(Click here or above to download.)
Any group that’s interested in properly representing Left Coast hip-hop should first take a trip down I-5 to the Golden State, the place where the West Coast sound was originally developed, nurtured, and fully realized. Something about the combination of fresh Pacific Ocean air, perpetually sunny weather, and other (ahem) “natural” remedies, fuse to get the creative juices flowing something proper.
Makes me feel like I’m in college. DIY-aesthetes, State Of The Artist, celebrate weed, Cali sunshine, parties, and hip-hop. It’s all good for these 206 up-and-comers.
I like this song right here. It’s Parker (of SOTA) and Sinseer rhyming over The Black Keys’ “Psychotic Girl”. Parker really finds his flow, Sinseer has mad personality, and The Black Keys further show their hip-hop influences. This sh*t belongs on BlakRoc. Somebody run ‘n tell Dame.
I don’t know who “Hank Moody” is the name of David Duchovny’s character on the show Californication. And if ‘dem boys from S.O.T.A. (State Of The Artist) continually find this kind of inspiration in the character, then they should start linking up with him on the regular. (I know, I know, “Hank Moody” is probably some sort of fictional character or composite manifestation of the groups’ alter egos. Whatever.)
Download S.O.T.A.’s The Hank Moody EP, here. Inspired by their recent time spent in California, this brief three-track collection feels like a warm Cali sunset and pulls inspiration from early to mid 90’s Golden State underground.
I just finished watching Almost Famous for the second time. The first time was in 2000, the year the film came out and I enjoyed it then but never got around to seeing it again until about three hours ago. Of course, the flick has nothing to do with hip-hop music, but it does have broad appeal across genres because it speaks to the music fan in all of us. We’re a lot like the movie’s main character, William Miller. We seek to understand the histories, personalities, and motivations of those artists that we follow.
(An aside: It’s why, as fans, we read and write blogs, and obsessively re-fresh Twitter feeds. It’s why I like to listen critically to an album and then write something on how it made me feel and what my impression of the artist is based on what I hear. Contrary to what some readers or local artists might think, I’m not out to hate just for the sake of hating. Or disparage because it makes me feel good personally and will increase readership — though that is a convenient by-product of being honest. But anyway, I digress…)
In Almost Famous, the idiom “It’s all happening!” becomes the catchphrase throughout the movie, its motto. It’s a simple slogan meant to embody the singular emotional exuberance felt by the film’s characters as they take part in their respective musical experiences (and life experiences in general). “It’s All Happening!” is reserved for those who haven’t yet achieved fame, but may just be on the cusp. Or for those musicians experiencing for the first time that being widely appreciated for their art is a true possibility. It’s a feeling that I imagine a lot of local artists are going through right this moment as Seattle’s hip-hop movement continues to expand like Shawn Kemp’s waistline.
So, by way of a virtual 206-UPPERY! dap, here are a couple artists for whom “It’s All Happening!” They’re a group and solo act that I haven’t mentioned yet on the blog, but that I have a lot of love for.
Shout out to SOTA (State Of The Artist), a three-man crew that is getting a fair amount of burn in The Town these days, though I hear they’ve recently relocated (temporarily, I think) to SoCal. Download their free mixtape Shapeshifters on their blog (linked above). This crew is one of those rare breeds in rap, a group equally balanced with both individual talent and great chemistry as a collective.
Another virtual dap to the rhyme animal Sol. Purchase his debut album The Ride on iTunes right now. Technically, Sol’s a virtuoso. He’s the rap equivalent of Mariano Rivera, proficient and consistent, and always on point lyrically. He’s a rapper that you’d confidently hand the ball to in the ninth inning or trust taking the last shot in OT because, like a clutch performer, he never fails to make the competition look silly. Once the majority stops sleepin’, best believe Sol will get his due shine in Seattle.
That’s it for now! More for your head later…
A SEATTLE HIP-HOP BLOG 