Ask anybody involved and they’ll tell you that Portland rap is on a roll right now. Hordes of fans are making it out to see local lineups on all sides of town, any night of the week, and the cliques are merging, opening the doors for better and more exciting opportunities. Por ejemplo… Tomorrow evening The Hawthorne Theatre is once again partnering with Trust No One Entertainment to bring a dynamic all-ages party to the popular SE Portland venue.
The ever-popular 2Reps headline the sure-to-be-turnt affair. Whether touring dispensaries across the region, dropping flame music videos, or rocking after-parties for their buddy Mike Epps, the duo continues to build momentum from their base here in Portland. You won’t see these guys out all the time, but the biological brothers known as Ace and Fred boast an energetic and fun live set, so when they do perform in town it’s a great catch. Hardly home but always reppin’, the 2Reps recently did an exclusive interview with MyHipHopLife.com discussing their craft, their inspirations, and their curious relationship with the one and only Snoop Dogg.
What else can I say about Oakland’s Brookfield Duece? The Yay Area spitter known for connecting the dots in the PDX rap scene is coming off of a successful showing on Mt Hood following an appearance at The THESIS where his superstar cousin Dame DOLLA rocked live, for only the second time, right here in Portland. Expect an energy spike when Duece takes the stage with Drae Slapz on the boards. His latest mixtape, Boondocks Saints 2, slaps viciously as do the barrage of high-powered singles he’s released over the winter. Through hard work, consistency and collaboration, Duece has quickly emerged as a serious draw for Portland hip-hop fans.
One of the most exciting names on the bill for me is Nyce Lutchiano. The Portland rap vet possesses a very unique voice that pierces through songs to tell true-to-life street tales that resonate in the parts of Portland that don’t always get talked about. His supporting performance at TheTHESIS in February (alongside Yo-X) turned heads as casual fans stopped chatting to hear the refreshingly analytical rapper rip through verses with an intensity that raised the bar for the night. Fresh off a busy trip to SXSW, Nyce returns to Portland with a renewed hunger that will certainly be something to behold. His 2015 mixtape, No Turning Back is a very solid piece of work, and has spawned some really dope videos as well.
That’s not all though, scene newcomers Mike The True and Tyler Gordon have shown the ability to rally crowds of youngins and prepare for opening sets this Friday. The choppy rap-singer and baby-faced spitter have a song together titled Lingo on Mike’s new project, Feeling Like A King. Cold Bones rounds out the lineup. The PDX newcomer plans to make a name for himself and he’s got a new video to check out as well.
And while you’d think that would be enough, it’s not. There are reasons that Trust No One CEO DeAndre Woods has been on fire lately, and attention to details is a big part. The party will be hosted by town staples Cool Nutz and DJ OG One (Official Trailablazers DJ), and there will be raffles for Adidas gear, Bro Pluto products and other cool gifts benefitting The Portland Rescue Mission. There’s also a VERY SPECIAL guest scheduled to perform, but my lips are sealed… You’ll have to be there to see who it is.
Are you sold yet? Advance tickets are just $10, and it’s $15 at the door… but since you’re here on WOHM, we’ll give you a tip. Pre-order your tickets TODAY and get $2 off by using the promo code “2REPS”. Now it’s an $8 show. It really doesn’t get much better than that!
Come out and see what all the fuss is about. TNO is throwing the vest locally-focused all-ages shows in the city right now and this is guaranteed to be a riot. Don’t miss out!