Seattle rapper Byrdie dropped his debut CD in 2001 titled Poetic Epidemic. Guest appearances on tracks by Skuntdunanna and Unexpected Arrival kept Byrdie’s name in the spotlight, and by 2004 he was ready to put out his second album, the epic N Flight. His manager at the time was none other than Jonathan “Wordsayer” Moore from Jasiri Artist Management. During this era, Wordsayer was the unofficial “Mayor of Seattle” to nearly all hip hop figures in the town.

With maybe the exception of The Heist by Macklemore and Ryan Lewis, N Flight is one of the most mainstream albums to ever emerge from the Seattle rap scene. Byrdie was clearly courting pop success with this body of work, and somewhat rejecting his Street Level Records roots in gangsta rap. The first song “B.Y.R.D.I.E.” is ready for radio. Produced by Vitamin D, the song is solid and funky to a high degree. The reliable “All Out” by Bean One might be my favorite cut on the album. It is a basic but effective party track, and I can’t lie, the chorus gets me hyped.

“I Wanna Know” featuring Darius Willrich is about commitment in relationships, and Byrdie weaves a vividly textured story. Keeping it in the emotion zone is “Move On” featuring singer Choklate, which is about the struggles of growing up, and facing the results of the choices we make. Both “I Wanna Know” and “Move On” are produced by Sekken Thaughtz, who went on to make beats for Clockwork’s debut album in 2006. As evidenced throughout N Flight, Byrdie had a Tupac-like ability to describe complex situations in lyrically poignant verses. The feel-good “Wanted” is a smash hit featuring Reggie Watts. It’s a sweet innocent love song to a crush, “the prettiest girl in my classroom.” This one will be in your head forever.

Not everything here is a hit, unfortunately. For example, directionless “Scattin’” recycles a line from “B.Y.R.D.I.E.” which lessens the punch of both songs. “The Ways Of The World” is a little too self-serious and politically on the nose for me to enjoy it. The most intense track on N Flight is the autobiographical “Where Were You…” in which Byrdie addresses his estranged father. Byrdie had a wild ride to the top of the Seattle rap scene. His Big-Pun-esque voice, combined with a charismatic heart of gold, carried him far. He battled cancer for years, and in 2013, Jesse “Byrdie” Watson finally passed away at the age of thirty-five. Written by Novocaine132