What’s good, family? I just came off a right good time at Ohana in Belltown (I know, I know). At the restaurant’s Tuesday weekly, Electric Relaxation, you can catch DJs Marc Sense and Sabzi dropping downtempo hiphop, neo-soul, and roots in the company of your folks… and if you’re particularly lucky, you might even catch some Rappin’ 4-Tay, as I did.
The folks at local promotions/urban marketing company Soul Gorilla are also layin’ down some deep cuts at their upscale Thursday weekly at Trinity (featuring DJ Scene) and See Sound (featuring Mr. Supreme). Originally an administrative offshoot of the Massive Monkees, SG formed to help negotiate their burgeoning careers as world-class breakers. SG also manages the internationally known and locally respected vinyl miner Mr. Supreme. Keep your eyes peeled to their movement, as big things are coming down the pike…
Remember me telling y’all bout local legend H-Bomb ripping the Scribble Jam MC battle a while back? Well, I just got word back on the finals in Cincinnati from my esteemed colleague, man-on-the-move Sam C. Amongst performances from Masta Ace, Prince Paul, Grayskul, I-Self Divine, and One Be Lo, Hussein ripped it, defeating the defending champ (Portland’s Illmaculate) but eventually losing to this year’s winner, Australian MC Justice—who incidentally took out Brainstorm champeen Iron Solomon.
On Saturday, August 27, dRED-I and Frequency Latte lock down 26th Avenue and Jackson Street to present the Jackson Street Block Party. The event features live performances from Felicia Loud, Silent Lambs Project, Specs One, and dRED-I in the open air, all hosted by Mr. Benjamin. The festivities commence at 3:00 p.m.
Report to the Rainbow this Wednesday, August 31, so’s you can catch the Living Legend‘s Asop (not to be confused with Aesop Rock), Rocket One, and Portland, OR’s Clockwerk (not to be confused with Seattle’s own Clockwork or Rhode Island’s Clockworx—whew!). Fresno native Asop should be well known to LL heads for his gruff voice and irregular rhyme style—so if you’re of drankin’ age, come see your boy!
Now, I’m historically real leery of hiphop books. They’re often so wildly inaccurate they’ll make you look foolish repeating the “knowledge” therein, or so pedantic they’ll put you to sleep after reading about “the Four Elements” for the 80th fucking time. But I gotta recommend Peter Shapiro’s The Rough Guide to HipHop as a resource for the well versed and the uninitiated alike. Basically an encyclopedia of key MCs, DJs, and labels (graf and b-boying don’t really get more than a cursory look), this exhaustive tome is thorough enough to challenge the reader to try and stump it. But while he’s very well informed, Shapiro’s also kinda out of touch. His perspective reminds one of the dude who for years listened exclusively to import-only noise bands, but since discovering Anticon two years prior now wants to lecture you on the finer points of Lil’ Keke, or why you shouldn’t like the new Common album… know what I mean?