Blue Scholars bring city's subculture to light with a five-day showcase
By ROSS SIMONINI
SPECIAL TO THE P-I
The duo of Blue Scholars is the voice of Seattle hip-hop. Though they have yet to hit the national scene, they remain a pervasive presence in the community, and for most people, the most recognizable name in local hip-hop. Luckily, they're not looking to monopolize the scene, but to use their position to expose the city's diverse, multifaceted subculture. In that spirit, Geologic and Sabzi, the two Scholars, are curating a five-night, 21-artist showcase they are calling The Program, which will include the best DJs and MCs in the Northwest. Dave Meinert, one of the event's organizers, boasts of "having a three camera set-up where we're broadcasting live, on the Internet, at synclive.com." In addition, the event will include visual artists, community activist booths and new label booths, revealing regional hip-hop not just as a musical genre, but an entire, booming culture.
Herewith, a brief introduction to six of the more prominent artists in The Program's lineup, along with a full schedule of all bands and DJs.
UNEXPECTED ARRIVAL (Dec. 18)
Neema Khorammi, the head of the Unexpected Arrival crew, wields the most skilled flow of the five-night event, able to spit everything from high-speed Bone Thugs 'n' Harmony rhymes to laid-back "Seattle Swing" lyricism. He's worked with bigger nationally known MCs like Twista, and despite his provincially focused lyrics and samples from Seattle radio broadcasts -- "It's a typical gray night in the Emerald City," a weatherman announces -- his production calls to mind dirty Southern acts like Chamillionaire. At 26, he's been a distinct, pioneering presence in the Seattle 206 hip-hop scene for at least four years, picking up Northwest artist awards and the honor of being the "first local independent hip-hop artist ever to headline at Seattle's famed Showbox Nightclub."
SIREN'S ECHO (Dec. 18)
Though Seattle is considered one of the more dubious American cities for a hip-hop scene, Portland isn't even on the map. Toni Hill and Synde, the female MC duo of Siren's Echo come out of Portland with the type of urban soul-reggae-rap sound that typically doesn't even reach the West Coast. Part of the massive Northwest hip-hop crew Oldominion (which includes members of the Saturday Knights and Sleep, both performing the showcase), the duo touts a positive message, which, in part, serves "to break the stereotypes of women in hip-hop through conscious lyrics and spit-fire delivery."
D. BLACK (Dec. 19)
D. Black and his Sportn' Life Records crew have a uniquely street-level take on Seattle. More than anyone else, D. Black was born with local urban music in his blood, as both his parents were members of Seattle's earliest hip-hop crews -- the Emerald Street Boys/the Emerald Street Girls. Even though his subject matter is often called "gangsta," Black himself hates the stigma, preferring to think of his message as simply true to the Rainier Valley street where he was raised. His lyrics are confessional, describing how his mom cleaned up when he was in third grade, how he started smoking his dad's weed in fourth grade, and started gangbanging in seventh grade. He enlists some of Seattle's best beat makers -- Vitamin D, Bean One and Jake One -- to help create a vibrant, hard-hitting portrait of his past life.
CANCER RISING (Dec. 22)
MCs Judas and Gatsby and DJ Tiles One play what they call "Original 206 Hiphop." They talk about being influenced by Motorhead, the Misfits and the Pixies, but their style comes out of the upbeat Golden Age of Rap, with a local "Rolling Rainier" bent. Appropriately, their lyricism has old-school you-can-do-it positivity, with song titles like "Perseverance" boasting how the MCs "learn from their experiences."
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/pop/343464_nightlife14.html
By ROSS SIMONINI
SPECIAL TO THE P-I
The duo of Blue Scholars is the voice of Seattle hip-hop. Though they have yet to hit the national scene, they remain a pervasive presence in the community, and for most people, the most recognizable name in local hip-hop. Luckily, they're not looking to monopolize the scene, but to use their position to expose the city's diverse, multifaceted subculture. In that spirit, Geologic and Sabzi, the two Scholars, are curating a five-night, 21-artist showcase they are calling The Program, which will include the best DJs and MCs in the Northwest. Dave Meinert, one of the event's organizers, boasts of "having a three camera set-up where we're broadcasting live, on the Internet, at synclive.com." In addition, the event will include visual artists, community activist booths and new label booths, revealing regional hip-hop not just as a musical genre, but an entire, booming culture.
Herewith, a brief introduction to six of the more prominent artists in The Program's lineup, along with a full schedule of all bands and DJs.
UNEXPECTED ARRIVAL (Dec. 18)
Neema Khorammi, the head of the Unexpected Arrival crew, wields the most skilled flow of the five-night event, able to spit everything from high-speed Bone Thugs 'n' Harmony rhymes to laid-back "Seattle Swing" lyricism. He's worked with bigger nationally known MCs like Twista, and despite his provincially focused lyrics and samples from Seattle radio broadcasts -- "It's a typical gray night in the Emerald City," a weatherman announces -- his production calls to mind dirty Southern acts like Chamillionaire. At 26, he's been a distinct, pioneering presence in the Seattle 206 hip-hop scene for at least four years, picking up Northwest artist awards and the honor of being the "first local independent hip-hop artist ever to headline at Seattle's famed Showbox Nightclub."
SIREN'S ECHO (Dec. 18)
Though Seattle is considered one of the more dubious American cities for a hip-hop scene, Portland isn't even on the map. Toni Hill and Synde, the female MC duo of Siren's Echo come out of Portland with the type of urban soul-reggae-rap sound that typically doesn't even reach the West Coast. Part of the massive Northwest hip-hop crew Oldominion (which includes members of the Saturday Knights and Sleep, both performing the showcase), the duo touts a positive message, which, in part, serves "to break the stereotypes of women in hip-hop through conscious lyrics and spit-fire delivery."
D. BLACK (Dec. 19)
D. Black and his Sportn' Life Records crew have a uniquely street-level take on Seattle. More than anyone else, D. Black was born with local urban music in his blood, as both his parents were members of Seattle's earliest hip-hop crews -- the Emerald Street Boys/the Emerald Street Girls. Even though his subject matter is often called "gangsta," Black himself hates the stigma, preferring to think of his message as simply true to the Rainier Valley street where he was raised. His lyrics are confessional, describing how his mom cleaned up when he was in third grade, how he started smoking his dad's weed in fourth grade, and started gangbanging in seventh grade. He enlists some of Seattle's best beat makers -- Vitamin D, Bean One and Jake One -- to help create a vibrant, hard-hitting portrait of his past life.
CANCER RISING (Dec. 22)
MCs Judas and Gatsby and DJ Tiles One play what they call "Original 206 Hiphop." They talk about being influenced by Motorhead, the Misfits and the Pixies, but their style comes out of the upbeat Golden Age of Rap, with a local "Rolling Rainier" bent. Appropriately, their lyricism has old-school you-can-do-it positivity, with song titles like "Perseverance" boasting how the MCs "learn from their experiences."
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/pop/343464_nightlife14.html
