TxE “Think Of You” // New Portland Music

“I think of you.  Tell me, do you think about me?
The fight and the drama and all of the love.
I think of you.
The good times the bad times, all of the above.
Tell me, do you think about, do you think about me?”
-TxE

Recently, a lot of friends and family have asked me why I like local Northwest hip hop so much more than mainstream hip hop and I’d like to take this moment to explain, (a little bit), why I love Northwest hip hop. I definitely didn’t grow up in an environment that appreciated the Northwest hip hop community. I didn’t discover hip hop in general until my senior year of high school, and didn’t discover Northwest hip hop specifically until almost a year after that, when I first heard The Kid Espi’s “Oregon Homeboy”. But, all of my life I have had a love for the Northwest that is greater than anything. I think this area may be the most beautiful place in the world. I adore the rain, love these trees and love these mountains. From the way we all talk to each other to the things we eat here, the Northwest culture makes my heart beat. My whole head spins when I drive through Portland in the late evening in the rain and even after a little bit of traveling this year, the Portland waterfront, reflecting the skyline lights is still my favorite sight in the entire universe. Northwest hip hop echoes this passion. Artists sing about their love for Portland and Seattle like their lives depend on it and the culture and attitude of this great region is reflected in everything they create. The music becomes personal. Everyone who listens has the opportunity to share something special with the artists. That is why I love Northwest hip hop.

Last week, Portland hip hop trio, TxE (pronounced T&E), released their new single “Think Of You” and this song is a perfect example of one that makes me feel this way. The Northwest style and attitude are rich in this track. After an absolutely fantastic intro, the song starts out right with Epp rapping out a verse about young life and love, using Portland as a setting and backdrop for his story.  Epp’s voice comes in at just the right moment, when listeners are ready for it.  The entire song flows beautifully.  One verse moves into the other with grace. Through the song, the hook does not feel overly repetitive at all. Everything is balanced and smooth.

Clocking in at 5 minutes and 40 seconds, this is the longest TxE track in my iTunes library. But the track doesn’t feel any longer than a normal song, despite being almost twice as long as most. The reason for this is that at 3:20, the song you’re listening to seems to end and something totally different takes over. Smooth melody mixed with hip hop beats created by G_Force takes over.  All of a sudden, the music speaks for itself and needs no explanation.  For two minutes and forty seconds, listeners are left in a place of total bliss.

“Think of You” was created in March of this year, but it only took about 4-5 hours for Tope and Epp to complete their part. Credit for the production of the song is owed to G_Force. “The beat they sent didn’t have any change-up’s, just a loop. I added all the instrumentation and extra drums and break downs, which helped add a TxE touch. Epp sung the hook and I decided to add some vocals, effects and distortion to make it spacey,” says producer G_Force.  Spacey is right and any TxE fan knows exactly what “TxE touch” he is talking about. There is definitely an air to most of these guys’ tracks, a certain character or energy they share.  With that said, this song is different than most they have created. While it still holds true to their style, it is a slower, more relaxed track than their normal hip hop projects, which just goes to show that their creativity is not locked in to one type of music or one style of song. I’ve said this before, and I’ll say it again now; I think hip hop fans in the Northwest would be greatly advised to watch out for these guys, and I think they themselves would be greatly advised to continue to invest in this group. They are true Northwest hip hop; a perfect example of the Northwest temperament.

TxE is currently working on a new album, which will be released later this year. In the words of Epp himself, “Get ready for the next TxE album that is coming very soon. Not tomorrow. Not next week. Not next month. But pretty soon after next month.”

 

New TxE track “Think Of You” available for free download HERE!

@TxEmusic

@itsTope

@epptendo

@CalvinValentine