Blue Scholars is an American
hip hop duo based in
Seattle
Seattle ( ) is a port, seaport city on the West Coast of the United States. It is the county seat, seat of King County, Washington, King County, Washington (state), Washington. With a 2020 population of 737,015, it is the largest city in bo ...
,
Washington, created in 2002 while the members,
DJ Sabzi (Saba Mohajerjasbi) and
MC Geologic (George Quibuyen), were students at
University of Washington
The University of Washington (UW, simply Washington, or informally U-Dub) is a public research university in Seattle, Washington.
Founded in 1861, Washington is one of the oldest universities on the West Coast; it was established in Seat ...
.
The name "Blue Scholars" is a play on the term "
blue collar," an
idiom
An idiom is a phrase or expression that typically presents a figurative, non-literal meaning attached to the phrase; but some phrases become figurative idioms while retaining the literal meaning of the phrase. Categorized as formulaic language, ...
for workers who often earn hourly wages for manual labor. Their music and lyrics frequently focus on struggles between socioeconomic classes, challenging authority and youth empowerment. These themes are often specifically addressed in relation to the Seattle region ("Southside Revival", "North by Northwest", "50 Thousand Deep", "Joe Metro", "Slick Watts" and "
The Ave
University Way Northeast, colloquially The Ave (no period; pronounced ), is a major street and commercial district in the University District of Seattle, Washington, located near the University of Washington (UW) campus. Once "a department stor ...
"), and heavily draw upon Geologic's history as an activist within the
Filipino American community dealing with issues of immigration, racism, and U.S. imperialism in the
Philippines
The Philippines (; fil, Pilipinas, links=no), officially the Republic of the Philippines ( fil, Republika ng Pilipinas, links=no),
* bik, Republika kan Filipinas
* ceb, Republika sa Pilipinas
* cbk, República de Filipinas
* hil, Republ ...
. Recent music has begun to extend even further outward, reflecting the group's greater
West Coast and Pacific roots including an album devoted to exploring Geo's
Hawaiian heritage on the ''
OOF! EP
Blue Scholars is an American hip hop duo based in Seattle, Washington, created in 2002 while the members, DJ Sabzi (Saba Mohajerjasbi) and MC Geologic (George Quibuyen), were students at University of Washington.
The name "Blue Scholars" ...
''.
History
The hip hop group first came to be in 2002 because, "two students skipped a class, went and crafted an album", as mentioned in the 2007 track "Bayani." The two students, George Quibuyen and Alexei Saba Mohajerjasbi, were attending the
University of Washington
The University of Washington (UW, simply Washington, or informally U-Dub) is a public research university in Seattle, Washington.
Founded in 1861, Washington is one of the oldest universities on the West Coast; it was established in Seat ...
at the time. The two met at a meeting for S.H.O.W. (the Student HipHop Organization of Washington) which was organized by classmate and future manager Marc Matsui. The organization had set out to revive an authentic interest in hip hop within Seattle which, at the time, had become a solely rock town. This was a result of a series of incidents including a shooting at an
Ice Cube concert in the early 1990s as well as the
Teen Dance Ordinance. George and Alexei soon joined forces and formed their own duo that utilized Geo's raps and Sabzi's beats and became known as the Blue Scholars.
Since then the duo has performed in over 400 shows together across the
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 U.S. state, states, a Washington, D.C., federal district, five ma ...
including the
Sasquatch! Music Festival
Sasquatch! Music Festival was an annual music festival held at The Gorge Amphitheatre in George, Washington, United States. It took place on Memorial Day weekend, running for three to four days.
In 2018, it was announced that the festival was c ...
in 2005, 2006, and 2008, and
Bumbershoot opening for
Kanye West
Ye ( ; born Kanye Omari West ; June 8, 1977) is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, record producer, and fashion designer.
Born in Atlanta and raised in Chicago, West gained recognition as a producer for Roc-A-Fella Records in the ea ...
in 2006. They have opened for and shared stages with such artists as
De La Soul
De La Soul () is an American hip hop trio formed in 1988 in the Amityville area of Long Island, New York. They are best known for their eclectic sampling, quirky lyrics, and their contributions to the evolution of the jazz rap and alternat ...
,
Slick Rick,
Wordsworth, Kanye West,
Hieroglyphics,
Immortal Technique,
The Coup and
Masta Ace.
