Events
Gift of Gab w/ London Wordswell, Tope & Special Guests
- 8:00pm Thursday, December 10, 2015
Gift Of Gab
Gift of Gab made his name as the technically adept MC in the vaunted underground rap duo Blackalicious, in partnership with producer/DJ Chief Xcel. Born Tim Parker, he grew up mostly in Pacoima, part of L.A.'s San Fernando Valley region, but attended high school in Sacramento. There he first met Chief Xcel (born Xavier Mosley) in 1987.
Parker, then calling himself Tiny T or Gabby T, was already developing keen skills as a battle MC, and he and Mosley teamed up the following year. After graduating, Parker returned to Los Angeles, but he and Mosley kept up their partnership by phone. While attending UC-Davis, Mosley fell in with a group of hip-hop eccentrics who became the SoleSides collective, and Parker moved up to the Bay Area to join him in 1991, now having settled on Gift of Gab as his hip-hop alter ego. Blackalicious issued their debut single, "Swan Lake," on SoleSides in 1994, and several more followed, establishing their underground reputation and leading to a tour of Europe. They began work on a full-length album, during which time SoleSides shut down and reconfigured itself as Quannum; however, the process was long and laborious, as Gift of Gab struggled with an alcohol problem that took several years to overcome. Finally, in 1999, Blackalicious re-emerged with the A2G EP, whose "Alphabet Aerobics" electrified the underground and marked Gift of Gab as a prodigious new talent. That talent was confirmed by Blackalicious' first two full-lengths, 2000's NIA and 2002's Blazing Arrow, which elevated him to the status of perhaps the most under-appreciated elite MC in hip-hop.
Parker, then calling himself Tiny T or Gabby T, was already developing keen skills as a battle MC, and he and Mosley teamed up the following year. After graduating, Parker returned to Los Angeles, but he and Mosley kept up their partnership by phone. While attending UC-Davis, Mosley fell in with a group of hip-hop eccentrics who became the SoleSides collective, and Parker moved up to the Bay Area to join him in 1991, now having settled on Gift of Gab as his hip-hop alter ego. Blackalicious issued their debut single, "Swan Lake," on SoleSides in 1994, and several more followed, establishing their underground reputation and leading to a tour of Europe. They began work on a full-length album, during which time SoleSides shut down and reconfigured itself as Quannum; however, the process was long and laborious, as Gift of Gab struggled with an alcohol problem that took several years to overcome. Finally, in 1999, Blackalicious re-emerged with the A2G EP, whose "Alphabet Aerobics" electrified the underground and marked Gift of Gab as a prodigious new talent. That talent was confirmed by Blackalicious' first two full-lengths, 2000's NIA and 2002's Blazing Arrow, which elevated him to the status of perhaps the most under-appreciated elite MC in hip-hop.
Landon Wordswell
Landon Wordswell is a 27 year old San Francisco, CA & Eugene, OR resident. These two cities combined have influenced the emcee's tenacity, perspective, and insight. Landon's stage performance & delivery have been praised on tours both nationally & internationally for it's captivating crowd appeal & intricate rhyme schemes being coupled with tightly knitted personal lyrics. He has mastered his stage performance over the years by performing nights for audience's enjoying intimate showings of 20 folks to state of the art
venues mounting in as many as 10,000 heads in attendance. The release of his first album, The Mourning After Pill (The MAP), gained him international notoriety by landing on a list of the top 20 most downloaded albums of March 2013 on bandcamp alongside such caliber as Ghostface Killah and many other well known artists. The MAP wouldn't be Landon's first taste of success though. Wordswell, under the moniker of "Youngs" at the time, had peaked at number 2 in the Japanese hip hop charts during his college years for a single pushed there by Origami/Shibuya Records on an album entitled "Revenge of
Soul". Now in 2015 Landon is signed to both Cult Classic Records (London, UK) & Blue Bottle Records (New Zealand). Landon crossed paths with the legendary Gift of Gab by opening a show in Nevada City, CA on April 13, 2013 while touring to promote "The MAP" & they have been tour partners ever since. Landon Wordswell has also performed alongside greats such as Talib Kweli, Mobb Deep, Zion I, Raekwon (Wu-Tang), Devin The Dude, Aceyalone, Freestyle Fellowship & many, many more.
venues mounting in as many as 10,000 heads in attendance. The release of his first album, The Mourning After Pill (The MAP), gained him international notoriety by landing on a list of the top 20 most downloaded albums of March 2013 on bandcamp alongside such caliber as Ghostface Killah and many other well known artists. The MAP wouldn't be Landon's first taste of success though. Wordswell, under the moniker of "Youngs" at the time, had peaked at number 2 in the Japanese hip hop charts during his college years for a single pushed there by Origami/Shibuya Records on an album entitled "Revenge of
Soul". Now in 2015 Landon is signed to both Cult Classic Records (London, UK) & Blue Bottle Records (New Zealand). Landon crossed paths with the legendary Gift of Gab by opening a show in Nevada City, CA on April 13, 2013 while touring to promote "The MAP" & they have been tour partners ever since. Landon Wordswell has also performed alongside greats such as Talib Kweli, Mobb Deep, Zion I, Raekwon (Wu-Tang), Devin The Dude, Aceyalone, Freestyle Fellowship & many, many more.
