What were you doing when you were 14 years old? Perhaps you we chasing the dream on your Jr. High B Squad or still getting taken for your lunch money, but did you ever venture to the mic and take your chances with a live audience? The young man performing as Pynt Syze is making his mark locally in Albany, Oregon and if you suppose that Tech9 is any judge of what is or isn’t hip-hop, then you may want to keep a listen out for what is to come.

So, you are a young man but you’ve have been rapping and performing for a while, how long have you been doing rap?
PS I was 9 years old and I happened to be hanging out at the Paradox Productionz studio with my cousin Klutch. Klutch and Phonix of Paradox knew that I liked to break dance so they knew I had rhythmn. They wrote me a verse really quick and put me in the booth to see how it sounded, after some instruction and practicing we finished the song which is called “Kyng Syzed”.

How would you describe your sound and what distinguishes you from other hip-hop artists?
PS I think my sound is different because I’m much younger than anyone else that is rapping around here, I don’t curse or talk about stuff that I wouldn’t want my Grandma to hear, ha ha. I mean, I’m only 14 and I’ve been doing this since I was 9 so I think I already have more experience than most other rappers around here.

What is a Pynt Syze live set like?
PS Well I’m a solo Hip-Hop artist and I try to make my shows as energetic as possible. I’m sure when people see a 14 year old get on stage for the first time they don’t know what to expect but I think by the end of the show they come to respect me as a actual artist, not just a gimmick.

Where are you from and what do you enjoy most about your local scene?
PS I am born and raised in Albany, Oregon. I think what I like best about the local scene is the support that most every artist gives each other.

Who have been some of the key people that have helped you pave the way to where you are now?
PS The biggest influences I’ve had in music are my big brother Mike, the guys from Paradox (Klutch & Phonix), and all of my family.

It’s the start of a new year, what are some of your favorite memories from 2009?
PS My best memory from 2009 was rapping for Tech N9ne, Slaughterhouse, and all of the other artists on Tech N9ne’s K.O.D. tour back stage before his show in Eugene.

What are you looking forward to in 2010?
PS In 2010 I’m looking forward to dropping my mixtape “Class ‘N Session”, working on my debut album, and working towards getting signed!

What do you hope that fans will receive from your music?
PS I hope that they feel my passion for music and understand that you can do Hip-Hop without cursing.

What is one of the coolest stories you have heard from a fan?
PS I guess he’s not really a “fan” but the coolest thing for me was when Tech N9ne shouted my name on stage saying how good I was in from of thousands of people after I rapped for him.

Trend that you have noticed that you will never join? Skinny jeans, they’re not for me. Currently reading I’m reading my 8th grade Science book, haha; listening to Tech N9ne and the songs that I have done from my “Class ‘N Session” mixtape, and T.I.’s “Paper Trail” album; and watching I guess the channel that I watch the most is B.E.T. Any crazy pre-performance rituals? Nothing to crazy, but I pray before every show. When you are a diva/rockstar the three things that you will demand be in your dressing room are? If I demanded three things in my dressing room it would be a notebook to write in, junk food, and apple juice. The perfect combo! Top 5 songs in your personal ipod right now? I’m a Zune guy, so the top 5 songs in my Zune are Tech N9ne – Riot Maker, and 2-5 would be my own songs, haha! I mainly listen to my own music and other music from Paradox Productionz.

See Pynt Syze tear the stage up at Riley’s on March 27th with Oregon’s First The Everything Show starting at 7PM (124 Broadalbin – Albany, Oregon) see banner link below…

For more information, interviews and updates for live local music. Local bands, artists, concerts, venues and events from rock, hip-hop, metal, pop, punk, hardcore, alternative, indie, organic, progressive, rap and more. Stay tuned to hurdcore.com, friend us on myspace and join us facebook

Friday, February 26th
6pm-8pm
$2/person or $5/family
Come see the premiere of Veggie Tales newest release “Pistachio” before it is available in stores!

