Thanks for checking out Respect My Region’s first edition of NorthWest Rising! Here we will be discussing which hip-hop artists are on the “rise” in their respective stomping grounds across the PNW. Since we’re based out of Washington State, we figured what better place to start than our state’s capitol, Olympia, WA.
I researched the music scene that captures the greater Olympia area and after looking for the rappers making the most noise, I came across these 5 emcees.
Northwest Rising: Greater Olympia, WA
— XP aka Xperience —
2016 was a big year for the artist known as Xperience. XP spent most of the last 12 months showcasing his talent all over the world as part of the tour for Macklemore & Ryan Lewis’ newest album “This Unruly Mess I’ve Made”.
In addition to multiple appearances on the album, Xperience also garnered his first platinum plaque for his work on the duo’s hit single, “Downtown.” He capped things off with the release of his own solo LP “Chasing Grace.”
Xperience “Not Today” (Official Video):
— Ang P —
Ang P had probably the most productive year out of anyone on the list as far as quantity of releases goes. In the last ten months he has released a full-length album, “L.I.F.E. – Living In Fear Everyday”, two EP’s and multiple videos.
He has collaborated with notable Northwest heavyweights Smoke M2D6, Xperience and Wildcard. He also put together a few shows across the country hitting such cities as Harlem, Brooklyn, and Los Angeles. Ang P is currently working on the follow-up to “L.I.F.E.” which is due sometime later this year.
Ang P “Sadderday” (Official Video):
— Patron —
Over the past few years, Patron’s name has become synonymous with Northwest battle rap. Not only has he battled every top tier name in the Northwest, he has also notched battles all over the United States. He’s battled in places such as Texas, Virginia and San Jose, California as part of “Battle of the Zae”. Patron has gone head to head with some of the best upcoming battle rappers.
Patron has gone head to head with some of the best upcoming battle rappers in the game including Reverse Live, Young Nate and Blue Jaccet. Also locking in battles in some of the biggest leagues in the world like AHAT and King Of The Dot, Patron is one of the best upcoming battlers in the game and has already solidified Olympia’s place on the battle rap map. Stay tuned for the release of his new mixtape this month called, “Nu Dragon”.
Patron “Promises” (Official Video):
— Triple Thr33 —
Although technically Triple Thr33 is from Centralia, WA, over the last couple of years he has been heavily active in the Olympia hip-hop scene. He has been one of the most consistent artists in the area and is a Christian rapper who has made incredible strides recently.
He went from performing in tiny venues wherever he could, to heading out with his team on a nationwide tour this year. Triple Thr33 already has another tour scheduled for the east coast on the horizon too. Earlier this year Triple Thr33 also released his debut album, “Resurrection” which delivered a level of lyrical ability that any fan of hip-hop could love and respect.
Triple Thr33 “Away From It All” (Official Video):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QSDGsmYrF9s
— Zikki —
Zikki had a relatively quiet 2016 but is still one of the most promising rappers in Oly. This past year Zikki released an incredible video for a track called, “I Feel It” and also performed on stages all across the Northwest. He was the winner of the Rhyme for PRhyme remix contest and was personally selected by DJ Premier and Royce da 5’9 as the victor. You can also catch
You can catch Zikki making guest appearances alongside Mickey Factz on the tracks, “Pentagon” and “Calm Down.” Hopefully he gives us a full plate of music and moves this year.
Zikki “I Feel It” (Official Video):
As always, we would love to know your thoughts about the artists featured on our list. Let us know if you think we left anyone out or show some love with a share. Salute to all the hard working artists we cover and to the ones we don’t, keep on grinding and we’ll give you your shot here soon enough.
