Jose S. Gutierrez Jr. is an editor, writer and producer. A graduate from Washington State University, he writes and edits the Pacific Northwest section of OZONE Magazine and hosts and produces Live From I-5 Radio every Friday at 3pm on jose@devastatorgroup.com
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Every third Thursday El Protrero packs them in for live hip-hop, rap and DJs. That's right, El Protrero has remained a bastion for the type of hip-hop/rap that reflects the streets and attitude of Tacoma and Lakewood - among other enclaves in Pierce County. This Thursday, everybody and their momma
Viva South Sound
DJ Qualifi's International Reggae Night at Champions Sports Bar has been crackin' for some time, drawing crowds from Seattle to Olympia and even further out. The St. Dominica-native prides himself on delivering the sounds of the Caribbean, South/Central America and Africa in a weekly Saturday night excursion that is more an
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Jay-Z proclaimed "Death of Auto-Tune," but by judging from the prolonged career of rap/pop artist T-Pain, the death of auto-tune has been much exaggerated. T-Pain's career has continued to flourish; his recent hit, "Up and Down", is still pumping on the radio airwaves and in the clubs. In fact, the dread-headed, top
Viva South Sound
There's a new club/party in the T-town. Tacoma's own - by way of Brooklyn, NY - DJ Iceman spins every Friday and Saturday night at the Black Star Pub & Grill. Maybe the busiest and most hungry DJ in the area, Iceman is known and respected for his personality and programming,
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In its 12th year and for the seventh straight year in Olympia, the community is invited to take part in an active weekend of highlighting the plagues of poverty, discrimination, inhumanity and homelessness while simultaneously celebrating the spirit of togetherness during the annual Hip-Hop 4 The Homeless Benefit Weekend, which
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"Grand opening!" "Grand closing!" These two words grace South Sound hip-hop music venue posters too often, many times within two months. Somebody with an attitude, somebody messin' with somebody's somebody or somebody trippin' in general - dope hip-hop shows or parties disappear because somebody acts "ignint." This isn't the case for
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There aren't many celebrities in the South Sound, but there are people who make our communities better just with their presence and energy - of course, coupled with good deeds and service. In the local hip-hop community - with a touch of 206 - Heretic The Heathen (representing The 360
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For the fourth year in a row, the entrepreneur and hilariously funny and talented Nate Jackson will treat the Puget Sound to a holiday event chock full of fun, class and comedy. Nate Jackson's 4th Annual Thanksgiving Weekend Super Funny Comedy Show will consume the Temple Theater Plaza Ballroom Saturday
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"His life plays out like an episode of VH1's Behind The Music," states the promo flier describing punk-rock/rap underground icon Mickey Avalon. Avalon, who will be in Tac-town Saturday to rock for the party people at Jazzbones, is a true rock star. Admittedly dabbling in the galaxies of drugs, sexual experimentation,
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Saturday at 11 a.m. may be early for some of you night owls and late night ridahs recovering from a fun-filled Friday night, but consider waking up a bit earlier than normal for a special occasion that embodies the ideals and founding principles of hip-hop culture and music. Yes, its
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Friday nights are typically reserved for your release after a week of monotony. If you stop by 1230 Room Friday, your release will be lit on fire and blasted straight into the weekend. The downtown Olympia's award-winning resident disc jockey DJ Drastic celebrates his birthday by giving up some time
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We do our best to keep these events and parties within few minutes distance from Tacoma/Olympia (The 25360), but sometimes an event supersedes home. For those who claim to love, like or just listen to hip-hop, this is that show. The legendary DJ/producer Pete Rock and his trusted friend on the
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The legend, the lyricist, the greatest gamespitter of all time, the Ambassador of The Bay, E-Feezy Fonzarelli ... Call him what you want, but don't be late catching this man rock the stage at The Royal Lounge Saturday night in Olympia - and he often travels with his cohort from
Viva South Sound
Federal Way is a factor. The home of award-winning writer/artist Clemm Rishad (Grammy Award winner for writing Nicki Minaj songs) and city of residence to former legendary hot spot Cafe Arizona, somehow Fed Way gets lost in the mix of destinations for leisure and gallivanting. Well, the city has, once again, is
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He has a new video/single, he has a new line of clothing on racks and now he is celebrating the release of his latest album, Revelations EP (with MTK). "He" is none other than award-winning Olympia (to Seattle transplant) MC XP, aka Xperience. This weekend the Gary, Ind. native and
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The merging of hip-hop with electro/techno occurred at the dawn of the '80s, and the flavor was so good with acts like Debbie Deb, Egyptian Lover, Kraftwerk and others that the relationship continues to grow. This weekend, award-winning hip-hop duo Never Sleep host and perform at downtown Olympia's quaint and
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Good music still exists - if you believe in voting and crowd opinion at live shows. If you believe in those two factors, at least, then you will believe that good music exists when AKA and The Heart Hurt Goods take the stage. The band is a hodge-podge of instrumental
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The crucible of the verbal jousters continues to take center stage in the burgeoning Puget Sound hip-hop community - an upward trajectory since the early 2000s, even in terms of MC battles. Battles such as "Brainstorm" and other freestyle competitions have, however, been largely replaced by pre-written and arranged feature
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Yes, the comedy scene in Seattle and Bellevue is alive, thriving with national headliners offering marquee-level entertainment to those who want laughs with their prime rib and Cosmopolitan. The South Sound has also been laughing it up for years, thanks to Lacey's own, Nate Jackson. Jackson, an award-winning comedian, has
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Every so often an artist of "note" appears on the scene and makes some waves - even a ripple can be good. Akeem, aka Robert Akeem Green, of the Lacey-area in The 360 is just one of those artists. Having made his entry into rap through the "breathe easy" click,
