If ya ain't heard, for the last five years, Hip Hop 101 has represented all facets of NW hiphop to the fullest on local cable-access television. In this, its seventh season, mastermind MadKrew is joined by the team that brought you Coolout2GX (sadly now off-air). Hosted by charismatic show founder "Dirty" Devin Contreras, the hour-long program brings videos, interviews, and live local hiphop into homes (more than 500,000 to be exact) across the Sound. "This season we really sharpened up the show," explains Contreras. "I brought [2GX's] Giorgio Brown on board as director so I can really focus on booking and hosting." With a renewed focus at 101, Dev and the crew aim to bring it up to par with Rap City's Bassment--with a true old-school spirit. "It's just like English 101; it's the basics, the foundation," Contreras says. With a rotating cast of DJs and breakers, the kid-friendly show offers a real, community-based glimpse of what this culture is actually about, not the machinations of the corporations that control the industry. Catch it on channel 21/77 Thursdays, 10:00-11:00 p.m. For bookings and submissions, hit them up at www.hiphop101.tv.

Abyssinian Creole, the collaboration between two of Seattle's most prolific emcees--Kingz (FKA Khalil Khrisis) and Gabriel Teodros--are dropping a 12-inch on February 25 that includes a joint with Van City's own Moka Only. The earthy poetics and real-talk Southend swagger make for some flavorful material--just check "The Ultimate." Keep your eyes peeled for AbCee rocking live--for instance, at the 206 chapter of the Universal Zulu Nation's one-year anniversary at this year's Festival Sundiata February 19 and 20 at the Seattle Center. MADK's Khazma 247 (also of Cyphalliance), head of the Seattle Zulu chapter is also dropping his long-awaited solo LP, Diaries of a M.A.D. , on the 25th, so cop both.

A question to those who do make music here in Seattle: Do you want your name in the city's most comprehensive network of contact info for fans and industry heads alike? Groups, labels, clubs, and studios can register for inclusion in The Stranger's annual Music Directory for free at www.thestranger.com or just by clippin' and mailin' the form contained within this fish wrapper (page 34). Deadline is February 14.

Saturday, February 5, at the Old Firehouse in Redmond, check out the new hiphop monthly "425-Get-Live," brought to you by Bobby Spoon of Tribal Conflict. This edition features performances by mixtape arsonist and Brainstorm champion Bad Luk, Mo-X & Lil G, a new crew outta Tacoma called Second Language, and DJ Buttnaked of PhatBack Records on them 1s and 2s.

<>A fat middle finger goes out to NYC's "Official #1 for Hiphop & R&B" HOT 97 for their racist "Tsunami Song," in which they refer to "drowned chinks." Their half-assed apology is what I call "defending the indefensible." In addition to that fired-up freestyle from Jin Tha MC tearing them a new asshole, it looks like sponsors Reebok, Mickey D's, and Sprint have all pulled ads--which is doubtless what finally prompted the radio station to "indefinitely suspend" the morning crew who played it. Out.

hiphop@thestranger.com