Why? A Question with Answers

The Situation: Local producer Nickels recently posed a question to the Hip-Hop Echelons of the Northwest music scene. Here it is in it's entirety:

"Why are Seattle heads famous for only paying attention to a select few artists and ignoring the rest... Especially since some of these slept on ones could murder those who are in the spot light... Seattle sucks"

Rather than answer this question myself, I figured I'd give some shine to a relative unknown in the local rap game. Not only should this give us a fresh perspective on an old topic, but it also might turn you on to some new and exciting music. This artist has lived in Seattle for quite sometime now, but was a transfer to our great city from Southern California. You may not known his name, Dro Boy, as well as you know his group, They Live (who's EP, "They L.A. Soul", is set to release in the upcoming months). I'm very interested in picking the brain of this talented youngster, so let's get started.
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Game of Rap: So, Dro Boy, I haven't heard that name prior to "They Live" fame, but people tell me you've been a part of the Northwest scene for some time. Could you tell me a little about the struggle you
faced against the Hip-Hop Elite, to make it where you have with your group "They Live"?

Dro Boy: Well sure its never been easy but I dont feel held down in the scene, i feel like this town has a ridiculous breadth and there's support for everybody thats dope and fucking hustles for theirs.seattle is dope, and probably at an all-time high in terms of support- but outside of here they barely know, which is a huge challenge to anybody here, but its go hard time basically. the only thing that works is work. i stay busy doing the shit i love to do- i've been in cancer rising since 2001, i also am in the nite owls. between these crews, i've gotten to open for everybody from the Wu-Tang Clan to Scarface to Clipse to Big Boi to Clipse to Dj Quik to fuckin Mickey Avalon. Rocked with techno monsters like Truckasauras and some of the best rock bands in Seattle. i've rocked in like every spot in town besides the paramount, every festival here from block party to bumbershoot to warped tour to sasquatch, toured the NW with CR, went to Denmark to rock @ the roskilde fest, They Live! is currently performing on the nationwide sneaker pimps tour...

Game of Rap: Well, damn. I didn't realize all of that. I guess that just shows you how much the musical elite really hold back our city's talent. My next question I guess, is how hard has it been for you to
get media coverage in this city. Is there any outlet for local music to get its shine?

Dro Boy: Um, I think there's more outlets than ever. There's people fucking excited about local hiphop at about every music publication and blog in town, speaking of blogs, they're springing up like every day- such as yours. blogs is watching, drop-bomb.com, audacity of dope, casey carter, plus at least a half dozen others out there...i started Raindrop Hustla in january 2006...and we're still doing it. not to mention, uh, ive written about just about everybody in this town via the weekly column My Philosophy, in The Stranger, over the last five years, and i still do.

Game of Rap: Oh. Damn. I guess I should have done more research. Well, textual media is one thing. Everybody knows how hard it is to get yourself on the radio these days. Have any of your groups been played on Seattle Radio?

Dro Boy: ...okay so this is playtime right? yes. yes they have, every last one of them. KEXP has been playing CR since our first demo, we've been in heavy rotation- like more than a few local hiphop artists, dude. b-mello and street sounds held the town the fuck down for years and years homie- and i dunno know if you heard, but i recently became that show's new host. i play hella local shit. ok, j moore & dj hyphen have been doing sunday night sound session on kube since like 2006, playing local shit. X-104 (RIP) played local shit. i mean...is this a fucking joke? do you not know what's going on out here?

Game of Rap: No man, I seriously wasn't aware of all that. I googled Dro Boy and only They Live came up. It almost seems as if you yourself are one of these Seattle Heads in question. Is there some sort of upper society running the city? If there is truly an open door policy for local music, or are people being held back?

Dro Boy: ok look. there are no echelons. they dont exist. all those rumors, the Chase Jarvis dinners and the secret War Room meetings and the underground grindway and the Fremont LSD barons and the architecture of the Sky Church and the "locked levels" of 206proof, i mean i dont even know what your talking about. you're all mixed up, friend. you should be careful saying that kind of stuff because somebody might think you're crazy, and lock you away, lock you away in a dark, foul-smelling 6 by 10 hole, forever. because you dont even remember anything i've just said. said what? i dont even know. so now listen very close to me. what you really mean is there is a place for everyone, and everyone in their place. get it, friend? do you feel illuminated, that is, enlightened? It's a new dawn. 206 Stand Up. 206 Stand Up. I think that's really probably all there is really to say about it, period. 206 Stand Up. Stand Up.

Game of Rap: Okay. I never thought of it like that. I guess you're right. Before you go though, I have just one last question that I feel to be very important. If this scene really isn't mutually exclusive to those
in charge, then could you shed some light on a few acts to watch out for?

Dro Boy: Oh of course- there's Blue Scholars, Dyme Def, and (touches earpiece), and The Saturday Knights.

Game of Rap: Wow. Thank you for your time, Mr... Dro Boy... err.. Gatsby... err... Larry Mizell Jr. Your unique perspective is appreciated as always.

Dro Boy: OK, you be safe now.
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Game tips/Walk through: 1UP. There's obviously no fuccery in the Northwest Hip-Hop scene. Enjoy your Chai Tea and listen to some sweet tunes.