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: Eazeman

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A film about Northwest hip-hop from

50 Next: Seattle Hip-Hop Worldwide

50 Next: Seattle Hip-Hop Worldwide drops you into a literal roundtable conversation between Town legends old and young. James Croone of The Emerald Street Boys tells the story of discovering how “poetry on top of music” could carry a message. Spyc-E shares how she first learned to write rap verses, at age 11, and is kindly teased by the group into performing her first-ever childhood rhymes. Later, Khingz thanks Vitamin D for mentoring him early in his career, and for how it helped him achieve his own success. This half-hour documentary captures several charming, rambling discussions about the long history of Northwest rap. The whole thing is a delight.

Eazeman from ’90s group L.S.R. reflects on how major-label rejection shaped the scene early, saying “If you don’t want to show us for who we really are, then we don’t need you. We’re going to make our own party.” Rapper Candidit adds, “Don’t come if you’re not prepared.”

The group passionately rails against the evils of what they describe as “capitalist hip-hop,” which divides communities and makes local artists into commodities to be bought and sold. There’s a need today for more love and mutual respect and not so much focus on money and fame and numbers. Instead, they explain how everyone making art in the Northwest has a responsibility to fight back against the mainstream, “intended to pacify society” adds CPS da Scientist. Rapper DICE encourages artists to follow their imagination, saying “who cares what is new and cool now. Figure out what it’s going to be cool next, and then be the first to do it.”

50 Next was released as part of a larger online interactive experience by Aaron Walker-Loud and Avi Loud, “a multi-media time capsule of what was, what is, and what’s next…” The whole project is still online and is viewable here.

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The Yesler Shot

Seattle rap group Love Sick Rhymers, or L.S.R. for short, were very influential in the late ’80s and early ’90s hip-hop scene. Producer and rapper Eaze won a citywide rap-off in 1989 which was held at the Moore Theater. By that point L.S.R. had dozens of songs recorded and were looking for a way into the industry.

They put out a cassette single in 1991 called “Hold Tight 2 (Da) Rhythm.” A full album called The Yesler Shot was finished, but unfortunately it was never released. In 2024, Eaze assembled the original parent material, including three minidiscs and a cassette, and had the audio completely restored. The result is a deluxe compact disc edition of The Yesler Shot album, thirty-three years after its creation. The cover art is a collage of the two Seattle neighborhoods where the members of the group grew up.

This 1991 album consists of twelve magical tracks from the golden era of hip-hop. The opener, “12 Shots (It’s The Gauge)” goes ham responding to the grave injustice served in cases like that of Rodney King. However, most of the tracks here are not political, it’s more of a party vibe going forward. “Anotha Funky Hit Single” is a perfect example, and it is literally bursting with joyous rhythm. Longtime fans of the group will be happy to see the inclusion of L.S.R.’s underground street classic, “Cadillac Music” on The Yesler Shot.

My favorite song on the album is the title track, “The Yesler Shot.” “Rewind to the beginning, and play it nonstop,” suggests Eaze. The song fits in any situation, chilling on the couch, in the car with your friends, or partying on the dancefloor. Their 1991 hit “Hold Tight 2 Da Rhythm” is the last song on The Yesler Shot, and it’s an earlier recording of the track which is slightly different than the twelve-inch single which dropped in ’92.

This album is incredibly varied, and each song takes you to a different place. Even though most of the tracks are high energy and danceable, rapper AceeOne drops a slow, reflective cut called “Down From The Start” which will have you reminiscing about your younger days.

On November 25, 1991, L.S.R. was lucky enough to perform at the Oz nightclub with legendary New York act A Tribe Called Quest! By the end of 1992, Love Sick Rhymers would complete their last album called Comin’ Out Stompin’ which finally saw a release in 2023. Written by Novocaine132

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The Love Sick ProducRush

Rap production began in the early ‘80s as a fairly rudimentary artform. Producers like Rick Rubin gave basic backdrops to rap artists including L.L. Cool J and T La Rock. Then the beatmaking craft became more complex as the years went by. One Seattle group that exemplifies the development of rap is Love Sick Rhymers. Their first song in 1984, “Always Have Somethin To Do Wit Females” was very basic, and only a minute long. But L.S.R. developed quickly, and each new song was a quantum leap forward.

