Okay, so the way I figure it, if you're reading my column—and I know somebody out there is—then you have some kind of appreciation for this thing we call hiphop. That being the case, it would behoove y'all to check out the many local events happening for Hip Hop Appreciation Week 2006, brought to you by the good people at Sciontific Records and the Temple of Hip Hop.
On Thursday, May 18, at the Lo_Fi, you can peep Silent Lambs Project, Silver Shadow D, Felicia V. Loud, and Specs One, all hosted by the creator of "hipstep," the son of Afrika Bambaataa, TC Izlam.
Those of you with rugrats will not wanna miss the 2nd Annual Temple of Hip Hop Festival for Kids. Each element of the culture (how many are there? Four? Nine? I can never remember) will be represented, and offering jewels of experience to the lil'uns; it goes down at Rainier Beach Community Center on Friday, May 19, at 6:00 p.m. I will be on hand to teach 'em how to miss deadlines and alienate their readers—holla at me, kids! Lyrics Born will be on the Neumo's stage that same night for an all-ages show, supported by Portland reps Sirens Echo and Seatown's Macklemore. The ladies of Sirens Echo recently dropped a DVD, Follow the Sounds, available at online NW hiphop depot www.superhappywax.com.
On Saturday, May 20, Beacon Hill Public Library will host the Northwest Hip Hop Community Crew Meeting & Town Hall Discussion; it runs from 1:00 to 3:00 p.m. and is free and open to all ages.
Lastly, the all-ages HHAW finale will take place on Sunday, May 21, at Neumo's, featuring an all-star lineup: Boom Bap Project (fresh off a European tour), Cancer Rising, Abyssinian Creole, Silent Lambs Project, Ricky Pharoe, and DJ Sabzi, with RA Scion hosting. If that's not enough dope local shit to make your boy stop pretending he's from the Bay/New York/Atlanta, then I don't know what will, homie.
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Kansas City speed-rapper Tech N9ne will be rocking Neumo's on May 18; I'm not really a fan of dude, as his spiked hair, face paint, and screamy Armageddon raps always struck me as a leetle shticky. He seems just too comfortable in that Insane Clown Posse element of goofily morbid suburb-thug rap for me to ever take him seriously as an MC. Doing a song with Pac doesn't excuse doin' one with the Kottonmouth Kings. Word to the Outlawz.
Lastly, I recently, ah, procured a copy of Blood Money, the newest LP from Mobb Deep. The new G-Unit-ized M-O-B-B definitely lack the potency of their glory days, but that's hardly a surprise, is it? Gone are the soul-dead QB nihilism, the darkly brooding production from Havoc, and the bruising thug poetry from Prodigy. Now it's clubby maybe-singles every couple cuts, and weak-sauce bars from Ballerina P and a damn near apologetic-sounding Hav; it's sad to hear the Unit cameos outshining one of the best crews from New York's mid-'90s renaissance. I know, I know, but they getting money...
