Here we go—cold, gray, endless rain. Gotta love it, as long as I got dry socks and a roof over my head. Right now, though, my advance copy of J Dilla's Jay Love Japan is really keeping me toasty. So far, this is probably my favorite posthumous offering from the esteemed Mr. Yancey. While I liked the synergy of Dilla's contemporaries on The Shining, and the raw, uncut vibe of the instrumental Donuts, I'm really feeling Japan's heady psychedelia, sense of humor, and barrage of little-known Detroit rappers; it kinda gives me those same blunted warm fuzzies as my very favorite Dilla joint, Welcome 2 Detroit. In your face, Seasonal Affective Disorder!
'Tis also the season for the homegrown heroes of Mass Line Media (Blue Scholars, Common Market, and Gabriel Teodros) to head out on their West Coast tour; before they depart though, the Scholars will be commanding the Showbox stage Wednesday, November 22, along with Seattle's own Choklate and the international hiphop trio One Self. This'll no doubt be one for the books, and maybe a good time to try to cop one of those limited-edition "featured artist" Scholars shirts. Meanwhile, on the other side of Seattle's rap spectrum, Skuntdunanna will mark the release of his new Feel Me or Kill Me mix tape on Tuesday, November 21, with a release party at Club Mantra in Pioneer Square. Skunt (AKA Mafia) and his South End super group Lac of Respect will be rocking, as will A-Train, Yoda, Meechy Lavelle, and Donte Thomas.
Hey breakdancers! Every last b-person worth their salt should be out at Out for Fame this weekend. The Pacific Northwest regional finals of the popular five-on-five b-boy championship is going down in a major way at the UW HUB, Saturday, November 18, so make sure you come ready to see some serious athleticism, as we all know that the wealth of the NW talent has got all the cardboard shook. Winners will be flown to San Francisco to compete in the last Out for Fame finals ever! Say word?
When Seattle starts getting into character, it's time to play the crib a little harder, to get cozy, and, as Flavor Flav would say, lamp. Cue the soothing, soulful hiphop from Strange Fruit Project. Hailing from Waco, Texas—more known for the Branch Davidians and falsified FBI testimony (look it up)—SFP exposes Texas's inner boho, with a regular-cat vibe falling somewhere in between Slum Village and Little Brother. S1, Myth, and Myone first caught my attention with their sublimely rocking '04 release, From Divine, and their newest, The Healing, is their best material yet, with S1's smoky sonics aided by the deep thump of producers Illmind, Jake One, and Vitamin D. The Healing is spiced just right with a thoughtful selection of guests such as Justus Leaguers like Darien Brockington and Little Brother, buzz-heavy Austin MC Bavu Blakes, and peerless Erykah Badu. As you might guess, they're all the rage right now with the Okayplayer crowd, but don't let that stop you. Yo, they get stuff right sometimes! 
