Killah Priest comes to Chop Suey Feb. 15th

This a show that I'm really excited about, especially considering the utter lack of upcoming hip-hop shows, right now Seattle seems bleaker than ever. Killah Priest is one of the better known Wu affiliates, and probably my favorite. From his classic debut Heavy Mental to his work with the group Sunz of Man, Priest stands out as one of the more prolific Wu emcees. Although like most of the extended Wu family, Priest isn't very well known, most Wu-Tang fans will recognize him as the rapper on the track B.I.B.L.E. off of GZA's Liquid Swords, and like most KP fans that track is what really made me dig Killah Priest. First off 4th Disciples production on B.I.B.L.E. was impeccable, although it didn't fit in with the rest of Liquid Swords it managed to keep that Wu-flavor. Sampling Ohio Player's "Our Love Has Died", the beat from B.I.B.L.E. is forceful anthem that is at once sad and forceful. Priest's 5 Percenter inspired lyrics blend mysticism and religion, instructing us in his unique ideals, and his idealism permeates his music, the "Priest" moniker isn't just for show. Priest doesn't shy away from controversial issues, religion and society are very significant in his music. Knowledge, it seems, is what inspires Killah Priest, and he doesn't stop droppin' math throughout any of his joints. Unlike some of his contemporaries his styled hasn't been watered down at all over the years (Heavy Mental was released 1998) and his flow has depth that cannot be rivaled. There's braggadocio, no shit-talking, just pure science. If you don't want your mind expanded then Priest ain't the one for you.

Now, Priest can hold his own as an emcee, but he truly shines when 4th Disciple is handling the beats. When you come across an emcee/producer duo that complements one another so well it's always damn near amazing. Disciples' soul-infused beats are the perfect backdrop to showcase Priest's knowledge. A lot of Disciples' beats have a melancholic feel, which couples nicely with Priest's straight-forwardness and solemnity. Unfortunately the majority of Priest's tracks are not produced by 4th Disciple (if I had to guess, maybe 40% of all Priest tracks) and when they aren't together Priest isn't as meaningful, his words don't have the same impact without 4th Disciple.

Of course, like most of the stuff I listen to, Killah Priest isn't for everyone. He spits meaningful shit, addressing issues most rappers won't even touch. Religion, faith, friendship and social commentary are all things you will have to think about when you listen to Priest's music, he doesn't hesitate to spark your mind. Personally I love music that can make you question your beliefs, music that makes you want to learn, and that is why Priest is an incredible emcee. If only Priest was played on the radio everyday, maybe then people would wake up and realize that hip-hop doesn't have to be a decadent and meaningless genre that causes excessive hedonism in youth.

Anyways, go to this show! I promise you won't be disappointed and maybe you'll learn something.

Show Details: $13 adv/$15 door @ Chop Suey (Seattle) on February 15th, 2009. Doors open at 8:00 PM. Buy tickets here, or at the door, 21+.

Check out Killah Priest's other shit: Heavy Mental (1998), View from Masade (2000), Priesthood (2001) and others. Sunz of Man, Hell Razah etc.

Sunz of Man - "The Plan"


4th Disciple fun fact: The beat off of B.I.B.L.E. is almost identical to the beat from Atmosphere's remix of the song "Travel", produced by Ant, both songs heavily sample the Ohio Player's song "Our Love Has Died"

Paisley-esque Purrs play Sunset Tavern!

Although the focus of this weblog majigger is hip-hop, I'm not the kind of person to listen to one genre of music and hate on the rest, so this article will be on an upcoming show that I am rather excited about. Seattle band The Purrs are going to be at the Sunset Tavern on Jan. 24th, 2009 (click here for show details), I am not sure of the price, I'll update once I know (I'm sure it'll be cheap). 21+ only.

Now, the Purrs may not be the most trailblazing of rock bands, they don't have a Pet Sounds or OK Computer (but who isn't derivative these days?). Although they wear their influences on their sleeves, they pull it off damn well. A proud mix of psychedelic folk with a bit of shoegaze and some "indie" charm (although that word makes me wanna vomit), they are reminiscent of LA's Paisley Underground bands of the 80's ( Dream Syndicate and The Three O'Clock, not to mention more popular acts such as Mazzy Star and The Bangles were all part of the Paisley U). One of my favorite qualities of this band is how well they capture Seattle's unique feeling, that kinda gloomy atmospheric doldrum (everyone from Seattle should know what I'm talking about) with a bit of acid on the tongue. It reminds me of taking shrooms on a cloudy day in Discovery Park (long, long ago). I don't want this to turn into a real review, I'll save that for another day, so I'll be terse. If all these gushing descriptions sound like your cup of (mushroom) tea, go to the show! Buyer Beware, this kinda shit isn't for everyone, so if you eat, sleep and breathe hip-hop then listen to a song before you go to the show and make fun of all the hipsters.

Here are some pretty cool videos, including one of the Purrs live performances











That's it for today, we will be returning to hip-hop shortly, but it would be nice if Seattle had some decent shows coming up! Perhaps (cross fingers) Binary Star? Abstract Rude? Anyone?

