“There’s no such thing as an unjustified existence/ Except, perhaps, a few thousand rappers in this business” (from “Fire For The People”)
Despite the massive sales G-Unit types point to as the only real proof of their relevance (you guys do know it’s mostly white yuppie kids buying your shit, right?), hip-hop’s roots lie with the desire and execution of socially positive acts, by the people and for the people. Grandmaster Flash and Afrika Bambaataa weren’t murdering their own people for garish jewelery and independently moving rims. They had genuine concerns. The sensible Seattle duo of emcee Geologic and deft producer Sabzi, together as Blue Scholars, is all too aware of this fact, and they’re doing their part to change the trends. Thank Jebus for that small miracle.
As opposed to the completely manufactured 50 Cent style of mumbling, illiterate ultra-violence and hyper-sexuality, Geologic walks the lyrical walk, paying his dues as a wordsmith not by pretending to deal drugs, but by making the rounds as an honest, spoken-word poet, long before meeting his future partner in sanity. Sabzi took a much different path to hip-hop nirvana, earning his classical and jazz piano chops while taking in the local punk shows that Seattle is famous for. On their own, they’re both quite talented and, more importantly, earnest individuals, but together they exist as a symbiotic entity providing the yin to the other’s yang. Like the press release says, “Poetic lyricism with beats you can dance to. Marxist theory mixed with Baha’i spirituality. Musical influences ranging from Thelonius Monk and Aphex Twin to Marvin Gaye and J Dilla.”
The authentic humility in Geo’s words (“Got holes in the soles of a third of my socks” from “Ordinary Guys”) flies the Jimi Hendrix freak flag in the face of those who “rock chains like a ball and chain” at a time in music history when it’s embarrassingly and degradingly lucrative to take the pathetic way out and write rhymes about shiny car accessories. Providing the driving force for those crucial words, Sabzi pumps space and classic funk synths and clean-cut samples over old-school boom-bap beats to create as timeless a motif as hip-hop can represent. This plays counterpoint to Geologic’s urgent, immediate messages, culminating in a flavor that tastes good now and begs to be saved for later. This is soul food. Enjoy it and good karma shall find your pleasant graces.
More about: Blue Scholars
