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: Rocaphella

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A film about Northwest hip-hop from

Coolout 18

This film drops you into the crowd at the 18th-anniversary party for The Coolout Network, in 2009. Show creator Georgio Brown says the event was something of a dare: When he proposed a showcase featuring 18 of the top talents from The Town, everyone told him, “18 acts in one night? You can’t do it.” Nonetheless, this party proves the skeptics wrong.

There’s some wild live footage here, such as Sinsemilla performing their 2000 hit “Destiny,” or Silver Shadow D showing off his ability to rap and beatbox simultaneously.

Gabriel Teodros explains how meaningful both Coolout and Georgio himself have been to his growth as an artist. He recalls being 18 and rapping at the back of the bus, and Georgio walked up to him, handed him his Coolout card, and said, “You’re tight. You should do your thing.” You hear similar stories from many of the other artists in attendance, shouting out Georgio for “holding it down and documenting the scene. Y’all seeing history right here.”

This movie captures those elusive feelings of camaraderie and casual socializing: Watching it, you really feel like you’re hanging out at a Seattle hip-hop show on a Tuesday night, and everyone’s here and nobody’s in a rush to get anywhere.

Coolout 18 was created in and features appearances from:

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A film about Northwest hip-hop from

The Status Is Active

Throughout the early 2000s, rappers Twin-G and Gangsta Nutt both established themselves as strong voices in the Northwest rap game. According to Twin-G the two never had beef between them, but they did harbor a minor rivalry. In 2008 they put any doubt aside and teamed up to create a new duo called The Status. An album soon followed called The Status Is Active.

Twin remembers that Messy Marv happened to be in Seattle one night, leading to the song “Certified” which opens the album. The first time I heard “I Wanna Be Like You,” I got goose bumps from the children singing the hook. It turns out that they are Twin’s own kids, and “I Wanna Be Like You” is a powerful reminder that each of us is a role model to someone, for better or for worse. “Keep A B**** Broke” is a somewhat experimental-sounding departure from the typical gangsta vibe of the album. The track is rough and herky jerky, like a comical Flintstones car rolling on stone wheels.

“Sometimes I Cry” is an emotional look at how people can get trapped in the gang life from a young age. Two of the biggest singles from The Status Is Active, “Does The Hood Love Me?” and “Hoover Love” both appear together in a Youtube tribute video produced by Twin-G for his deceased friend George “Peanut” Hendricks. “Does The Hood Love Me?” features catchy singing in the chorus, and the song is a true classic. “We paid the cost to be the boss and never let up, cause banging in the hood is more than just throwing your set up,” raps Nutt. “Hoover Love” interpolates the classic Zapp & Roger song “Computer Love” for a groovy result.

Going on to establish himself as one of Seattle’s realest to ever play the game, Gangsta Nutt dominated the underground until his passing in 2021. Twin-G has also continued to make waves, including his 2013 project I Shouldn’t Be Alive, and he has become one of the true OGs in the 206 rap game. Written by Novocaine132

The Status Is Active was created in and features appearances from:

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A film about Northwest hip-hop from

Nocturnal Rage

Seattle’s notorious rain clouds set the backdrop for the thunderous reign of Nocturnal Rage. These three colorful emcees emerge from hip-hop’s gray area, much like a fiery sunrise in a dampened sky. Caligula, Pyro-Maniak, and Fo’ Feva are steppin’ out with their debut album and a perspective on what the rap game means to them. The group delivers hardcore hip-hop with a rock and funk twist combined with a live band. The album features legendary funk icon Rick James, bay area rapper Suga-T, and P-Funk guitarist Spaceman Patterson and many more. Music production includes Bosko, Mr. Roc’Phella, Philly Blunt, and Daddy-O of Stetsasonic.

The Source magazine says “Seattle’s own trio, Nocturnal Rage, packs more zest than a Starbucks menu.”

Nocturnal Rage was created in and features appearances from:

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