Northwest Hip Hop History

via Wikipedia

Pre 1993: the first phase

During the late 1970s, high school kids from the Rainier Beach, Rainier Valley, and Central District areas started to perfect early hip hop forms of dancing in the northwest defined as bopping. Many of the local underage clubs and high schools in south Seattle held formal contests called bop-offs where dancers would compete against one another. There were also informal bop offs that occurred at house parties and school yards where urban kids “called out” one another to compete. Some of the more prominent dancers (or boppers) during this period were James “PJ” Daniels, John “Sir John III” Arnold, James Croone, Pojo, Snake, among others in the south Seattle area. Bopping, also known as poppin, was seen as the precursor for many popular forms of urban style dancing today.

In the early 1980s, soldiers positioned at Tacoma’s military bases provided the foundation for a growing hip-hop fan base in the Northwest. This increased demand for hip-hop coincided with some of the first hip-hop dances in Seattle, which were held at public-housing recreation centers and featured the Emerald Street Boys and Anthony “Sir Mix-A-Lot” Ray. Simultaneously, “Nasty Nes” Rodriguez launched the Northwest’s first all-rap radio program, Fresh Tracks, and soon Nasty Nes began airing self-produced tracks by Sir Mix-A-Lot, as well as the Emerald Street Boys, MC LeRap, PDQ, and Andy Hamlin. As Seattle’s music scene evolved, so did the Seattle breakdance and graffiti crews; with B-Boy groups Silver Chain Gang, Circuit Breakers, Breaking Mechanism, Paradise Breakers, Floor Rockers, and the Incredible Connection Crew. Graffiti writers included Spaide, DadOne, Spraycan, Duck & Shame, SoloDoe, Image 8000, Kaze, Mr. Clean, Kould, Skeme, KeepOne, Nemo, MoeLove, and Skreen. In 1985 Nastymix Records, the Northwest’s first hip-hop label was founded with the local release of Sir Mix-A-Lot’s “Square Dance Rap”, which sold approximately 75,000 copies. Nastymix Records gained national recognition with Sir Mix’s 1988 “Posse on Broadway”, and reached its peak in 1993 with Mix’s Grammy Award for Best Rap Solo Performance for “Baby Got Back.” Unfortunately this prestigious award was bestowed after Nastymix’s last culturally influential release, Criminal Nation’s 1992 album Trouble in the Hood, and thus harkened the demise of the Northwest’s sway over popular rap music. In 1992, Portland’s Jus Family Records was established by Bosco “Bosko” Kante and Terrance “Cool Nutz” Scott, and would go on to become an enduring Northwest hip-hop institution. The foundation of Jus Family Records is important, as it would continue to release records throughout the three phases of Northwest hip-hop and would shape and be shaped by the culture accordingly.

1993 to 2002: the second phase

With the departure of Seattle hip-hop from the national scene came the long absence of Northwest hip-hop, and with the success of Sir Mix-A-Lot came countless hip-hop heads and hopefuls including E-Dawg, the Elite, PD2, Moving Target, Little Boy Productions, Silver Shadow D, and CAVE’. Seattle hip-hop culture was confined to the only venues that would play hip-hop, all of which were in Seattle’s traditionally African-American neighborhood, the Central District (referred to in Seattle as “The CD”.) In 1993, Jonathon “Wordsayer” Moore of Source of Labor approached Caroline Davenport of Tasty Shows, who was responsible for booking a popular Seattle venue called RCKCNDY. After weeks of persistence, RCKCNDY became the first venue outside of the CD to host local hip-hop shows, and the second phase of Seattle hip-hop took its first faltering steps.

The alternative/grunge music scene soon dominated the Northwest’s musical image, and in both Seattle and Portland this contributed to the troubled adolescence of local hip-hop. The Teen Dance Ordinance, which had been in effect since 1985, made it almost impossible for most Seattle venues to book all-ages shows. Consequently, the first club to book Seattle hip-hop outside of the Central District since the decline of Nastymix Records, RCKCNDY, was closed down due to a persistent failure to break even. The social turmoil of Seattle during the late 1990s (The World Trade Organization Protest), the city’s outspoken political opposition to President George W. Bush, and the despised Teen Dance Ordinance characterized the socially conscious style that defined Northwest hip-hop after 1993, a style that was continually strengthened as the hip-hop culture was attacked and labeled as violent and disruptive. On August 26 Bartell Coleman was shot in the leg outside of a Cool Nutz show at LaLuna, a popular night club in Portland. The shooting was not linked to the concert inside the club, but Drugs and Vice Detective Bill Calder, when asked how LaLuna might avoid future problems, stated, “Not having hip-hop shows.” After several complaints about disruptive behavior outside of another Portland club, Belmont’s, following shows by DJ Chill, also on Jus Family Records; Belmont’s ceased playing live music. For several months afterwards, hip-hop shows were not booked to Portland clubs. In 2002 the Teen Dance Ordinance was lifted and replaced by the less draconian All-ages Dance Ordinance and hip-hop began its powerful Northwest resurgence.
2002 to present: the third phase

The departure of the TDO in 2002 meant small Seattle venues could afford to host local hip-hop and consequently Northwest hip-hop blossomed under the influence of Seattle’s enthusiasm. Currently, the Northwest maintains a self-perpetuating underground hip-hop movement, a culture that is maintained almost entirely by word of mouth, local interest, and internet exposure.

The Minneapolis based Rhymesayers Entertainment, a quickly growing record label, has signed multiple artists from Seattle (Boom Bap Project, Grayskul, Jake One, and Vitamin D), which also contributes to its growth. Blue Scholars and their label Massline Media are also beginning to receive national attention.

Portland Hip Hop has also recently grown to be a power house in the Northwest hip hop scene.

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