Raz Simone is releasing every track from his upcoming album Cognitive Dissonance Part II in weekly “episodes.” This week is Episode 3: “Street Lights,” a hustler’s love song and lament that works well as a companion piece to 2Pac’s like-minded “Run Tha Streetz.” Cognitive Dissonance Part II will be available for download on January 28, 2015.
In which Raz Simone unexpectedly re-imagines the Idina Menzel hit of the same name. Not. This gripping sequence of visuals directed by Xavier Ruffin could also be described as Frozen because, well, you get it, right? Raz is still about that life. From his upcoming Cognitive Dissonance: Part 2.
Showbox, Dead Nation and Reign City Present: Yasiin Bey (aka Mos Def) with Lilla & Raz Simone | Showbox Market | Wednesday, October 8, 2014
Show review by Emery Desper. Photography by Rafael Ochoa.
One could argue that it is hard to be innovative when it comes to rap music. It might even be harder to be innovative when performing rap music. Most musicians stand on stage, hold the mic, walk around a little bit, and then take a pause to say, “How y’all feel?” This is not bad of course. There is nothing wrong with just performing your songs; that’s what people are there to see, after all.
But Raz Simone impressed me by stepping out of the box and, in this case, off the stage to do something that never even crossed my mind until I saw it with my own eyes. Midway through his opening set last Wednesday night at Showbox at the Market, he hopped off stage after he had been working the entire room, and asked the crowd to gather in a circle. He rapped passionately in the middle of the floor, the highlight being when he performed his love letter to Seattle — a cover of Adele’s “Hometown Glory” — standing eye-to-eye with the audience. He hugged people in the crowd, jumped up and down and even finished his set by being hoisted up, literally on the shoulders of the people he was performing for. Call me sentimental, but this gave me a lot of hope for rap music in general and made me proud of Seattle rap in particular.
New song, new video from Raz Simone. “Cheap Money” was directed by Stephan Gray and from Raz’s forthcoming Cognitive Dissonance: Part 2.
Sam Lachow is preparing to release Huckleberry (August 1), the follow-up to his Brand New Bike, an unassuming but accomplished album that put the rapper/producer/videographer on the map in 2011. Since that LP’s release, Sam has made deft moves positioning himself as one of Seattle’s most promising hip hop artists, a common fixture on those dubious “next to blow” lists that fans of Seattle rap so love to ruminate on. “Dreams of Gold” is the first official drop from Huckleberry and it features longtime collaborators Raz Simone and Ariana DeBoo.
206UP and Jae Changehave collaborated to form 28Hundred, a new media company dedicated to producing original video content and in-depth, personality-driven interviews with some of your favorite artists. Stay tuned here for the latest 28Hundred productions.
In 28Hundred’s latest exclusive interview, we sat down with producer Jake Crocker in New York City to discuss the Seattle native’s earliest days hustling beats on the internet, to getting linked with Raz Simone and his Black Umbrella team. Peep game above. Also check out Jake’s most recent project, the American Dreams EP featuring rapper Ronnie, Dylan below.
The best riding music off Raz Simone’s Cognitive Dissonance now has a slick video to accompany it. “8 Rangs” rattles your cage like a fucking thunderclap.
206UP and Jae Change have collaborated to form 28Hundred, a new media company dedicated to producing original video content and in-depth, personality-driven interviews with some of your favorite artists. Stay tuned here for the latest 28Hundred productions.
We caught up with Seattle hip hop artist Raz Simone at the New York City listening session for his 300 Entertainment debut, Cognitive Dissonance. In the interview, the rapper discusses being contacted by music industry legend Lyor Cohen for the first time, the creative process behind his lyrics, and his hopes for the future of a career in music.
A SEATTLE HIP-HOP BLOG 