A film about Northwest hip-hop from

Vizard

Hmmm... There’s not a lot of information about this record in the museum encyclopedia.

This TOWN LOVE website was created in 2021 as a pandemic-era project. It was a volunteer-led effort to help document and celebrate the complete history of Northwest hip-hop between the years 1981 and 2020. This public archive we built is now available for free online for everyone to read and explore.

If you'd like to contribute, and you know something about this particular record--a story, a memory, or a favorite lyric--please email us a short write-up, and we’ll add your thoughts to the archive when we get the chance.

Thanks for your help in preserving the history of our scene!

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A film about Northwest hip-hop from

Armadilla Lexus

A recent “My Philosophy” column in The Stranger turned me on to Nu Era and their latest Armadilla Lexus. Fresh beats, smooth rhymes, multiple rappers throwing verses, wicked production… This is a record where I get about five songs in and then go back to the beginning and listen to those same songs again. And again. So many standout tracks, especially “More Alice.”

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A film about Northwest hip-hop from

Remember Face

During winter in Seattle, days are short and dark, and it’s always raining. Joy Division and The XX. Names not usually associated with hip-hop, however, Remember Face’s self-titled debut brings to mind their bleak, goth moodiness, and that’s definitely how I’m feeling lately. “My Tigers Name Is Lion,” with its massive industrial synths could be mistaken for something new from Depeche Mode. That is until Chimaroke Abuachi starts spitting on top, sometimes singing, directing the mood bleaker still. Andrew Savoie of Home Slice fame is responsible for the production and the keys. The mood builds in intensity, over these 10 short, intense tracks, broken just before the end with “Take Shelter” and its humorous pirate ending. Also, breathtaking cover.

Did we get it wrong? It happens. Send us an email and let's get it corrected right away!