Tope
If you were to only listen to the chatter online and in the newspapers and magazines of the world, you'd likely think that the only music being made in Portland, Oregon was lovelorn folk and literate indie rock. But scratch below that surface, and you'll find a strong, vibrant underground hip-hop scene that dominates the stages and eardrums of the city for decades.
The Portland rap game couldn't stay below street level forever. Word is starting to spread about the talent the Rose City boasts, and the one name that keeps popping up on people's lips is a rapper known simply as Tope.
A good deal of that attention is due to the respect that Tope has earned for the years he's committed to the scene. Starting in his teens, he's been a fixture at local hip-hop showcases and freestyle jams. He eventually started a pair of groups, Living Proof (with Seattle-based rapper Prem) and the well-respected crew TxE with Epp and Calvin Valentine (aka G_Force). Tope has also been providing production help and dropping by for guest appearances on tracks by artists including Abstract Rude, Myka 9, TiRon, Planet Asia, Scarub, Co$$, LMNO, and many more.
As any restless and talented artist would, Tope has been stepping out on his own, releasing solo albums that have only burnished his talent even brighter. Last year's Until The Next Time We Meet was a bold step forward, but he's evolved in leaps and bounds on his latest EP Trouble Man.
This eight-song collection is a daring and fearless one, with a willingness to fold live instrumentation into the soulful mix, some smartly chosen samples (check out how "Got To Be Real" bumps through "Family Affair," his collaboration with fellow Portland rhymers Grinch and Spaceman), and some deep lyrical content.
Says Tope: "This project is my most personal to date expressing themes regarding my family, the death of my mom and grandpa, absence of my dad, relationships with girls, the struggle of trying to make it musically." He doesn't wallow in self-pity though. No, these songs are about coming to accept the bumpy road that helped form his personality and, even with the grind of trying to get heard in the overflowing world of hip-hop, loving the game as he plays it.
Tope's burden to be accepted in the wider music world is getting lighter and lighter these days. He's already a well-respected member of the Portland scene, having placed at #6 on Willamette Week's Best New Bands of 2012 list, joining the likes of Radiation City, Onuinu, and his collaborator Reva Devito, as well as #2 on The Deli Magazine's Emerging Artist List of 2011. The East Coast is starting to take notice now, too, with legendary NY & Philly Record Labels knocking on his door, and features in VICE and Frank 151 Magazine. And as ever, he's become a go-to opener for hip-hop's best and brightest when they make it to the Rose City. To date, he's shared the stage with Nas, Talib Kweli, Dom Kennedy, Blu, Macklemore, Mac Miller, Shabazz Palaces, Dead Prez, Nappy Roots, Digable Planets, The Coup, and many more.
The whole of the U.S. is waking up to, and showing lots of love and respect for, what Tope brings to the table. Now it's time for the rest of the world to take notice.
The Portland rap game couldn't stay below street level forever. Word is starting to spread about the talent the Rose City boasts, and the one name that keeps popping up on people's lips is a rapper known simply as Tope.
A good deal of that attention is due to the respect that Tope has earned for the years he's committed to the scene. Starting in his teens, he's been a fixture at local hip-hop showcases and freestyle jams. He eventually started a pair of groups, Living Proof (with Seattle-based rapper Prem) and the well-respected crew TxE with Epp and Calvin Valentine (aka G_Force). Tope has also been providing production help and dropping by for guest appearances on tracks by artists including Abstract Rude, Myka 9, TiRon, Planet Asia, Scarub, Co$$, LMNO, and many more.
As any restless and talented artist would, Tope has been stepping out on his own, releasing solo albums that have only burnished his talent even brighter. Last year's Until The Next Time We Meet was a bold step forward, but he's evolved in leaps and bounds on his latest EP Trouble Man.
This eight-song collection is a daring and fearless one, with a willingness to fold live instrumentation into the soulful mix, some smartly chosen samples (check out how "Got To Be Real" bumps through "Family Affair," his collaboration with fellow Portland rhymers Grinch and Spaceman), and some deep lyrical content.
Says Tope: "This project is my most personal to date expressing themes regarding my family, the death of my mom and grandpa, absence of my dad, relationships with girls, the struggle of trying to make it musically." He doesn't wallow in self-pity though. No, these songs are about coming to accept the bumpy road that helped form his personality and, even with the grind of trying to get heard in the overflowing world of hip-hop, loving the game as he plays it.
Tope's burden to be accepted in the wider music world is getting lighter and lighter these days. He's already a well-respected member of the Portland scene, having placed at #6 on Willamette Week's Best New Bands of 2012 list, joining the likes of Radiation City, Onuinu, and his collaborator Reva Devito, as well as #2 on The Deli Magazine's Emerging Artist List of 2011. The East Coast is starting to take notice now, too, with legendary NY & Philly Record Labels knocking on his door, and features in VICE and Frank 151 Magazine. And as ever, he's become a go-to opener for hip-hop's best and brightest when they make it to the Rose City. To date, he's shared the stage with Nas, Talib Kweli, Dom Kennedy, Blu, Macklemore, Mac Miller, Shabazz Palaces, Dead Prez, Nappy Roots, Digable Planets, The Coup, and many more.
The whole of the U.S. is waking up to, and showing lots of love and respect for, what Tope brings to the table. Now it's time for the rest of the world to take notice.