In 2006, the Blue Scholars received top honors in the hip hop category of the
Seattle Weekly's Music Awards Poll, and were also the top vote-getters overall; in earlier years, they had been recognized in the categories of Best Hip-hop Artist, Best Local Single, and Best Album.
Over the years the duo has continued to use their music as a tool for social change and DIY activism. Since those formative years in S.H.O.W. at the University of Washington, Geo has continued to promote youth empowerment and support for political groups that include, but are not limited to, BAYAN-USA, isangmahal arts kollective, and
Youth Speaks Hawaii
Youth Speaks Hawaii (YSH) is a program of Hawai'i nonprofit Pacific Tongues. Founded in January 2005, the organization focuses on promoting teen literacy and civic engagement through the writing and performance of spoken word slam poetry. YSH runs ...
. In 2007, Geologic, representing Blue Scholars, went on tour with Hip Hop artist, Kiwi, to promote the Stop the Killings Tour to bring awareness to the deaths of regular people in the Philippines.
Members
Geologic
Geologic (born George Quibuyen; also known as Prometheus Brown, Geo) is the vocalist for the Blue Scholars and has also performed as a
spoken word poet. In the 2007–08 citywide election for Seattle's Poet Populist, Quibuyen placed sixth with ninety-six write-in votes, the highest total for a
write-in candidate
A write-in candidate is a candidate whose name does not appear on the ballot but seeks election by asking voters to cast a vote for the candidate by physically writing in the person's name on the ballot. Depending on electoral law it may be pos ...
in the nine-year history of the competition; although, the record was subsequently broken by Seattle poet Ananda Osel in the 2008-2009 election.
The son of
Filipino immigrants, Quibuyen lived in various locations along the
west coast and
Hawaii
Hawaii ( ; haw, Hawaii or ) is a state in the Western United States, located in the Pacific Ocean about from the U.S. mainland. It is the only U.S. state outside North America, the only state that is an archipelago, and the only ...
as a child until his family settled in
Bremerton, Washington. Geo feels rooted in his Filipino heritage and that there is an unfinished revolution among his people.
[Blue Scholars Bio and Press] His lyrics are drawn from experience, crafted for a connection to community, and working to uplift communities in general. He remains a strong advocate for the Filipino community all over the world, as an outspoken critic of US foreign policy, including its tough immigration laws and unfair corporate practices by Western business.
In 2011, Prometheus Brown released the album "Prometheus Brown and Bambu Walk Into A Bar" with
Los Angeles
Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the wor ...
rapper
Bambu. In 2014, they released a second album, titled "Barkada".
Geo's side project includes
Hood Famous in Seattle.
Sabzi
Sabzi (born Alexei Saba Mohajerjasbi; also known as Saba) is of
Iranian American heritage and is a
jazz
Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a majo ...
-trained
pianist
A pianist ( , ) is an individual musician who plays the piano. Since most forms of Western music can make use of the piano, pianists have a wide repertoire and a wide variety of styles to choose from, among them traditional classical music, j ...
. He holds a background in
punk and
ska before he turned to
beats and
turntables with the Blue Scholars.
[ A Seattle area native himself, Sabzi is rooted in his own Iranian culture and practices ]Baháʼí Faith
The Baháʼí Faith is a religion founded in the 19th century that teaches the essential worth of all religions and the unity of all people. Established by Baháʼu'lláh in the 19th century, it initially developed in Iran and parts of the ...
which is grounded in diversity, economic conservation, and other social justice practices. Their album
An album is a collection of audio recordings issued on compact disc (CD), Phonograph record, vinyl, audio tape, or another medium such as Digital distribution#Music, digital distribution. Albums of recorded sound were developed in the early ...
Bayani contains a Baháʼí prayer chanted by Behnam Khoshkhoo as the first track. Similar to Geo, Sabzi believes in organizing communities together in order to create change. He is inspired by the youth that he works with in high school and college workshops as well as the community and finds their thoughts and opinions on music and society today to be one of the most influential factors in his music.
Record label
Opting to create their own record label rather than sign with an existing company, Blue Scholars members Geologic and Sabzi, along with MCs RA Scion of Common Market and Gabriel Teodros
Gabriel Teodros (born 1981), is a hip hop artist and a member of the groups Abyssinian Creole and CopperWire. He was raised on Beacon Hill, Seattle, Washington. Teodros' music often features socially conscious themes, and he was a catalyst in t ...
