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The West Coast · Pacific Northwest · since 1988

1988
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Seattle

Pacific Northwest
Politically literate boom bap · rain-soaked soul · indie-to-#1
Ride the roster2:20
Story, bloodline and 8 names

Seattle went from a novelty single to running the independent playbook better than anyone. Sir Mix-a-Lot proved a Seattle rapper could go platinum; Blue Scholars and Common Market — both produced by Sabzi — built a Filipino-American and Iranian-American scene around the Massline label; and Macklemore & Ryan Lewis took an unsigned album to number one in the world.

Bloodline · 2 stops from The Bronx
  1. 1973The Bronx
  2. 1984South Central (LA)
  3. 1988Seattle

TransferThe Bronx

Sir Mix-a-Lot built on electro and Miami bass with a home studio and a local label, proving a Seattle record could go platinum without moving to LA.

MasslineSub PopSportn' LifeBlack Constellation
Roster
1988
Sir Mix-a-Lot

Nastymix, then a Grammy. Seattle's proof of concept.

YTW
2004
Blue Scholarsdeep cut

Geologic and Sabzi. Working-class, Filipino-American, unmistakably Seattle.

YTW
2005
Common Marketdeep cut

RA Scion over Sabzi's other project — the warmer, more literary half.

YTW
2011
Shabazz Palacesdeep cut

Ishmael Butler of Digable Planets came home and made rap sound like deep space.

YTW
2011
Nacho Picassodeep cut

Blue Sky Black Death's foil; the city's cult favourite.

YTW
2012
Macklemore & Ryan Lewis

The Heist: no label, number one, four Grammys. The indie ceiling broke here.

YTW
2012
THEESatisfactiondeep cut

Black Constellation's harmonic, jazz-leaning wing.

YTW
2018
Travis Thompson

Beacon Hill; the current generation's local voice.

YTW

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