Whut it dew? I know what you're asking yourself right now: Gee, is E-40's "Tell Me When to Go" going to blow the Bay wide open? Why, yes, yes it is; it's just that dope. Who knew Lil Jon beats could get so damn hyphy? So you know I'm excited about 40 Water's upcoming My Ghetto Report Card—I just hope there're some Turf Talk features on that album, 'cause I'm wearing out my Street Novelist CD. West, West, Y'all!
Mash Hall and Obese Productions have teamed up to bring y'all another dope night: Backspin Thursdays at the Noc Noc, featuring DJs Blesone and Kippy—so go bump ya head to some hiphop, and drink a 40 like you're in middle school all over again.
There's a new weekly Sundays at the War Room: Strictly Business, featuring DJ Mopho and the Saturday Knights' Tilson. According to the trusty War Room calendar, Strictly Business will be strictly bringing you funk, soul, and classic and underground hiphop—with an all-caps promise of NO RADIO BULLSHIT. I can definitely dig it.
The War Room also plays host to another night this week—the Wednesday, February 15, edition of Vitamin D's Power Bill, which officially gets my vote for Best Hiphop-Oriented Night in Town. From the live music to the special guests to the fantastic Big Tunes beat battles, Vita is definitely holding it down with one of the very best monthly events in Seattle. It's underrated and unadulterated—so come and get a hit of that pure, man! I'll be there with my girl celebrating. Happy birthday, baby.
Also, ex-X-Ecutioner turntablist Rob Swift will be at Chop Suey on Wednesday, February 15, promoting the recent release of his sharp post-9/11 soundtrack to Armageddon, the War Games CD/DVD. Also appearing are Common Market's RA Scion, Goondocks, DJ Indica Jones, and the Rebelz, who will be celebrating the release of their Hip Hop Handbook album.
Grayskul have dropped another full-length CD (their fifth in the last two years), Name in Vain, available on their current nationwide Dead Radio Tour with Barfly, Coley Cole, Dim Mak, and DJ Wicked. A precursor to Dead Radio, their official second album due out on Rhymesayers this year, Vain gives Onry and JFK (AKA Reason and Recluse) another pair of aliases, as Counts Draven and Magnus. Visit NW hiphop treasury www.superhappywax.com to pick up their latest batch of darkly diseased imaginings.
While you're surfing the internet, log on to www.okayplayer.com and you might notice an excellent review of the Common Market album. Then, go outside- and check a recent copy of URB, XLR8R or either of the last two issues of Spin; you might just notice that the Blue Scholars are getting some well-deserved love in the national press. Now, I don't know what happened in the Super Bowl yet, but I do know we got a reason to stand the fuck up, regardless.
