2015 Stranger Genius Award nominee OCnotes recently dropped a new album: the aptly titled Color Wheel spreads its groove-infused light across all spectrums from hip-hop, funk, electro to new wave. CW bounces and shines from all angles of view. A carefully curated group of guests appear throughout — THEESatisfaction and Palaceer from Shabazz Palaces immediately spring to ear — but the star is all OC and his indelible attention to musical detail.
Astro King Phoenix — rapper, photographer, video director — puts OCnotes’ Rap Loops instrumentals to good use on Space > Pod > Memories, a fleeting collection of lyrical excursions over beats that range from lush, to skeletal, to abstract futuristic. The 12 songs are gone before you know it but the whole thing makes for a nice snack.
clipping. is a genre-bending hip hop trio from Southern California who will undoubtedly challenge your aural senses and very idea of what rap music is capable of sounding like. Their Sub Pop debut album, CLPPNG, has been stirring a fair amount of online buzz since its release on June 10th. The group’s sound, courtesy of producers Jonathan Snipes and William Hutson, falls somewhere between a stripped-down version of Hank Shocklee’s Bomb Squad histrionics and the Neptunes, circa Hell Hath No Fury. And lead rapper Daveed Diggs sounds like a street-seasoned spoken word poet channeling Ice-T. clipping. may not be everyone’s cup of coffee, but by listening you are guaranteed to feel some sort of way, and that alone means something in a rap landscape otherwise roamed by clowns and clones.
206UP has two pairs of tickets to see clipping. on Thursday, July 3, at the Columbia City Theater (21+ only). Joining them in support will be Seattle’s very own OC Notes and Sneak Guapo, two artists that this blog rides for consistently. Enter to win a pair of tickets by filling out the form below (one entry per person) or by shooting us a tweet (@206upBlog) with the words “CLIPPING RINGS THE ALARM!” in the body of the text. Two names will be drawn at random and notified by email on Wednesday, July 2 no later than 5 pm PST.
Stream a few of clipping.’s tracks below and check out the lyric video for “Work Work” (featuring Cocc Pistol Cree) from CLPPNG.
Catherine Harris-White — one half of Sub Pop recording artists THEESatisfaction — will present an assemblage of supreme hip hop talent this Saturday at Re-Bar in Seattle via her Space Theory promotions company, an entity that has sponsored events in Seattle, Toronto and Brooklyn, and which seeks to examine your “perceptions of space through event production and curation”. Sounds dope to us.
Also sounding dope is this Saturday’s lineup which will introduce New Jersey hip hop artist MoRuf to Seattle. His fluid raps and sixth sense-like storytelling ability make for compelling listening. Check for his sounds here and watch the impressively cool video for his track “Buckle Up” below. Also joining the bill are local purveyors of that quality: OC Notes, Porter Ray and Cat’s partner in music Stas (appearing in strict selector form as DJ Stas THEE Boss).
Oh, one more tidbit: 206UP has your exclusive lead on a FREE PAIR OF TICKETS (er, make that guest list privileges — check ’em at the door — see what I did there?). You need only accomplish one of the following two tasks to win: Send us an email to 206upblog@gmail.com OR a tweet to @206upBlog with the words “SPACE THEORY GOT ME HIGH!” somewhere in the body of the transmission. We’ll select one name at random and the winner will get passes for him/her and one co-pilot. This is a 21 and over event, however, so Space Camp kiddies need not apply.
OC Notes let fly this massive collection (over 100!) of Rap Loops yesterday for your ears’ enjoyment. Practice your bar structure before that open mic night.
Hip-hop instrumental virtuoso OC Notes strolls around the Town grooving to his own sound. Director Stephan Gray posted this to the ‘Tube in late Summer but I just caught it yesterday. Certified filth.
Click album cover to download.
Seattle virtuoso OC Notes dropped off this holiday-themed collection of tracks, Food-$$-Booze-Xmas. Enjoy it for the price of what-have-you below.
Are you high right now?… / And I say / Hell yeah, hell yeah, hell yeah / Fuckin’ right, fuckin’ right, alright.
Chuckie M. was right, this is much more entertaining than Janye’s new video. As a kid I used to get chocolate coins in my stocking every Christmas from “Santa.” Now I’m writing about ’em as a grown-ass man on my dumb little rap blog. #FullCircle.
Metal Chocolates is: OC Notes X Rik Rude. They’ll be invading your headspace in due time. Get to know them above and here. That is all. For now.
A SEATTLE HIP-HOP BLOG 