Seattle hip-hop artists come to Central

The CWU Spring Concert is finally here and, with it, Central is preparing for the biggest hip-hop concert since Macklemore and Ryan Lewis made their way to campus back in 2011.

Three up-and-coming Seattle artists—Sol, Grynch and Nacho Picasso—are performing in the SURC on Friday, May 15 at 8 p.m., with doors opening at 7:15 p.m.

Tickets are free for Central students with ID and are $35 for non-students; tickets are available for pick up at the Wildcat Shop.

“The people who booked us, I got to tip my hat to them, because I think it is going to be a really dope show,” Sol said.

Sol will be headlining with his live band on Friday. His drummer, Nima Skeemz, and bassist Elan Wright, both helped produce Eyes Open, Sol’s latest project.

“My live band gives me a lot of energy. We were all in the studio starting from scratch. Now we get to take it onto the stage,” Sol said.

University of Washington graduate, Sol just finished touring with Zion I, Grouch and Eligh, all of whom are prominent rappers out of the California Bay Area.

Sol has been slowly making appearances at universities throughout the state. Sol played a show at Pacific Lutheran University (PLU) last week and made an appearance at Western Washington University earlier this year.

With songs portraying summertime hanging, smoking and chilling in the Pacific Northwest, Sol’s musical style is the epitome of northwest hip-hop. He has also recently brought more of a socially conscious style of rap to his music.

“I try to tap in on the core values that I have as a person, focus on myself and my mission and what I want to do, which is change the world with music. Answering my own questions, sticking to the things that matter to me, I’ve created a unique sound to who I am as a person. I think that’s what every artist should want to do: find their voice,” Sol said.

He has done collaborations with Macklemore, Blue Scholars, Grynch, Brothers from Another and shared the stage with notable artists such as Wu-Tang, Big Sean, Clipse, Mac Miller and others. He released his first EP in 2008.

Rob Lane, vice president of student life and facilities, said the ASCWU Student Government started to talk about bringing in the artists for a show as early as last summer, but didn’t decide on Sol, Grynch and Nacho Picasso until February.

“CWU is usually behind the ball on a lot of things,” Lane said. “One thing we can agree on is that we need more events on campus that students will like.”

Unlike the Macklemore show, this concert will be a long show with numerous artists and acts.

“This is actually going to be a three-hour concert, where you will be able to witness three awesome performers,” Lane said.

According to Vice Magazine, Nacho Picasso is a self-proclaimed scumbag. His musical style is unlike Sol and Grynch, from his beats to his flows. His lyrics are dark with hints of humor, and his beats have a heavy trap sound.

“This will be my first time doing a show with Nacho. I think it’s dope to have a bill that has as wide a range of styles as Seattle’s hip-hop scene,” Sol said.

In a Q&A, when Vice Magazine asked how he compared to other Seattle rappers, Picasso said, “I’m just as much a reflection of Seattle as Macklemore. Everything has two sides. I am definitely Seattle’s dark captain, and Macklemore is the man on the other side. It’s all love, though. After the game, teams shake hands. I respect everything they’ve done for the music scene in Seattle, because without them, there wouldn’t be a scene for me to rock.”

Picasso dropped his first EP in 2010 and has made serious headway in the industry since.

Out of the three artists coming to Central, Grynch has been around Seattle’s hip-hop scene the longest, having released his first EP in 2004. Since his debut, Grynch has collaborated with artists similar to Sol. He has shared the stage with legends such as Snoop Dogg, Warren G, NAS, Clipse and many others.

Grynch, like Sol, is a capsulation of the Northwest’s hip-hop sound. Sol referred to him as the “King of Ballard.”

Low-key, super chill, lyrically smart raps are what people get listening to Grynch. Sharing the stage with Sol in the SURC will appeal to the audience, as the two artists are often featured in one another’s work often.

“Assuming this is successful, we will be able to keep this [caliber of event] going next year,” Lane said.