A film about Northwest hip-hop from

RAW HNNY

CarLarans has an impressive resume as a singer, songwriter, community activist, talk show host, member of House of Luna, and winner of the Discovered! music competition. RAW HNNY, his full-length debut, explores the “vulnerable expressions, sweet moments, and the stinging pains of Queer Black Existence.” Featuring rapping and soulful synth-pop against a backdrop of disco and house music thumps, The Seattle Times describes it as “dripping with sensuality … intended to help you forget about an ex-lover or find a new one.” Seek out the gorgeous deluxe gatefold CD version.

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A film about Northwest hip-hop from

Black-N-Gold

Black-N-Gold is a subversive seven-song EP from Seattle artist CarLarans. He’s the full package: An intimidatingly talented singer, rapper, dancer, piano player, songwriter, and entertainer. In October, he commandingly claimed top prize in the four-week Discovered hip-hop performance contest, judged by Silas Blak, Georgio Brown and yours truly. In November, he created and launched The Beat, a weekly online interview and variety show featuring up-and-comers in Seattle’s superb queer music scene. And yeah, this 22-minute H-bomb is one polished, hella confident and damn fine record. Opening track “Black Xcellence” begins with a quiet swagger, a sweet seduction, and softly becomes a menacing race war manifesto: “Better grab your lawyers because we’re coming for you.” I want to hear the epic strut and floor-thumping bass of “Do Tha Walk,” on a crazy loud club stereo. That night, the DJ will end up playing the whole record and we’ll all sing along to the refrain, “Don’t fuck with me, no, no, no” while dancing our best tropical salsa during “Don’t Come For Me.” What I’ve learned in the last six months is that CarLarans is an unstoppable force.

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