Jay Child – Fuckin Ya Pride

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Cee Goods introduced us to himself and Portlandwhen he released his mixtape “Im Not A Rapper 2.0”. A producer first and artist second it was a mix that showcased his production but whimed im better than some of you so called rappers. Already having produced for some major northwest players its time to work in conjunction with one as he hooks up with talented Black Gov group member “Jay Child”. A group that featured three talented artists the music they made was good but more mass appeal. From the sounds of the first leak “Fuckin Up Ya Pride” from the upcoming summer slated project a live hip hop feel is the garnered audience. Early indications but seems the two are doing something different so far, just have to wait for the rest of the project to see.
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Luck-One & Dekk – Beautiful Music Part II

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Going backwards is never the chosen path but in music your best work sometimes resides in your beginnings. Luck-Ones early buzz and success goes in part to fellow Portlandproducer Dekk in which the two collaborated back in 08-09 for the original release of “Beautiful Music”. Dekk is one of those producers who really kind of falls in the cracks as far as being center stage recognized but he is musically a gift to the boards. Other work from Dekk can be spotty but Luck-One seems to bring him out and some might even remember Dekk as part of “Moxie Black” with iLLA. The two find time to re-unite in 2012 with the follow-up “Beautiful Music II” which features hookster Dizz, Alaska’s Josh Boots, as well spots from Nafisaria and Brain Vincent. With Dekk on the production Beautiful Music II is very well produced with vintage Luck-One realism across the twelve songs. It is probably over the head of a lot of rap fans taste of simple-ness especially the above average vocabulary and lyricism. Even said with content in mind it’s a easy listening experience with well laid rhymes and high caliber hooks. Over time running out of good words to compliment Luck may happen especially when he continues dropping music. Even though his brand of music may not be your taste saying its wack would be blatant hate. Improvement, gripes, flaws, people will say what they say but as with anything else in life you will know if its for you or not.
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Cassow – Cupid

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As everything moves around in its own semblance you can’t tell Portland’s Cassow real rap doesn’t live anymore. The naysayers and unimaginative rappers are invisible to this young artist who brings old back to relevancy. A flow beckoning hip hop prime he already shows embodiment to his previous two projects with his third on the horizon titled “Future Classic”. The leaks from the upcoming release have been generous with the latest offering called “Cupid” featuring the one time Roc-A-Fella standout Freeway. Surprisingly at a similar junction as Freeway is the over the hill talent while still hungry is overlooked in a game that does not forgive while Cassow is the rising talent that many will continue to underestimate. Production comes courtesy of Portland’s own Trox.
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Speaker Minds – 9 to 5: Self-Employed EP

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Speaker Minds high energy and charismatic performances make for a memorable time for both themselves and spectators. With an emcee who enthusiastically expresses his love for the Hip Hop community, an experienced and soulful singer, and a Band that has blended their diverse backgrounds to form a unique sound, there is never a dull moment! Although newly formed, they have already made appearances at such festivals as Umoja (Seattle), Fire in the Canyon, Headlined POH-HOP 12, and EcoPalooza, they opened for such credible artists as KRS-One, Dead Prez, The Pharcyde,Delthe Funky Homosapien, Freeway & Jake One, Josh Martinez of The Chicharones, and have performed for multiple Benefit Concerts.
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Serge Severe – Service Without A Smile

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Good rappers who often care more about their rhymes and writtens are seldomly appreciated these days. Like technology the music industry is ever evolving leaving those non-conforming artists looked at as stuck in their ways. Your era, our era, the future, one thing really is for certain no matter the current trend there will be those artists who continue to just make real raw hip hop. Serge Severe has kept lyricism and the type of music he does to a standard and to those fans who appreciate the golden era of the art he has delivered. Solo and group projects Serge has been steadfast with his sound but artistically at some point you have to challenge yourself. As ironclad as artists can be about the type of music they make a good producer sometimes sees the best in them. Hence the pairing of one of Portland’s hardest working producers in Terminill and Serge for their experimental EP “Service Without A Smile”. Everything you have come to know from Serge is there but at a heightened experience. It is hip hop at its core with a much broader appeal and shows good chemistry between two who we need to hear more from in the future. Of course all production handled by Terminill with features from DJ Wells, Jon Belz, and Luck-One.
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Reva Devito – The Catnip Collective