, launche
MassLine Media
in 2006. The label's mission statement includes the goal of using hip hop as a means of grassroots community organizing and youth outreach. MassLine entered a joint venture with legendary hip hop label Rawkus Records in 2007 for the June 12, 2007 release of their new album Bayani; the name derives its meaning from two different languages. In Tagalog
Tagalog may refer to:
Language
* Tagalog language, a language spoken in the Philippines
** Old Tagalog, an archaic form of the language
** Batangas Tagalog, a dialect of the language
* Tagalog script, the writing system historically used for Tagal ...
it literally means "heroes of the people" and in Persian "Bayan" means "the Word." The June 12 release also commemorated the anniversary of the Philippine Declaration of Independence
The Philippine Declaration of Independence ( fil, Pagpapahayag ng Kasarinlan ng Pilipinas; es, Declaración de Independencia de Filipinas); es, Acta de la proclamación de independencia del pueblo Filipino, link=no) was proclaimed by Fili ...
from Spain
, image_flag = Bandera de España.svg
, image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg
, national_motto = '' Plus ultra'' ( Latin)(English: "Further Beyond")
, national_anthem = (English: "Royal March")
, ...
in 1898. In July, 2009, Blue Scholars worked out a distribution relationship with Seattle coffee chain Cafe Vita and a record deal with Duck Down Records in which the label signed to the band.
On March 6, 2011, the Blue Scholars made a further move away from the traditional music label structure, beginning a campaign of "signing to the people" where fans, supporters, and listeners will be the primary financial capital for their new record, Cinemetropolis. The project had already been more than 150% funded by over 1400 backers via Kickstarter just ten days after beginning. On April 22, the Kickstarter campaign ended making the Blue Scholars the first hip-hop artists to "Sign to the People." In total, the campaign raised $62,391 with the help of 2243 backers each pitching in an average of roughly $28.
Future
The Blue Scholars plan on continuing to make music that empowers the youth and communities of Seattle
Seattle ( ) is a port, seaport city on the West Coast of the United States. It is the county seat, seat of King County, Washington, King County, Washington (state), Washington. With a 2020 population of 737,015, it is the largest city in bo ...
, the West Coast, the United States, and eventually the world. They continue to experiment with different multi-media elements in their music and transcend what is considered "traditional" in the hip hop world.
Front man Geo hopes to appeal to a culturally diverse audience. As the son of Filipino immigrants, he says he hopes to see more Filipino and Asian fans as well as more people of color in general at their shows.[
]
Popular culture
In Valve
A valve is a device or natural object that regulates, directs or controls the flow of a fluid (gases, liquids, fluidized solids, or slurries) by opening, closing, or partially obstructing various passageways. Valves are technically fitting ...
's games '' Half-Life 2'' and in '' Half-Life 2: Episode Two'', the Blue Scholars' name can be seen on the front of several radio boxes throughout the game along with the radio station "FM 89.50". It is also on an audio receiver in Kleiner's lab, above the camera screens. This is because Sabzi is the cousin of Dhabih Eng, an artist for Valve. 89.5 FM is a reference to the frequency of Seattle, WA radio station KNHC-FM. It is one of the few radio stations in the country that is run entirely by high school students, in this case the students of Nathan Hale High School.
The song "Sagaba Remix" is featured in the Xbox 360
The Xbox 360 is a home video game console developed by Microsoft. As the successor to the original Xbox, it is the second console in the Xbox series. It competed with Sony's PlayStation 3 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generati ...
video game, '' Project Gotham Racing 4''.
Starting in 2019, the song "Slick Watts" is played in CenturyLink Field before kickoff of Seattle Sounders FC home matches.
Discography
Albums
* '' Blue Scholars'' (Pacific Northwest release: Independent, February 28, 2004; National release: Independent, June 21, 2005)
* '' Bayani'' (Massline/Rawkus, June 12, 2007; Redux: Massline/Duck Down, September 1, 2009)
* '' Cinemetropolis'' (Independent/Kickstarter, June 14, 2011)
EPs
* ''The Long March EP
Blue Scholars is an American hip hop duo based in Seattle, Washington, created in 2002 while the members, DJ Sabzi (Saba Mohajerjasbi) and MC Geologic (George Quibuyen), were students at University of Washington.