This event is for children K-5th grades, a fun night complete with dinner, activities and the feature film from Veggie Tales Pistachio – The Little Boy That Woodn’t (a lesson on listening to your parents).

VeggieTales twist on the beloved story of Pinocchio! Young Pistachio gets involved with some slippery characters. His bad choices and disobedience towards [his father] Gelato lead to some sticky situations.

This event will be held at South Albany Community Church – 2418 SE Geary St. Albany, OR 97322. Call the church office for more details (541) 926.4762

Veggie Tales came out when we at hurdcore.com were a bit younger, though aimed at grade school children, take a peek at the song that started it all and see if you can’t keep yourself from laughing at a singing cucumber…

For more information, interviews and updates for live local music. Local bands, artists, concerts, venues and events from rock, hip-hop, metal, pop, punk, hardcore, alternative, indie, organic, progressive, rap and more. Stay tuned to hurdcore.com, friend us on myspace and join us facebook

HURDCORE.COM ANNOUNCING: co-sponsor w/ local artist Suganuts presenting Oregon’s First The Everything Show (O1ES) coming to Riley’s in Albany, Oregon on March 27th. (124 Broadalbin ST) Working to make this show a mind-boggling conglomerate of talent that will be the first of many. Mixed genre including the best of local hip-hop, alternative, hardcore, rock, indie, R&B, punk rap and MORE! This will be a night that you will not soon forget, historic Riley’s atmosphere, free prizes, full bar and entire show hosted by the very funny Will Woodruff.

For more information, interviews and updates for live local music. Local bands, artists, concerts, venues and events from rock, hip-hop, metal, pop, punk, hardcore, alternative, indie, organic, progressive, rap and more. Stay tuned to hurdcore.com, friend us on myspace and join us facebook

As stated before, hurdcore.com is primarily geared towards fans supporting local bands, venues and events with an emphasis towards “all ages” offerings, so our recent foray into the Albany (Oregon) hip-hop community deviates some in the “all ages” aspect but is certainly well rooted in the local details. Just to be clear, our endorsement of local rap artists does come with the disclaimer that Albany’s local hip-hop talent isn’t PG (I know, shocking) in its content, but it cannot be denied as perhaps the local scene with the most traction and deepest support.

I was recently invited to travel with local artist Suganuts (interview link here) to attend a local show at Cantina in Corvallis (Oregon). As usual the show was well attended, and by several claims was by far the best attended live show to date at that venue. Local acts included: Suganuts, Poverty’s Posterboy (interview link here), Mr. 541, Treu, Markus Tha Great White (interview link here), Yung Royal, and so many more. I originally set out to review the show as a whole, but decided that as hip-hop isn’t a scene of origin here at hurdcore.com, I might be a small voice to share an outsiders view to what may be unknown about this brand of local rap.

So, whether you are unfamiliar and/or have passed on the local rap scene it because of pre-conceived notions of what hip-hop is all about there are a few things that stand out to me whenever I am around this group of artists that I think might cast a different light. This is a gathering of individuals who refuse to let their dream die. I don’t mean that to sound as though its a rag-tag bunch of has-beens that don’t know when to quit, but in the much respected sense of people who are punching the clock like the rest of us to take care of their families, bills and life-in-general but people unlike many, who maintain the resolve and discipline to carve out time to pursue their craft. These aren’t people trapped in a dream sequence of what could be, these are artists driven to act upon their passions and willing to put themselves to the fire.

More than a gathering of individual artists, this is a community of artists who have become incredibly tight knit in their support for each other while maintaining a distinction of uniqueness in their presentation of this music genre. Immediately apparent is an underlying respect for each other as artists, which comes with a celebration of individual accomplishments and an eagerness to collaborate on stage as well as in production. Even though they perform together, produce and appear on each others albums, individual artists maintain their uniqueness to such a degree that no act sounds alike. If you venture out to a local show, you will be witness to a community on the rise with a buffet of hip-hop offerings from real people who sing and share in real life.

