Blue Scholars
Hometown: Seattle, WA
Tags: hip-hop, hip hop, seattle
In homage to hip-hop’s empirical formula – one DJ & one MC, and duos such as Pete Rock & CL Smooth, Guru and Premier, the Blue Scholars embody the chemistry that made these groups so consistent not only on wax, but live on stage as well. What results is the blend of poetic, raw vocal delivery with melodic boom-bap and turntablism, painted with politics and preservation. Residing where the hustle and the struggle coincide, Blue Scholars craft the soundtrack for everyday folks with everyday problems seeking everyday release.
After dropping one full-length album (Blue Scholars LP, 2005) and an EP (The Long March, 2005) the Blue Scholars have emerged as the latest in a long line of torchbearers for Seattle and greater Pacific Northwest hip-hop scene. The duo formed in early 2002 after ciphers and sessions in a makeshift attic-bedroom-studio in Seattle’s University District, where emcee Geologic and DJ/producer Sabzi came from vastly different musical approaches to collide. One a distinguished battle emcee and poet, the other a former punk/ska drummer and jazz-trained pianist, the duo’s backgrounds laid the foundation for a versatile combination of beats and rhymes at once political and personal. Since 2002, the duo has become renowned live show veterans, rocking nearly 200 shows with the likes of De La Soul, Immortal Technique, The Coup, Zion I, One Be Lo, Soul Position, Slick Rick and Spearhead. The mass appeal of their live show has brought them to many diverse venues – from labor organizing conferences and youth-run community center shows to playing the main stage at Sasquatch! (2006) and Bumbershoot (2006). In June 2006, Blue Scholars joined forces with Common Market (emcee RA Scion and DJ Sabzi) and emcee Gabriel Teodros (of Abyssinian Creole) to launch MASS LINE MEDIA, a new artist-run independent record label. Listen at Last.fmBlue Scholars have released one full-length album (Self-Titled, 2004) and an 8-song EP (The Long March, 2005) emerging out of the Northwest hip-hop scene with soulful beats, poetic yet political rhymes and a reputation for energetic live performances. With their second full-length release, Bayani, due out on June 12, 2007 on MASSLINE in collaboration with Rawkus Records, the torchbearing Seattle duo seeks to blend the personal and the political, while not afraid to party in the process.
Emcee Geologic and DJ/producer Sabzi came from vastly different musical approaches to experiment with a unique, new sound that still echoes the classic boom-bap of a bygone era (see: A Tribe Called Quest, Digable Planets). Prior to their collision, Geo had already begun making local rounds as a distinguished battle emcee and spoken-word poet, while Sabzi honed his skills as a classical and jazz-trained pianist while attending indie ska and punk shows. This unlikely partnership set the precedent for what distinguishes the group from the vast sea of independent hip-hop artists – the ability to strike a balance between worlds usually seen distant from one another. Poetic lyricism with beats you can dance to. Marxist theory with Baha’i spirituality. Musical influences ranging from Thelonius Monk and Aphex Twin to Marvin Gaye and J Dilla.
However, the bridge between the two artists go far beyond musical interests. Blue Scholars is as much rooted in the music as it is in working in the community. Their experiences as college students provide an intellectual dimension to their craft, while their backgrounds as second-generation sons of working-class immigrants keep the music grounded. Armed with a purpose beyond creating music for music’s sake, Blue Scholars take the classic form of the emcee/DJ duo Gangstarr, Pete Rock & CL Smooth, Eric B. & Rakim while carrying the essence of militant, yet personal struggle shown by hip-hop luminaries such as Public Enemy and KRS-One.
Less sloganeering and more storytelling, Bayani showcases a more focused Geologic and a polished Sabzi coming into their own as a premier DJ-emcee duo. “The Distance” tells the story of a working-class immigrant, accompanied by a dark melodic soundscape that recalls a Philippine dance song. Geo also flexes his narrating skills on “Joe Metro,” an ode to Seattle’s lone form of public transportation and “50 Thousand Deep,” recalling the 1999 “Battle in Seattle” at the historic WTO protests. The album’s title is also a nod to Geologic and Sabzi’s communities, as the word Bayani can be found in both the Tagalog (Filipino) and Farsi (Persian) languages. In Tagalog (Filipino), the word translates to “heroes (of the people)” and in Farsi, “the divine word.”
