Gatsby, Seattle hip-hop’s man of letters
Larry Mizell Jr. is the Hunter S. Thompson of Seattle music.
Thompson took on everything from motorcycle gangs to politicians. Mizell keeps his hunter-eye trained on hip-hop. His slang-filled rants for the alternative weekly The Stranger and various blogs might be described as “ghetto gonzo.”
Mizell’s review of Lupe Fiasco at Bumbershoot: “If he wasn’t such a dope MC I wouldn’t be able to stomach how caught up on himself he seemed from 15 feet away - since he doesn’t drink or smoke, I’d have to say he was positively drunk with swagger, blinking at the crowd, weaving ecstatically to the music … ”
Mizell also goes by the MC name Gatsby, as one-third of Cancer Rising. Rappers Mizell and Judas and DJ TilesOne crank up material from Cancer Rising’s new, self-released CD with Dyme Def and neo-grunge rockers the Valley. Show details: 8 p.m. Sunday, Chop Suey, 1325 E. Madison, Seattle; $8 (206-324-8000 or www.chopsuey.com).
With the funk and soul-infused Cancer Rising, Mizell is carrying on a heavy family legacy - the Mizell Brothers (Larry’s father and uncle) are legends in the music industry, having produced a string of jazz-funk albums in the ’70s.
The new breed Mizell answered some questions via e-mail about exploring Seattle hip-hop from both sides.
Q: Did you sample any of your father’s beats on the new CD?
A: No, no … I really want to have an actual collaboration with Big Larry some time, but there’s a lot of stuff he produced I’d love to rap over. In due time - like when we can pay for those samples! Can’t steal from family!
Q: Why Gatsby as your MC name?
A: I read “The Great Gatsby” in one day on a particularly slow day at work years back. I loved it, and I identified with many of Jay Gatsby’s qualities (his reinvented self, his heart and so forth), if not his wealth. My homegirl saw me with the book later and commented that I was like the Black Gatsby - it was a wrap after that (and I hated my old MC name anyway - and I’m not telling).
Q: How long have you lived in Seattle, and how do you think that has influenced your music/lyrics?
A: I’ve been stuck here since 1991. I went thru my teens in South Seattle, but I grew up in LA. I came up here loving rain, but got cured of that quick! Seattleites appreciate sunshine like no one else since it’s so miserable the rest of the time. Generally speaking Seattle is also pretty intelligent. Take all that, and that’s where our kinda snarky, intelligent optimism comes from. Also since I discovered rock ‘n’ roll in Seattle, you’re gonna hear references to that in my lyrics a lot, if not in the beats we choose.
Q: What are some of the pros and cons of being a journalist/performer?
A: It’s definitely a weird juggling act sometimes, but it’s mostly positive to me. Being that I’m in the “trenches” with other artists, I feel like I have a good perspective on emerging talent in town - then I get to encourage and advocate it. That feels good. Corny as it sounds I look at writing about local hip-hop as civic duty, and I believe our scene deserves somebody to report on it who knows their stuff. Also, I guess it’d be stupid to say that me writing My Philosophy (his column’s title) hasn’t bolstered our profile a little bit.
Now it can also be a con - when it’s hard to get ink for your project, because you’re for the most part the one that’s writing about everybody else. Maybe people don’t take CR seriously enough because I’m the guy with the column. Maybe your peers don’t take your criticism well. But that comes with the territory.
Q: If Judas and Tiles said, “We need to get serious and put CR on the road for the next six months, so you need to leave journalism behind” - what would your response be?
A: Well, CR came first - and I guess it still does. I don’t plan on giving up writing now that I’ve discovered that I love to do it, but actually doing music in some form is something I’m never parting with. So I’d say “Yeah” but hopefully I’d also be able to figure something out with my editors - they’re not getting rid of me that easy!
Tom Scanlon: 206-464-3891 or tscanlon@seattletimes.com