So, if you’ve ever had a dream and wanted to be a part of a genuine community that creating momentum together, I think you would have a hard time finding that you don’t appreciate these characteristics on display wherever Albany (Oregon) hip-hop is performing. Rap may not be your thing, but perhaps you will think a little differently the next time you notice Albany (Oregon) Hip-Hop being promoted.

For UPCOMING EVENTS most of the artists mentioned in this article have Myspace pages that they update frequently, as a standard, Bogey’s Bar and Grill (Albany, Oregon) hosts Hip-Hop Night every Wednesday usually starting around 10PM.

SIDENOTE: The question that I have been asking both hardcore/rock and rap artists as well as fans, is how would a collaboration show work? I believe we can get local rock bands and hip hop artists together, several have said that they would do it, but where would we host it (primarily thinking it should be an all ages venue) and how best could we promote to generate a turn out? It seems Corvallis has a great diversity of rock offerings and Albany has to be one of the best rap communities that I observed to date, so what do WE say – at hurdcore.com we’d love your input on how to make this happen – YOU can make it happen! Taking suggestions for artists, venues and even a cause that might bring this all together.

All roads to Wednesday go through Poverty! If you are ready to experience hip-hop in Albany (Oregon), then you are going to want to check out Bogey’s Bar & Grill (129 1st Street) every Wednesday night for a showcase of local and national rising rap talent. Local performer and Bogey’s Entertainment Manager, Poverty’s Posterboy, this committed husband/father has been leaving his imprint on the local scene with his hands deep in all aspects of the biz, from producing to rapping and booking local shows (and not exclusively hip-hop). The rap community in Albany appears to be thriving, with several acts on the rise, Poverty and several others we have interviewed previously are taking the blue-collar approach to fame – taking care of business and chasing the dream. So, whether your thing is rap or you are looking to book locally, all roads go through Poverty.

HC Is there any significance or story behind your name?
POV Me and a friend were joking around back in 98′ and picked it and it just stuck. Plus I have never had a lot of valuable stuff, so it fits!

HC How did you go from dreaming about rapping to performing live and cutting albums?
POV A lot of hard work and determination. Hours and hours of grinding and trying to figure out the game.

HC For those who are unfamiliar with your set, how would you describe yourself – do you lean towards a particular style of hip-hop? What can we expect from a Poverty’s Posterboy show?
POV I don’t really lean towards any particular style of hip-hop, I try to do me! A lot of energy and entertainment, a show they wont forget.

HC Beyond performing, you are involved with producing albums and promoting shows. Tell us more about your studio work – what are you set up to do and how long have you been doing it?
POV Right now my studio is down. But should be done by early 2010…in the process of building a new one. I have only been recording for about 8 months and beat making for about 6 months. But I have only been writing/rapping since March of 08′.

HC You are the Entertainment Manager for Bogey’s (Downtown Albany, Oregon) which hosts Hip-Hop Night every Wednesday. How did you get involved with Bogey’s? How long has Bogey’s been supportive of local hip-hop? How have you seen the local rap scene grow through this relationship?
POV I have always known the brothers who own it, but have been performing there for about a year now. Bogey’s has been supportive of the local hip-hop scene for the last year and a half. I have seen a lot of growth through this relationship such as, acts like Rappin’4-Tay and Celly Cel come to Albany, as well as a weekly hip-hop night.

HC Are you an Albany native? From your experience has Albany always been good to hip-hop or has that been a lot of work by yourself and others to get it to this point?
POV Yes I was born and raised here. I believe that it has taken a lot of work and still more before we are embraced.

HC Whenever I ask people about the history of hip-hop in Albany, certain names keep popping up, i.e. Murder Creek, Weside Ink, Paradox, etc. What can you tell us about the who and what of the origins of rap in Albany?
POV Those are the rappers that started the scene here in town. And since then have helped out a ton of artists, myself included.

