Portland Hip-Hop Makes Its National Television Debut Tonight

America, meet Portland hip-hop.

Tonight, Amine, the young singer-rapper behind the viral hit "Caroline," performs on The Tonight Show. And he's decided to make it into a family affair, inviting two of the city's other brightest emerging talents, R&B diva Blossom and WW Best New Band finalist the Last Artful, Dodgr, to share the spotlight with him.

Related: "Portland's Song of the Summer Is Amine's 'Caroline.'"

It's not an exaggeration to say this is the biggest moment yet for Portland's ascendant rap scene. Local musicians have appeared on late-night television before—Typhoon and Sallie Ford played Letterman in the same week back in 2011—but you have to dig pretty deep to find the last time a Portland hip-hop act was showcased on a national stage. New jack swingers the U-Krew rocked Soul Train back in the '80s, and Yung Mil was on BET a few years ago, but this is obviously on a whole other level.

The Tonight Show airs on NBC at 11:35 pm. For those lacking a TV—or who simply want to celebrate this collective achievement—there's going to be a viewing party at Century Bar:

Related: "How a Former Blazer and Visionary Producer Created Portland's Best Rap Label."

Willamette Week