Underground Hip-Hop

Grieves & Budo

UW's Rainy Dawg Radio Celebrates Birthday with The Thermals, Brother Ali, and Oneohtrix Point Never

Rainy Dawg Radio, the University of Washington's student-run, online-only radio station (where, for full disclosure, I'm a DJ) has had an annual birthday show for the past eight years, bringing in acts like Menomena, Blitzen Trapper, and last year, John Darnielle of the Mountain Goats. For its ninth ... More >>

Hieroglyphics

Rainy Dawg Radio, the University of Washington's student-run, online-only radio station (where, for full disclosure, I'm a DJ) has had an annual birthday show for the past eight years, bringing in acts like Menomena, Blitzen Trapper, and last year, John Darnielle of the Mountain Goats. For its ninth ... More >>

Winners and Losers at Last Night's MPC Talent Show with AraabMuzik, Jeremy Ellis, and Party Supplies

The man, the machine, the watch.​AraabMuzik, Jeremy Ellis, Party Supplies Thursday, Nov. 17th The Crocodile Last night's Red Bull Music Academy sponsored show was a tribute to the Akai MPC sampler--you've probably seen Shabazz Palaces and/or Kanye West tapping beats out live on the iconic mac ... More >>

Album Review: Art Vandelay They've Got My Number Down At The Post Office

​ The guy Ricky Pharoe, a wonky Seattle MC who's style and voice land him somewhere between Aesop Rock and Slug, just released a remaster of his Art Vandelay ("he's an importer/exporter") project, entitled They've Got My Number Down At The Post Office, which was brilliantly produced his bud Ma ... More >>

Bumbershoot Sunday: Shitty Sound, Half-Empty Crowds, and One Buzz-Killing Rave

Atari Late-Thirties Riot​If Bumbershoot Saturday was pleasant and chill, my Bumbershoot Sunday was largely about disappointment--too much shitty sound, too many half-empty crowds (judging on t-shirts spotted, I understand Macklemore did not have that problem), and one terribly buzz-killing rav ... More >>

Bumbershoot After Dark

Atari Late-Thirties Riot​If Bumbershoot Saturday was pleasant and chill, my Bumbershoot Sunday was largely about disappointment--too much shitty sound, too many half-empty crowds (judging on t-shirts spotted, I understand Macklemore did not have that problem), and one terribly buzz-killing rav ... More >>

The Short List: This Week's Recommended Shows

Atari Late-Thirties Riot​If Bumbershoot Saturday was pleasant and chill, my Bumbershoot Sunday was largely about disappointment--too much shitty sound, too many half-empty crowds (judging on t-shirts spotted, I understand Macklemore did not have that problem), and one terribly buzz-killing rav ... More >>

Also Tonight: Anti-Pop Consortium MC Beans at Chop Suey

New York MC Beans came to light as one-third of underground hip-hop partisans Anti-Pop Consortium, an act whose name pretty much doubles as their working manifesto. When that group disbanded in 2002, Beans began releasing solo records that continued to push their idiosyncratic vision and his own imp ... More >>

The Short List: This Week's Recommended Shows

From Gang of Four and Shabazz Palaces to Smith Westerns and Justin Townes Earle.

The Short List: The Week's Recommended Shows

From Gang of Four and Shabazz Palaces to Smith Westerns and Justin Townes Earle.

Rakaa

From Gang of Four and Shabazz Palaces to Smith Westerns and Justin Townes Earle.

Aloe Blacc

From Gang of Four and Shabazz Palaces to Smith Westerns and Justin Townes Earle.

Aloe Blacc's Good Things Is a Timeless Slice of Neo-Soul Excellence

​Artist: Aloe Blacc Album: Good Things Label: Stones Throw Records Release date: September 28 (Today) Rating (Skip, Stream, or Buy): Buy Stream: "I Need A Dollar" Some album covers are just atrocious, but every so often they tell the perfect story of the record's contents. And in his white-on ... More >>

Tobacco

​Artist: Aloe Blacc Album: Good Things Label: Stones Throw Records Release date: September 28 (Today) Rating (Skip, Stream, or Buy): Buy Stream: "I Need A Dollar" Some album covers are just atrocious, but every so often they tell the perfect story of the record's contents. And in his white-on ... More >>

Tonight: Chali 2na and Gift of Gab, Thunderheist, Built to Spill

Thunderheist​Chali 2na and Gift of Gab, Mr. Lif, Lyrics Born at Neumos, 8 p.m., $18 adv. Two of the finest MCs in hip hop sharing the same stage. Thunderheist, Winter Gloves, DJ Colby B at Chop Suey, 8 p.m., $10 A happy accident produces a partnership made in synth heaven. Built to Spill, ... More >>

Wanna Catch Cut Chemist with the NW Symphony Orchestra for $15?

