Congratulations to First Night organizers for including a little something dirty in their New Year’s Eve lineup. Bouncing us into this pivotal year will be Federal Way-based emcees Q Dot and Fame Rilla, members of Federal Way-based mini label Tre’dmarks. 



Q Dot, a.k.a. Quincy Henry, has been getting glow for his self-produced video “Hotter than a Furnace,” which has been in rotation on the legendary Bobby T Show. The Atlanta-based cablecast has been around since the late ’70s, and has received several awards for its grassroots efforts. It’s not quite MTV2, but for an independent Northwest rapper, getting on the Bobby T show is something to be proud of.



Q dot is a proudly independent artist, who talks serious business with or without a mic. His latest full-length, Death is Dying, bumps along nicely, with catchy hooks and real solid grooves. MySpace offerings are predictable but damn hard not to nod to. Cuts like “Ijuswannaloveya” pack in references to hybrid martial arts, 16 straight bars that end in “ass,” and lines like “You’re so sexy girl — let me ride up on your back like a Jet Ski girl.” Sounds like a happy new year to me.



See Q Dot and the Tre’dmarks crew New Year’s Eve at Theater on the Square, Dec. 31 at 9:30 p.m. Bring your parkas, cause it’s gon’ be cold! — Brad Allen



[Theatre on the Square, Monday, Dec. 31, 9:30 p.m., 915 Broadway, Tacoma, www.firstnighttacoma.org]