Thanks to Crane City Music’s founder, Gary Campbell, Seattle finally has the framework to honor local hip-hop artists, reaching deeper into the region’s diverse abundance of talent. On February 25th, Crane City Music hosted The Town Love Hip-Hop Awards at the Pacific Science Center Laser Dome. As outlined in the show’s program, 267 records from 2018 were included in the voting, and over the course of two weeks, local rappers, singers, beatmakers, and fans voted for their favorites. Around 5,000 votes were cast, and the top 20 records were honored, with the #1 record taking home a cash prize of $500.

It’s been over a decade since I’ve attended a laser show, probably dating back to elementary school field-trip days. The night was just as nostalgic as it was encouraging. The auditorium was dimly lit, and I took up a seat near the entrance — I’m an aisle type guy. Scattered amongst the audience, I spotted some of the top 20 nominees like Jarv Dee, JustIn Hale, MistaDC, and many more. Although not included in the program, local DJ and artist Stas THEE Boss had hostess duties along with DJing the event.

After a brief intro, the lasers commenced. The format was that each nominee’s name and project —beginning with Tacoma rapper Perry Porter’s Channel Surfing at #20 — were flashed on the screen, followed by the lead track off the record. As the songs illuminated the room, the lasers simultaneously bounced and weaved and created eccentric patterns that traveled around the dome’s interior. In orderly fashion, applause and echoes of endearment followed each track, with guests upping their decibel levels to publicize their favorites.

Artists like Travis Thompson and Lil Mosey have gone viral with their catalogs, leading to major label deals for the two, but it’s the emphasis on the more underground artists that makes the show special. A common conversation had by hip-hop superstars — in regard to the Grammys and its misrepresentation of the genre — is why there isn’t an awards ceremony that embodies the culture we share. Crane City Music has positioned itself as an inclusive label, promoting the amazing talent from artists that may be otherwise slept on.

Campbell has been partnering with some of the nominees, releasing their latest efforts on vinyl through the Crane City label. The show became somewhat monotonous about halfway through — there’s only so many lasers an eye can take — but the blueprint has been created for the future of Seattle’s hip-hop community.

Toward the homestretch of the night, the top three records were almost a no-brainer, due to the positive reception they’ve received throughout Seattle. Travis Thompson’s album, YOUGOOD?, took home the bronze at #3, followed by Kung Foo Grip earning silver for their album 2KFG, and the current queen of Seattle hip-hop/r&b, Parisalexa, was voted as having the best record of 2018 for her EP, Bloom. Unfortunately, she wasn’t in attendance to accept her prize money and be honored but later expressed her gratification on her Instagram story.

The future of Seattle’s hip-hop scene is bright, and I’m glad I was able to cover the inaugural show. The community deserves recognition, and this is the perfect event to recognize the artists annually. Who knows, maybe next year it’ll be a black tie gala with Space Needle trophies handed to the winners.

The list of nominees and their albums are listed below, in order of votes:
20.) Perry Porter: Channel Surfing
19.) Jarv Dee: Safe Travels
18.) Fatal Lucciauno: Kalito
17.) Sango: In The Comfort Of
16.) Vitamin D: Bornday3
15.) Benadrill: The Randolph
14.) Micstro & D. Mikey: Cookie Jar
13.) Sendai Era: Lakas
12.) JustIn Hale: Rain City
11.) Raz Simone: Drive Theory
10.) Isabella Du Graf: Love, Love?, Love.
9.) Lil Mosey: Northsbest
8.) MariBased1: Mariotto Mixtape, Vol. 1
7.) Gifted Youngstaz: Revenge of the Iron Lung
6.) Chong the Nomad: Love Memo
5.) JusMoni: Sweet to Me
4.) MistaDC: Sorry We Lost You
3.) Travis Thompson: YOUGOOD?
2.) Kung Foo Grip: 2KFG
1.) Parisalexa: Bloom