One month ago, the Sasquatch Music Festival lineup was released to much fanfare. Like all festivals, some hated the lineup while others loved it. For the more levelheaded, it appears to be a very balanced lineup with a deep undercard. From here on out we will be underscoring the lesser-known Sasquatch artists by highlighting a different artist each week. Beyond delving into each artist’s bio, sound, etc., we will attempt to give some insight into what will make their performance at Sasquatch so amazing.
Seattle has long been known for its tendency to foster some of the biggest musical talents of the past several decades. Maybe it’s the rain, maybe it’s the attitude, but something about the city seems to create artist after artist brimming with promise. That being said, Seattle has not always been known for its hip-hop, and this may be because Seattle’s rappers tend not to fit the mold of a nationwide hip-hop stereotype. Today, we focus on two such norm-defying hip-hop artists, both of whom will be gracing the Seattle-hip-hop-focused Maine Stage at Sasquatch: Grynch and Sol.
The first, Grynch, is (in all honesty) probably the shortest rapper in the world. Name every physical characteristic you would expect a rapper to possess, and Grynch will defy nearly every one (known as the Ballard King, Grynch can be spotted driving a silver ’86 Volvo station wagon). His stature, however, does not detract from his talent. He has been releasing promising material since the mid-2000’s, and like other young Seattle rappers, he has been fortunate enough to fall under the wing of artists such as Geo of the Blue Scholars. Grynch will be releasing a new album, Perspective, on Friday, and judging from the tracks he has shared thus far, it’s shaping up to be a very respectable endeavor. Read a short review of the album by Larry Mizell Jr. in The Stranger right here. Check out “So Far,” featuring Brother Ali and Shaprece, and produced by Jake One, right here:
Next up on the Sasquatch preview list is Seattle rapper Sol, a gangly UW grad who is relatively new on the Seattle hip-hop scene, but is nevertheless making a splash with his low-key, conversational flow and relatable lyricism. His most recent release, a full-length album titled Yours Truly, is more introspective and sophisticated than his previous efforts, and it is an enjoyably cohesive record. The album was funded entirely through a Kickstarter campaign, and it reached #1 on the iTunes hip-hop charts nationwide. Sol’s live shows are high-energy and undeniably fun, and he will certainly be a valuable addition to the Sasquatch lineup. Check out the music video for “2020” right here:
Grynch and Sol have been collaborating on occasional tracks for the last few years, and tend to make appearances on stage at each others’ shows, which will most likely be the case at Sasquatch. Here, check out a few of their most successful collaborations:
These two artists comprise only a fraction of the Seattle hip-hop talent that will be making an appearance at Sasquatch. The Maine Stage will bring us many great undiscovered hip-hop acts from around the Northwest. As the weeks progress, we will continue to bring you more coverage of the Maine Stage artists, as well as other Sasquatch artists in general, so stay tuned.
Update: Check out Grynch’s brand new album, Perspective, right here.
The Astral Plane 