Monthly Archives: July 2010

Seattle Hip Hop

Here i am, in work way early in the morning, in an attempt to get out early.The getting here early was kinda nice actually, but it’s a little off-putting when you’re the last person to leave for the day and the first person in the next morning. I felt like i was going to the airport this morning, it was peaceful.

I’m here early though so i can  go push my way through a throng of sweaty hipsters at ground zero of hip seattle culture. i speak of the capitol hill block party, which looks to be huger than ever this year, and chock full of seattle hip hop. Last year was a big year for the hip-hop scene around here, and i think that’s settled down a bit. but everyone’s still grindin’ hard, and i think there’s going to be alot of new music coming out after summer into next year, which i look forward to.

The scene is coming into something of it’s own (again), and there’s going to be good representation at this year’s block party, along with other fun bands as well. I haven’t been to a day long festival type music fest in awhile, and despite getting to old for this, i’m really looking forward to it.

Seeing Macklemore, Shabazz Palaces, Champagne Champagne, and some collaboration act with Helladope, State of the Artist, Spaceman, and Grynch. Not all my favorite groups, but this is a live music experience. It’s going to be a good one. I’m smitten with seattle hip-hop, glad i’m youngish enough to still go to these things, even if i don’t really care about being publicly awesome anymore.

Creation

most of the time, i ask myself what i’m doing here. that i’m beyond this type of self-reflection, that this only does me marginally good. typing like a narcissistic goon, (not)begging for attention.

but whether i like it or not, i come here and create. creation. creating something out of an apparent nothing. a place where unbridled creation is unleashed,  embracing some creative element. most of the time, i would rather consume stuff, but the bug is there to occasionally create something. write my thoughts down, brew some beer, fix something that’s broken. A creative life versus a consumption life, yet another balancing act to strike. consume too much and you just become a receptacle just loaded with facts and ideas. create too much and you get too focused on creating and getting lost in your own world. neither is a bad thing, but much like everything in this world, too much of anything is no good. thank you 3rd grade, for that nugget of wisdom.

the big thing is the quality level. quality is not inherent to creation or consumption, but it’s a big part. i still haven’t figured out quality though. you can feel it in things you create, see it in things you consume. for all i know, it could be the amount of love that goes into or comes out of these objects when you interact with them. it’s impossible to quantify, it can only be done by feeling, but you know it when you see it. it’s a nice thought, anyways.

i think my big problem these days is that i don’t care if i create anything. i enjoy creation but i don’t try and catalog and store alot of it, and the stuff i do still just doesn’t feel like it has enough importance to try and force others to consume what i create. either through laziness or fear of rejection, i don’t know. mostly i think it’s the apathy that is encountered you make something you think is nice. it is presented and summarily dismissed with a shrug and a “meh”, and life goes on. maybe a “that’s nice”.

but so what? if i create something and a bunch of people think it’s the greatest thing ever, then what? my ego gets a little scratch under it’s chin and a treat for being such a good boy, and i’m back to where i started, chasing the high of creating something people think is important to further satiate my ego. it’s a damn vicious cycle, but it all feels like it if i sit down and start thinking hard enough.

let’s turn this around, though. creation does bring a sense of accomplishment, and i suppose that’s about all i can expect from it. at least i can do tangible things for myself, to make me feel better. as long as i’m not hurting anyone else, i can justify what i do for myself, or people i truly care about. there are  not many things in life worrying yourself over, and a sense of accomplishment is a damn fine distraction.

beer might be something worth screaming about from the hilltops for me, but i’d still rather relax than work, and i think that makes all the difference.

you know it when you see it.