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TheOwlMag on Blue Scholars
4 months agoArtist: Blue Scholars Album: Self-titled (re-issue) Label: Blue Scholars Genre: Rap/Hip Hop Rating: Buy it >>
Few things take me back to my childhood like the lucid memory of Sir Mix-A-Lot’s “Baby Got Back” video. I remember sitting in front of the television, captivated by the gyrating hips and rump-shaped fruit. But this Seattle-based rapper wasn’t just dancing on top of a giant derriere and feelin’ up on genetically-gifted women; he was sending a message to the mainstream. He liked a bigger butt and he wasn’t afraid to take Cosmopolitan to task for their Anglo-centric presentations of beauty.
There was a message here: You were attractive even if you were a little thick. (Let’s just pretend there is nothing wrong with the message of objectifying women, so this review can move forward at its staggeringly sluggish pace.) Sir Mix-A-Lot forced us to groove to a song with a message, and Seattle’s “it” Hip-Hop group, Blue Scholars, follow in this tradition, albeit without spending too much time on the benefits of “back.”
“We got one DJ and one emcee/and that’s it,” Geologic raps on “Solstice: Reintroduction,” the opening track of Blue Scholars’ self-titled debut album. And that’s no BS. You get Geo’s flows coupled with Sabzi’s stylish and fluid beats melting together into a sound similar to Jurassic 5 and Blackalicious, only with a conscious streak akin to A Tribe Called Quest.
While Geo brings the substance of the group through his biting lyrics, even white boys got to shout about Sabzi’s beats. The 23-year-old DJ crafts “The Ave” with horn and snare samples while Geo spits, “In fact, we made this track from a sample we jacked.” Yo, that sheez is so slippery saucy it’s raining Ragu on top of a yellow Caution/Cuidado sign. Sorry…all this talk of big butts has me a tad too excited.
But the message and beats take a backseat to some serious home-reppin’, which Seattle Hip-Hop needs to help break away from the mainstream conception of the city being indie-rock only.
Geo raps about his hometown on “The Inkwell,” one of the catchiest tracks on the album: “In a city that’s been waiting to blow since big butts and teen spirit … Secluded in the upper left dominantly gray shaded skies/Every other day, sort of like the Bay/Just a little bit wetter, and cold in the winter.” Geo sends some more love to the Bay in “No Rest for the Weary”: “Peace to Oakland, never been a fan of the A’s.”
As solid as this album is, style points must be taken away for not having a song devoted to sexualized body parts. Maybe I’m biased, but, like I said, I was captivated by that Sir Mix-A-Lot video at age 10.
Oh, this self-titled album ain’t enough for you? The Long March EP, Blue Scholars’ second release, was just released this month. It’s a bit more melancholy than this album, but is getting just as much love from the Seattle music media scene.
- Review submitted by Tim O’Rourke.
more at theowlmag.comhiphopdx on Blue Scholars
6 months agoBlue Scholars "North By Northwest" more at hiphopdx.com
hiphopdx on Blue Scholars
6 months agoBlue Scholars "Back Home" more at hiphopdx.com
hiphopdx on Blue Scholars
6 months agoBlue Scholars "Hi-808" more at hiphopdx.com
allmusic on Blue Scholars
over 4 years agoSide by side with companion Seattle-based rap groups Common Market and Boom Bap Project, the Blue Scholars led the charge in proclaiming the Pacific Northwest as a breeding ground for "true school" hip-hop. Perceiving themselves as blue-collar intellectuals, DJ/producer Sabzi (born Alexei Saba Mohajerjasbi) and MC Geologic (born George Quibuyen) used their music as a vehicle to promote their socially conscious objectives and to build a hip-hop scene in Seattle, WA, and its surroundings. more at www.allmusic.com
spin on Blue Scholars
over 4 years agoAs proponents of a style that blends dense lyricism, West Coast jeep beats, and progressive politics, Blue Scholars are one of underground hip-hop's most challenging voices. more at www.spin.com
on Amazon on Blue Scholars
over 4 years agoIf you haven't yet discovered the prowess of Geologic (rhymes), and Sabzi (beats), let me be the first to tell you that you are missing out. The bond between the two is inseparable. They create a unity that is often rightly compared to that of Pete Rock & C.L. Smooth, or DJ Premier & The Guru. That sounds far-fetched, but these two really have all the tools, passion, and soul to live up to these legends. more at www.amazon.com