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: Silent Knight

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A film about Northwest hip-hop from

N Flight

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

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Sippin' Music

Cancer Rising is a hip-hop group with two MC’s—Gatsby and Judas—and one DJ, Tiles One. Sippin’ Music is the group’s first album, and it is a strong effort with a wide scope. The songs range from rowdy uptempo party jams like “Stop, Drop, Roll” and “Serious as…” to slower, more pensive tracks like “Fly Away” and “Who Woulda Thought.” Album highlights include “Sleight Of Hand,” which tackles the subject of political and military corruption, and the punchline-heavy head-nodder “Get A Hit.” The hidden masterpiece here is “IAM (Impressions And Memories),” with a beat that evokes the genius of J-Dilla, and lyrics which show a deep understanding of hip hop and rap’s fundamental ingredients. Sippin’ Music’s best quality is its ability to show off a new style on each track, no two songs sound the same. Cancer Rising introduced itself to Seattle with this record, and immediately cemented its status as one of the most relevant and creative acts to come from the 206. (Written by Novocaine132.)

Sippin' Music was created in and features appearances from:

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Industreets

Here’s some forgotten greatness from the Northwest: Cyphalliance, a group of emcees, producers, and deejays spearheaded by Khazma 247, also known as the one and only Khazm. This was a relatively early project he and his MAD Krew was involved in (2003). Executive produced by 247 and Nosirrom, many of the tracks also give Khazm a producer and emcee credit as well.

Stylistically this is some high-energy, youthful consciousness mixed with a healthy dose of battle attitude. It’s some refreshingly energetic left coast music in the same vein as JKC or EX2, except that it’s so obviously from the 206.

The grayness that permeates so much of the tonality of Northwest music (both hip-hop and otherwise) is truly in effect here. The cover sums the music up perfectly – a group of young men standing in front of a cloudy sky backdrop, as seen in the reflection of a rain puddle in a drab parking lot. Perseverance in the face of the mundane. I was next to ecstatic when I found this long out-of-print chapter in Northwest hip-hop history, and I hope you enjoy it at least a tiny bit as much as I do. (This review originally appeared on the Bring That Beat Back blog and was written by Jack Devo.)

Industreets was created in and features appearances from:

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