HC What are some of your early influences that got you into hip-hop?
POV Too short, Eazy E, Dr. Dre, WU Tang, Tupac, Biggie, Everything really.

HC Where are you currently grabbing inspiration and/or frustration from and how has this been affecting your music?
POV Life. That’s what I write about, the struggles that we all have to go through. It’s helped to push me to write better and better songs.

HC Where can those interested best connect with you to find out about news, releases and tours?
POV www.myspace.com/povertysposterboy, or go to Bogey’s on Wedensday nights…129 1st st in downtown Albany.

HC Are there any big plans in the works for the remainder of 2009 that we should know about, whether from Poverty’s Posterboy or Bogey’s?
POV Yes lots of big things going to be happening…keep checking my page to see whats going on.

HC What have been some of the most important lessons for you as an aspiring artist? Any words of wisdom for those wanting to pursue their dreams of rap stardom?
POV You can lose alot of your close friends over the dumbest things, Takes money to make money in this game, keep your family as close as possible…they are some of the ones that will always truly have your back and keep on grinding.

There are those who aspire to a hip-hop solely based on the assumption of material benefits or there are those who approach it as a craft and seek to put their heart, soul and work into producing a quality product, rolling the dice to see if they can connect with people and leave their mark in history. Markus Tha Great White is an approachable mix of genuine charisma and ingenuity that translates well in gathering diverse crowds to the local hip-hop scene. Markus has that rare ability to draw people to himself without deception, his sincerity and humor compliment his talent for producing the kind of hooks that happily stick with you long after the lights have dimmed. This is fun hip-hop that is expressive, aggressive and interactive.

HC Is there any significance or story behind your name?
MGW So originally I was just gonna go by Markus….but some homies and I (Yung Royal and Michael Paulsen) were throwin around some names. Markus tha Great White was born as a joke, I laughed when he said it, but after a while i really started 2 like it! Now I embody the Great White, almost a split personality on stage, and intend on using the name til I retire!

HC How did you go from dreaming about rapping to performing live and cutting albums?
MGW All props must go out 2 Doctrine aka my hardcore neighbor Jared, and Yung Royal aka Carlos Lynch! Doctrine heard me freestyle and gave me an avenue 2 the booth, and Yung Royal took me under his wing when dude left….I owe all my current success 2 them!

HC For those who are unfamiliar with your set, how would you describe yourself – do you lean towards a particular style of hip-hop? What can we expect from a Markus Tha Great White show?
MGW My shows r CRAZY!! Everyone I rock wit is 100% buck all the time! My set is about dancing, sweating, gettin all the everyday ISH off ur chest! I try 2 stay true 2 my old school hip hop roots, but I mix em up wit a lot of new sounds.

HC I saw you live recently and was impressed with how you seem to have mastered the art of writing hooks/choruses that people can and want to connect with.
MGW First off the hook or chorus of the song is THE MOST IMPORTANT PART! I spend a lot of time choosing each word for a hook because I want it 2 stick in ur head. At shows I have hooks that r designed 2 make u wanna chant along.(I’m so sneaky)

HC In a live performance, a song that stuck out to me declared, “Can we please bring real hip-hop back!” What does this mean to you?
MGW I have a lot of influence stemming from old school hip hop, and I feel the current radio-hop that is forced through our speakers is hard 2 choke down! In my opinion, if ur gonna be on the mic have somethin 2 say!!!

HC Going to Bogey’s for the first time on a Wednesday night, I was surprised with the talent and turn out for a mid week hip-hop show. Has Albany always been good to hip-hop or has that been a lot of work by yourself and others to get it to this point (what can you tell us about the history of hip-hop in Albany)?
MGW I am certainly not the pioneer in this area. U had Murder Creek, Grinestone, Weside Ink, Thug Couzin, Paradox, etc. I have been doing shows for over a year now, and there are some great local groups making the same positive movements I am. Mad love to SOUFside, J lil, Suganuts, Mr. 541, Poverty Posterboy, Tru, Chesha Cat…..and to anyone I forgot, sorry yo! u know my habits lead 2 forgetting ish, its all love!

