Celebrate Black History Month With Seattle Chef Edouardo Jordan

When chef Edouardo Jordan encounters something, he examines it thoroughly. For the Seattle-based restaurateur, winner of two prestigious James Beard Foundation Awards (Best Chef Northwest and Best New Restaurant for JuneBaby), nothing important is taken at face value. Rather, Jordan is interested in a thing’s origin and what it might be used for in the future, whether traditionally or untraditionally. Which is why, when he decides to celebrate and highlight Black History Month in his trio of stellar restaurants, it means something both flavorful and educational.

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Opportunities To Succeed

San Francisco Mayor London Breed knows the importance of community support at the right time.

A native of the Bay Area, Breed grew up in the Western Addition housing project in San Francisco. However, an internship with the nonprofit Family School when she was a teenager helped change her life.

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On Being Trans: J Mase III Creates a Space to Feel Welcome

Trans-identifying, Seattle-based artist J Mase III has held many jobs in his life: in the nonprofit sector, in university settings, and as a boots-on-the-ground human-rights activist. But it wasn’t until Mase was fired from his most “cushy” position in higher education six years ago that he finally chose to hang up the nine-to-five lifestyle and become a full-time working artist. Ever since, Mase has been creating opportunities for himself and others while also making a living. In fact, his next artistic endeavor is centered on that delicate balance.

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Behind the Wheel: Seattle-based producer Jake One on the 10th Anniversary of His Debut White Van Music

Seattle-based producer Jake One (aka Jacob Dutton), is a legend in the hip-hop community. Drake, Dr. Dre, Jay-Z, De La Soul, Brother Ali, 50 Cent, and Macklemore are just some of the names featured on his extensive music catalog. Jake, who has been in the scene for nearly two decades, has also worked with other up-and-coming local artists like Parisalexa and Travis Thompson. His output is often comprised of epic-yet-soulful compositions born from his own instrumentation and samples found on records from around the world. Talk to anyone in Seattle who loves hip-hop and Jake is at the top of their collaborative wish list. Ten years ago, he released his acclaimed solo album, White Van Music, and to celebrate the anniversary of the release, we caught up with the producer to talk about his love of music, how his career began, and why he continues to work with many new artists.

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Artists In Residence: Macklemore Helps Seattle-Area Youths Gain Experience In The Music Industry

WHEN BEN HAGGERTY WAS 7 YEARS OLD, he already knew what he wanted to do for the rest of his life. The Seattle-based emcee/rapper, now better known as Macklemore, was aware even at this young age that he wanted to be onstage with a microphone, hearing his voice boom through speakers as he shared his music with an audience. Now, 28 years later, in the midst of his Grammy-winning career, Macklemore is helping to make similar dreams come true for young musicians through The Residency, a music-education program born in the city where he made a name for himself. Macklemore’s work with this program, which is supported by Alaska Airlines and other local organizations, reflects his broader interests in giving back to his community and providing opportunities for aspiring musical artists.

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Josiah Johnson Talks Sobriety, Hiatus from The Head and the Heart, and New Solo Material

Josiah Johnson, co-founder of the Seattle Americana group The Head and the Heart, has dealt with a lot of change in his life. From discovering a type of musical magic with the band’s co-founder, Jonathan Russell, ten years ago to playing on stage to thousands of people to leaving the group to get sober to working through new songs and a new solo career path, Johnson has had to adapt many times over. But now, feeling more confident in his own skin, Johnson is setting out to play shows – including one tonight at Ballard’s Hotel Albatross – and release a new solo record in 2019. We caught up with Johnson to preview the upcoming gig and talk about the new record and much more.

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Travis Thompson’s Ride From Burien to the “Corner Store” and Beyond

After performing on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon in support of Macklemore (aka Ben Haggerty) alongside fellow Emerald City rapper Dave B. (aka Dave Bowman) and world-famous DJ Premiere last year, Travis Thompson got stoned with two of his best friends atop his Times Square hotel. The moment, both in metaphor and in real life, was a high point for the Seattle-born lyricist. But, Thompson hopes, it won’t be the last view from atop a peak on the landscape.

