Everybody who's keeping score: Let's review. Rhymesayers, including several 206 mainstays, have linked up with Warner to distro their stuff. Blue Scholars are in a joint venture with Rawkus, whatever your take on it may be. Gabriel Teodros is dusting EL-P and many others on the CMJ chart. The Saturday Knights, after passing on Def Jam, and since blooding in with Light in the Attic, are verging on a full-scale industry kufi-smack as national tastemakers begin to jock. There's even more in store, too, judging by the backroom whispers I'm privy to. But I digress. The town is popping "like an L full of seed," as Junkyard JuJu would say.
In addition to all this recent town commotion, Mr. 10K himself, Neema, will be having his next LP, The Essence, released through his newly formed The Art Music, and distributed by none other than Dipset's favorite clubhouse, Koch Records. So congrats to one of the hardest-working mufuckas around, and also one of the humblest. Here is a cat who's grinded harder than anyone around here, and for all his work, has been nonstop hated on. From the media outlets to the dude on the corner, hella people have talked a gang of shit—from the slightly salty to the most heated of hate, all about Mr. Unexpected Arrival. And ya know what? Neema has taken it all with utmost class, really with nary a complaint, and kept on grinding. Aside from his funk with Livio—which has been pretty quiet as of late—you've never heard him cry about the blatant disrespect he's endured for years. It's his tireless work ethic that has earned him respect and, more importantly, sold 10,000-plus copies of his CDs. Opinions will always vary—you know what they say.... Hard work, however, always speaks for itself. Message!
Friday, March 30, do come out to Nectar to check the CD release for the new local artist Wizdom. There'll be a special appearance by man-about-town Macklemore, sets from D. Black, New Balance (featuring Seattle Seahawk Nate Burleson!), UniverSoul (aka Black Anger's E-Real), DJ Marc Sense, and your host—me. Who'd you expect, Sinbad? This oughta be a fun show, so wear your party pants, bunky.
Saturday, March 31, clear your calendar and wash your stankin' ass—you have a date at the Vera Project with some of Seattle's finest: Dyme Def and BeanOne. It's the all-ages, all-city CD release for Dyme Def's bangalangin' new joint, Space Music, and it also features the considerable talents of D. Black, Choklate, and Khingz of Abyssinian Creole. We're talkin' Black Star Power now, boy—fuck a BET. Ten bones gets you a stamp on your hand PLUS a copy of the LP in your sweaty palm—a win-win if I've heard of one. Speaking of which, I've heard Space Music, and it's probably the coldest local release since Bean's last dumb-out, that being Framework's local classic Hello World. Yeah, like that—and stay tuned for a proper breakdown on the platter. While you're at it, keep your eyes on these guys, 'cause there's a lot of other folks doing the same, smell me? Get a whiff then. 
