A film about Northwest hip-hop from

Blake Anthony

Blake Anthony is a superb self-titled selection of smoking anthems from this prolific Tacoma-by-way-of-Topeka talent. He effortlessly raps over a seamless backdrop of reggae, jazz, and trap beats. Respect My Region says this EP is “an experience like you stepped into Narnia, warping time,” while adding that you can sense the sound of bong tokes in the background. The laid-back lead single “Black Coffee” racked up more than 200,000 plays on Spotify, and B.A. sold out his record release party at Columbia City Theater. You know his name now. Start paying attention.

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A film about Northwest hip-hop from

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Demo Mix '17

This seven-song mixtape, Demo Mix ’17, from Scribe Mecca, Yodi Mac and Wffls, is only available on physical CD-R. In an age when the public acts increasingly entitled to steam anything they want for free, it’s refreshing to see the conviction of these Tacoma musicians in producing a rarity: An underground physical release that you have to put effort into obtaining. (i.e. Go follow and DM the creators.) I will say you should absolutely go seek this one out. It hits the ground running: It seems impossible for these guys to write a bad song. There’s an overall laid-back vibe like you’re hanging out in a basement with a tuneful trifecta. Singalong raps like track 3, “Don’t waste your time you’re better off” or track 4, which recontextualizes samples from Rihanna’s Anti, are refreshingly out-of-step from what you’d expect from trap-centric Tac. (p.s. These guys should totally do a collaboration with fellow Tacoma resident Noo.) The last track, “ENEMIES,” recently found its way onto SoundCloud alongside a coveted Luna God remix. This whole mixtape is fire.

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The Shrouded Door

Listening to The Shrouded Door, a powerful new EP from Tacoma hip-hop duo B.A. the Scribe and Wffls, will leave you good and angry. Released on Election Day, it frames Donald Trump’s victory as no surprise—just the latest manifestation of a growing cancer in American society. It opens with the lines “Can’t look at my phone no more, it makes me mad.” We live in a country where law-abiding black citizens are murdered by police, where we tolerate injustice and your social media hashtag protests ain’t gonna do nothing. These six dense tracks are a call to action, a call to courage and hope. This is not a time to cower and hide. I’m reminded of a quote from our 26th president, Theodore Roosevelt: “Get action. Do things; be sane; don’t fritter away your time; create, act, take a place wherever you are, and be somebody; get action.” Great guest verses from Yodi Mac on “No Hands.”

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