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George Clinton Reflects on Impending Retirement, His Longtime Career, and Just Saying "Funk It"

George Clinton has mastered the musical ecosystem. He knows how to adapt. He knows how to push the right buttons to send the right message. And he’s a legend as a result. For the man who helped invent funk music, leading a band is as much about delegating as it is standing in front of the mic and moving a crowd. As a result, he’s helped many careers blossom and blossom again. Clinton, who will perform in Seattle Tuesday and Wednesday at the Neptune Theater, took the time to talk with KEXP about his history as a musician and what he remembers most about being inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, being a barber in New Jersey, and how he’s ended up portrayed in so many famous cartoons.

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RJD2 on the Math Equation of Music Composition, Early Days, and "Wylin Out"

Columbus, Ohio-based music producer, RJD2, aka Ramble Jon Krohn, is one of the world’s most accomplished music producers. The musician burst onto the international scene in 2002 with his debut solo record, Deadringer, with hits like “The Horror,” “Smoke & Mirrors” and “Ghostwriter.” In other words, if you were a hip-hop head in the early 2000s, his music was a part of your everyday soundtrack. The songs from the album are so beloved that you can still hear them in both clubs and national commercials to this day. His most recent solo album, Dame Fortune, came out in 2016, but earlier this year, he released the album Tendrils, his second LP under the alias The Insane Warrior.

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Spin Doctors Front Man, Chris Barron, Talks Comfy Sweaters, Befriending John Popper And Writing Songs

Growing up in Princeton, New Jersey, residents heard a lot about Chris Barron, the fun-loving, golden-voiced front man for the famed 90s rock band, Spin Doctors. From rumors spreading about the blond singer crooning from his window atop Farrington’s music shop near the library to hearing about his myriad poems depicting odd characters and indelible, quirky turns of phrase.

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Moby Shares Details About Upcoming Documentary and Other "Self-Diagnostic Creative Projects" with KEXP

On December 6th, Moby, the legendary songwriter and music producer, will grace the stage of Seattle’s McCaw Hall for an intimate-yet-sweeping orchestral performance that will showcase his many career hits. The night, which will feature members of the Pacific Northwest Ballet Orchestra and Emil de Cou conducting, will most assuredly be memorable, epic, and one-of-a-kind. To preview the event, we wanted to catch up with Moby (aka Richard Melville Hall) and ask him about the performance, which will also be included in an upcoming documentary. The film, which will look unflinchingly at the repercussions of fame and material success, is set for release in 2019. In addition, we asked Moby about his choice to go sober, what opening a vegan restaurant in L.A. has taught him about people, and why he loves collaborating with musicians from the Pacific Northwest.

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SONGWRITER MEKLIT HADERO RECONNECTS WITH SEATTLE AT THE COLUMBIA CITY THEATER

San Francisco-based singer, Meklit Hadero, considers Seattle a second home — or a third home, or maybe a fourth. For the soulful, jazzy singer-songwriter, who was born in Ethiopia and raised in the United States, the Emerald City is a place where she can reconnect with family and with a part of the world in which she lived for more than a year. And Hadero will do just that on Nov. 30 at the Columbia City Theater, when she graces the stage to perform songs from her immaculate and expansive catalogue. To preview the gig, we caught up with the songwriter to ask her about her beginnings as an artist, how she honed her writing style and what she looks to, when the world can seem too much.

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Who Serves Seattle’s Best Tacos?

No one knows when the first taco was created. But the tradition of putting meat and veggies into a corn or flour tortilla has lived for thousands of years. The beautiful thing about a taco is that anyone can make one. But the precarious thing about a taco is that not everyone can make them well. I grew up in Princeton, N.J., eating tacos with hard yellow shells. My mother, bless her heart, would cut up lettuce and tomatoes and add them to a four-quadrant plastic platter with shredded cheddar and grocery-store-packet-seasoned beef she made on the stovetop. I loved them. But I also realized there was another world out there with perfectly blended sauces and meat that echoed with flavor.

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