Skip to main contentSummer 2012 is shaping up to be a big season for Stumptown's hip-hop scene, and most of that momentum can be attributed to a group of young, up-and-coming MCs that are bringing some new and refreshing tricks to the local trade. Here are four of those MCs we're especially excited about.
Vinnie Dewayne
Castaway
Castaway
Myke Bogan
I was first turned on to South Dakota-transplant Myke Bogan with his song âUncle Elroys Couch,â a fluttery piece of nostalgia that works as a nod to mid-'90s California hip-hop (he even sings the chorus of Ahmadâs âBack in the Dayâ at one point). I immediately fell in love with the song for its slow-paced feel and Mykeâs warmhearted lyrics of loving hip-hop and drinking Pabstâit will undoubtedly be a jam I bump on the way to Sauvie Island this summer. Myke hasnât released much material yet, but weâre excited to see if his debut mixtape, So Long South Dakota, will continue down this path of mixing cleverly fun lyrics with jazzy, sample-based beats. Who knew South Dakota was so breezy?
Cassow
Over the past couple of years, Cassow (pronounced Cah-so, like Picasso) has established perhaps the biggest buzz out of any of Portlandâs young MCs. Heâs done this by releasing a steady stream of quality tapes that mix flossy hooks and beats with meditative lyricsâsongs that cater both to the local hop heads and the 2nd Avenue club crowd, if you will. His debut album, the modestly titled Future Classic, shows off his diverse range with buttery love tunes (âBlack Queenâ), club thumpers (âMind Yo Bidnessâ) and introspective tales of growing up in Northeast (âDreamsâ). Surprisingly, despite the amount of ground he covers, the tape is one of the more cohesive projects to come out of the scene in quite some time â a sign of the 21-year-old MCâs level of talent. Future Classic has a release party scheduled for Ted's/Berbati's Pan on Friday, August 10.
Over the past couple of years, Cassow (pronounced Cah-so, like Picasso) has established perhaps the biggest buzz out of any of Portlandâs young MCs. Heâs done this by releasing a steady stream of quality tapes that mix flossy hooks and beats with meditative lyricsâsongs that cater both to the local hop heads and the 2nd Avenue club crowd, if you will. His debut album, the modestly titled Future Classic, shows off his diverse range with buttery love tunes (âBlack Queenâ), club thumpers (âMind Yo Bidnessâ) and introspective tales of growing up in Northeast (âDreamsâ). Surprisingly, despite the amount of ground he covers, the tape is one of the more cohesive projects to come out of the scene in quite some time â a sign of the 21-year-old MCâs level of talent. Future Classic has a release party scheduled for Ted's/Berbati's Pan on Friday, August 10.
Soopah Eype
Perhaps more so than any other MC in Portland right now, Los Angeles-born MC Soopah Eype truly commands tracks. His slippery growl of a voice sounds like it was molded for rapping, and his technicality on the microphoneâfrom his breath control, to his rhyme schemesâis out-of-this-world impressive. Mix these talents with a fiery, fuck-the-man-type persona, and you canât help but compare Eype to Stumptown great Luck-One. But Eype has a rawness to him that not many other local MCs posses. This is partly because he chooses to rap over dirty, dust-covered beats that sound like they were mixed in a clogged sink. Over his six mixtapes, the young MC, who moved to Southeast after going to school in Eugene, has continued to grow and is slowly becoming a force to reckon with.
Perhaps more so than any other MC in Portland right now, Los Angeles-born MC Soopah Eype truly commands tracks. His slippery growl of a voice sounds like it was molded for rapping, and his technicality on the microphoneâfrom his breath control, to his rhyme schemesâis out-of-this-world impressive. Mix these talents with a fiery, fuck-the-man-type persona, and you canât help but compare Eype to Stumptown great Luck-One. But Eype has a rawness to him that not many other local MCs posses. This is partly because he chooses to rap over dirty, dust-covered beats that sound like they were mixed in a clogged sink. Over his six mixtapes, the young MC, who moved to Southeast after going to school in Eugene, has continued to grow and is slowly becoming a force to reckon with.
WWeek 2015