If you are part of the Seattle hip-hop community, whether as a consumer or a producer, you don’t need me to explain to you how 2019 is looking like the year that our scene finally EXPLODES. With a plethora of Northwest staples reaching larger platforms than ever before and even more new faces putting their names on the map, 2018 set the stage to see our beloved artists all go up in a huge way.
The question is…are we going to continue the tradition of getting in each other’s way…or are we going to come together, support one another, and watch us all eat like we should have been doing for years now?
If the recording session that took place featuring Tacoma-artist and MKF member Lewie and Seattle-artist Lil Mosey is any indication of what’s to come, it looks like 2019 is finally the year we turn that corner and get to the bag.
I will put my music writing credentials on the line and go on record saying that the song they recorded will be a MASSIVE hit. I’ll go into a little more detail on the track in a minute, however, what I believe to be even more significant about this session was the overall vibe and unifying energy that was present.
We all know of the infamous No Jumper interview that made Lil Mosey not all that popular with his peers. The backlash came from many angles and even from some bonafide Seattle legends…but tonight, in a room full of well-respected Northwest artists, it was all love.
This important connection was made through Taj King Entertainment. Taj King Ent has been going through great lengths to strengthen the brotherhood of local artists. When I chopped it up with Taj during the session, he explained to me why bringing together the community was so important to him, “You see all the artists making it big out of Seattle right now, its dope, but we are underrepresented in the urban community.
I want to give these kids a voice, so they can speak for their community. It’s imperative that we do that.” This session was a wonderful embodiment of that sentiment. A Taj King artist in Lewie, rapping over a beat made by Taj King artist Keshawn, with one of the most popping artists from the city in Mosey, all while in the presence of Seattle greats like Huey P, Papa Black, Ike Watson.
Man, that gap is looking like it’ll be bridged in no time.
https://www.instagram.com/p/Brv9hbTHUEv/
Now that you have an understanding of the kind of monumental, culture-shifting environment there was that night, let’s get into the music! As stated earlier, Keshawn orchestrated the beat featuring a crazy sample flip of “Mint Condition” by Pretty Brown Eyes.
While it does the instrumental a disservice to compare it to anything else, think of Nice for What by Drake or Kamikaze by Mosey for reference’s sake. After getting a feel for the bounce-influenced beat, Mosey and Lewie took turns spitting about how their lifestyles are leveling up thanks to all the hard work they’ve put in. I’m telling y’all, both these guys ATE their verses and the hook is catchy as hell.
Chris Pack was behind the boards engineering that night as well so you already know it’s going to come out as clean as possible. Look for the song to drop early 2019, but I mean you won’t have to look too hard cause this song is going to be everywhere.
This night is going to go down in the books as a historic one for Northwest hip-hop. On the same night that Travis Thompson headlined at Showbox, an all-star cast of Northwest hitmakers was at Clatter and Din cooking up a smash hit and fostering a positive camaraderie that will be necessary for the scene to blow to its fullest extent. With all these talented artists putting on for the city and supporting one another, there isn’t a place I’d rather be in 2019 than the Seattle-Tacoma area.
Buckle up y’all, this is going to be one hell of a year.
