the 2-0-6 is so grown now, more than it’s ever been, and the voices, perspectives and spectrum of sounds in our Town are talented and diverse enough to keep my ears fully attuned.
While there were some glaring omissions in 2010 (the new Physics LP being the most significant, for me), there were some other big advancements and unexpected surprises:
The emergence of La (formerly known as Language Arts) as a force to be reckoned with (at least on wax). This cat blew through like a Northeaster on his two LP’s, Gravity and Roll With The Winners, spitting outlandish braggadocio unlike any other rapper in town.
Two career-defining performances by Blue Scholars. The first was at the Bowery Ballroom in New York City, which I wrote about, here. At this show, the Scholars proved to the hip-hop world that they could hang in the Mecca, legitimizing their voice on a whole new level. (Macklemore’s opening performance was definitely notable, too.) The other show folks were buzzing about was the City Arts music festival performance at The Paramount, the first time a local hip-hop group rocked the venerable theater’s stage. Blue Scholars made history, nationally and locally, with these two shows.
This year also saw artists better known for their previously established collaborative endeavors break out with successful new excursions. JFK and Onry Ozzborn both dropped excellent LP’s independent of their legendary Grayskul partnership — JFK on the straight-up solo tip and Onry Ozzborn in collaboration with Chi-town producer Zavala. RA Scion reinvented himself with his Victor Shade project with producer MTK. And Gabriel Teodros and Amos Miller connected in Brooklyn, forming the impromptu collab Air 2 A Bird after being rebuffed in London on the eve of their world tour.
But enough with the recap. The following list represents what 206UP.COM sees as the best Seattle hip-hop albums of the year. There was no real science to compiling the list and, when it comes down to it, these things are matters of pure conjecture, subject to debate and relentless criticism of the people who made them (which this blog always welcomes, by the way). Enjoy the list and Happy New Year!
Honorable mentions:
JFK – Building Wings on the Way Down
LaRue – Saturn Returns
Avatar Young Blaze – Russian Revolution Mixtape
10. State of the Artist – SeattleCaliFragilisticExtraHellaDopeness
The album equivalent of a 2-0-6 hip-hop houseparty, by design SeattleCal wasn’t exactly an official debut LP for State of the Artist, but a showcase for much of the talent in the city. The three SOTA emcees were consistently outshone by their guests and a lot of times the lyrics didn’t seem to make any sense. As strictly a party album, however, there wasn’t one better.
9. Victor Shade – Victor Shade
The re-birth of RA Scion as the rap superhero Victor Shade saw a major shift in musical tone, but not a dramatic change in delivery or aesthetic. RA’s lyrics are still dense as hell and require close examination on paper in order to understand their meaning. It all sounded great, however, over MTK’s knocking production. RA Scion (aka. Victor Shade) remains the most professorial battle rapper in Seattle.
8. Air 2 A Bird – Crow Hill
A soaring achievement considering the bare-bones tools Air 2 A Bird (Gabriel Teodros and Amos Miller) had to work with when making this album in Brooklyn. In its creation, Crow Hill captured the very essence of hip-hop: eloquent poetics, masterful improvisation and a revolutionary spirit (albeit on a quieter and more reserved scale). This album proves that hip-hop executed with class and panache can be just as effective as the bombastic variety.
7. La – Roll With The Winners
This “debut” album from the emcee formerly known as “Language Arts” featured expert throwback production by an unknown producer named Blu-Ray, whose heavy soul sampling sounds like The Alchemist on his most nostalgic day. The highlight, though, was La’s take-no-prisoners lyrical work. Hearing raw talent like this is akin to watching Allen Iverson play basketball for the first time. At this stage in his career La is still all fearless potential, but on paper he might already be the most technically sound rapper in the city.
6. Helladope – Helladope (aka Return to Planet Rock)
Helladope’s Tay Sean is far too young a cat to be making music with this much soul and expert tribute to the R&B and funk of yesteryear. Still, he accomplished the feat with ease. Along with emcee/vocalist Jerm, Helladope’s debut album offers a fresh take on the P-funk/G-funk rap amalgamation that originated in Southern California in the early 90’s. The sound is updated here with extraterrestrial gimmickry that amuses but isn’t essential to the album’s vibe.
5. J. Pinder – Code Red EP
This star-studded EP by Seattle ex-pat J. Pinder had a professional sheen equal to most major label releases. And it was free, to boot. Unsurprisingly, the folks who built the foundation of Code Red are either consummate hip-hop professionals or quickly on their way: Vitamin D, Jake One and Kuddie Fresh, among others. Pinder’s easy flow and accessible subject matter made this album easy to ride for.
