MC Geologic, left, with DJ Sabzi. Blue Scholars play Showbox at the Market on March 26 and 27.Last night the jet-setting hip-hop duo behind Blue Scholars dropped a new free MP3, the intergalactic “Paul Valery”, which pumps new life into Owl City’s “Fireflies.” The MP3’s not intended for a formal release, but your iPod will certainly not hate you for it.We caught up with Scholars MC Geologic recently to talk about the duo’s upcoming shows at The Showbox, working with a partner who’s temporarily relocated to NYC, and the status of Seattle hip-hop. Here are a few moments from our conversation.On why working with a producer in NYC hasn’t been a problem:Mostly, because he’s been back to seattle four or five times in the last three months. It would have been more difficult (otherwise). I’d say it’s working out pretty well. Why he won’t be joining Sabzi in New York on full-time basis:If I could pinpoint one thing, it’s just that culturally this whole fast-paced nature of things. I’m always the slowest-walking dude in public when I’m out there. It just translates, culturally, into everything. Everyone’s just a little more high strung, stressed out, always got their mind on five minutes ahead instead of what’s going on right now. Which is cool, it’s inspiring every time I go out there. I don’t know if I could go weeks, months, or even years of that straight.The Blue Scholars reception in New York:A lot of people look at a place like New York and LA and try to do it big. We’ve always been on this sort of, start small, and build it from the ground up, just like we did here in Seattle. It’s a good mix of people out there. Then you got like this weird New York crowd that will come out to see you, but then will not show you love. They won’t put their hands up, they won’t do the call and responses with you.What to expect at the Showbox:We’ve got a bunch of new material. We’re just trying to figure out what would be good to start going public with. It’d be nice to just come out the gate and put forth what we think is our best material that we’re sitting on. We’re still actually determining how many new tracks we want to do.On the state of Seattle hip-hop:This is a good time to be making hip-hop in Seattle right now. Gradually, over the last 10 years, every year has been the best year of Seattle hip-hop since 2000, and this year is already looking to surpass the previous one. I’m also going to be working on some solo material, and I already have.