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: Lace Cadence

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Born Rich

Born Rich by Mackned is ideal music to accompany your next solo, introspective, nighttime drive. When I bought this record I also picked up Drake’s Views, and have been listening to both together at random. In my mind they’re commingled, and it’s easy to see why: both artists are drawn toward auto-tuned singing raps, minimal drums, and luxury brooding. However, Born Rich is the one I spin more often, with standout tracks like “Dope Man” and ’80’s throwback “Fanta Blue.” At only nine short tracks, it’s the sort of record you listen to all the way through and then restart and listen to every track again.

Born Rich was created in and features appearances from:

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Friends, Funk & Liquor

There’s an easy, happy vibe that you find in most of the records of Sam Lachow that I just love. Sam’s latest one, Friends, Funk & Liquor, further demonstrates the evolution of his career from young wine to fine port: here are seven slick and stylish songs that slide by in the most satisfying way. Sam is a presence that vibes throughout this record, but he often steps back to give lead mic to one of his many talented contributors, including Ariana DeBoo, Gifted Gab, B. Skeez, and others. Dave B is featured on three tracks here. The third track, “Absolutely” will have you jumping around your living room. This is party music, the sound of hanging out with your friends, and Sam’s many friends and collaborators are featured on the cover. What a party.

Friends, Funk & Liquor was created in and features appearances from:

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This That & Th3rdz

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!

This That & Th3rdz was created in and features appearances from:

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Ready For Life

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!

Ready For Life was created in and features appearances from:

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SeattleCali Fragilistic ExtraHella Dopeness

Seattle hip-hop blog 206UP picked this record as one of the “Top 10 Albums of 2010,” saying that:

The album equivalent of a 2-0-6 hip-hop house party, by design SeattleCali wasn’t exactly an official debut LP for State of the Artist, but a showcase for much of the talent in the city. The three SOTA emcees were consistently outshone by their guests and a lot of times the lyrics didn’t seem to make any sense. As strictly a party album, however, there wasn’t one better.

SeattleCali Fragilistic ExtraHella Dopeness was created in and features appearances from:

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Future Pastime

Seattle rap group Clockwork put in some serious effort in the 2000s. Their first album After Midnight in 2006 included party cuts like “Ride,” and “Dubs To Blow,” set against quieter reflections like my personal fave “Fallin Hard.” In 2009 the group returned with their second album Future Pastime. Producer Sekken Thaughtz is back for the second project, and he is joined by House, DJ Pro, and some beatmaking from Lace Cadence as well.

The easygoing, toe-tapper “Westinghouse” features Seattle stalwart DJ B-Mello on the turntables, and it reminds me fondly of summertime L.A. rap radio. “Welcome” aims to get listeners on the dancefloor, with its buzzword-heavy, singalong lyrics and snappy beat. “Blowin on dro, yelling out Fresh Coast,” goes one refrain of this rewindable hit. “The Weed Guy” is so ghostly that it had snuck in and then out like a cat burglar before I even noticed it was there. It’s as if the song is made out of see-through Megalopolis fabric, successfully merging itself with its surroundings. I’m not trying to dis, I actually like the track.

Clockwork filmed a standalone video for “Hold On,” which features the group in a studio and on location in Seattle’s industrial Georgetown neighborhood. This was a departure from the After Midnight videos which were, for whatever reason, released as two songs per video. There’s an easter egg in “Concepts of Reality” referencing the 1990s Seattle group that brought us Procreations and Everything is Nice.

The CD jacket for Future Pastime shows 17 songs, but if you let the disc run out, you will find two secret bonus tracks. One of the secret cuts, “Hard Times” is a fun exercise in rap skills and steady beats, and wins my pick for the strongest song on the album. According to Discogs, Future Pastime was the group’s second and final album. Written by Novocaine132

Future Pastime was created in and features appearances from:

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After Midnight

Clockwork is a three man operation consisting of Lace Cadence, Rockwell, and Take One. In 2006 they teamed up to drop After Midnight. Most of the beats on the CD are by Sekken Thaughtz and Catch PHRASE. Clockwork are assisted in the scratch department by none other than DJ Scene on a couple of tracks.

“Ride” by Catch PHRASE unfurls to a hiccuping beat, and kicks the album into a party mode. It’s got a seriously fun g-funk vibe, and the delicate synth melodies transported me to a bygone decade. Local Seattle production legend Bean One offers two beats on After Midnight, a slightly plodding “If Ya Wanna,” and an even slower and more intimidating “On The Move,” the latter featuring beloved Seattle rapper Byrdie, who passed away in 2013.

“Dubs To Blow” is an enjoyable, lazy romp through the topic of toking. “It’s like apples and oranges comparing Vegas to Swishers,” goes one line. Garcia Y Vega and Swisher Sweet were, of course, two of the most popular cigars with which to roll blunts. I liked the flamboyant energy and experimental production of “Drop That,” but the song never really finds itself. “Fallin Hard” stands out for its three-dimensional mood and its soft, rainy atmosphere which evokes a couple of Cancer Rising’s more mellow cuts. Because it truly captures the unique, resilient vibe of Seattle, “Fallin Hard” is easily my favorite track on After Midnight.

In my opinion, producer Catch PHRASE has a bold Lil-Jon-esque pop sensibility in which the beats may sound annoyingly simplistic, but they stay in your ear. Lil Jon is a certified hitmaker, after all, love him or hate him. Sekken Thaughtz’s beats go into the territory of jazzy/obscure samples and chops, which show respect for a more traditional New York sound. The MCs are all solid on After Midnight, showing good breath control and rhyme writing. The group dropped their second album Future Pastime in 2009. Written by Novocaine132

After Midnight was created in and features appearances from:

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All In A Day's Work

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!

All In A Day's Work was created in and features appearances from:

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The Merchandice

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!

The Merchandice was created in and features appearances from:

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Progress...

Changing gears a little bit, this is a fine example of some turn-of-the-century Northwest hip-hop. I got this album from one of the band members outside the Paradox theater in the U-District, back in 2001. That was an incredible night; Slug, Idea, and Abilities were headlining, but what stole the show for me was the huge MC battle that preceded them. The winners: Bishop I from Oldominion tied with Surge (not Surge Spittable, just Surge – where are you now?). Amazing. Anyhow, This post isn’t about Surge, or Bishop I, or Oldominion – this is about that CD I picked up that night: Progress… by Elevated Elements. They were part of a huge crew in the Seattle area known as NAPS. Elevated consisted of Lace Cadence, Exakt, Patrick, FingerPrints, and Macklemore (yes, that Macklemore). The CD is surprisingly good, and well worth the money. I still play it now and again. It’s right here on my iPod. Give it a listen – tracklisting in the package, 21 dope tracks deep. All in all, I’d say it was a good night. (This review originally appeared on the Bring That Beat Back blog and was written by Jack Devo.)

Progress... was created in and features appearances from:

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