A film about Northwest hip-hop from

Comin' Out Stompin'

Seattle rap group Love Sick Rhymers (aka L.S.R.) emerged from the fray during the late 1980s and early 1990s. Through dogged live performances and old-fashioned street credibility, L.S.R. gained wide recognition and accolades. In 1991 they put out a cassette single “Hold Tight 2 Da Rhythm” on Blakstyle Records. It was successful, and the label subsequently released the song on a vinyl twelve-inch in 1992. Love Sick Rhymers recorded at least two unreleased albums before breaking up, Yesler Shot and Comin’ Out Stompin’. The Comin’ Out Stompin’ project sat waiting on a DAT for 31 years until 2023, when DJ Eazeman dusted it off and released this amazing album for the first time.

Comin’ Out Stompin’ displays an upbeat, high-energy style of hip-hop, which is influenced by Jamaican and other Caribbean musical styles. “Turn Up The Volume” and “Hardcore Hip Hop” immediately spark the fire, setting the tone for the rest of the album, and both songs are rousing to get your body moving. “Jam Session” slows it down a little with a freestyle cypher vibe, where everyone gets a turn to spit a verse. I particularly enjoy the way “Jam Session” interpolates patterns from the famous French nursery rhyme “Frère Jacques.”

“Goin’ 4 Gutz,” and “Nuthin’ Like The Real Thang” are about getting freaky with sexual encounters. Both songs contain some clever metaphors, including a reference to a slogan for Ball Park brand hot dogs. Title track, “Comin’ Out Stompin’,” is rock-solid in every way, and it dares other crews to step to L.S.R. and get defeated. The last song, “Keep Ya Movin’,” drops numerous quotable lyrics over a relaxed beat. “Downtown Seatown, kickin on 3rd Ave, in front of Mickey Dee’s, the only boys that’s bad.”

Guest appearances from other Seattle artists DLD, Ruthless Mellow Funk, and Dope Style Productions bring extra flavor to the recipe here. Each song is a little bit different, showing the easy versatility of Love Sick Rhymers. Eazeman released Comin’ Out Stompin’ on CD and lathe-cut vinyl, both in limited edition quantities. This is a true-school, absolutely classic 1992 Seattle rap album, and hopefully L.S.R. will drop more music in the years to come. Eaze, if you’re listening, Yesler Shot, wink. Written by Novocaine132

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A film about Northwest hip-hop from

Hold Tight 2 da Rhythm

Love Sick Rhymers came together as 8th graders in 1984 when DJ Eazeman met Kid Mix (who was also going by Z-Rock or Playboy Z) and a third member named Ace One. Kid Mix had seen a graffiti piece with the words Love Sick Bombers, and so he named their group Love Sick Rhymers. They recorded many tracks throughout the 1980s, and by the early ’90s they had an album finished called Yesler Shot. The first single from Yesler Shot is this dancy cut called “Hold Tight 2 Da Rhythm.”

The 1978 song “Hold On Tight” by Lakeside is used as the main sample for “Hold Tight 2 Da Rhythm.” Love Sick Rhymers are joined on the cut by guest rapper DLD (Dee.aLe) from another Seattle ’90s rap crew called DMS. At the beginning of the track Eaze introduces the rest of the group, and then they take turns getting loose on the mic. The raps include some speedy verses and wordplay alongside some more laid back styling and profiling.

Yesler Shot was never commercially released at the time, and it wasn’t until 2019 that DJ Eazeman uploaded all the group’s content to Youtube, where it can now be experienced. This is the only listing on Discogs for their record label Blakstyle Records, apparently no further releases ever came out on the label. Love Sick Rhymers were a prolific Seattle rap group that had such accomplishments as opening for Tribe Called Quest in 1991 at the Oz nightclub, and also performing at several stops on Sir Mix-A-Lot’s Mack Daddy tour in ’92! “Hold Tight 2 Da Rhythm” is a great party cut, and the raps keep it real. This is a classic 206 jam and it was rightfully included on the Goods/Stussy Jake One Town Biz Mixtape back in 2010. Written by Novocaine132

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