Big Rob
Allison Jenkins /// Seattle
Even before PUSH (People United Saving Hip Hop) came on the scene in Seattle helping elevate hip hop with meaning and intelligence, Big Rob was working toward those same ideals. Never resting always dreaming new recipes of music, art and partying.
He just finished work on a TV pilot he co–wrote and directed (Rush House). While doing the post-production work he concepted a new avenue for appreciating music. He took some time to answer some questions and see what may be in store for Seattle and Portland.
You’ve put together a great first Saturday night at the Sunset. What is your recipe and essential elements for Graffiti Rock?
Graffiti Rock was designed to be a truly elemental hip hop night. When myself and djblesOne (Mash Hall/Massive Monkees) founded the night last June we wanted it to be different than anything else in Seattle. A place where no matter what the bill people would come because they knew they would see a spectacle. This lead to a strong following in the b-boy and emcee scene as we were playing music directed at them as opposed to club goers. Our policy has always been to play music we like and our friends like and fuck anyone who thinks its wack.
Is Graffiti Rock at it’s limit?
I think that Graffiti Rock has become pretty self sustaining as we are able to draw near capacity without a lot of traditional promotion. Honestly I think we can grow more, not in size but in execution. Tighter shows that appeal to more folks without compromising our ideals.
What set’s Graffiti Rock apart form
other nights in Seattle?
A major difference is the fact that we are doing it in Ballard, which is a very non-traditional hip hop neighborhood and we are still able to Rock it (all pun intended). The best part is we aren’t drawing the fans that go to shows in other neighborhoods they seem to be fans from Ballard. Its great to see because my goal when we moved GR from Nectar in Fremont this past year was to go to another neighborhood where the culture hadn’t quite spread and turn it out, and we’ve achieved that.
Graffiti Rock has taken off and has left you with even more possibilities. When we spoke last you were really excited about the new direction you’d like to take your projects.
I’m confident that I could leave Graffiti Rock and it would survive. The current resident dj100proof is a monster promoter and has a great ear for music and I know he could handle the weight, which leaves me with a lot more options. I started promoting punk bands 10 years ago out of grange halls and I’d love to get back into that scene which is pretty great here in Seattle. I also want to focus on attracting more industry folks and the thirty-somethings. Call me a glutton for punishment but I really want to show the cynical grown up scenesters that the kids are alright.
You have had success in promoting nights. Is this motivating you to do
even more?
Myself and the guys that make up my promotion team PUSH (People United Saving Hiphop) have had a lot of great ideas of additional night we can work out. I am really interested in an idea 100proof had where we would build a house band for a night where a dj would drop a record it would come to the break and the band would pick up the break jam on it for a while and then the dj would mix into another record. Hiphop has become much more of an art in the last few years and I think people are begrudgingly looking at it as actual MUSIC now so as a culture we need to play off the new found acceptance.
You mentioned a new idea of the “Music Lesson”
dj night. What are you trying to do with this?
That is my masterplan to bring in the cynics and critics. The night is going to be an eight week series with each installment covering the history of a different genre of music. These guest “curators” are going oversee the music selections and prepare literature on the key points of each scene. I’m still in the process of sorting this whole thing out but I’m excited to do something very different.
What is missing in the
Seattle night life?
Sweaty dance parties. We’ve got a couple monthly or bi-monthly parties but where the fuck is the weekly? I want to see more scantly clad chicks who are way out of my league blowing coke in dirty bathrooms. And honestly more smiling at hiphop shows, there has been a lot of bullshit posturing plaguing the scene up here recently and its got to stop, we’re in Seattle no one cares how hard you are. Its like being the best looking waitress at Denny’s.
Tags: Ballard Hip Hop, Big Rob, Graffiti Rock, Seattle Hip Hop, sunset tavern
