CHURCH! Part II Recap

The October installation of CHURCH! was a tremendous success, filling up Black Coffee and the block on Pine and Summit with heads from across communities and generations, and bringing vibrant energy to an otherwise dead Sunday evening on Cap Hill. If you missed it, don't worry, our third installation, the impending Black Magic Noize takeover, is sure to be just as live, so join us November 10th. Here's a recap on what went down:

While Seattle Community Media Lab got the sound set up, we warmed up the space with tracks from the Super Adaptoid Tape,

Dil Withers

a compilation cassette featuring 16 producers from all over the country including Seattle's Wizdumb, Weasley Snipes, who featured on our first CHURCH! installation in September, Tacoma's Quivive, and our own wonderful co-host Diogenes.Town staple, Korvus Blackbird blessed us with some freestyles, and we moved into our first set from Seattle beatmaker Dil Withers, a humble young artist who first caught Diogenes's attention at local BEATS and Pad Pushers nights. "The way I see it is there's a circle of beat makers in this city that are easily comparable to what I feel jazz musicians in the 50-60s would be like," said Diogenes, "Dil's music says so much as instrumentals that I'd never wanna hear vocals on it. Timing and cadence of these abstract pieces re-envisioned through a fresh perspective crossed with near retro equipment makes his sound some of the chillest jams I've heard. He never masters it loud either, he just let's it ride." This warm, syncopated sample-flipping has earned Dil a large following online that is rapidly building momentum. Be sure to check out this link to his soundcloud so you're not caught sleeping.

Dex Amora

Dil's set was followed up by one of our CHURCH! co-conspirators, 19 years old Dex Amora. I first met Dex in a cypher at another Black Coffee event several months back, and was more than impressed by the smooth sophistication of his flow. Part of a growing contingency of 90s-baby emcees in the town that are resurrecting boom-bap with a fresh twist, Dex's emceeing emanates the motivation and hunger of a young artist laced with old-soul wisdom and cadence. Dex graced the space with a short set, which included his new single "Who I Be". Click the link for the video of this track, directed by J'Von Buckley. Dex is currently completing a project called #HerbPenSoul, so be sure to follow his Twitter, and stay connected for more music dropping real soon.

Since part of the vision for CHURCH! is bringing together young talent with veteran artists to build community, expand opportunity, and elevate the scene collectively, I was excited to hear that Universal Zulu Nation/206 Zulu ambassador and co-host of LA-based internet radio show Hip Hop Philosophy w/ A.C the Program Director, my sister Cassandra Williams was inspired by these two artists. "I haven't been to a show in a very long time here in Seattle because I believe that a lot of folks just played themselves out (over-saturated the shows). I caught wind of Dex Amora through a video Julie posted on her Facebook wall. I was blown away. I appreciate people that take pride in their craft and aren't busy trying to exploit every opportunity and every cent. It's very refreshing to see young Black men in Seattle understand what real Hip Hop music is," Cassandra said, "I at one point thought that hope was lost for this next generation. I was proven wrong by attending this show. It's amazing seeing Dex and Dil stand up and do it right, they've given me hope." Listen to one of Cassandra's shows, featuring an all Seattle line up here, and tune in regularly live Mondays and Wednesdays. Now back to the night.

Zeta, caked up.

During our transition, we played some more off of Super Android, while Shark Tooth Dentures, Revels, J'Von, Rico and Araless dropped some freestyles, then we kicked off the next set with a special surprise for our honoured birthday guest Zeta Barber: a Bump Local cake, baked by the homegirl Jessica Diaz, with edible lettering by Sista Hailstorm. Zeta is one of those selfless forces in the community that been putting it in for the ENTIRE town for a grip, be it through his graphic designs and support for local urban arts youth organizations, his screen-printing, his All City Chop mixtape series, spinning for events like The New High on Mondays at Capitol Hill Cider, Free Hip Hop Thursdays at Columbia City Theater,  Free Hip Hop Fridays at Vermillion, and so much more, so we were happy to help bring in a new revolution around the sun for this integral part of the 206 scene. Zeta's set got people up and dancing, blending raw Hip Hop rhythms and samples with a pinch of electronic bass, and a "Tender Love" flip that was off the chain. Hearing Alpha Platoon emcee Jack Gaffle sprinkle one of the tracks with his spit-fire ferocity wrapped up the set nicely. Thanks for celebrating your birthday with us at CHURCH! Zeta.

