Tonight!

I'm heading out to the Common Market/Blue Scholars concert tonight at the Viking Union, the show sold out on Thursday, and it seems like everyone on campus is either; A) Bummed out that the show is sold out, or B) Really stoked that they are going. It seems like a whole different vibe than the Ben Kweller show last weekend, where it seemed like most people were luke warm about the whole thing and just ended up going because their friends were.

The show is billed as a CD release party for Common Market, who have founded a new record company with the Blue Scholars called Mass Line Records. Although I haven't heard much of Common Market at all, the duo consitst of DJ Sabzi from the Blue Scholars and MC RA Scion. RA Scion came out during Sasquatch! for a remix of the Blue Scholars track 'Every Last One', it went off pretty well and it seems like he's a pretty good lyricist. (Stream the 'Every Last One' remix and other Common Market at their myspace)

As for the Blue Scholars, I've been following them since well before I moved up to the northwest. I first discovered their blend of progressive beats coupled with meaningful lyrics back in high school (in the days when I used to stream KEXP over itunes). It seems like the entire musical community in Seattle is familiar with the DJ/MC combo, who are now being hyped as perhaps the next big thing to come out of Seattle since grunge. I'm not sure I'm willing to go that far quite yet, but their self-titled LP and EP (the Long March) are a good start (I'm sure everyone around here is holding their collective breath in anticipation of their next LP, which will most likely determine if they are the next Sir Mix a Lot or the next Nirvana).

I've included a few mp3s from their self titled LP as well as their most recent EP, the progressive (socialist) lyrics are what really seperate the Scholars from the rest of hip-hop right now.

Blue Scholars - 'No Rest for the Weary'*
Blue Scholars - 'Solstice (Reintroduction)'*
Blue Scholars - 'Evening Chai'
Blue Scholars - 'The Long March'*

[*Sorry most of these are mp4s, but everyone on the planet has itunes anyway, right?]

If you don't believe me, trust the Scholars who just posted this on their website: "...we're rolling with the entire ML fam this Saturday (10/7) to Bellingham - Western Washington University, to be exact. It's been all love every time we've been up there, but this time its with the whole fam - the first show featuring Blue Scholars, Common Market and Gabriel Teodros since the launch party. Should be a heater." Should be a heater, I'm stoked.