The Volcano's voice on local hip-hop, Josh Rizeberg, is Tacoma bred, fed and lay him to dead. Writing about his shit creates a natural conflict of interest, but dude's such a huge a part of the local hip-hop scene that ignoring him would be criminal. Rizeberg raps. He wrote and won slams for spoken word poetry before it was trendy. He's likely to show up with a stuffed Swisher behind his ear (it's OK, he's got a prescription). His voice is soothing, but what he says isn't always nice. We once watched him rap about political corruption to a room full of local politicians. He referred to them as "lizard people," and the politicians in the room still applauded. He's one of the hardest working people we've ever met. He writes, records, performs and hustles ruthlessly. Thursday, Rizeberg helps launch the start of a monthly, third Thursday hip-hop night - Word 3^rd Thurs - at the Swiss with a record release throwdown show. He'll celebrate the release of Rize of the Boom with DJ Iceman, Spaceman, Mr. Von and Violet. Plus, everyone who walks through the door gets a copy of Boombox Massacre and Rizeberg's Rize of the Boom. Total score. 

[The Swiss, with DJ Iceman, Spaceman, Mr. Von, Violet, 10 p.m., $5, 1904 Jefferson Ave., Tacoma, 253.572.2821]