best in the pnw hip-hop

Seattle’s Media Outlets Need To Represent The Entire Pacific Northwest Better

To those that know me, I’m an opinionated MF through and through. I’d like to believe I only speak my opinions on things I feel I have done my research and am credible on, but you know what they say about opinions. Something that has bothered me for YEARS has been the lack of credibility for “The Best In The PNW Hip-Hop” or “The Northwest Top ___” list by other media outlets.

These lists usually turn out to be a circle jerk of Seattle talent that all works together.

Seattle is the epicenter of the Pacific Northwest. Home to talented musicians, thriving music and nightlife, and tastemakers from all over the world. Oftentimes, many people are unable to see past the fog surrounding the Puget Sound. Media outlets use the word “Northwest” or “Pacific Northwest” to describe their list, yet fail to look outside of the city’s walls.

I wouldn’t have a problem with a lot of these lists if they were more accurately labeled. Instead of the best in the PNW, I’d rather see “The Top Seattle Talents This Year” or  even “The Top 10 ____ In A 3 Block Radius Surrounding Capitol Hill.” Hip-Hop lists usually see an omission from ALL street music and just about all Hip-Hop in Spokane, Tri-Cities, Yakima, Portland and any town or city in between. Do the Seattle writers covering music know that there are other cities filled with musicians making moves every day?

It’s ignorant, inaccurate, and downright disrespectful to talented music artists all around the Pacific Northwest to mislabel these list. So many publications have never put ten toes in the Yaks, Tacoma, Spokane…fuck it even the south end of Seattle.

I feel as if when it comes to Hip-Hop in the Pacific Northwest, no editorial staff outside of ours has spent as much time in studios, shows, and the streets ALL over the Northwest.  We don’t just know who’s popping in one city, we know whose name is being spoken in the streets all over.

The “list post” always seems to get people’s panties in a wad, ours included. I know everytime I do one it sure sends ripples throughout the music community, but our staff constantly encourages one another to provide an accurate snapshot of all corners of Cascadia, beyond our friend group.

I have friends that pay me to record their music, projects that are dope, and they still don’t even make the blog. I reserve the spots for what I feel deserves more shine to represent the Northwest. We make a mission to not let our list represent one section of the city. Every time we’re accused of being “biased,” I really laugh it off. I can do that because our team is working with the music industry every day, attending shows all over the state, week in and week out.

I’ve actually written numerous articles calling out specific outlets but held back from posting because I wanted to build and not destroy, but I’ve had enough. For years I strayed from keeping my opinions off this blog for the sake of not offending anyone.

It’s not fair and quite ignorant to call my lists better than another, but fuck it. I’ve yet to find a single list in any Seattle media publication that better represents the entire Northwest. You’ll be hearing more real thoughts from me because I want to see this region thrive.

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