They Live! is Gatsby from Cancer Rising and DJ Bles One from Mash Hall. Not coincidentally, They Live! is also the bomb. We can vouch for that, having listened a large number of times to the first, sixteen minute episode of the absurdly good, theatrical, hilarious piece of hiphop they're calling the Dro Bots Saga. We've also gone completely bonkers along with the rest of the crowd during their rare live performances. Needless to say, Episode 1 of the Dro Bots Saga is mandatory downloading (here). Our favorite song from that installment is "Weed Murder," which has been getting some play on KEXP; now, there's a snazzy video to go along with the track. View now and become cooler by doing so: more ›

WHO IS INVERSE'S INVERSE? California hiphop duo Inverse are named thus because, to a potentially undiscerning eye, the two rappers' backgrounds don't have very much in common with each other. Sometimes opposites make the best hiphop, though, each side bringing its own wealth of experience and musical influences. According to their Myspace, Inverse raps about "happiness, pain and everything in between." With locals Cancer Rising, Akrish, Notion, and Know Choice opening up for them, this is going to be an easy-going, sunny hiphop show that will do right by you this weekend. more ›

One of Seattlest's absolute favorite local hiphop groups, Cancer Rising, just released a new video for "Let's Start Some Shit (ft. Bruce Illest)" off their most recent album. There should be more Rock Band-themed rap videos. more ›

This weekend smells like autumn. But if you point your nose in just the right direction, you'll smell something a little brinier, a little boozier; you will catch a whiff of some of Seattle's most creative hiphop, a scent emanating tonight from the High Dive (Grayskul/Champagne Champagne) and at the Rendezvous (They Live!/Fatal Lucciauno) for "The Corner." It's your call where you fork over your cash, but either way you're going to be in the company of Seattle-drenched hiphop greatness. more ›

BAG OF HIPHOP TRICKS: We're told that there's a hiphop happening at the Rendezvous tonight, of epic proportions. A whole bunch of hiphoppers doing their hiphop thing: They Live has members of Cancer Rising and Massive Monkees. Wizdom and Akrish will be there. Seattlest Katelyn, our local hiphop guruess, says of Akrish, "I like his freestyles." We believe Katelyn because we wouldn't dare cross her. She's got those numbchucks. more ›

Ra Scion stars in Common Market's newest offering: a music video for their Tobacco Road single "Trouble Is." Directed by Sabzi's brother Zia Mohajerjasbi, the video's set in the small-town South and features a very funky gospel choir, gorgeous old-timey aesthetic accents, and oodles of cameos by local hiphop heads. This is a case where the video adds to the song rather than distracts from it. Well done, Zia! more ›

We'll take it for granted that you will get pleasantly buzzed on nutritious, delicious microbrews at this year's Fremont OktoberFest, which might as well be called BeerFest. Someone else will have to fill you in about all the different kinds of beer this weekend (we heard there would be something like thirty breweries serving up!) at another time, though, because we would prefer to discuss the excellent local music offerings at this event. Seattle's ramping up for fall, which will come sooner rather than later; this is the perfect time to find a couple new local bands to love this winter. more ›

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Philly rapper Freeway at Chop Suey on Saturday: gruff, powerful, in control. Prodigious beard. His set was a pleasure to behold, with thick, thumping, meaty beats over which his growl sounded just right. Such sparkly bling, too! Our only complaints are that he cut off "It's Over" way too early and there were a couple too many a capellas, but the man can keep filthily perfect time and impresses regardless of the beat behind him. Freeway's a professional, plain and simple, and we hope he returns to Seattle now that he knows we'll show him love,Sportn' Life family style. (Who caught his rap session with JFK after the show? Put details in the comments!) more ›

"King Cobra's hiphop hymen has been broken!" declared Gatsby of Cancer Rising last night. It's true: The Physics were the first hiphop group ever to grace the newish stage in the rock-n'-roll-ified nightclub, and Cancer Rising made it extra official in a mixed line-up featuring the metal-rock, electric guitar-wielding Emeralds as well as Portland's indie rockers Caves. The night was "magical," as Caves singer Jacob Carey deemed it. Welcome, King Cobra, to Seattlest's short list of favorite venues, you with your yellow under-lit tables and your flickering neon bar shelves! Someone told us your food is tasty and your bar stools are even comfortable, and for all of those reasons you have earned our sincere affection. more ›

