Blue Scholars

I should probably be letting Kyle write about this group since this was his discovery, but I'll be honest and admit that a lot of the stuff we write about here is first discovered by him; he has more patience to sift though shitty to find good groups than I do. My role is more of a filter, a second opinion to see if a group really has a good sound. That being said, this post is about a very interesting and unique group out of Seattle.

Blue Scholars is a conscious hip hop group out of Seattle, Washington. When I say a unique group, I mean just that. Besides coming out of the pacific northwest, a region known much more for its grunge and alt rock scene than hip hop gives them a unique perspective. But its the two members of Blue Scholars that truly define who they are. The mc of the group Geologic is of Filipino descent and the dj, Sabzi, is of Iranian descent and adheres to the Baha'i faith.

Take their background and throw in a laid back west coast style and some socially conscious lyrics about the grind of the life of the common man and you've got Blue Scholars. All these factors came together in their 2007 release Bayani, which interestingly enough is titled after a Baha'i prayer. Its a very strong album that touches on a range of topics as Geologic rhymes over the well crafted beats of Sabzi. Their style in general is very laid back, and features several songs that have slower tempos and a relaxed feel to them. This creates an interesting canvas for Geologic who often features very charged lyrics that flow over these chill beats which works well in that it forces the listener to focus more on what is being said.

Here are a couple tracks to check out from Bayani. These guys have a great sound and even though I wasn't immediately drawn to them, after a couple listens I really found myself being pulled in by their powerful heartfelt sound. My particular favorite is "Still Got Love", whose jazz trombone solo (as weird as that sounds) at the end was really the first thing that got me to listen to them more. Its a nice reference to the early jazz influences in hip hop.

Blue Scholars - Ordinary Guys

Blue Scholars - Still Got Love

Blue Scholars - North By Northwest


-Alec