Coming Soon: Mm.. Food review (written by the infamous Kneiz), Mad Skillz' From Where??? and much more.

Related links:
The Purrs website: www.thepurrs.com
Sunset Tavern: www.sunsettavern.com

Kool Keith (Dr. Octagon) blows up Portland February 21st.

Kool Keith! Kool Keith! Kool Keith! Yes, the infamous Bellevue (NY mental hospital, not the suburb) patient is coming up to the Northwest, and I have to say thank god, it's been too long since I have seen the man with many faces (almost 3 years). Doc Ock is what I would call quasi-famous, like Del or Devin the Dude, therefore he is popular among dumb girls and wannabe heads, so of course the show is gonna be packed with high school students who have just listened to Dr. Octagonecologyst a week ago. He is even billed as Dr. Octagon at the venue, while annoying, from a marketing perspective it's a good idea, as his alter-ego is probably better known than his real persona, Kool Keith. Petty misgivings aside I am damn excited for this show and some new material from Keith is always exciting. Although billed as Octagon, I doubt he will limit his setlist to Octagon tracks, that's not Keith's style. Most likely (or should I say hopefully?) we will get a few Octagon tracks and the rest a selection from the extensive Keith discography. I remember now the first Keith show I saw he was billed as Dr. Octagon and he didnt play his well known tracks, so don't be fooled by what's one the marquis, this'll be a Kool Keith show all the way through. With all the material Kool Keith has done since Ultramagnetic MC's there is bound to be some damn good shit, I'm crossing my fingers for a Cenobites reunion (Kool Keith, Godfather Don and Bobbito, I think his first album after Ultra, released 1993), although that will probably never happen. Even though Octagonecologyst was released in 1996 (hard to imagine isn't it) it still sounds original and fresh, and the albums' influence on underground hip-hop today is insurmountable (MF Doom wasn't the first emcee to have a billion personae). And that is why he can be billed by his 12 year old alter ego in 2008 and still have young white girls swoon. So, please, if you are in the Portland area or willing to do a four hour drive from Seattle to see a legend in person (people should walk 20 miles in the snow to see him, yes he's THAT GOOD) like me, check this show out and support Keith so he can keep on releasing some of the most original shit hip-hop has to offer.

PS: Since this show is a long way off, and since Keith usually comes to Seattle if he's gonna play an OR show, there is a good chance he will be heading to the Emerald City. So keep your fingers crossed and I will repost new show details if he does manage to come up here.

Mos Def plays Moore Theater Dec. 13th in Seattle

Just found out that Mos Def is playing this Saturday at Seattle's Moore Theater in Belltown. As much as I like Mos Def, the show is $38 and with my minimum wage budget I probably won't be able to make it. If somehow I come across 40 bucks in the next two days (anyone wanna buy some weed???) I will definitely make it out to Belltown and see a living legend. Although Mos Def's newer albums are not nearly on the same lyrical level as his work with Talib Kweli on Black Star his debut Black on Both Sides seeing him live would make for a better Saturday night than just sitting around drinking cheap beer (much better to drink cheap beer and watch live hip-hop). If you live in Sea-town and have 40 bucks to spare by all means check this shit out! And make sure to comment and let us all know how it was (pictures are always nice too). If you are poor like the rest of us, then bump Black Star and pretend that Mos Def isn't pursuing a not-so-great acting career and still releasing gems for all the true heads out there.


Mos Def fun fact: Mos Def's first appearance on an imprint was Da Bush Babee's sophomore effort Gravity (pretty damn good, check it out) on the track "Love Song", where he sings, not raps, the chorus.

a million different hip-hop blogs, this one's a gem

Hip-hop today is bigger than ever and we are bombarded by popular songs almost everywhere we look, radio, tv, movies, PA systems at the mall and even on your friends iPod! This makes it difficult to find anything good except for what's in the mainstream. It's like trying to see a beautiful painting only to have someone hang a crappy poster of Lil' Wayne in front of it. I guess what we are trying to do here is show you that there is hope in the hip-hop world, that there is something other than 50 Cent and Akon. We are not going to limit ourselves to "Alternative" hip-hop, nor even hip-hop in general! It's all about finding the best music out there, showing you guys all the classics and the slept-on gem's. We are indiscriminate in what we are gonna bring to this blog, as long as it's good. We want to show you how hip-hop music has evolved, glancing upon everything, from jazz to soul, funk to electronica, if it's influential and good, you will likely see it on this blog at some point. Basically if you want to expand your musical knowledge or to see where hip-hop came from or even to just hear about good music, than this blog is a good starting place. We implore you to look up what you see here; learn about it, listen to it and tell other people about it. The internet is a great wealth of knowledge (and porn) use it to your advantage and learn what you can. Our goal is to turn as many people on to good music as we can, because it's not just Kanye West and E-40, or even Aesop Rock and Atmosphere.