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Reva Devito is a Portlandbased songstress whose smoky, timeless voice moves comfortably through R&B, Jazz, Disco, and Hip Hop. Her self-released debut “The Catnip Collective” has both garnered national and international attention. This release comes on the heels of her features on the latest album from Seattlehip-hop group Dark Time Sunshine. “The Catnip Collective” reflects the playful, sexy side of this young artists music, while her dynamic live shows can range from lounge-style jazz standards to up-tempo dance stomps. Be sure to look for this sultry singers full-length LP due for release in the very near future. She has shared the stage with various like minded acts such as The Foreign Exchange, Friz And The Tantrums, Macklemore, Dessa (Doomtree), Thundercat, and countless others. Collaborations on the debut EP come from other talented Portlandbased musicians Tony Ozier, Steveland Swatkins, & Farnell Newton. You can purchase “The Catnip Collective” for $5 on bandcamp as well as catch a few free downloads.
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L.C. Jetson – Down 4 Me

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It has already been three years since LC. Jetson released his last solo “Northstar” but 2012 is going to mark the return for the Portland based artist when “Hard Drive Music” releases. After hooking up with frequent collaborators InfinitRakz and Aaron OBryan for the Portlandia mixtape L.C. keeps the vibe going as he releases two leaks from the upcoming project. The first “Down 4 Me” features the boss of the bay himself J. Diggs with accompanied vocals by Aaron OBryan and the second single I the new Portland anthem “Never Gon Quit” which has a whole cast of hitters in HD Tha Most, Syko, Barbie Bait, 1080, Hdub Tha Great, Drae Steves, FliBoiMoe, plus Mikey Vegaz.
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Cassow – Mixtape Off To Mars

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Every artist has his preferred medium. Cassow paints his pictures with words, flavoring his vivid tales with clever euphemisms and exceptional timing. Much like the great painter from which his name was derived, Cassow has demonstrated extraordinary talent at a young age. Fellow Northwest rap artist Luck-One went as far as to call Cassow “the future of Portland rap”… and rightly so.Far from flashy, yet remarkably confident, Cassow is not your average rap guy. Not one to focus on his hardships, he often spends his free time pushing and pulling breaths through the reeds of his beloved harmonica. Again, not your typical rap guy… but a relationship may in fact exist between his remarkably effortless rap style and his atypical harmonica playing. Pulmonary specialists have long recognized the use of the harmonica as one of the best possible respiratory exercises as the action of inhaling and exhaling forcefully against resistance increases both diaphragm strength and lung volume. Imagine that.
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Fli Boi Moe – Fresh Fli & Fat

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Every year artists yelling its my year but 2012 seems to be the year where artists are stepping out the sidekick role and wanting their own solo shine. Once known as Young Mo Da Kid now running with Fli Boi Moe he has been around for awhile running with his guy Mikey Vegaz. While Mikey was kind of head lining the Fli movement Moe was letting his presence not be forgotten with every feature on the series of mixtapes that the Fli movement released. While being fly is the new swag these guys were ahead of their time years ago as they had the absolute combination of being able to mix trendy, party, and street. Its most likely one of those instances where location being in the Northwest actually hurt something that could have been bigger. All that’s the past now we flavin to the future and that brings Moe’s first release a street album titled “Fresh, Fli, & Fat”. Always seen as that artist on the features you were wanting to see a solo from this is long long overdue and its no let down as Moe shines with a good mix of songs plus features like Aaron O’Bryan, Mikey Vegaz, Barbie Bait, as well as King Future.
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Good Biz – Sound Investment

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Emering during an age in which indepenet hip hop is an industry within itself, many new artists are putting their cites on the map. Good Biz took this model to a new plateau, “The World Is our Stage” says KP, feeling right at home on stage next to veteran MC and business partner Boobie Fine. The dynamic duo has a large catalog including songs with industry heavyweights such as Bun B, Illmaculate, X-Clan, YZ, Vursatyl, DJ Wicked, just to name a few. Along with their vast musical catalog, their ability to connect with the audience is what sets them apart from the rest. Remaining humble and diligent is very apparent when you are in the presence of these two talented musicians, friends, and entrepreneurs. Good Biz has been growing city by city. Bobbie Fine, New Jersey born and raised, now Houstonian, has roots that run deep in the industry having penned major label deals. Now teamed up with KP, a Portland native, this combination of musical connections with business knowledge is the recipe for success. Their focus has always been to make quality music and it shows with this latest release “Sound Investment”, which was seven years in the making. With fifteen tracks that cover a multitude of topics from love, hate, list, to simple enjoying life and living everyday to its full potential. This is truly a ground breaking effort that shatters the genre boundaries. The exceptional production includes The ARE, Trox, Chase Moore, Apex, and KP. Goodbiz Music Company is the new sound of quality hip hop including artists such as Risky Star, Saages, and Al-One. The GMC team is making their presence felt in the world of hip hop in a major way!
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