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Hello reader. My name is Genkai Yokomura. I am the best rapper in my apartment building, I think. (There are only a few units in the building.) I am a producer/songwriter currently making research-based hip hop music that caters to the listener's intellect. I released my debut album, The Aviator is Dead, over a year ago, under the moniker Cloudy October. The response I receive(d) for that record and my performances have afforded me some really great opportunities. Thank you to all who have spoken of me or my work or paid to see a show or any other cool action that put me here. I recently signed to a label in Chicago called Fieldwerk to release my next record in October of 2011. I could not have done any of it without much support from the Portland Hip Hop Community, no lie. Also, thanks goes out to a handful of musicians, writers and booking agents who I will be sure to mention throughout this web log experience.
I have also very recently had the fortune to be asked to tour for the very first time, along with being asked to do a series of web logs about the experience, which I feel is great too. Onry Ozzborn released an album called Hold On For Dear Life in January of this year. He asked a rapper called Iame (a labelmate of mine), Void Pedal, and Rob Castro (who I will tell you about later) and myself, to join him in a series of shows set in different states to promote the new record. All while promoting our own records and brands as well. We all kindly agreed and here we are.
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Mr. Jarman from Willamette Week and I are aware that many Portlanders do not watch television programming. So he, Deena Bee from The Soundbox and I decided it would be best if I reported to you all about this tour instead of letting Fox, or Clearchannel, do it halfheartedly. I decided that I am GOING TO TRY to do at least one web log entry for each state we destroy...note the caps lock, it is no accident. I have commitment issues with anything that doesnt involve a certain level of creative input and/or output.
We are doing 9 states in four weeks. We are paying Washington, Oregon, California, Nevada, Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado, Montana and Idaho a visit. This is the first time I have ever really looked at all of the states next to each other. Wow. I am very excited. Check out the above promo vid I put together along with Chris Diana-Peebles from Futro to see the dates, and if you have family or friends in any of those places let them know that we need stuff.
I been asked to also be the host of each show as well. I have also been asked to take up driving duty due to some unexpected stuff happening. I have about 270 licenses floating around Portland and I am bringing about 600 more on tour [Cloudy has the best business card in Portland. -Ed.]. So I told Onry, "yes, yes I can drive some."
I just realized that this laptop I am using does not have that other delete key that lets you eat things to the right. I am also realizing how fun it is to type while I ride the train. I also just discovered this year that that key even exist. That that hahah. Also i just discovered that one can not produce identical twins who are not of the same gender. I won't get into why I did not know this until recent. For now I am going to blame Brenda and Brandon Walsh and my childhood.
I am so broke that I do not even have a snack on this three-hour train ride to Seattle, Washington. I had some Ramen before I boarded, though—Oriental, baby!!!!!! I must find out how the hell the employees of Amtrak are powering this vessel. FUCK!!!!!!!!! this snoring ass mother fucker across from me has a DiGorno For One. I didn' know those even existed. He woke up just to eat it, yeah. If I were Jason Bourne I would break his fucking neck and then I would eat that warm chesse pizza while the grease drips from my lips to his corpse. oh shit, that's a chick, I take it back. I still want the pizza though. I love pizza.
We have already played The Nectar Lounge in Seattle and today we play A Club in Spokane. Not a club, A Club, that's the fucking name of the place. This Saturday is our only Portland date and its at Mt. Tabor Theatre and it is also Iame's record release for his new album Lame, on Taxidermy Records. Joining us is a crew I am really feeling called the Hives Inquiry Squad, two murderous young lads from Wisconsin. If you like to smile and see cats kill it live, then you should not miss this show. We all would appreciate the send-off, It's only 7 dollars I think. Dopeness.
My anxiety has been high and my fucking neck hurts but sitting down and typing this out feels quite cathartic. So come along with me as I introduce my work to new audiences, induce bowel movements in my competitors and dodge fatherhood from city to city. I have never web-logged before so please bare with me and feel free to post comments here or hit me up on Facebook or Twitter with any complaints, ideas or praise. Out.
Links:
WWeek 2015