HUGE AMOUNTS OF CHEESE: The Cheese Festival is upon us! This is one of our top three favorite events of the year (#2: our birthday, #3: Christmas). Several reasons: a city block full of cheese, friendly vendors, wholesale prices on bottles in the wine garden (don't buy the red wine that says "bacon" three times in its description, we made that mistake last year), and (it bears repeating) a city block full of cheese. more ›

Tonight: Style Out in SoDo or Neema/Cool Nutz/Cancer Rising in Fremont? The choice is difficult for local hiphop fans. On the one hand, we've got Alpha P (classic and skilled pros), The Physics (hilarious and enthused), and a host of talented performers working the social movement angle of hiphop. On the other hand, we've got Neema (he's promised a bunch of new material tonight), Cool Nutz (from NE Portland, repping the deliciously dope ), and Cancer Rising (the rumor mill says: new dance moves). more ›

Friday's show at Nectar Lounge was a great showcase for both classic and fresh, emerging talents in local hiphop. Alpha P, a gratifyingly professional, unflaggingly high-spirited crew of twelve headlining the show, were working NW underground hiphop in the 90s; the other acts on the bill included Tacoma-based Jay Barz (a raucus party act, himself), pissed-off Neema of Unexpected Arrival, fast-talking Premonition and the bulging vein on his neck, and charismatic story-teller Kublakai--interviewed by Seattlest here. Though the show started late, DJ Hanibal won us over when he played Snoop and Dre's "Nuthin But A G-Thang," which we'd coincidentally just finished reminiscing about with our show-going companion. more ›

Saigon descended upon Neumos Wednesday night in true East Coast style, backed by three hype-men, two photographers, one DJ, and for awhile two dancing "homegirls". (Yes, his shirt did come off for a brief moment, and we did get to see those famous bulging arm muscles.) A sparse but expectant crowd watched as the New York rapper and his posse blew through an aggressive set that included the extra-tight club favorite "C'mon Baby" dropped at the stroke of midnight, and "My Favorite Things," a funny exercise in calculated OG optimism. more ›

If you're not planning on hitting up the Garden Show tonight, you should definitely be at Neumos getting your mind blown by the hardcore hiphop of New York's Saigon, Dyme Def, and Cancer Rising. more ›

U-N-I, the L.A. headliners at last night's show at Chop Suey, is the profoundly West Coast hiphop equivalent of human superficial fascia: loosely, intricately webbed, sticky, and pliable. Tricky, surprising beats backed Thurzday and Y-O's tight rap in a dizzying but relaxed kind of way. The night was solid for such an unsung show, with performances from some of 2008's most promising local acts: J. Pinder (his ballsy, impeccable timing meshing perfectly with high-power Vitamin D beats), the infectiously vibrant GMK, and Stranger fave The Physics. more ›

What have you been up to for the past six months or so? Professionally, artistically, personally? more ›

. We admit it: actually being at an event rocks at least ten times harder than watching it streamed online, no matter how good the audio/video feed is and no matter how much you love the internet. Day Three of The Program involved Seattlest physically putting our hands in the air and side to side (Grynch said to!), and even doing some headbanging to The Saturday Knights. Yes, we did spend physical, non-internet money on Day Three, but we also got to experience Grynch, Khingz (and co.), and TSK in physical, non-internet person. We jogged home during the break between TSK and Blue Scholars... Maybe we'll stay on Day Four. more ›

On Sunday night, Seattlest and a bunch of other Seattleites showed up at Chop Suey for the "Jive Turkey Extreme" Cancer Rising cd release party. The Valley (a Seattle rock band) opened, but we missed their set due to an emergency Piecora's artichoke-heart and sun-dried tomato pizza slice run. Ah, well. No matter. We were still among the first hundred people to buy our ticket and therefore obtain a free copy of Cancer Rising's hot-off-the-presses album! And we were in plenty of time for Dyme Def, The Girls, and Cancer Rising themselves. more ›

