Before I had fully processed February, an insanely cold and musically busy month for Portland, it became apparent from my overflowing inbox that the cityâs hip-hop scene has no plans of hibernating during the rainy season. Here are three fresh projects to check out and look forward to.
Bocha and Sxlxmxn, M.A.A.N.
After giving audiences a sneak preview of their upcoming project during their co-headlining set at this monthâs Thesis, Bocha says he and DJ/producer Sxlxmxn (FKA Stewart Villain) have been building a sound and writing music together since last summer. â2017 was a pretty eventful year for me,â says Bocha. âMost of those songs were written/recorded in 2017, and I feel like that whole year just really helped me develop and learn as a man.â Now having settled on the concept and track list for M.A.A.N., which stands for âmaturing as a nigga,â the EP is now in the mastering stage, with the release date still TBD. During their recent Thesis performance, the duo acknowledged that the six-track EP is ânot a lot of trap shit,â which is fine by me. Album opener âSo Farâ features Scooty and Blossom, and the title track (which they also performed live) is another highlight. Unsurprisingly, Iâve added âRelaxâ to my smoke sesh playlist (natch), and the last track, âBlangââa give-no-fucks, glow-up anthem of sortsâhas also caught my attention.
Cheatcode, Lilâ Big Bro
Sumalienz members ALFA and Bryson the Alien have joined forces to become Cheatcode. Both members make the beats, Bryson writes the rhymes, and ALFA does the mixing. In late February, they released Lilâ Big Bro, the first installment in a series of three âtiny albumsâ theyâll drop this year. As expected with anything Bryson the Alien touches, the spacey, old-school soundscapes presented throughout these tracks are rather interesting; youâll hear broken smoke-circle conversations, short segments of jazz instrumentals, soulful voices distorted beyond comprehension. Iâm partial to the high-energy lead single âOur Turn Now,â which sees Brysonâs mellow delivery bordering on spoken wordâa stark contrast to the songâs intensifying beat. In addition to his current endeavors with Cheatcode, Bryson says heâll also be releasing an album with Mai Mae (Fringe Class, Sumalienz) this fall.
Andre Waymond, Express Yourself EP
Last week, Andre Waymond (previously known as Dre C) premiered a visual for âYoung Bosses,â a single from his new album Express Yourself. Local producer Trox is behind the songâs beat, and there are two chilly featured verses from Detroitâs Ty Farris and Portlandâs own Karma Rivera. The song alone knocks, but the Riley Brown-directed music video is a cool concept thatâs executed beautifully: Someone pops in a VHS tape containing an âoldâ interview with Andre Waymond (here referred to by his former moniker), Ty Ferris, and Trox. After a handful of questions, Waymond and the others rise from their chairs and break into song, with shots interspersed of the dudes driving around. Later, Karma Rivera cockily plays a game of NBA 2K on the couch while busting open her verse: âMiddle finger to the opposition/Iâm not your teammate, homie, Iâm your competition.â âYoung Bossesâ is just one of several slaps on Waymondâs new Express Yourself project, along with album opener âAt the Top,â âBig Factsâ (featuring Mat Randol), and âFeelings at the Door.â