I remember seeing and talking to Blue Scholars at a show here in Vegas and telling me about how they did a show in Hawaii and how they were surprised they got hella love there. With Geo's motivational, political, and cultural lyrics behind Sabzi's tight head-nodding beats and not mention these chill cats are down to earth, it never surpirsed me that they had a huge fan base in Hawaii. So I'm fkn glad they showed 808 what they got. But, at the same time, 808 also showed Blue Scholars what we're all about. Which then inspired Blue Scholars' upcoming EP,"OoF!" which will be released on August 25, 2009. Being that they are one of my favorite two-man groups connecting with the culture of the state I was born and raised in ...I'm damn proud and excited!!
"Oof! is the story about the Hawaii that you don’t see on TV: fish-fry BBQs in Waianae, native Hawaiians struggling for sovereignty, house parties on the Leeward side, uncles playing mah-jong on a lanai in Waipahu, a thriving independent hip-hop and fashion scene, on-air ciphers at KTUH, a room full of folks vibin’ to a mean reggae song, young poets spitting fire into mics, grubbing on poke in the Foodland parking lot, whole neighborhoods leveled by the ice epidemic."
Check out their track/video,"HI-808", off the "OoF!" EP. I fkn love it! The first few seconds plays a high-pitched drum beat which initially reminds me of drum beats used for hula dancers to sway their hips to. Very clever. Sabzi never lets me down with his producing. And just listen to the lyrics! I think you'd have to know about Hawaii or at least been there to understand what he's spitting. Geo's brillant, smooth skills on the mic seriously makes me stand up and yell "hana hou" (aka "encore" or "do it again" in hawaiian)!
" ...Breathing the breeze when I ease way back/
in a jeep with the top and the seats lay flat/
Yeah I got heat cuz every time I speak/
I keep burning like a hoale on the beach, why/
It's the 808 love/
Like 88 playing tapes base in the trunk/
It's the 808 kick/
That shit's so sick it makes your heart beat skip like this..."
PS. Oh my, Sabzi really IS eating poke (mmMMmm) outside Foodland ... that's sooo local!! Oh how I miss my home.
3 comments:
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very interesting...never heard of these guys, but im very interested now...
wow didnt evn see this vid! learnd sumthin new 2day!!!! so tru...it makes me laugh!! like!
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