The name "Blue Scholars" is ...
'' (Independent, December 6, 2005)
* ''Joe Metro EP'' (Massline/Rawkus, November 6, 2007)
* ''Butter & Gun$ EP'' (Massline/Rawkus, April 29, 2008)
* ''OOF! EP'' (Massline/Duck Down, August 25, 2009)
Singles
* ''Freewheelin'' (Independent, Aug 2005)
Non-album tracks
* ''Invocation'' (late 2003; web release, cut from Blue Scholars LP)
* ''Morning Tea'' (late 2003; web release, cut from Blue Scholars LP)
* ''Wide Asleep'' (late 2003; web release, cut from Blue Scholars LP)
* ''Inkwell (Crashed-Cop-Car Remix)'' (2004; web release, samples Modest Mouse's song Float On)
* ''Bluchini'' (Sept 2007; web release, demo)
* ''Coffee & Snow'' (Dec 2008; web video release)
* ''Michelle Malkin'' (Feb 2010; web release)
* ''Paul Valery'' (Mar 2010; web release, samples Owl City's song "Fireflies")
* ''New People (Empire Way Remix)'' (Apr 2010; web release)
* ''Summertime In The SEA'' (Jul 2010; web release)
* ''Lumiere'' (Sep 2010; web release)
* ''Big Bank Hank'' (Oct 2010; web release, samples Bibio's song Lovers' Carvings)
* ''Coffee & Snow 2'' (Nov 2010; web video release)
* ''John DeLorean'' (Apr 2011; web release)
* ''Fly Me'' (Sept 2011; released on Prometheus Brown's "Brownouts, Vol. 1")
* ''bell hooks'' (Sept 2011; released on Prometheus Brown's "Brownouts, Vol. 1")[
* ''May Day'' (Jun 2012; web release)
* ''The Sound (feat. Sound Transit)'' (Oct 2012; web release)
* ''The Decisive Moment'' (Nov 2012; unmastered web release)]
The Bar (Prometheus Brown and Bambu)
* ''Prometheus Brown and Bambu Walk Into A Bar'' (Beatrock/In4mation, July 6, 2011)
* ''Barkada'' (Beatrock, March 11, 2014)
* ''Son of Barkada'' (Beatrock, July 21, 2015)
Videography
* 2004: "Freewheelin"
* 2007: "Back Home"
* 2007: "Joe Metro"
* 2008: "Loyalty"
* 2008: "Coffee and Snow"
* 2009: "HI-808"
* 2010: "Coffee and Snow 2"
* 2011: "Fou Lee"
* 2012: "Seijun Suzuki"
* 2012: "Slick Watts"
* 2012: "Anna Karina"
with The Bar
* 2012: "Lookin' Up"
* 2012: "At It Again"
* 2014: "Coming (To America)"
* 2014: "The Bar"
* 2014: "Mits"
Sabzi
See Sabzi for complete listing
See also
* Filipino hip hop
Filipino hip-hop or Pinoy hip hop (also known as Pinoy rap) is hip hop music performed by musicians of Filipino descent, both in the Philippines and overseas, especially by Filipino-Americans.
The Philippines is known to have had the firs ...
and Critical Revolutionary Pedagogy: Blue Scholarship to Challenge 'The Miseducation of the Filipino'" by Michael Viola
*The Ave
University Way Northeast, colloquially The Ave (no period; pronounced ), is a major street and commercial district in the University District of Seattle, Washington, located near the University of Washington (UW) campus. Once "a department stor ...
References
External links
Official Website
Myspace Profile
Press
* Luke Burbank.
TBTL MyNorthwest.com
ideo performance
IDEO () is a design and consulting firm with offices in the U.S., England, Germany, Japan, and China. It was founded in Palo Alto, California, in 1991. The company's 700 staff uses a design thinking approach to design products, services, enviro ...
(March 23, 2010)
{{Authority control
2002 establishments in Washington (state)
20th-century Bahá'ís
21st-century Bahá'ís
Alternative hip hop groups
American Bahá'ís
American musical duos
American hip hop groups
Filipino-American musical groups
Filipino rappers
Hip hop duos
Musical groups established in 2002
Musical groups from Seattle
Underground hip hop groups
Youth empowerment people
Political music groups