Laura Piece

The final performer of the night was Seattle Hip Hop pioneer Laura Piece, a formative force in the scene not only in music but also in the early years of the Hip Hop education movement, bringing Hip Hop into classrooms across the city before such things were acceptable and popular. A former Def Jam Poet, a city arts commissioner, writer and star of her own play, and a woman with a permanent exhibit in the EMP who's opened up for the Dalai Lama himself, Piece is a powerhouse fueled by original b-girl soul. We were lucky to have her grace our space. She gave us a sneak peak off her brand new upcoming album The War is Over performing melodic tracks, many of which she produced herself, also bringing town OG KingDro up the mic for a track. Check the first single and title track "The War is Over".  

Gregory Lewis

Following Piece, Gregory Lewis, of 206 Zulu/21st Century Martial Arts and of course, the All Power to the Positive Podcast, took to the mic to spread the word about what is going down at Horace Mann School in the heart of the CD. Informing the crowd of the community-led effort to reclaim space for culturally-competent education and youth service, he told us that Africatown, a coalition of 18 organizations who made Horace Mann home this summer and have served over 500 youth in the process through Hip Hop, culture, education, fashion, dance programs, and more, is facing eviction from the Seattle Public School District to reopen NOVA, despite the fact that the NOVA community is supportive of Africatown's presence. Please learn more about this struggle for self-determination, and ways you can help by staying in the loop about what's happening. Things are developing rapidly! Check out www.more4mann.blogspot.com for updates, and email more4mann@gmail.com to get on the mailing list.

As always, we closed out the night with a cypher session, featuring beats from Dil, Zeta, and Diogenes, and more freestyles from Revels, Akira, Korvus, and Shark Dentures, and as always, we wrapped up at 10pm, right at the nick of time to avoid noise complaints and get enough sleep for work and school in the morning. I'd like to take this space to shout out everyone who I haven't mentioned yet who came through to support and lend their time, attention, and energy to make this event what it is: Nikkita, Crystal, Lovely,  Bash and Hudson of Black Coffee, Alyssa and Damien of Seattle Community Media Lab, Falon, Liz, Bling, Page One, Must I Mind, Emily, Mike, Kristina, Alon, Vaughnilla, Syed of Seattle Capoeira Center, Nicodemus, everyone you brought, everyone who stumbled in, and everyone I may have forgotten.

See y'all November 10th at Black Coffee for CHURCH! Part III. LOVE.

The Story of a Show: Olmeca in Seattle

Back in August 26th, 2013, the world renowned underground revolutionary artist from LA, Olmeca, touched down in Seattle. He was joined on stage with Sista Hailstorm, Julie C, and Poesia (who also did this flyer artwork to the right) for an intimate show. If you missed it, which you probably did due to that fact that this show was largely overlooked by the Hip Hop community in Seattle, there is video below. But my aim in this narrative is not to guilt you for not coming. Actually, I want to share an important back story to how this event even came about. For me, organizers of the event, and for the author of the narrative below, the beginning of this story started on a rainy night down at Westlake at the dawn of Occupy Seattle, traveled across the imaginary lines we call 'borders' south to Chiapas, the heart of the Zapatista movement, and back up before landing at South Side Commons in Columbia City. I first met Tabs, aka Isolina, one organizer of this event, on one of those early Occupy nights. Actually, the first time I saw her, she was getting arrested by the SPD for sitting on the ground. She became one of the powerful voices advocating the decolonization framework for Occupy, and a big supporter of Hip Hop Occupies to Decolonize early in the game while we were still battling the doubtful for a voice in the movement. I talk a lot about the importance of art and culture in movement, revolution, change. It is, to me, a fundamental aspect of humanity, and thus just as fundamental in inspiring, galvanizing, and organizing the masses, beyond just "a tool of outreach". So I guess, take the story below as a case study, and remember, it's always bigger than Hip Hop. Here it goes, in her words:

