Bong bong, as the RZA would likely greet
you—yes, that very same RZA, the Abbot of the almighty
Wu-Tang, who’ll be at Neumos on Thursday, July 30. Should be a
damn good show, full of heavy, ill-mannered beats and cracked
god-science. But if you’re the kind of weak-livered sumbitch with the
energy for only one superproducer showcase per week, save it for the
next night. On Friday, July 31, at War Room is the Seattle edition of
the Red Bull Big Tune, where the town’s sickest slapcrafters
will square off for a shot at national beat supremacy. This event alone
would be enough to get War Room packed—but then there are this
year’s featured producers: West Coast legends DJ Quik and
BattleCat. Are you kidding me?! Well if that don’t fuckin’
starch your Dickies, I don’t know what will, loc.
BattleCat—the producer, not He-Man’s mount—is simply one
of the illest producers from the West Coast (thus, anywhere) ever. From
the school of squealing, squelchy-smooth G-funk, yet totally original,
BattleCat is the guy behind some of my favorite post–Death Row
West-Coast jams—”G’d Up” by Tha Eastsidaz comes to mind.
“Cat is one of those rare guys who has dominated with a sound all his
own,” says premier Seattle producer (and Big Tune mainstay) Jake
One. “West Coast rap needs him in a bad way right now.”
Then there’s Tha Quiksta. If I have to spend even a second
explaining to you who he is, I’m going to need cash in hand first. What
I will tell you is this: Virtually nobody who was making hiphop music
(that is, rapping and producing the shit) in 1991 is holding a candle
to the dude (outside of the good Doctor). Furthermore, for
somebody whose career is now old enough to buy porn and smokes, he’s
pushing his sound further than anybody. BlaQKout, his must-own
collaboration with Dogg Pound gangsta Kurupt, is not only
the best possible summertime rap listening to drop this year, it’s a
bold new sonic direction for Quik, his signature funk tweaked into a
new level of sci-fi craziness (plus my dude can still rap his ass off).
Put that in your pipe—what you do at that point is up to you.
JFK aka Ninjaface of Grayskul wanted me to pass
this on to you: On Sunday, August 2, he’s throwing a show, Broken Wings
Fly, over at the High Dive to benefit the family of his friend Orion
Underwood, RIP. Performing are JFK, Pain,
Mo-X, Tomren Shannon, and Hollywood Underwood.
Finally, you can now catch me every Sunday (6–9 pm) on KEXP
90.3 FM hosting Streetsounds. It’s most definitely big
shoes to fill, and I want to send a shout to all the big dogs (the
latest being B-Mello) who have been down with the show going all
the way back to my man Nasty Nes and Rap Attack. Love
and respect.