Can’t you just feel the clock tic+++king on summer? So, as the
conscientious hiphop head that I know you to be, you probably want to
cram as much of the stuff in while you can—as uncomfortable as
that may sound. Yo son, I got you!
Saturday, July 16, you want to hit up the Vera Project and catch The
Give Back, presented by Big Kountry and AK, and hosted by
that guy Macklemore. AKrish, the Parker Brothaz (get that
So Fresh Coast), Logics, general of the Tac’s Street
Academy (When All Else Fails coming soon?), Clemm
Rishad (from the 253’s Young Dynasty, check his Image of
Me EP), DJ B-Girl, and Cancer Rising are all
performing—and all proceeds go to the Rainier Vista Boys &
Girls Club. Now can you work with that? (Word to the Fixxers!
Why the hell didn’t that album ever come out?)
Also, hitting The Give Back gets you admission to the big party
going on later at Nectar that evening… I speak of none other than
Neema Speaks, the official listening party for The Essence, the
upcoming Koch-distributed LP from Neema (he finally dropped the
Unexpected Arrival name!). Maybe you heard that lead-off single
“Light That Fire,” where Mr. 10 Grand ghost-rides the yellow bus along
with the Baydestrian, Mistah F.A.B.? It’s definitely a
mainstream radio–type joint—but Isaak Meek’s slinky,
restrained Wessyde club banger has a distinct synthy menace—and
Neema’s own much-improved pro spit holds up well with couplets like “I
told her, ‘turn around baby, you can work it out’/She said she heard of
me/Really, what’s the word of mouth?” Yes, after all these years of
abuse from the town’s would-be gatekeepers, our dude Neema is still as
pop as he wanna be—as defiant a stance as you can find in
Jansport-minded Seatown—but only the staunchest hater couldn’t
admit he’s good at what he does. So check him out—DJs Money
D and Nphared will be holding it down on the ones and twos
and KUBE’s Eddie Francis will be hosting this shindig. If you didn’t
make it to the earlier show, they’re probably gonna ask you for some
money at the door, so you better bring some,
pimp shoes!
The West Coast Hip Hop Awards went down recently in Portland, where
Twin G got an award for “Best Rapper (Washington)” and
D-Sane got one for “Best Producer (Washington)”—congrats!
Sane recently passed me The Status Active, the collaborative
mixtape from Twin G and Gangsta Nutt… and I’m happy to
report that shit is hard as fuck. I always dug Twin’s style since his
In Tha Name of Game album, and on joints like “2 Da Left” and
“Hoover Love” he and Nutt surely lay it down for the soil. I played it
for the homey and he had no idea it was Seattle shit, which is always a
good sign! 