News
May 17, 2012
Featured Event: THe Groovy Tour 2012
THis Sunday, one Half of tHe Black Hippy crew representing Top Dawg Entertainment will be making tHeir way to Neumos for tHe Seattle leg of THe Groovy Tour. Kendrick Lamar, ScHoolboy Q, Ab-Soul & Jay Rock Have been making well orcHestrated moves for years now and it is all starting to come togetHer. THey work well individually and as a group and tHey are growing in a very legitimate, organic nature.
ScHoolboy Q and Ab-Soul are botH coming off of recent album releases and sHould make for a great sHow. Soul’s Control System is His darkest, most introspective project yet and it sHows a lot of growtH from His fun-wielding, weed-smoking days of previous projects like Lifestyles of THe Broke and Almost Famous. He Has toured tHe country witH legends like Murs and put in tHe work witH tHe rest of His crew down in LA, now He is ready to rock Seattle.
A few Ab-Soul videos.
Song I am most Hoping to Hear:
After starting as Kendrick Lamar’s Hypeman, ScHoolboy Q Has come a long way. His first two projects, Setbacks and Habits and Contradictions, sHow a diverse array of flows, personality and content tHat makes Q His own artist. He put it best in His verse from “Brand New Guy” when he rapped, “Biggie and NaS put tHey ass in a blender, sprinkled some 50 [Cent] and came out this n****”. Now, He gets to Headline his own national tour, THe Groovy Tour.
Be ready for an extremely active set from Schoolboy Q as He continues to prove tHat TDE is Here to stay. -Benja
Some ScHoolboy Q tracks:
Song that I am most Hoping to Hear:
May 15, 2012
New Video: The Prime (Sapient & Luckyiam) - A Bit Different
Back again as The Prime, these two Westcoasters drop a new video. If you like what you hear you can download it for free below.-Josh
May 14, 2012
New Music: Later Babes - “Lisa”
Later Babes | 
0
I’m all about mash ups. I came across Later Babes, a growing group of musicians from separate, successful groups. Including 2/3 of Soulcrate, this group is well recognized for their continually surprising live sets. Never repeating the same performance live, their goal is to create multiple levels of stimulation for a live dance party. - Kristin
Download the full length album for free, today.
New Video: Th3rdz - All Do it (Live)
Candidt, XP, & JFK hit us with another video of them doing they thang in Castros basement. The versatility of this group is outstanding. Can I get a Drunk Raps video?-Josh
May 11, 2012
ReignCity Interviews: Prof
There are very few CD’s that I have a hard time getting out of my ear shot. I’m no snob when it comes to my music selection, but when I like something, I tend to stick with it. Stophouse Music Group Co-founder and Independent Emcee, Prof, has a strong hold on my poor little car CD player. After getting my hot little hands on Kaiser Von Powderhorn 2, I was sold! I was a little late on the Prof train to say the least. Jacob, under the moniker of Prof, obtains quite the lengthy resume of musical accomplishments (back catalog listed below). In 2011, he released King Gampo, which, in my eyes, could be considered a trophy piece. And deservedly so. He implored a variety of different styles, giving his record a more rounded appeal. Listen to Gampo, then listen to Myself and you will see what I mean.
Last week, Prof rolled through Seattle to open for his good friends, Grieves and Budo. I’m still jazzed about how killer the whole atmosphere was in the modest showroom of the Crocodile Cafe. Sold out at 500 plus fans, there was such an intensity about the crowd. (To see my event recap, click HERE.) After the show, I had a chance to catch up with Prof. Thanked him for singing my friend “Happy Birthday” on stage, lit off some fireworks outside the venue and “waterfalled” a beer him and my ladies. In talking to him, he mentioned that his fan base up here is built by word of mouth. I arranged an interview with this fella, mainly because I believe in the work he is doing, and I want to put him on blast. So, without further ado, here is an excerpt from said interview.
ReignCity: “You [...] have a unique sound, not heard in radio singles or in many artists’ music out here. What would, you say, your influences be that helped you define your style of hip hop?”
Prof: “I’ve always wanted to stick out. Not so much with my fashion or with my “movement” but more with my delivery and flow. I came up freestyling (like every rapper should) and most rappers would be sounding the same, like a boring teacher who never changes their cadence. Even if they had a super aggressive delivery, and they were commanding attention, I would love to switch it up, and start my verse with a quiet, sneaky, quirky type flow. If they started low and tight, I would come in big and strong. I still live by that in the songs i make today. I try to pick beat thats are different, and I am constantly looking to switch shit up. From bar to bar. So you would understand my musical influences are all over the place. From Goodie Mob to Van Morrison.”
