The Hiphop Tip
Congrats go out to DJs B-Mello and Scene, the newest editions to KUBE 93's MixShow staff. It's been a long time coming. Now that hiphop has taken over the mainstream, it looks like the environment at media giant Clear Channel is more supportive toward deejays like B, whose greatest asset is in breaking new records. B told me, "We really want to be aggressive in stepping up the MixShow game because there hasn't been a big presence of [music from] our region [on the station]."
The recent move of Scene's popular Yo, Son! club night to Neumo's was an official success on opening night, drawing a packed house and tremendous diversity among the crowd. The new Capitol Hill club's dope atmosphere should revitalize the local concert scene and keep talent buyers on their toes.
On Friday, February 27, there's another good reason to check out Neumo's for yourself, when Reason, Recluse, and Phantom Ghost El Topo, better known as the Oldominion side project Grayskul, perform with the energetic indie rock band Pretty Girls Make Graves. After touring with other Rhymesayers acts and attracting their indie rock followers--as well as recently signing to Rhymesayers themselves--new doors have definitely opened for Grayskul. But that show is just one in a line of cross-genre hiphop events coming up on the horizon. The Stranger's SXSW Send-Off Showcase on March 5 finishes off a night of electronic pop/downtempo (IQU, Plan B), punk (the Lights, the Spits), and prog rock (Cobra High) with a hiphop dance party that includes the Yo, Son! deejays and the international b-boy champions Massive Monkees. That's also at Neumo's and it's a free event.
RainyDawg Radio DJ Marc Sense is also getting a little rock in his hiphop on March 13 at Chop Suey, where he'll be spinning and showcasing Gatsby's American Dream, Surrounded by Lions, Grayskul, and the Blue Scholars--who recently dropped an EP out of the blue (yuk yuk) that's sure to create more noise for the duo of Sabzi and Geologic.
Tacoma-based label Ocean Records, which has released albums from Criminal Nation and Azarel, is putting out its first national compilation, Inde Sessions Vol. 1. The record has a mixture of local and national artists, and, unfortunate as it is to say, the Northwest artists don't really represent on this one like they could, and when they do, it happens coincidentally because they're partnered with artists from outside. (The more impressive contributions come from Redskin featuring Krumbsnatcha and Tacoma's Black Caesar with Boot Camp Clik's Rock of Heltah Skeltah.) It's been a while since we've heard from Rock, which leads me to believe the track was recorded in his prime, around the time Black Caesar was signed to the same label as Boot Camp, in the late '90s. The highlight of Inde comes from Storm the Unpredictable, however, whose song "Contradictions" is a humorous account of the double standards that the Oxon Hill, Maryland, emcee sees in society.