4. Dark Time Sunshine – Vessel
Vessel exists in the same category as the number two album on this list, The Stimulus Package. The lyrical work is quintessential Onry Ozzborn (here reborn as Cape Cowen) but the production is a masterful concoction of headphone-oriented beats that only a cold soul from Chicago could assemble. Producer Zavala cultivates a terrain of rich electronica that feels organic, as if grown and harvested with the precision of robot farmers. The most sonically progressive SEA hip-hop album this side of Shabazz Palaces’ 2009 masterpiece.
3. Jake One & Freeway – The Stimulus Package
At first consideration it seemed strange to include this release featuring an emcee so deeply associated with the city of Philadelphia. Fifty percent of the album artist credit is from Seattle though so how could it be excluded? The obvious truth is Jake One had as much (if not more) to do with the quality of The Stimulus Package as Freeway. Jake has a knack for creating fresh ideas while staying inside the bounds of traditional boom-bap. Stimulus is his best and most cohesive collection of beats, ever.
2. Candidt – Sweatsuit & Churchshoes
Candidt’s long-delayed Sweatsuit & Churchshoes is a refreshing and dynamic package of West Coast B-boy rap. Every local young buck in the game should take this album as the new hip-hop gospel for the way it connects Old School and New. Candidt doesn’t sound like anyone else in the city and his willingness to experiment with new sounds while keeping strict West Coast principles earns SS&CS major props.
1. Def Dee & La (fka. Language Arts) – Gravity
Producer Def Dee caught lightning in a bottle with his masterful production work on this album. Gravity pays direct tribute to NYC Golden Era boom-bap and is unapologetic in its revivalist ideology. It also manages to sound fresh and timeless, however, and is the most musically cohesive album of these ten. Emcee La officially established himself as one of the best rappers in the city. He plays it cooler than on his proper solo debut, Roll With The Winners, but that’s because the music requires him to. Gravity stands firmly to the side of Seattle’s so-called “Third Wave hip-hop,” a position that’s especially important to the purist set. All the current innovation in local rap is a great thing, but so is the creation of more traditional forms like Gravity. It reminds everyone that hip-hop made in our isolated corner of the map is inextricably linked to the region of its genesis.
Mainstream x Gangsta. It rarely works better than Avatar’s “Wishing On A Dream.” Two questions, though: 1) Why did director Jon Augustavo choose to shoot in b&w with the beautiful California coast (not to mention the lovely Isabella) as a backdrop? 2) Think that Porsche was a rental or does Avatar just got it like that?
Avatar Young Blaze recently dropped his third full-length mixtape, Russian Revolution. The term “mixtape” is a little misleading because all three LP’s (get ’em here, here and here) feature all-original production and fairly well-conceived (if also repetitive) collections of gangsta rap menace.
A controversial figure in Seattle hip-hop, the now Southern California-relocated Avatar constantly has to shake haters, doubters, jealous-ones, and what-have-you, off of his jock. The reasons for having to do so are fairly obvious. Just look at his picture.
He’s as white as the freshly driven snow and, minus the perpetual sneer, would be a dead-ringer for a former child movie star. Instead, Av claims to have come up hard in the Central District, a child of Russian immigrants. His lyrics (and raw music videos) suggest gang-affiliated street life are a daily operation. A typical Avatar ‘tape is a lyrical wrecking ball that bludgeons the skeptical listener into a state of numbed submission.
It took three albums of Av’s relentless barrage to make a believer out of 206UP.COM. (Unfortunately, much of the doubt stemmed from judging a book — one that hadn’t been thoroughly read — by its cover. Av has a song for online journalists of this condition.). Russian Revolution finds Avatar sounding his most agile, versatile and focused. At 14 tracks, it’s also the shortest of his ‘tapes which helps to lesson the ambivalence one feels by the end of his other albums.
Avatar’s brand of gangsta rap is not for everyone. Some might think he’s a one-trick pony, others might still think he’s a tourist. At this point, three LP’s deep and with experts in the field of hip-hop confirming his origins, it’s not worth questioning his legitimacy. All that’s left to do is put the gloves up and try to stay out of his way.
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This might be the most agreeable I’ve ever heard Avatar Young Blaze, whose relentless gangsta-isms become tedious over the course of his lengthy mixtapes (cop for free, here and here). On “Wishing on a Dream,” Av is downright amiable, however. You’d be on your best behavior too if jazz beauty Isabella Du Graf blessed your track with her honey-dipped vocals.
The bottom line, though, is everything works on this song. The production (courtesy New York-based Blastoff Productions) is tight and radio-friendly. Avatar sounds optimistic and agile, and Isabella adjusts her jazz inflections expertly. Click here for the download link. Russian Revolution Mixtape coming, soon.
Gangsta is not dead:
Avatar Young Blaze’s style is not really my sh*t, but good on ‘im for making proper moves. His new mixtape, From Russia With Love is available now for FREE download.
A SEATTLE HIP-HOP BLOG 