HC What are some of your early influences that got you into hip-hop?
MGW I’m from the East coast so u know I’ve got 2 b a Biggie fan. I also like Wu tang, Bone thugz, Tech nine, Ludacris, and anyone else who spits wat they stand 4. My mom is a music teacher 2, so I was blessed with rythm at a young age.(unlike most white boys!)

HC Where are you currently grabbing inspiration and/or frustration from and how has this been affecting your music?
MGW I’ve had some tough times with my first album’s release, but I’m releasing the Lost Tracks Compilation Friday July 24th! I actually appreciate the bullish most of the time, it gives me fuel 2 keep grinding and makes 4 some great song themes! Nothing will ever keep me down!

HC Where can those interested best connect with you to find out about news, releases and tours?
MGW I’m a very approachable guy…..so anyone who has any questions or advice please hit me up 541-974-3418 also myspace.com/markusthagreatwhite and N2deepent.com which is my entertainment company I created. There are no contracts 4 the first year so get at me 2 connect wit a deep team!!!

HC You are working on cutting a CD this summer [July 2009] where did you record this album and who did you work with? What are some of your favorite tracks from this one?
MGW My album WAS being recorded at ReEvolution studios here in Albany, but it was on a hard drive stolen during a robbery in late June! I lost 7 beats, LOTS of hours in the booth, and about 1,800 cash invested!!! No worries though, I will be re-recording it asap and plan on having it released by the end of 09′ The Lost Tracks was made so fans could hear wat I was working on b 4 it was stolen.

HC On July 24th, 2009 you are presented Pause for the Cause with Yung Royal, what is the cause of this show and how did you get involved with this effort?
MGW This show was made 2 raise awareness with wat happened 2 my album. We have sold out pre-sale tickets, and I expect a very positive turn out. Much love 2 Yung Royal who has been working very hard along side me 2 make this show happen!

HC I didn’t get the full scoop on your album being stolen, did somebody hack your stuff or was someone shady and took what you had and pawned it as their own?
MGW There was actually a robbery at the studio I was recording with. They took a bunch of stuff including the computer equipment with all my session files on them! So i have the MP3 formats but I can’t do ANY editing to them without the session files so….back 2 square one : )

HC What have been some of the most important lessons for you as an aspiring artist? Any words of wisdom for those wanting to pursue their dreams of rap stardom?
MGW First off make sure u back up your sessions on a zip drive!! Don’t get em jacked like the Great White! The most important thing I’ve learned is u gotta stay hungry. Never stop learning/growing and u will surpass all those around u!! peace and love markus tha great white

When we first arrived in Oregon a few years ago, I hadn’t even heard of Albany. Now that we’ve been residents for nearly 3 years, there are still details and aspects of this “small” town that surprise me. Something that you may not catch, if you were just passing through, would be the depth of talent cultivating in this hip-hop vineyard between the I-5 and Willamette River. Albany (Oregon) isn’t just a haven for homegrown rap aspirations, it has become a destination attracting groups that are chasing the dream from places as fairly near such as The Bay and as far as Louisiana. Suganuts is one such welcome import bringing with him a wealth of experience and a unique perspective to the local rap scene. Suganuts is a family man who is doing right by taking care of his own while blowing up mics with the full support of his wife and four doting sons.

HC Is there any significance or story behind your name?
SN Yep. It began as a nickname from then my girlfriend and now my wife….lol.
It then was the shock of it being said. As how the lyrics from my music make people react…. HONESTY…

HC How did you go from dreaming about rapping to performing live and cutting albums?
SN Well, I started writing in ‘91. About my life and real life situations. It helped me release my anger and stress. I did my first show when I was 16 opening for Green Day in 1995, but never have been as active as I am am now here in Albany.

