My Philosophy

So, conventional wisdom holds that things get worse before they get
any better. So far, we’re on track. When Emperor Bush II’s reign
finally comes to an end this week, it won’t be the end to the ills that
assail us from the topmost down to street level. But its symbolic
impact—a booster shot to the self-esteem and immune system of the
entirety of this great nation—couldn’t be more important. The
import of this ain’t lost on your friendly neighborhood hiphop scene
either; we’re looking at at least two Obama inauguration parties this week. To miss either would in fact be to let the
terrorists—whatever form they may take—win.

On January 17, Chop Suey brings us a Grynch-hosted,
freedom-loving extravaganza featuring Cancer Rising and Fresh
Ave (the combo of ace freestyler Know Choice, champ
fader-flicker DJ Rise, and Grynch‘s evil bastard twin
Akrish)—all headlined by L.A.’s very much up-and-coming
duo Inverse (with a live band). Seattle heads, I promise
you—you love Inverse, and you don’t even know it yet. I kinda
feel like they’re lost cousins of Seattle hiphop; their soulful
head-to-the-sky perseverance rap sounds to me like it could be
straight out of the 206. Hell, our own DJ Hyphen, he of the
awesome Audacity of Dope blog and of course KUBE’s Sunday Night
Sound Session, is their former DJ (and, like them, a Pitzer College
alum). Of course, their sound benefits from the sunshine lacking in our
own diets up here (we instead have to get our Vitamin D from
the Pharmacy), giving their vibe a top-down breeziness that’s
hard to cultivate anywhere but Cali. Inverse just released their So
True EP, which you can download for free online! Hit their
MySpace page (/inversehiphop) and get in the know, bro.

On January 20, those traversing the pavement in front of the High
Dive might notice the mellifluous tones of Common Marketeer
RA Scion, as he’s performing at another glorious Obama-rama
along with electro-jazz group Vunt Foom (featuring MCs
Distortion and I Adjust), and Tac-Town’s 10th &
Commerce, who’ve also got a free EP up on their ‘Space page
(/10thandcommerce). Speaking of the Scion, did you by chance peep the
video Tobacco and Snow Covered Roads, the “Roxanne’s
Revenge”-esque answer record to the Blue Scholars‘ Coffee and
Snow video? Both joints were written and recorded—then lensed
by Zia “soon-to-be-more-famous-than-my-brother” Mohajerjasbi—during the Great
Blizzard of ’08. What
the hell did you manage to get done while the snow choked the
town? Anyway, both are dope, but the answer record is doubly
interesting simply for showing RA’s
comical side. Recently, when I
approached his coke-white stretch limo to ask him about the
aforementioned show, he blurted out with a knowing grin,
“Until
I can cop a whip for less than 20 percent interest, it’s fuck Obama all

damn day!” Then, with but a word
to his driver, he
sped off into the night.