No Rest for the Weary

The Blue Scholars are awesome.

First heard "Southside Revival" on KEXP a couple months ago (initial reaction: "Wha? KEXP plays hip-hop this time of day?") Immediately got excited about their Seattle-centric, political lyrics. I think I got excited because besides Sir Mix-a-Lot, Seattle doesn't really have a hip-hop scene that goes beyond a local buzz. The Blue Scholars' lyrics have familiar locales and events (as opposed to the standard LA/Chicago/NYC hip-hop base) -- and this Chief Sealth alum can relate!

Seattle's image has changed so much in 15 years -- it's now the pre-eminent latte-drinking, uber-cybersavvy, enviro, literati portrait. I say that with no judgement, as someone addicted to caffeine and the internet who once worked for PIRG and loves to read. But I also say that as someone who's seen Belltown evolve from a neighborhood known for its soup kitchens, not its sushi and boutiques; as a proud product of an underfunded school district in a city experiencing a tech boom.

All cities have different sides to them, and I'm glad that Blue Scholars lyrics remind me about the blue-collar roots of the Emerald City, of the Boeing-employed and union workers who still have a necessary if now largely unrecognized presence, of the vastly different worlds of growing up in one town and of choosing to come back as an adult and live in it in its new incarnation.

Now own both their albums, and have emailed peeps in five states about them! Their lyrics are nowhere online, but my faves are "No Rest for the Weary," "Southside Revival," "Burnt Offering," "Evening Chai," and "Commencement Day."