If you're somehow not up on these guys, the line for late passes starts on the left. Blue-school grads Geologic and Sabzi bring a sound reminiscent of classic '90s 206 hiphop; the warm, jazzy backdrops laid down by Sabzi, combined with Geo's witty, politicized raps ("SPD spreadin' like an STD/I'm rollin' Rainier bumpin' Let's Get Free") wouldn't have sounded out of place on classic comps 14 Fathoms Deep or Do the Math. The "fan favorite," Byrdie, has been on the scene for a minute, dropping his first album, Poet Epidemic, in 2001. If Seattle hiphop had a yearbook, Byrdie would arguably win "Most Likely to Succeed Nationally" with his personable, laid-back persona on (and off) the mic, paired with his innate ability to pen catchy, melodic hooks. His heartfelt songs touch on everything from personal loss to the ladies to politics, along with plenty of good-natured boasts.
Both Byrdie and Blue Scholars are making mad noise these days, so I thought I'd holler at the dudes making things happen for these artists behind the scenes, Marc Matsui and Aaron Angeles.
"Just don't call me [Blue Scholars'] manager," Matsui tells me. "I'm the homie, the third member that isn't on the mic or the turntables." Whatever you call him, his boys are doing their thing well--the Scholars are currently charting number one on KEXP with their eponymous debut. Matsui's put it down for years, from his days in the SHOW (Student Hiphop Organization of Washington) to cofounding the Brainstorm MC Battle. Perhaps his best move was facilitating the collaboration between the Scholars in 2000. "I was mutual friends with those guys," Matsui recounts, "(Sabzi) was fuckin' with the beats... I would hear what he was doing, and I was kinda like, 'Y'all need to do something.'"
"I've known Byrdie over half my life," says Aaron Angeles, owner of NFlight Records. "In his first rhyme, he mentioned me in it!" After Byrdie's debut Poetic Epidemic brought the charismatic emcee a serious buzz, Angeles formed the label to release the follow-up. Having first met Byrdie in middle school, little did the label head know he'd one day be watching his friend rock for over 10,000 heads--opening up for legends Public Enemy and Nas at Bumbershoot this year. Angeles has put in countless hours on NFlight, working closely with 206 production vets Vitamin D and Bean One, which resulted in Byrdie's airtight NFlight LP--perhaps the most slickly produced hiphop platter to come from our region in years. NFlight has enjoyed a ferocious response; garnering Byrdie the chance to rock alongside Xzibit at the T-Dome, and receiving airplay from an unprecedented three different local radio stations (KUBE, KEXP, and X104).
That said, the joint video premiere for the Scholars' "Freewheelin'" and Byrdie's "B.Y.R.D.I.E." (November 6, Vera Project, all ages; November 7, Chop Suey, 21+) is a landmark example of the kind of collaboration this scene needs. This is 206 shit, where you from, fool?