HC For those who are unfamiliar with your set, how would you describe yourself – do you lean towards a particular style of hip-hop? What can we expect from a Suganut’s show?
SN Yo! You can expect to enjoy the set no matter what type of music you enjoy. I guess you can say its an interactive in your face performance with real music, but its tough to pump up your name to folks. Gotta stay humble ya know what I mean?

HC I had no idea that Albany had such a robust hip-hop community, you mentioned that you’ve been doing this for 17 years, have all of those been in Albany?
SN Albany Or is amazing I love it here. I love the artists and the fans, because they love the artists. check out (Yung Royal, Markus tha Great White, Poverty’s Posterboy & Bilyeu, Weside Ink, Soufside Ink, Bent, Treu AKA Tha Hustla, Paradox and thats just a few of my homies with extreme talent).

HC Has Albany always been good to hip-hop or has that been a lot of work by yourself and others to get it to this point (what can you tell us about the history of hip-hop in Albany)?
SN I didn’t even come close to starting this movement if anything I may of just helped it succeed. I have only been here for 11 months, but this will be the 2nd album I have dropped in this time span. Im not sure if the town has always embraced rap as it does now, but I hope so. As far as the history goes I remember Murder Creek. Went to one of their shows back in ‘99, a pretty good show. Mafmatix, Paradox, Weside Ink. Those guys are why I can do what I do today.

HC How would you describe the Albany rap scene? Are there other hot spots in Oregon that you have found to be receptive and enthusiastic about rap/hip hop?
SN NOPE…. This is what I call THE CITY OF RAP. I’ve performed in the other towns from here to the Bay, but there is nothing like performing here in Albany. Most people still don’t see and understand that these artists are something special.

HC What are some of your early influences that got you into hip-hop?
SN I’d say my Uncle Ron who got me to start writing and who co-wrote my first jam, all Bay Area rappers and my mother who has always told me that I was born to do this.

HC Where are you currently grabbing inspiration and/or frustration from and how has this been affecting your music?
SN Fake family members and people. Real people and my wife and children. I just do me, work and do music in the late night hours. If there is a sticky situation in my life you can probably bet that there will be a song about it.

HC Where can those interested best connect with you to find out about news, releases and tours?
SN Call me 541-286-0131 or txt. Trust me I will respond because I can’t stand when someone does not. Also MySpace.com/mrsuganuts.

HC You are having a CD Release party at Bogey’s Bar and Grill in Albany (Oregon) on Wednesday, August 5th, 2009. Where did you record this album and who did you work with? What are some of your favorite tracks from this one?
SN First of all yes this is my 5th album release, but most importantly this will be the biggest showing of local talent (rap) ever. That’s the most important to me. I hand picked all of my favorite artists and closest artists. I recorded 80% of the album here in my home at my computer, one song at reEvolution studios and two songs at Poverty’s Posterboy’s Studio – NORTHWEST NOIZE… There are a ton of local artists on the album: Treu AKA Tha Hustla, Yung Royal, Krossbreed, Pov & BIlyeu, E Of CB, Contra & C-Logic, SOUFSide Ink, Weside, Bent, and MY BEST Buddy Trial who is currently in ARKANSAS. Also Beats by alot of different beat makers in town… TruBeats, Krossbreed, Pov, Bilyeu, Myself – PRICELESS. A few of my favorites on the album are F’N Around, Like It Used To Be and M.I.L.F.

HC What have been some of the most important lessons for you as an aspiring artist? Any words of wisdom for those wanting to pursue their dreams of rap stardom?
SN *BEING REAL AND DO WHAT YOU SAY YOU WILL DO!!!!! * BE humble… There is always someone better than you!!!!! * AND last but not least *bleep* what they think about you!!!!!