Cut Chemist is playing Benaroya Hall on Friday night.​Are you a student? Aren't we all? Tomorrow's concert featuring LA DJ Cut Chemist is not only a noble cause-- a benefit for Seattle Children's Hospital-- but will also reportedly feature 280 performers for a piece entitled Symphony of the Su ... More >>

New Slum Village Video

​The trio on the left (Slum Village) were supposed to be performing in Seattle tomorrow night at the Showbox. As most people know by now, one of the group's founders, Titus "Baatin" Glover passed away on August 1st from unspecified causes. A lot of Slum Village fans were looking forward to the ... More >>

The Short List: The Week’s Recommended Shows

​The trio on the left (Slum Village) were supposed to be performing in Seattle tomorrow night at the Showbox. As most people know by now, one of the group's founders, Titus "Baatin" Glover passed away on August 1st from unspecified causes. A lot of Slum Village fans were looking forward to the ... More >>

Mr. Lif and Onry Ozzborn Should Bust a Duet

As my colleague Hollis Wong-Wear recently informed you, Rendezvous, home of Candidt's local hip-hop showcase "The Corner," is the spot this balmy summer evening for quality rhyme-spitting. Boston-born underground MC Mr. Lif headlines a show featuring another subterranean champ, Onry Ozzborn of The G ... More >>

Vera Project Fundraiser Tonight Featuring: One Be Lo, Yirrim Seck, Spaceman, Jus Moni and DJ B-Girl

Here's a show that seems to be getting promoted surprisingly well, mostly through twitter and word of mouth, but could still use more of a push. Part-time Seattle resident, One Be Lo, is in town performing at the Vera Project tonight and he's got some of Seattle's finest young urban talent joining h ... More >>

Rock The Bells 2009 Books an Abbreviated Seattle Date

I just got a phone call from Gabriel Teodros, who was bragging about scooping the Weekly. I loved his enthusiasm for the first three seconds, then had to ask: What's this about? His response: a Seattle Rock the Bells show! I immediately headed to the Guerilla Union/Rock the Bells website to check an ... More >>

Pigeon John

Friday, March 27

Ultramagnetic MCs Rap About Lenny Wilkens, Tom Chambers, Dale Ellis

If February has you nostalgic for Sonics basketball and/or the sublime bizarreness of Kool Keith's Ultramagnetic MC's, we've got your fix. The following YouTube video features a roughly 9-minute song in which Kool Keith & co. lyricize on every participant in the 1989 NBA All-Star game, including ... More >>

Tonight's Show Suggestions

Here is H is for Hellgate playing a show at the Croc. H Is For Hellgate CD release, Safer, In The Empty City, The Apple War at High Dive, 9 p.m., $7I know, I suck: I ran out of time in the pre-Thanksgiving madness and couldn't write up H is for Hellgate's CD release show in time for the print pap ... More >>

When Watermarking Albums Goes Too Far

Here is H is for Hellgate playing a show at the Croc. H Is For Hellgate CD release, Safer, In The Empty City, The Apple War at High Dive, 9 p.m., $7I know, I suck: I ran out of time in the pre-Thanksgiving madness and couldn't write up H is for Hellgate's CD release show in time for the print pap ... More >>

Last Night: Gigantics CD Release Party at King Cobra

Here is H is for Hellgate playing a show at the Croc. H Is For Hellgate CD release, Safer, In The Empty City, The Apple War at High Dive, 9 p.m., $7I know, I suck: I ran out of time in the pre-Thanksgiving madness and couldn't write up H is for Hellgate's CD release show in time for the print pap ... More >>

Live Music Tonight: Dilated Peoples

Here is H is for Hellgate playing a show at the Croc. H Is For Hellgate CD release, Safer, In The Empty City, The Apple War at High Dive, 9 p.m., $7I know, I suck: I ran out of time in the pre-Thanksgiving madness and couldn't write up H is for Hellgate's CD release show in time for the print pap ... More >>

Lyrics Born

Sunday, April 27

Coachella Expands

Sunday, April 27

Brother Ali

Monday, March 10

Live Music Tonight: The Can't See, Carrie Biell, and More

Monday, March 10

Nectar: Same Food, Better Music

Oh, yeah, and plenty of drunk frat boys.

Strictly 4 My J.O.G.G.A.Z.

Workout music gets fly with Aesop Rock's "All Day."

Notable Shows

Highlights-and otherwise-of this week's music calendar.

July 20-26, 2005

Highlights-and otherwise-of this week's music calendar.

June 8-14, 2005

Highlights-and otherwise-of this week's music calendar.

Auto Erotica

Highlights-and otherwise-of this week's music calendar.

Triple Trouble

One year. 273 songs. 22 hours of 2004's best music.

Indie Rappers' Delight

One year. 273 songs. 22 hours of 2004's best music.

CD Reviews

One year. 273 songs. 22 hours of 2004's best music.

Power Play

L.A. hip-hop undergrounders Jurassic 5 get ready to move the mainstream.

Trailblazers

The Bay Area's Blackalicious light up the darkness.

It's the simple things

North London's Zero 7 find surprising success.

Days of our nights

North London's Zero 7 find surprising success.

Slanguistics

North London's Zero 7 find surprising success.

Past masters

North London's Zero 7 find surprising success.

Tape turned text

A hip-hop compilation and commentary, Side A.

Ultimate breaks and beats

Bay Area's Cut Chemist leads the return of the DJ.

Backward masking

What we talk about when we talk about old-school.