Hiphop Ya Don’t Stop
Belltown is ringing like a gotdamn
Jehovah’s Witness on Friday, June 27; within a two-block radius,
you’ve got two very serious shows for your consideration. Truth is, you
don’t have to choose—with minimal effort, you can do both, chief.
I believe in you.
At the McLeod Residence (a funky li’l art space at 2209 Second Ave),
if you dip upstairs you’ll be treated to PHIZZ, the free monthly
put on by the good folks from Champagne Champagne. Picture a
punk-rock house party for b-boys. This month’s edition features
mackin’-ass Macklemore (if you missed his b-day show last week,
you blew it), the maniacal Murder Dice, and ineffable
Spaceman. You better know about my dude Space—he’s a beast
with swag to go, and a damn energetic performer. Surely you’ve heard
this Sportn’ Lifer rock the anthemic “Fly Den a Mufucka,” and
you might have even done the dance that goes with it. Space hooked my
ears when he spit, “You’ll get burned more than Get Rich or Die
Tryin’” on Fatal Lucciauno‘s fucking brilliant The Only
Forgotten Son LP. Go check it out, drink a Pabst, drink a Dewar’s,
shake it off.
Then, literally a block from the McLeod at the good ol’ Rendezvous
on the same night is the third edition of one of my favorite nights in
a while, the Corner. Put on by the one and only Candidt,
the Corner harks back to the basement parties you probably never even
went to—the ultimate in-yr-face party-rocking from some of the
city’s top talent, in an intimate, interactive space. The Rainier’s
cold, the sound is cracking (big ups to my man Ariel), and the crowd
cuts loose. It really gets no better. This edition features the rhymes
of Onry Ozzborn, Grieves, Rudy and the Rhetoric, and Project
Mayhem’s beast Inkubiz. All of these cats have upcoming
projects, and new sets full of fresh-baked local heat you ain’t heard
yet. Mark my words: If you sleep on
the Corner, you’re a
fucking bum. Think about it.
Tuesday, July 1, at Nectar is the CD release for The Unknown,
the debut LP from Eugene, Oregon’s Animal Farm, with PDX’s own
world-class battle MC Illmaculate, Tulsi, and b-boy
ultimate Orbitron. If you’re not hip, Animal Farm keep a
true-school aesthetic with a feel-good tilt to their brim. Different
flows; warm, bumping production; great hooks; and fresh trade-offs
separate the Farm from the pack. And their own Hanif Wondir has
a genetic imperative to rock, being the younger brother of Boom Bap
Project‘s own toastmaster Karim aka Nightclubber
Lang. He features on the crushing “Hollywood Squares”—and he
ain’t talking about Shadoe Stevens, chief.
Last but not least, the Saturday Knights‘ Mingle is in
stores. Do yourself a favor. It’s the best thing you could do for
yourself this summer outside of getting some sun. Damn, you pasty!
