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February 21,2001
Focus >_
Oregon’s Rap Scene On the Rise
land “on the map.” Two o f the
group’s members, Hakim and J-
Mack,went on to do live shows
all over the world with Magic
Mike from Communication Plus.
Both o f them also produce their
Funk, using a lot o f live drums own radio shows that give the
B y R obert B acote , a . k . a .
and bass guitars. Nowadays, local artists a chance to play
M ackiw ...B ob _ fok T he
keyboards are used more to make their music to a large listening
P ortland O bserver
Hip Hop in Oregon has been production beats easier by work audience. Hakim ’s show can be
heard on Z100, Saturday eve
around since the mid-1970’s, con ing o ff o f a drum machine.
nings and J-Mack premieres on
Oregon
Hip
Hop
really
took
tinuing into the new millennia
Jammin’
95.5, Saturday nights
with a growing number o f local o ff around 1985 when break
after
the
Big
Snoop Dogg show.
artists adding to its musical dancing was in. A group called
With the evolution o f Hip
U-Krew from the Pacific North
evolvement.
Hop,
Music D J’s became im
west
were
a
popular
singing
In the music’s early years,
p
o
rta
n t. T he D J ’s w ould
bands and artists
grouP
w ith a new
scratch
and spin the records,
tw ist
on
lik e P leasure,
Rap. They adding to the performance of
Shock,
the music artist. Great Hip Hop
w e re
well D J’s emerging from Portland
were DJ Giant, DJ Kay Dee,
DJ Chill and DJ Wicket.
In the early 1990’s, Rap
changed in style to a street
level o f music. That’s when
Terrence Scott, a.k.a. Cool
Nutz o f Jus Family Records
became “the man” o f North
east Portland. He formed a
record label, using his own
Local Artists from left: Bosko, Mac k in ' Rob and Terrence Scott (o f
method o f street distributions
Cool Nutz).
to market his music throughout
Kenny G and Jeff Lorbor Fusion known for their Rhythm and Portland. Scott took Rap to
Band brought us what’s called Blues songs which were adapted another level, promoting local
Brand New Era o f Hip Hop for national play, putting Port- talents like Isaya, Bosko, G-
Following Music’s Local
Black History from the
1980’s to the Present
Icons and Myths at Heathman Hotel
A Multi-Artist Exhibit for Black History Month
Recent etchings by Atlanta-
based artist Radcliffe Bailey are
currently on view in the mezza
nine gallery at the Heathman Ho
tel, in celebration o f Black History
Month. Curated by the Elizabeth
Leach Gallery, the exhibit runs
through March 3 and showcases
six pieces by Bailey, a mixed media
piece by Edmond Bereal, and color
photographs o f Africa by Seattle
artist Robert Lyons. The exhibit
is free, and is part of the Heathman
Hotel’s continuing commitment
to the Portland arts community.
Icons and Myths
Bailey’s style includes creating
large-scale and technically im
pressive prints that contain up to
13 plates each. The plates are
printed in a diptych format on a
single piece o f rag printing paper.
Bailey’s works feature vibrant
colors and a variety of etching
techniques, including chine colie,
photogravure and drypoint. Bailey
is also known for using a central
photographic image to pull an
assemblage o f elements into a
unified whole, while also weav
ing together inspirational material
from traditional African Ameri
can cultures. Two o f Bailey’s
latest pieces, “Tobacco Blues”
and “By the River,” reference
vintage landscape photography.
Another Africa
The exhibit also showcases
Robert Lyon’s color photogra
phy, previously featured in the
1998 book “Another A frica.”
Lyons and essayist Chinua Achebe
spoke about the book during their
appearance in the 1998 Portland
Arts and Lectures series. Lyons’
photographs are included in the
collection o f the M useum o f
Modem Art in New York City.
The Heathman's Relation
ship with the Arts
Located in downtown Port
land, in the heart of the city’s
cultural district, the hotel main
tains strong partnerships with
focal arts and culture organiza
tions, including the Portland Art
Museum and the Portland Cen
ter for the Performing Arts. For
its support o f the arts in the
community, the Heathman Ho
tel was the recipient o f a Busi
ness in the Arts Award of Excel
lence from the Committee for
Business in the Arts and Forbes
M agazine in 1997. Most re
cently, the Heathman received
the Northwest Business Com
mittee for the Arts Breakfast of
Champion Award. For more in
formation on the featured art
ists, contact the Elizabeth Leach
Gallery at 503/224-0521.
Page 9
themselves, they need your sup
port. You may just see your
hometown favorites on MTV or
BET. Keep Hip Hop Alive!
ISM, Bleek and Maniac Lok
through his record label. Be
Robert
Bacote, a.k. a.
sides promoting Rap shows, Mackin ' Rob o f Up ’ North
Terrence Scott started the “POH Records/Millennium Sound
HOP Festival” which continues Enterprises recently released
yearly as a summer tradition.
a
new
CD
entitled
Oregon’s Hip Hop music is “Oregon ’izd. ”
still going strong. Through the
He will be giving a lecture
years, its evolvement has proven on the origin o f Oregon rap
that it is here to stay in one form pers on Wednesday, Feb. 28,
or another. With so many new from 12:30p.m. - 1:30p.m. in
and talented artists struggling in Rm. 122 o f Terrell Hall at the
this state to make a name for PCC Cascade Campus.
THE LEGENDARY
M C M E N A M IN S
W H IT E
CAFE, SALOON
and
ROCK & ROLL HOTEL
HOTEL
ROOM RATES
Q ueen
F u ll
B unk
$45
$35
$25
European-style lodging
with shared baths.
Room rates are the
same for single or
double occupancy.
Add 11.5% cotiiirv r»x*m tax.
For information call toll-free
I-866-27I-3377
or from Portland 503-335-8900
McMENAMINS W HITE EAGLE
> 36 NORTH RUSSELL • PORTL \NI) • (503) 282-6810
www.mcmenamins.com
T u es - Fri 9 ant - 6 pm / Sat. 8am - 6 pm
Dean's Barber
Shop
*
Honors Black History Month
A.D. Williams • Horace Simpson • (503) 282-2920
213 N T . Hancock Portland, OR 9721