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: Isaac Meek

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Old Fashioned

In 2012 Billy The Fridge dropped his second full album titled Old Fashioned and Seattle was never the same.

At first glance the album is just a sad mockery of an art form that was once based on life-or-death issues in New York City, but this project is infinitely more layered than one might immediately realize. Billy has been trying to meme his way into the public consciousness for a long time. One of his early viral songs was called “Cake Day” based on the Reddit tradition. Billy’s first album in 2009 (Million Dollar Fantasy Freak Show) captured his berserk Biz Markie ‘comedian-of-rap’ quality, but Old Fashioned saw exponential growth in his artistic process.

Fridge created a character who matches the weirdness of Slim Shady, appearing to be in on the joke even despite all the sleaze. It’s a complex performance by a man who mastered kayfabe in semi-pro wrestling for years before turning to rapping. His poetic voice is somewhere between George Carlin and Blowfly.

To be clear, Fridge is no novelty rapper, he is a legit talented rapper who tackles novelty subjects, a distinction that is very important. And his actual voice is no less remarkable, as he manages to frantically spit speedy complex lyrics with the clearest diction this side of the Atlantic.

The listener enters a world narrated by a ghoulish character with a wicked sense of humor. Think Al Yankovich trying to do MC Ren or Geto Boys. Fridge is hardcore, Old Fashioned is not a kid-friendly album, but it sure is immature. Tracks like “Brown Bag,” “8 Ton Gorilla,” and the ridiculous crowd-pleaser sing-along “Dumb” present an artist who creates an ‘insta-vibe’ and makes a song out of it. Many of the tracks are memes of pop-culture properties, for instance, “Workaholic” is not-so-loosely based on the sitcom. “Just A Bill” reimagines Schoolhouse Rock while Fridge lands nuclear punchlines on you like elbow drops. It sounds stupidly simple because it is. Fridge is an internet sensation, and he has a classic rap album. (Written by Novocaine132.)

Old Fashioned was created in and features appearances from:

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Reigncraft, Volume 4: The Labor

After three successful compilations, Reigncraft series founder KNDNM could have just thrown in the towel and decided that the innovative Seattle rap series had run its course. Thankfully for rap fans across the Northwest, that’s not what happened. This Reigncraft Volume 4: The Labor compact disc dropped at the end of 2004, and it is yet another action-packed assembly of varied hip-hop talent from the 206.

“Questions” by Unexpected Arrival presents a number of deep thoughts to chew on, set to a compelling, stark beat. “Dammit all to hell, my life feeling like a jail. We won’t win the war if we’re still fighting amongst ourselves,” goes a heartfelt line. “Questions” was also featured on Unexpected Arrival’s third album, My Life For Sale in 2005. Bad Luk is a Reigncraft veteran who had a track featured on each of the first three CDs. His cut here, “Expectations” is excellent, and it shows that his hard grind really paid off. Bad Luk’s voice carries a devastating urgency, and the lyrics are very personal. “I wish you had to wear my shoes, so you felt my scars, so you could deal with real life when you was dealt my cards,” he raps.

The strange, zippy Kuddie Mack beat on “Dents In The Trunk” is intriguing. Stretch uses a conversational tone in his lyrics, which makes his voice approachable and familiar sounding, removing the distance between listener and performer. Because of the subject matter, “Dents In The Trunk” reminds me of the 1988 classic “Cars With The Boom” by L’Trimm.

“Pick Me Up” by Cyphalliance and “Stomp” by A-OK both bring the backpack, freestyle-circle vibe. These two songs explore the “metaphorical oratorical” to use a line from “Stomp.” The whole point of Reigncraft is to place tracks from the wordplay world against other more gangsta-oriented type of joints. Now, twenty years later, the genre of hip-hop continues to expand into a splinterverse of styles and experimentation. Reigncraft Volume 4: The Labor reminds us that it all comes back to hip-hop, and we are all part of the same family. Written by Novocaine132

Reigncraft, Volume 4: The Labor was created in and features appearances from:

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Reigncraft, Volume 1: The Resources

The tech world is known for Silicon Valley start-up incubators like Y Combinator which launched in 2005. Incubators bring together talented people with different skillsets who team up to create new technology companies. In 2003, a fan of Seattle hip-hop named KNDNM was ahead of the curve. He decided to start his own Seattle hip-hop incubator called Reigncraft, which led to a CD compilation, Reigncraft, Volume 1: The Resources. KNDNM explains his goal on “Intro,” which is to introduce producers, rappers, and studios to each other so that they can all find someone who matches their creative vision.

“Sing A Song” by Willie Will and Illy Wonka starts things off, and it’s hella dope. At first it seems bubblegum, but as the track goes forward it gets more and more nutritious, and the MCs earn the candy beat with excellent flows. This is a sound that could be on the radio, it rides like a more wholesome version of “Headband” by B.o.B. and 2 Chainz, or a less repetitive “There It Go” by Juelz Santana.

Ricky Pharoe is a rapper known for alter egos. After all, he released four albums as Art Vandelay, George Costanza’s fictional architect. Is that meta enough for you? Here he uses the name Greasy Earl, and offers the track “Celebrity Status.” Earl hits it out of the park on this multi-dimensional, entertaining joint, with a gorgeous beat produced by I. Meek and J. Karp. “Keep clipping the coupons, I’m up in the penthouse, you sleep on a futon,” he disses. Pharoe dropped a full Greasy Earl album in 2003 titled Chief Executive Officer, with possibly my favorite rap track of all time, “New Earl Order.”

Illy Wonka returns with his own solo track, “This Is How I Feel,” which is another winner. Wonka found an excellent producer in Mugsy Styles, who also produced “Sing A Song.” While some tracks on The Resources are muddy and poorly mixed, Mugsy’s work is clean and his beats pop with clarity. The mood is positive and the lyrics provide something to build on, such as, “When you don’t practice, you lose.” I’m a big fan of empowering messages, and Wonka has plenty.

“Buildn 16” is the most complex track on the compilation. From the first line, “First floor apartment one, a single mom and her son,” the lyrics are very visual and descriptive. Rappers A.C. and Kevin deliver compelling verse after verse. The beat allows the message to stand out by staying in the background, but it brings plenty of funky weirdness and mood for days. Reigncraft was an ambitious project, and it would not be long before Volume 2: The Source arrived later in 2003. Written by Novocaine132

Reigncraft, Volume 1: The Resources was created in and features appearances from:

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