From the Feb 10 – Feb 16, 2005 issue

Music

My Philosophy

by Larry Mizell Jr.

What it is, main? Come on down to that Grayskul album release at Neumo's come the 17th, featuring hardcore turntables Mr. Dibbs, ATU's Abstract Rude, and Seattle's own all-star "alternative doo-wop group" the Saturday Knights. Next month 'Skul head out on the road, spreading those contagious 206 spores far and wide with fellow Rhymesayers Atmosphere and Minneapolis' own Doomtree representers POS… Before that goes down, satisfy ya Jet City rap craving with a FREE show on Friday, February 11, with those oh-so controversial Blue Scholars guys, the Silent Lambs Project, and Bishop I of Oldominion. "This show is basically to thank all the people that have supported the Scholars this year," says "Blue Scholar #3" and Juicy (Chop Suey, Sundays) promoter/DJ/all around hustler Marc Sense. It's 21+ at Chop, and like I said, FREE-- I would mos def recommend getting there early. Both bills offer cross-sections of our bubbling hiphop scene; from the political to the inscrutable to the straight-up lyrical.

One of the illest beatsmiths round these parts, the ever-humble Mr. Hill (whose provided sonic "wardrobe" for everybody from Seattle's H-Bomb to NYC's Aesop Rock), will be dropping the Snaps! EP in the next month or so, containing unreleased joints and slept-on gems from Owl representers Onry, JFK, Boom Bap Project, Anax, and Pale Soul, not to mention Silent Lambs and Tilson (Saturday Knights/The Gra'ain). Cop that at www.superhappywax.com or at upcoming shows… and look for Mr. Hill to be lacing the Perceptionists' Akrobatik (among others) with some of that heat.

Yeah, I know that here's been plenty of 'em over the years, but keep those quality local comps coming. My personal favorites are the indisputably classic 14 Fathoms Deep (Loose Groove) and Do the Math (Tribal Music Inc.), without which 1997 would have been a far worse year. I had those discs bumpin' constantly back when all I ate was Top Ramen, Otter Pops, and schedule 1 psychedelics. There are plenty of great NW comps out there, though, from the straight fire Untranslated Prescriptions to the excellent Sport-N-Life collection--and I have to give it up for the Reigncraft discs, which are still coming out with some regularity. It's been said that these compilations don't do jack for artists--and while that's certainly possible at this point, they seem to work in the Bay Area, where everybody and their momma's momma pops up on some kind of 30-track extravaganza! Not to get on some hippie utopian shit, but positivity and collaboration help make a community--not hate and "fuck e'rybody else" separatism (which we've got by the truckload).

Yo, I just heard a new song from Common's long-awaited BE album, entitled "Corners"… Featuring Kanye and none other than the Last Poets, this song should please Com's fans who were horrified by Electric Circus (well, I liked it!); Com sounds back to normal, if not exactly on his A-game.

I'd like to send a shout to R&B cat Houston, who tried to kill himself in London last week, gouging his goddamn eye out… keep your head up! Word to Bushwick Bill, it ain't worth it.

hiphop@thestranger.com

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