We have entered, it seems, a period when Seattle is reflecting on its hiphhop past. The Museum of History & Industry has an exhibit, The Legacy of Seattle Hip-Hop, that, though generally a mess, attempts to capture the defining historical components of the scene. Then there is Mad Krew’s 20th anniversary show at the Crocodile on November 1. It will feature one of the fathers of hiphop, Kurtis Blow, and be hosted by local legends Nasty Nes and Shockmaster Glen Boyd. As if this were not enough, KCTS-9 premiered a documentary on 206 hiphop called The Otherside.
Directed by Daniel Torok and produced by J.R. Celski (a speed skater who has claimed three medals at the Winter Olympics), The Otherside has something that The Legacy of Seattle Hip-Hop sourly lacks: a unified aesthetic vision. The doc really loves Seattle—the texture of its light, the lowness of its clouds, its ferries, its bodies of water, its autumns, its springs. The film must be commended because it knows that this city is beautiful, and it does not miss any opportunity to capture this beauty. It also has great interviews with Sir Mix-A-Lot, Larry Mizell (who writes for this paper), Jake One, and Geo of Blue Scholars.
But if truth be told, The Otherside is not really for Seattle viewers but particularly for those
who have no idea where Macklemore came from. This is what the doc provides: some much-needed context for an artist who seemingly came out of the blue. It shows you the background of the scene and the main players that provided Macklemore a platform from which to launch his career into the highest spheres of hiphop success. Macklemore was not accident of history but very much a product of his city and the many crews (rappers and producers) here.
