My Philosophy

Springtime in Seattle, baby—that magical time of year
when you set your clock ahead an hour, the fuckin’ flowers bloom and
whatnot, and Seattle starts having some goofy-ass weather. Yes,
meteorological schizophrenia abounds; so before you go out to kick it
in that gorgeous sun, make sure you throw on the winter parka, it’s
freezing outside. Also, bring the umbrella for later, just in
case. And maybe keep the snow chains ready. The hell?

Anyway, good time as any to soak up some new live music.
March 22 at Nectar, one of Seattle’s favorite poet/artist/educators
Laura “Piece” Kelley Jahn is rocking, kicking her Street
Smartz and much more, backed by a 10-piece band called the
Queen’s Ransom—catch her with Digital Vintage, the Knox
Family, and Thee Satisfaction. The Knox Family are an
Alpha P splinter cell consisting of MCs Jerm and Julie
C with DJ B-Girl; their music is in a classic West Coast
(specifically Bay Area) street/activist vein. Ever the multitasker,
Jerm has also been part of one of my favorite duos in town for a
minute, Helladope, a part of the Cloud Nice collective.
Cloud Nice’s Tay Sean and Mowglii also collaborate with
another new fave duo, Thee Satisfaction, on their Tay
Sean–produced space heater “Cosmic Voyage.”

March 25 at Nectar, catch the CD-release party for RIP:
Re-Inventing Poetics, the debut album from EVT-er and fellow comics
lover Ripynt, pronounced “repent” (Rip even has a song called
“Rippin’ It” dedicated to all those, like myself, who mispronounce his
name on the regular). Poetics is a solid debut, with no shortage
of passionate rhyming and topical diversity but while his fundamentals
are in order, Rip’s stiff rhyme style and overreliance on Slap Chop
double-time raps show an MC that still needs more seasoning. My man
says it himself: “I got a polished style, it just ain’t polished
perfect,” but moments like the stomping album opener “Take It to the
Top” let me know that Ripynt knows how to play to his strengths. One of
which is his live show, and rocking with Rip on the 25th is one of his
avowed influences, Oldominion senior partner
Sleep—as well as Wizdom, DJ Swervewon, and
your host Neema.

So my dude Karim, aka Nightclubber Lang of the big bad
Boom Bap Project, just sent me the first album from the label
he’s heading up out in his native San Francisco (Myx Music Label),
Keelay & Zaire‘s Ridin High. A blissful throwback,
West Coast–minded bicoastal collabo between two talented
MC/producers—SF-based Keelay and Virginian
Zaire—Ridin’ is clearly made for just that: its big
grooves, soulful hooks, and laid-back spit make for some refined
dashboard dope (no Saran Wrap, snow bunnies). Guest shots from cats
like Blu, Cali Agents, Tunji, Phonte, Tash, Saafir, and many
more make for a tape with heavy playability, playa. Throw a few bucks
in the tank (and on the dank) and put it to the test—and if you
got the number, holler at me, too.