Arts & Entertainment
Cool Nutz Talks New Album, Sweden, History
The veteran Portland music mogul is releasing his new album ‘Bars’ on May 11
Bruce Poinsette
Of The Skanner News
O
n his way to Sweden, Terrence
“Cool Nutz” Scott expresses why
he loves international touring and
overseas fans.
“Their ears are still open,” he says. “Hip-
hop listeners over here, they’re jaded.
There’s also such a separation in the scene.
‘I listen to this or I listen to that or I’m into
this kind of music.’ Over there, you can
still catch somebody and they’re still fresh.
“There are artists from over here who are
not popular in the U.S. anymore but are
Cool Nutz
killing them over in Europe. You can go
over there and reinvent yourself. You could be the second
coming of MC Hammer.”
The veteran MC and Portland music mogul shares his
insight on everything from Portland hip-hop history to the
business side of music to growing the local rap scene. He
will be releasing his latest album “Bars,” on May 11, which
also happens to be his birthday.
“I’m always trying to stay aggressive in terms of the push
of the music,” he says. “What better way than to give the
listeners a gift on my birthday.”
With this new album, Scott says he’s trying to steer away
from a mainstream sound. Featured artists include familiar
faces like Bosko, Maniac Lok and Arjay, as well as new
label mate Underrated.
One track titled “Young Mix-a-Lot” pays homage to Seat-
tle rap icon Sir Mix-a-Lot. Scott says that Sir Mix-a-Lot
was an inspiration to him because he was an example of
how a Northwest artist could make it big.
“You watch movies like Shrek or Charlie’s Angels and his
songs are still featured in those movies,” he says. “He’s
somebody you could look at and say not only did he do it
with ‘Baby Got Back’ or ‘Posse on Broadway’ but also
from a longevity perspective, or even a business perspec-
tive, he was one of the first artists to tap into the ringtone
game and stuff like that which was, from a business stand-
point, breaking new ground for hip-hop artists.”
In terms of Portland, Scott says the U-Krew was undeni-
ably the biggest thing going in the city’s hip-hop scene back
in the day. They had videos on BET and were touring
around the country. The group was inducted in the Oregon
Music Hall of Fame last year.
As an aspiring artist, Scott says he was also inspired by
everyone from more well-known groups like Five Fingers
of Funk to other independent artists and peers like the Life-
savas, Sandpeople, Pros and Cons and POW.
One group in particular, Soul Rhythm Soldiers, played a
major role in his development. He says they had a house in
the neighborhood and he, Bosko and other artists would go
there to hang out and discuss business strategies. Scott
points to one member in particular, Carlos, as being instru-
mental in putting a lot of events together and building the
early Portland hip-hop scene.
Scott tries to take on that same spirit through his other
ventures in the music business, including his work as host
of 107.5’s Northwest Breakout Show. The three hour pro-
gram, which airs from 9-midnight on Sundays, showcases
Northwest hip-hop artists while also playing selected
national mainstream records and old school hip-hop
favorites.
“Behind Jay-Z you’re going to hear Lifesavas,” says
Scott. “Behind Atmosphere, you’re going to hear Sandpeo-
ple. I felt like, from a mainstream perspective, there’s
nothing that would represent the music and validate it more
than hearing it on commercial radio.”
He says that more so than ever, Portland has more artists
that are ready to achieve success on a national level. In par-
ticular, he singles out Vinnie DeWayne, Luck-One, Cassow,
Fli Boi Moe, Mikey Vegaz, Yung Mil and singer Aaron
O’Brien.
Scott expresses frustration that more artists don’t take
advantage of the radio show. He says many don’t realize
that the show has a national reach and could be a valuable
resource for gaining exposure. Scott says he listens to every
song sent to him as long as it’s cleaned up for the radio. He
also uses the show’s website to post playlists and artists’
videos. Artists interested in getting their music on the show
can reach him directly at nwbsradio@gmail.com.
Scott also implores fans to support local music.
“Continue to have faith in all of our brands because we
need the full support of our city behind us to push this as far
as we can,” he says. “You can never have too much support,
especially in your own hometown.”
Scott’s evolution as a businessman has allowed him to
play a significant role in the development of
many artists. He has gone from running his
own label to tour management and promo-
tion to consulting labels. Scott even did
booking for the first five years of
MusicFestNW.
As a result, he says he has learned a num-
ber of skills and opened many doors for
himself so that he could maintain longevity
and continue providing for himself and his
family.
“I learned a long time ago, maybe eight
years ago, I’m going to have to diversify
what I do and try to have as many different
streams,” he says. “Also, capitalize on a lot of the things
I’ve done to be able to create these opportunities. Like
being able to have a name that carries weight. You can go to
a company and say, ‘Hey I do these events. Would you want
to partner up and have a creative partnership and sponsor
the event? This will give you exposure and also give us
more resources.’
“All of that spawned from me being Cool Nutz. I didn’t
envision going to Sweden. International travel when we
started rapping, that was far off. You had to be at a whole
other level of the game to be like, ‘I’m going to France.’
You’d be happy you got a show at Eugene.”
“Bars” will be available for free download on Cool-
Nutz.net on May 11.
May 8, 2013
The Portland Skanner
Page 7