At first they recorded at Kid Mix’s house on South Bangor, but by 1990, producer and rapper Eazeman’s Yesler Shot Studio had become the gravitational center for a huge extended posse. Love Sick Rhymers even had their own slang, including the word “ProducRush.” This portmanteau was a combination of the words “production” and “bum rush,” which meant to gather a large group of friends to “rush” the door into the club without paying. L.S.R. finished a full album that year, but due to lack of resources and scarce industry connections, they never released it. In 2025, Eazeman found the project, had it restored, and released this deluxe edition of The Love Sick ProducRush thirty-five years after he produced it.

The album has ten unique tracks and effortlessly captures the golden era of hip hop. It starts out slowly with “Wake Up” and “Word!” Then the lyrics turn to Black awareness with “Fresh One” and “Droppin’ Science,” the latter of which samples statements by a pre-conversion Malcolm X. “Dance To This” features Dee.aLe from the successful Seattle rap trio DMS. LSR-adjacent crew Ruthless Mellow Funk appears on two tracks here, bringing that comedy vibe. I especially enjoy the Jackin-For-Beats-style production on “RMF Style.”

But far and away my favorite track on the album is the title track, “This Is A Love Sick ProducRush.” This song shows a new level of complexity from producer Eazeman, compared to his earlier work in the late ’80s. It’s also a very uptempo jam providing instant fuel for any dance floor. This hyperactive sound would be continued on future L.S.R. releases like The Yesler Shot in 1991, and Comin’ Out Stompin’ in 1992.

The Love Sick ProducRush is layered and dense from start to finish. There is a discoverability in L.S.R. records that is lacking in many other groups. Love Sick Rhymers created their own fun universe bursting with energy and creativity, right in Seattle on Yesler Way. It’s magic! Written by Novocaine132

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Executin' Suckas

After starting in 1984, Seattle rap group Love Sick Rhymers grew and added new members over the next several years. Producer and rapper Kid Mix often hosted recording sessions at his South Bangor bedroom studio. In 1989 they developed an album called Executin’ Suckas, but it was never released at the time. In 2026, the group resurfaced the original recordings from minidisc, and packaged them into a deluxe Compact Disc edition.

Executin’ Suckas begins with a short intro featuring the legendary Ice T on The Arsenio Hall Show. Then the peppery “Open Up Your Mind” spices things up. It’s produced by Kid Mix, who does a majority of the album’s beats. Third is the gorgeous “Rappin’ In The Park,” a jazzy number that predates the vibe of Digable Planets by several years.

The title track arrives at number four. “I could go on for days about the suckas I’ve seen, Seattle got more suckas doing sucka routines,” goes a favorite line of mine. Song five is the relentless “Back For More,” with a rough, tough verbal lashing for any listener. “I got the bass down lower than the minimum wage,” raps Eazeman sardonically.

Sixth on Executin’ Suckas is “World Famous,” with a calibrated verbal flow by AceeOne that really complements the beat. Next is a groovy little diversion titled “This Beat’s For You.” It’s a catchy toe-tapper, but then again so are all the other songs on the album. I love the little taste of Chuck Mangione sprinkled in there near the end.

Eight is “A Wildstyle” produced by Eazeman. The beat incorporates a deft sample from “The New Style” by the Beastie Boys, while the lyrics describe how to steal electronic gear in an entertaining storytelling style. “Resign @ 9” is nimble and fresh but watch out, it feels askew until you somehow snap into it. The last song on the album is the thumping “Young Fast, Young Quick” featuring DJ Too Quick from the Underworld crew.

After Executin’ Suckas, the group dropped classic underground albums in 1990, 1991, and 1992 before breaking up in 1993. Love Sick Rhymers are true Seattle rap superstars with a reissue catalog that continues to grow. Written by Novocaine132

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