Ricky Pharoe and Mark Gajadhar are “On 1” (see what I did there?) in their new video. Shot on Orcas Island (a brief whale ride away from my hometown of Lopez), I like how the off-beat hip hop track re-fits into the context of the outdoors. Shot by Griff J.
Grynch, through no fault of his own, elicits fussy criticism from Town music writers and rap heads alike. But, as he states in his new track “Carry On”, “Been in the game for ten years” is an unfuckwitable statistic, especially considering how so many other buzzing MCs fall by the wayside after far lesser time making music.
Street Lights is the new album from Grynch dropping tomorrow (Tue, April 29). Catch the Ballard native rocking an album release show in his honor on May 2 at the Crocodile, along with a team of sparkling acts: The Bar, Dave B and Jake One.
Click album cover to purchase at Bandcamp.
Master of multimedia Griff J recently dropped a solo LP called After The Starting Gun. It’s 13 tracks of synth-heavy electro that moves in catchy hip-pop waves. The production credits are impressive (Budo, Brainstorm, P Smoov, Captain Midnite) and Griff’s half-sung, half-rapped lyrics are obviously intensely personal. That said, there’s a emo-heavy vibe that brings the whole thing down for me. Griff’s past work reveals a dude capable of having a fucking crazy good time and that doesn’t really show up here. Maybe on the next album.
Griff J drops the video for “Not Today” (directed by Jon Chomiak, produced by Grumps), a little preview of his forthcoming After The Starting Gun (March 2013).
Grynch and his sweater game swag.
In time for Halloween, Macklemore and Ryan Lewis just released the video for “And We Danced” (from 2009’s The Unplanned Mixtape). The cast of this epic clip has single-handedly ensured the financial health of all Seattle-area Value Villages for the next five years. Here’s to hand-me-downs.
#LateWidit. Of all the Valentine’s Day drops, this was my favorite. A video for Grieves and Budo’s “Pack It Up,” in which neither Grieves nor Budo actually appear. (Or do they?) (Directed by Mr. Man Of Many Talents, Griff J.)
A SEATTLE HIP-HOP BLOG 