A friend of mine used to work with a rapper on the rise, Treu aka Tha Hustla, who was having his CD release party at Bogey’s Bar and Grill (Albany, Oregon – Wednesday, July 15, 2009). I’d passed by Bogey’s hundreds of times going through downtown Albany and had heard rumors that they hosted regular local rap shows but never ventured down there. Bogey’s doesn’t just host rap, they dedicate every Wednesday night for hip-hop where local talent is on display weekly. I would not have thought there was a thriving hip-hop community in Albany, but nothing could be further from the truth.

Bogey’s is a bar, so the show was 21 and over. Due to technical difficulties things were slow to get rolling, but once everything was worked out Poverty’s Posterboy and Bilyeu aka Mr. 541 got things started. I’d heard their “Albany Song” from Myspace [link] which utilizes of the story telling power of hip-hop, literally rapping you through some of the history of Albany, Oregon. Poverty had one of the best line’s of the night, when he got choked out from the smog machine stating that, “I feel like a care bear up in here.” Poverty and Bilyeu combine a mature rap sound with well sung choruses, putting on an inspired set and closing with their local anthem, “They want to know where were from. We’re from the 5-4-1.”

It is inspiring to discover that ordinary people from around town are chasing their dreams and finding encouragement from others who are doing the same as well as support from local establishments like Bogey’s. A young man who stands out in my mind as perhaps as fine a waiter that I have ever had the pleasure of being served by (I do mean that with all sincerity) turns out to be an exceptional rapper as well, which in retrospect makes sense as his charisma fuels both ventures. What stuck out to me from Markus aka Tha Great White was his ability to write hooks that the crowd was ready to respond to, from the three songs that he performed, he was able to incite a robust response from a mixed crowd. Markus delivered what I felt was the song of the night, uniting a stimulating hook with his smooth delivery and a relevant message that is still repeating in my head, “Can we please bring real hip-hop back.”

Markus shared the stage with Yung Royal, who was brilliantly diverse in his mastery of several elements of rap. Yung has the ability to compliment a set, add another layer or take the helm at center stage himself and was able to range from rapping with speed to being very smooth. Suganuts took the stage with the swagger of a veteran and closed his set with a song that he mentioned had come against some opposition from others because it was too slow but for me was a standout performance as it was one of the few songs of the night that actually told a story.

The man of the hour, Treu, took the stage with Young Ducky to perform one of his most popular tracks, “Ay Yay,” which definitely lends itself to crowd participation. This was just to be a taste of Treu though as he left the stage as a mixed posse of diverse rappers (sorry, I didn’t catch names) performed a song to be follwed by Bent, who launched his lyrical assault upon the crowd. Bent was remarkable because he always kept a smile on and had perhaps some of the most humorous rhymes throughout his slot. When Bent finished, Treu returned to rap through his CD release for Bacc 2 Tha West Coast. Treu exudes a laid back confidence that is simultaneously very charismatic, his complex sound should resonate with genuine rap enthusiasts.

While I wish that I could remember every performers name, but I can’t say that I even heard all of them declare. I also had to work early the next morning so left right after Treu’s performance. Shout out to Bogey’s for hosting, Turning Leaf Entertainment for producing the show and DJ Unofficial who kept a seamless flow through the night. Of considerable note this night at Bogey’s was the diversity amongst this close knit gathering, whereas in many smaller communities the tendency can be to all sound the same, as well as the camaraderie amongst all the rappers, each rooting for the other and being sure the mention the efforts of all. The hip-hop community in Albany is laying a great foundation for launching local talent, if you have any affection for rap you will want to visit this scene.

UPCOMING HIP-HOP SHOWS IN ALBANY:
> Pause for the Cause presented by Markus Tha Great White and Yung Royal (w/ several guests) on July 24th, 2009 – 6PM (ALL AGES) @ The Fairmount Grange, 845 N Albany Rd, Albany, OR
> Bogey’s will be hosting the CD Release party for Suganuts on August 5th, 2009 (deep line-up of rappers also playing) – 9PM (21 +) @ 129 1st Ave, Albany, OR