Listening to the new solo record from SassyBlack today. No More Weak Dates is the best sort of nouveau disco—strange, soulful music with snappy beats that you might initially feel shouldn’t work, but it does, and later you realize you’ve been humming along. Her lyrics pull from a wide range of personal themes: Star Trek, throwing shade, the dating scene, and dairy obsession. (Trust me: You’ll love that song.) One of my favorites is the slow-burn relationship realization described in “Forest of Desire.” As an advocate of the Seattle hip-hop scene, Cat is very inspiring to me: I often see her out at shows supporting other artists, standing in the cheering section. She’s active in the scene, hustles her butt off, and turns her beliefs into action. And she’s one hell of a musician, and innovative beat maker, too.