Portland hip-hop is on the up and up. People are truly starting to realize the depth of the talent present in the scene and both fans and artists are having as much fun as ever as the walls come down and cliques cross-pollinate.
Tonight at the Rose Bar, the FLVX Society crew has a fun night planned for the rap fans of the city, and it has the makings of something special. Collaboration has always been a core value for FLVX; the collective is headed by DIY producer/rapper/engineer Packard Browne (who rocked The Thesis in November), and extends to a number of talented artists including Zach Drury and Llyght Stevens. To sweeten the pot, the crew also reached out to buzzing underground locals Rey Totem and Sasquatch (of L$P) as well as Seattle’s Donte Peace to round out the bill.
“We honestly put this show together to have a chance to put our spin on things,” says Browne. “We aren’t promoters, and have zero intention on doing so past tonight, but the opportunities for us to perform as a team are limited. We wanted a chance to get everyone some time to share their art.”
Browne makes a great point. With the rise of so many youthful local rap crews, it can be challenging for teams to get exposure as a unit. Talent buyers and promoters typically want to hand-pick individuals for bigger shows so that they can diversify their draw. But by organizing their own event, a collective can rally their mutual fans and still bring in a few others to increase the draw. There are few better ways to shine light on the less known members of a clique.
“We have a great group of talented, artistic minds on our team,” Browne explains. “Not everyone is familiar with each of our artists and this is kind of a formal introduction. Zach Drury is young but has SO much to share and is going to make a lot of new fans tonight. Llyght Stevens, our EDM specialist, isn’t from Portland, but has bounced between here and Northern California so he’ll be new to some as well. As for the openers, these are all artists that we picked because we enjoy their art, and feel they deserve some more attention.”
The addition of Rey Totem (who rocked The Thesis / X-Ray web series release party in December) and Sasquatch is particularly interesting as the L$P crew is known for their grimy, semi-mysterious ways and in some ways parallels FLVX’s under-the-radar reputation. Seattle’s Donte Peace fits the grimy bill as well and seems to be really hitting his stride. A lyrically talented MC, Donte has a lowkey classic in Locals Only and has churned out some pretty remarkable music over the last few years.
All in all, tonight is going to be huge for the cult followings these guys possess and if you’re down to drop $5 on a Friday night, you might discover some dopeness for yourself. There are few things more Portland than sweating dope artists that aren’t popular yet, so come get your fix.
“We believe this will be an amazing show, and people will be excited by these artists.”