"When I reflect back on the journey we took in December 2012, I can hardly believe that was part of my life. It was a shared experience with four other female bodied people. A shared experience, that was potent, eye opening, and an affirmation that our ancestors are with us holding our hands, holding us up, and guiding us through a very tricky world.  We are on a path and we do not know where it will take us.

Much earlier that year a group of folks that had organized a myriad of actions and events, amidst the craziness and hostility that was Occupy Seattle.  That is where it really started.  When our paths crossed and the direction of our lives would move in ways we couldn’t have forseen. We discussed the need for International Solidarity, to share our experience and to listen with an open heart to the experiences of those across imaginary lines, without the misrepresentation of “the media”.  We wanted real stories and we are a group that acknowledges the liberation of all, is through Decolonization.  This was a topic we explored together, most of us people of color, but some of us not. We were learning and searching in our own hearts, and I know this globalized system is not for us, never was, and never will be.

Our intentions grew clear, we sought living examples of autonomy, that were not tendency based. Personally the “autonomy” exercised in the Seattle Anarchist scene was a joke to me. It was just that, a scene, instead of a healthy thriving community. There was no focus on how to build outside of the system, merely romanticizing burning down the system.  Romantic ideas of revolt, but as we know romance can fade.  They so wanted Seattle to be Greece or Spain, but with clouds always hovering close, it’s hard to rile up a crowd here.  

 

For me, it is all about what you do, more than what you say, because talk is very cheap and it is rare to see talk turned into action that benefits the community and not the individual.  Everyone wants to be down with the black n’ brown struggle, but the practice from many tendency’s, is alienating to those from those communities.  I don’t need someone to tell me about my oppression.  I live it, every day, so thanks but no thanks.  That is not helpful to me.  By the way I don’t consider myself an activist and I don’t claim a tendency. I’m just a human being that is after the truth and I want to live a real life, not just survive in a system.  And I’m down to work, that’s why my focus is growing organic localized food, in the city! Food Autonomy, taking government and corporations out of the food system and focusing on community based gardens that exist on every city side strip of grass. Talk about un-seemingly subversive.  Healthy food is a human right, not a commodity.  A body deprived of good nutrition has the side effect of a lack of will, hmmmm interesting. More Prozac please.  

As the months and meetings went on it boiled down to five people going to Chiapas, Mexico. Our intention was to see autonomy as a living, breathing, working way of life. Not just a theory in a book.  We wanted to learn how to incorporate autonomy within the city and within what we do in our communities.  We were able to stay at La Universidad de la Tierra (the university of the earth), an autonomous university open and free to those that want to learn. A university that acquired land through a donation, the school has everything that it needs to be sustainable on the campus. Everything!  And it is all made with beauty. We were welcomed there with open arms and curious looks.  The university works closely with the Zapatista communities and we were humbled to be able to experience and see what we did.  And we were able to do this because of ARMA, a group from L.A. that organizes brigada’s a couple of times a year to Zapatista communities. Our friend Olmeca was crucial to make our journey happen. He prepped us and helped us and without his good words for us, we would have not been able to have gone. For this we were indebted to him and we wanted to hold him up by organizing a hip-hop show in Seattle. We also wanted to meet him, as only one person in our group had met him before.  We put together our humble show, we don’t have a background in organizing music shows, and we wanted it to be accessible monetarily as well as different age groups.  As Julie C put it, it was a potent group of folks that showed up.  We are sure there will be more shows, as Olmeca created a very special and heartfelt show, and he has a lot to share.

