The shortest distance between relative obscurity and the front page of Complex is a “Mustard on the beat, ho” audio watermark. Seattle’s Royce The Choice — simply “Choice” nowadays — hopped on Dijon’s 10 Summer label last year, popping up in a few spots on the (nearly) eponymous compilation record, 10 Summers.

Now, Choice has a mixtape to call his own: Rich Off Mackin. Okay, make that a co-mixtape; he shares rapping duties with Pushaz Ink recording artist RJ. It’s a moderately enjoyable party record, turnt and disrespectful in all the right places. And Choice shines in comparison to RJ, a rapper with dexterity but not much in the way of personality.

Of course 206UP prefers Choice before he dropped the “Royce The.” His concept album, Razorr Ramone with fellow Town native GMK, revealed Choice to be a big personality on the mic, conversational and casual, a bit like an updated version of Shock G less the kitsch and with added danger.

In any case, it’s dope that yet another Seattle MC is finding shine prominently outside of the area code, but disheartening as well because whenever you hitch your wagon to an already well-entrenched team there’s bound to be some diminished creative returns.