We would like to take a short minute to let you know what we did on Sunday night instead of hitting up the Rakim/Ghostface/Brother Ali show for $32. Instead, Seattlest trundled over to The Comet, where we got to sit down (albeit in rickety wooden chairs), drink $4 whiskey sodas, and enjoy the hooting and hollering of a crowd of thirty at the Nite Owls show. We had never been to a show at The Comet; the one time we'd even considered stopping in for a drink, we heard the strains of hiphop coming from Havana across the street and we went there instead. As it turns out, we love the Comet and we love the low-key, gruff, rough-and-ready hip-hop we heard there on Sunday. more ›

This weekend, Seattlest scored an email interview with Larry Mizell Jr, aka Gatsby of Cancer Rising, aka Man About Town (our term, not his). Readers: read on! more ›

Katelyn Hackett attends local hiphop shows. She will write about them for Seattlest. more ›

Comic Book Party: Fantagraphics celebrates the grand opening of their new retail & gallery space with an opening reception. Live music by The Rhaes. There's also an exhibit around the corner at Belle & Wissel, Co. to make the trip a twofer. more ›

The Big Digits performance in front of an intimate gathering of elite strangers in the basement of somebody's house in the central district last February was one of the weirdest, most intense shows we've seen this year (TD Sidell really puts the "aerobics" in "punk rock aerobics"), and their "rap battle" with arch foes Cancer Rising last year is also impossible to forget, no matter how much KUBE 93 we expose ourselves to. Tonight's spectacle at the High Dive (9:30pm; $6) will hopefully live up to these inflated expectations. Trust Seattlest as we insist this is the most important live music option for you this weekend and go forth with your hopes raised. more ›

Now that there's a chill in the air, Seattlest has taken to closing our windows at night before curling up in a warm bed with some hot cocoa and earplugs. That's right, it's officially the fall tour season, and there's live music galore. Behold! more ›

Dansk Stil was well worth attending Tuesday night, which many did despite the technical difficulties in getting our post up. The film was engaging, funny, and generally very human, exploring how the Danes have taken in and made aspects of hip-hop culture their own. The fact that there was a demonstration by some of the Danish b-boys and a quick performance by Cancer Rising proved to be the icing on an already satisfying cake. (Here are two scenes from the film: One Two) more ›

KRS-One, the great MC and hip-hop philosopher, often bloviates about a time when people no longer identify themselves as black or white, French or Italian. Rather than identifying with a race or along nationalistic ties, KRS-One envisions a time and place where people can identify simply as hip-hop, where those ideas and concepts represent enough to bring people together as a community. An ambitious idea? Certainly, but KRS-One has never been known for a shortage of big ideas. Tonight's screening of the Danish film Dansk Stil (and performance by up and comers Cancer Rising) seems to put some weight behind KRS-One's words, demonstrating hip-hop's ability to adapt and conform to its surroundings. more ›

The Boston-area rap duo Big Digits will make their triumphant return to our side of the hood Saturday, nearly one year after their victorious "rap battle in Seattle" (Get it? It rhymes...) whereby their west coast rivals Cancer Rising "got served" a rap-tastic smackdown that shamed Larry Mizell into hiding. But seriously: The show Big Digits put on last May at the Lo_Fi was one of the year's best performances, particularly for the insane, indescribable dance moves of former Punk Rock Aerobics genius T.D. Sidell (see photo above), endowed with a God like kinetic energy power that would make Bruce Lee look like Richard Simmons if Lee wasn't already dead. more ›

The perennial "east coast vs. west coast" divisions that have plagued the rap genre for eons may finally reach a dramatic climax tonight as rival rap bands Big Digits (of Boston) and Cancer Rising (representin' Seattle) converge at the Lo Fi Gallery at 429B Eastlake, a mere gold chain's toss north of beloved hip-hop hang-out REI. more ›