ReignCity: “What about your influences inspired your passion for becoming a rapper/hip hop artist?”
Prof: “Man…I’ve always been a class clown type. A performer. And honestly, I love writing music. I love making music. It’s a deadly, addictive combo for me.”
ReignCity: How is it like being signed to Stophouse? What, do you feel, that being with them has improved your career, as opposed to being an independent artist?
Prof: “Well, I would still consider myself an Independent artist. I started Stophouse with close friends of mine, and own part of the company. Its improved THE SHIT out of my career. Its a select few that put their lives into what we are doing. I trust them with everything I have. Its a good look.”
For those who haven’t actually hear Prof, or seen him live, he works with a DJ, named Fundo. The two have such a crazy dynamic on stage! Can’t have one without the other, it would seem.
ReignCity: “How did you link up with DJ Fundo?”
Prof:“Saw him at the dinkytowner (semi historic hole in the wall venue in mpls) spinning. He was dope. Jump on board.”
ReignCity: “You [and Fundo] have made it to our corner of the northwest a few times now. What’s the draw on this area for you?”
Prof: “I got fam there. Type, Grieves, Budo. The more I perform there, the more good people I meet. I love Seattle. I will come back for ever. BET.”
ReignCity: “How do the Seattle crowds compare?”
Prof: “Honestly, that last show at the Croc was fucking incredible. I got plenty cities in the midwest where its buzzing, and I can sell out those venues. I feel like Seattle is like that now. Its slowly but surely becoming one of my favorite places to perform.”
Daps to everyone there. Let’s keep them coming back!
ReignCity: “[Changing gears, here] I have heard many rumors on the origin of this (I also urbandictionary’d that shit), but what does “GAMPO” mean? Where did that come from? It’s inspired the title for a few projects: Project Gampo (2007) and Kind Gampo (2011).”
Prof: “One summer in like 5th or 6th grade, a small crew of friends met, started hanging out with a neighborhood kid called Gampo. We were some crazy mother fuckers, but Gampo TRUELY DIDNT GIVE A FUCK. He wasn’t doing crazy things for laughs like we were, he was doing them because he had to. Amazing kid. Only kicked for one summer. No clue where he is now. But after he left, when one of us did something retarded, we say, “damn, that was Gampo as fuck!” We started calling each other Gampo.”
I went on to further press about his personal life and tried to get some sneak previews for his new video, “Myself” (below). He likes sports, his friends, and most likely, whiskey and women. He was grateful for the people who led him to Seattle, and for the bitchin’ show on Friday, saying “I just want to thank Type for letting me put up mirrors all over his crib, for letting me stay there for so long. Id like to thank Grieves and Budo not just for having me, but for being gnarly dudes. And most importantly, the academy, for all the people in Seattle that came out to party. Love me hard.”
Prof is on tour with Andre Nickatina, and is, reportedly working on “Kaiser Von Powderhorn 3” (bitch!). FOLLOW Prof on Twitter, LIKE him via FaceBook , and LISTEN to his face-melting raps. Don’t sleep Seattle, don’t sleep. - Kristin
May 10, 2012
New Video: Prof - “Myself”
Commonly known to his fans, Prof is a party boy. He brings a high intensity to his music, along with comedy and vulgarity, which is addictive. What is so refreshing about his albums, though, is the fact that he balances his music, between comedic and serious. “Myself” is one of his more deeply personal songs. Describing an abusive parental relationship, and fleeing from turmoil, Prof gives insight to an early life coping with dis-functionality, whether his own experience or someone elses.
This video is stripped down, and at times, it is gut wrenching. Seeming to be on the verge of tears throughout, the video adaptation of “Myself” does not sell his song short, rather, it compliments and gives depth to an already personal song.
Be sure to stay tuned to ReignCity to read the exclusive interview that I had with him. Reviewing his recent show in Seattle and how he got his start in the world of rap music. - Kristin
New Video: Curren$y - Fast Cars Faster Women ft. Daz
Spitta’s brand new video featuring Daz, women, and lots of smoking. Dude will be clouding up the Showbox Market tonight along with Styles P, Smoke Dza, and the Jets. Come out and catch flights!-Josh
May 09, 2012
New Video: Th3rdz - Therapy (Live)
One of the best groups doing shit out here in the NW just dropped this video for one of my favorite cuts. Checkout the live performance and hit the soundcloud link for the album version You can also catch them along with Thaddeus David , AD, & DJ Swervewon at Neema’s album release party this Saturday at The Crocodile.-Josh
The Northwest's Source for Urban Events & Culture