“This shit is all about the love...fuck the hate"-RA Scion, Common Market.
It’s been a long time since I have been able to attend a good Seattle hip-hop show. Yes, haters, that’s right: I used “good” “Seattle” and “hip-hop” in the same sentence. Other than headliner Talib Kweli, Sunday’s lineup was comprised of prominent members of the NW underground hip hop scene - including Common Market, Gabriel Teodros, and Grayskul - all kept on track by the Fourthcity DJs who showed off their skills on the turntables between sets.
The night wasn’t just about bringing together local talent to entertain the masses. This was one night of several put on by the Seattle-based non-profit organization, Noise For The Needy. All proceeds go to Urban Rest Stop, a safe, clean facility providing hot showers and laundry facilities for the city’s homeless. And despite being surrounded by over-confident girls in little clothing and cocky guys strutting around on their cell phones reeking of their own self-importance, I was excited to be there.
First to take the mic was Grayskul, an up-and-coming group whose recent album Bloody Radio has earned respectful reviews. Members Onry Ozzborn and JFK, formerly involved with Oldominion, another piece of the NW hip-hop scene, brought a power-packed performance, showcasing the ridiculously fast vocal skills of JFK, accompanied by equally hyper hand quiverings and arm raising. Despite these desirable traits, the crowd remained relatively static throughout.
The talented Gabriel Teodros came up next. With DJ WD4D mixing beats in the back, Teodros got the growing crowd a little more hyped. Staying true to his Ethiopian roots, Teodros made a quick costume change halfway through his set, and spent the rest of his time on stage in a traditional East African shirt, spitting lyrics condemning the effects of sexism, oppression, and the challenges of living in a Third World country. A couple special guests joined Teodros during his set, including NY tap dancer Maya Jenkins, who hoofed syncopated beats to his lyrics, and emcee Khingz, his former partner-in-crime from Abyssinian Creole. This was my first time seeing Teodros on stage, and was bummed to discover that it might be a while before I see him again, as he has no plans to emcee in Seattle for a while.
Though all the night’s performances were strong, the most charismatic and commanding of the four acts was Common Market, the last of the Seattle groups to take the stage. Both members - DJ/Producer Sabzi and Emcee RA Scion - are known for their heavy involvement in the community, promoting the ideals of loving and serving others. RA Scion warned the audience at the top of their set, “Feeling hatred? Be quiet right now” and took the time to educate the audience on the importance of Urban Rest Stop. Common Market also shared the stage with some other local Seattle talent, including Geologic from the Blue Scholars, beat-boxer B-Shorty (aka Blake Lewis, American Idol runner-up), and Scion even brought out his young daughter for a quick hug. Though their message was warm and fuzzy, Common Market put out a hard-hitting and passionate show that showcased their years in the music industry and got me excited for their new album Tobacco Road which should be dropping in early September.
It was getting late by the time out-of-towner and known community do-gooder Talib Kweli took to the stage. Even though I was still revved up from Common Market’s set, my eyes were starting to burn from exhaustion - or perhaps it was the steady assault of pot smoke from the small group next to me - and I couldn’t help but think about needing to get up in 5 hours for work. “This better be a damn good show!” I thought, taking another swig of PBR. When DJ Hi-Tek cued up Europe’s “Final Countdown” for Kweli’s entrance, I knew that what followed would at least be entertaining. Kweli himself seemed to channel Kanye West’s style, a departure from the street-style garb of the earlier acts, but he invited the local b-boys and b-girls onto the stage to show off their skills onstage while DJ Hi-Tek played Afrika Bambaataa’s “Planet Rock” and Sly and the Family Stone’s “Dance to the Music”. His performance of his biggest hit “Get By” from his 2002 album Quality was one of the highlights of the evening which had the crowd singing along with enthusiasm. Though Kweli’s performance was satisfactory, I couldn’t help but feel some of the energy had been lost. Whether or not it was purely the fact that he didn’t get on stage until after midnight or his actual performance was a little lacking, I won’t ever know.
Noise for the Needy should be proud of the show they put together. And Seattle should likewise be proud of the emerging talent of its underground hip-hop scene.
Ugh. Paste’s profile of Free Energy made me kind of hate them. So does your review. It’s this unctuous defense of good-time rock-and-roll ("we’re just here to party, and we’re awesome!") that seems more self-serving than fun-loving.
by beth on Wed Mar 17, 2010 at 09.41 pm from the entry: Foreign Born + Free Energy - The Knitting Factory (Brooklyn, NY; Mar. 12, 2010)
that inescapable feeling you are referring to, is that like when you hear something and you could have sworn you heard it before because of the nostalgic catchy quality? or is is like when you’ve heard a band exactly like said band?
great post by the way!
by paul on Wed Mar 17, 2010 at 03.15 pm from the entry: The Novel Ideas - "The Sky Is A Field" - Borrow It
Whoa! I had no idea she was enegaged. You would never know with the way she behaves! Wow!
by art on Wed Mar 17, 2010 at 09.48 am from the entry: Nikki Darlin and John McCauley: 1+1=1
This comment stream is so meta. Great review Kelly.
by chris on Tue Mar 16, 2010 at 07.50 pm from the entry: Flying Lotus - "Cosmogramma" - Buy It
no prob. The whole album is excellent, combining some of the harder sonics of Los Angeles with the meat of his debut and obviously difficult to summarize in only 50 words… 
I’d say it’s on par with the debut, but better than Los Angeles.
by kelly on Tue Mar 16, 2010 at 06.23 pm from the entry: Flying Lotus - "Cosmogramma" - Buy It
By the way, I really liked the mp3 posted. Thanks.
by Joshua H on Tue Mar 16, 2010 at 06.17 pm from the entry: Flying Lotus - "Cosmogramma" - Buy It
WHO WROTE THIS...PUKE ! “WHO WROTE THIS...PUKE ! “Picture yourself coasting your bike past space funk palm trees, homeless harpists, vintage video arcades, electronic drum circles, and 60s psychedelic singers who’re waiting for the bus. Cosmogramma is kinda like that if someone suddenly tripped you just as you’re starting to enjoy the ride. But in a good way.””
by Joshua H on Tue Mar 16, 2010 at 06.17 pm from the entry: Flying Lotus - "Cosmogramma" - Buy It