Our group is into building lasting relationships and global community,  whether it be on the West Coast of the U.S. or across the imaginary lines called borders.  We are in a time of darkness in humanity and personally I’m interested in the light that will come after, but it will take work, it will take time, and for it to be healthy change, it takes communities and ego-less solidarity.  We do this for the kids, for the elders, for the communities, and for the ancestors guiding us towards a life of dignity, honesty, and respect. Together we Decolonize.
- Isolina"

Footage from the show:

CHURCH! Reportback on the First Edition

What do you get when you throw emcees, beatmakers, and other dope people together in an anarchist coffee shop on a Sunday? CHURCH! Hudson hit me up about a month ago asking if I'd like to host an event at Black Coffee, and I was more than happy to get down. We partnered up with my boy, the highly multi-talented Dax Anderson aka Diogenes and started masterminding the event. But Julie, you may ask, you've never hosted a regular event before, why now? Just cause, ya bish. Actually though, I am really excited about CHURCH! Because of a few reasons...

First, the space & the people: Black Coffee Coop is a unique spot nestled in the corner of Pine and Summit on Capitol Hill.  What's so different about that, you might ask? Many of the folks I know who work, hold events, and frequent Black Coffee I met in the midst of some of the most intense organizing experiences of my life during the Rise and Decolonize events of Hip Hop Occupies' genesis. The environment down there was hectic. We were confronted by bad politics, co-optation attempts, riot police, snitches, the whole nine on the regular, so the true allies that emerged on the ground with us and had our backs those days, I'm down for. Black Coffee is "a non-hierarchical structure of work and a not-for-profit model of commerce."  In creating the Black Coffee Cooperative, the individuals that currently comprise it hope to maintain a space for culture and community, free of oppression, and they are dedicated to embodying the changes we want to see in our world. Another CHURCH! partner who I met under these circumstances was Alyssa and Damian of Seattle Community Media Lab, who consistently and whole-heartedly volunteer their time, equipment, resources, and energy to anyone trying to serve the people. This includes providing sound for events and rallies, providing access to graphic design and printing technology, meeting space in the ID, and whatever else, absolutely free or on a sliding scale donation. Get at them, for real, they're here for you.

But back to some Hip Hop shit. There's a serious lack of accessible space that brings together emcees and beatmakers of all ages on a regular basis on Cap Hill (or anywhere), so we want to help fill that gap, build some community, spotlight under-recognized and/or upcoming artists, galvanize different pockets of the scene that might not be hip to each other, and of course, freestyle. Last night we featured sets from up and coming beakmaker Weasley Snipes and town OG EarDr.umz. Emcee features were J'von and veteran emcee of B-Girl Media, 206 Zulu, and Native Youth Movement Sista Hailstorm. We heard a piece from LOGOS founder, artists, emcee, and community organizer Nikkita Oliver, and we got a spur of the moment report back from a 43rd congressional district something or other that Jamil Suleman had just came back from, who told us, and I fake quote, "After asking my local official about his stance on Syria tonight at the community forum, I can confidently say that Congressman Jim McDermott is an incompotent asshat... if this guy is our 'progressive voice' in Congress, we're Fucked." No surprises there, and all the more reason to build and embrace and embody a culture of community self-determination.

Be sure to join us for the next installment of CHURCH! Sunday, October 13th 7-10pm. We'll be celebrating the birthday of our town familia DJ Zeta Barber with a live beat set, and we've confirmed Dex as one of our emcee features. We've also been toying around with an idea of a local market. You'll be bombarded with full details and dope artwork from Dax when we get the details ironed out. For now, enjoy footage of last night's cypher session below, featuring J'von, Jamil, Nikkita, Araless, & Dex w/ Diogenes & Weasley on the live beats, as well as some flicks from last night. BIG UPS to everyone that came through to support, and if you missed it, we'll see you next time. CHURCH!