Next up: Scientifik's Criminal (1994)

Enta da Stage - Black Moon (1993)

Black Moon - Enta da Stage (Nervous Records)

production: 9/10
lyrical content: 7.5/10
album consistency: 9/10
influence: 7.5/10
overall: 8.25/10

Enta da Stage is first entry in the long timeline of the Boot Camp Clik, one of the premier hip-hop groups of 90's New York(BCC: Black Moon, Smif-n-Wesson, Heltah Skeltah, O.G.C., Da Beatminerz). Some people say that they are on the same level as D.I.T.C. or Wu-Tang Clan and although the similarities will always warrant comparison, Boot Camp Clik is in a league of their own, neither better nor worse than its obvious contemporaries. These guys epitomize the gritty, street-smart sound of the early 90's East Coast style, and Black Moon's (comprised of Buckshot Shorty, DJ Evil Dee and 5 ft. Accelerator) Enta da Stage is the starting point for an altogether amazing BCC discography. Unfortunately this album's production outshines the lyrics, which is sometimes a plague on the entire BCC repertoire. Legendary production team Da Beatminerz handles this entire album giving you some of the grittiest boom bap of the 90's. This album a classic on par with Show and AZ's Goodfellas or Big L's Lifestylez.

A lot of the appeal exuded from this album comes from the appropiateness of the beats and rhymes, you can easily imagine yourself walking down a darkened Brooklyn street with your crew, Timberland boots echoing between the buildings and the smell of weed smoke lingering in your nostrils. The lyrics are a day in the life of Black Moon, and that is where they get stagnant at some points. As fun as it is to hear about smoking weed, loading clips and getting paper, it gets old after 15 songs. The worst part is the choruses, repetitive, bland and altogether boring, especially after the 30th "buck 'em down, buck 'em down". What saves these lyrics from crippling blandness is Buckshot Shorty's (now known only as Buckshot) unique flow, fluctuating from laid back to urgent with almost perfect ease, making each of his verses a pleasure to listen to almost every time. Not the most technical or complex lyricist, there is a reason Buckshot is still listenable and instantly recognizable even today; his unique flow and presence. Although hard to quantify it is obvious on the first listen that he has no shortage of either. Da Beatminerz have such impeccable production on this album that I've found myself listening to just the beats and being blown away every time. They are no DJ Premier or Pete Rock, but they elaborated on the greats and made a sound that is all their own. Few producers have the consistency that Da Beatminerz have on this album. Usually when a single producer makes an entire album of beats there are a few stand out tracks, and all the rest is filler. Not Da Beatminerz, this entire album has gems, every song has a different mood, conjuring up a different feeling for each track. From laid back and haunting to bass-ey with hard hitting drums, Beatminerz can do it all and make it sound fresh on every listen.

This album is a great example of the whole being greater than the sum of its parts. There are a few standout gems on this album that alone are great songs, but I recommend listening to the album from start to finish. "Buck 'Em Down", "Slave", "Shit Iz Real", "How Many Mc's...", "I Got Cha Opin" and the title-track "Enta Da Stage" are my personal favorites, and the apparent standouts on this album. Da Beatminerz production particularly shines on "Shit Iz Real" and "I Got Cha Opin", the haunting horn and string samples give the songs a solemn and longing atmosphere. The albums opener "Powaful Impak!" se's the stage for the rest of the album, and is similar to the ending track with a minimal beat heavy on the bass. Da Beatminerz uncanny ability to tailor their beats to an emcee is nothing short of amazing, giving Buckshot an edge that no other producer or production team has done since. "I'm real shit iz real fuck the raw deal, pick up the bitch in the back by the field, on the word shit is heard in two-third, pump herb to my niggas with a nickel bag of absurd", the lyrics' may be unremarkable but laced with an echoing violin(?) sample chopped to weave with Buckshot's unique style makes for an unrivaled atmosphere that can be only found on Beatminerz produced records. 5 ft. Accelerator is the other emcee on this album, recognizable only because he isn't Buckshot. His style isn't very original especially when coupled with Buckshot, but another lyrical flavor on this record is welcome.People like to hate on 5 ft. but he really isn't bad at all, he just had the misfortune to be coupled with Buchshot. 5 ft. is more like a guest than an actual part of the group and he is outperformed by Buckshot in every way on this record. The only "guests" on this album are on the tracks "Black Smif-n-Wessun" and "U Da Man", the ill duo of Tek & Steele (aka Smif-n-Wesson and more recently the Cocoa Brovaz), and BCC affiliates Dru Ha and Havoc. "U Da Man" is this albums party track, with 6 emcee's spittin' fire on top of a bass-heavy beat that makes you want to strap on some Tim's and stomp on necks, a perfect ending to this album.

This album may not have pioneered a genre, like some of BCC's contemporaries, it certainly solidified a specific style of NY hardcore and paved the way for some of the decades most unique and entertaining artists. Being released all the way back in '93 this album will always be considered one of the top albums of that time, while it is no 36 Chambers it took that burgeoning NY sound and made it it's own. More importantly this album paved the way for some amazing albums (see Smif-n-Wessun's Da Shinin', Heltah Skeltah's Nocturnal, O.G.C.'s Da Storm), giving BCC OG status in the NY scene, considered to this day to be one of the best crews to come out of NY on par with greatest of the greats. This album, while having some minor flaws, is a definitive classic.


"Buck 'Em Down" clean radio mix (non-album)