TOWN LOVE is an online art museum dedicated to celebrating the vibrant past and present of Northwest Hip-Hop. You can browse by artist or browse by year.

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Tag: Darius Willrich

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A film about Northwest hip-hop from

Byrd's Eye View

Byrdie was a unique talent in the Seattle rap scene who was taken from us far too soon. Byrdie got his start in the late 1990s as a gangsta rapper on Street Level Records. He was a member of F.T.S. on their second album Money Motivated, and Byrdie stood out from the nine members of the group as a hard-working rookie with heart and a lot of hustle.

Byrd’s Eye View was released in 2015 as a tribute to the life of this notable 206 artist. After a voicemail intro, the album begins with the orchestral “Lift Off,” produced by D-Sane and featuring scratching by Bean One. Radio-ready “Cool Wit It” featuring the T-Pain of Seattle, Roc Phizzle, is breezy and easy. The sexy “Keep It On The Hush (Remix)” puts a new lens on a sultry hit from Byrdie’s first album, Poetic Epidemic.

R&B singer Jazz Digga is featured on six different songs, and I think my favorite Jazz Digga cut is “Lord Knows I Try,” for its realism and drama. “You can’t try to hide from life,” Byrdie instructs on this somber cut. Another standout song is “Talk Of The Town” produced by Funk Daddy, and featuring rapper Livio. The album’s title track, “Byrd’s Eye View,” is the last full song on the album. D-Sane reminisces about knowing Byrdie, “since Mercer Middle School,” as he puts it.

D-Sane organized a Byrd’s Eye View release party at Nectar to celebrate Byrdie’s life in 2015. It included performances by Jazz Digga, Jewels Hunter, Certified Outfit, Clockwork, and Grynch. The whole video is available on YouTube, and I recommend checking it out. Rest in peace to Jesse “Byrdie” Watson, 1978-2013. Written by Novocaine132

Byrd's Eye View was created in and features appearances from:

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A film about Northwest hip-hop from

The Only Forgotten Son

In a podcast interview with DJ Peg, Fatal Lucciauno remembers the first rap that he ever wrote when he was a young child of seven or eight years old. Then he proceeds to spit the verse, which uses the hook, “Education is the key.” Fatal also remembers a second early rhyme that he wrote about having a positive Black identity, despite the legacy of historical American racism.

Fast forward to 2006, and Seattle rap family Sportn’ Life Records was having a huge year. The label put out Cause & Effect by D. Black, an album so heavy that it has been described here at Town Love as a “debate-ending anvil from a talented prodigy.” Sportn’ Life then teased an album from Fatal Lucciauno by dropping a three-song promo CDr. The hard hitting tracks, “Watch My Back,” “You Ain’t Hood,” and “Opportunity (feat. J Pinder),” made an impression on Seattle rap fans, and by 2007, Fatal had completed his debut album, The Only Forgotten Son.

“I’m Here” starts things off like a shot of strong liquor, instantly setting the mood. Before The Only Forgotten Son, Fatal had collaborated a couple of times with D. Black, and early in their careers the two rappers shared a lyrical and thematic gangsta rap lane. Fatal’s delivery on “I’m Here” definitely reminds me of D. Black, and that’s a good thing. The music sounds doom-filled and ominous, and the lyrics are hungry, “So fuck the label, fuck the law, fugitive artist, I just duck and draw.”

“Won’t Change” brings Tribal Productions legend Vitamin D onboard to drop his herky-jerky jalopy flow over a slinky groove. In fact, Vitamin keeps his production batting average high by effortlessly smacking beats like this one out of the park. Vitamin shares some of his life history so we can understand his pedigree, “Raised Democrat, soul child, used to bump Pendergrass, into rap, plus there’s a little pimping in the cat.” Fatal’s lyrics are more defiant, and he stakes a claim to his hood identity which is set in stone. Things get even more gritty on “Don’t Grind Don’t Eat,” and the song reminds us that everyone needs a hustle to survive, whether it’s a legit one, or something more criminal.

My favorite track on the album is “Gangsta Groove.” This absolute classic was produced by D. Black, who made six of the beats on the album, including “I’m Here.” “Gangsta Groove” drops little bon mots and aphorisms alongside punchlines and hard rhymes. With references to David Hasselhoff and O.J. Simpson, the track weaves humor with real talk in a very effective way. Fatal would go on to have one of the most accomplished careers of any Seattle MC, with at least six full albums under his belt. The Only Forgotten Son is another big win for Sportn’ Life Records. Written by Novocaine132

The Only Forgotten Son was created in and features appearances from:

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