Saturday was a big night for Northwest hip-hop. Despite the perception that Portlanders don’t turn out for local rap shows, the Alhambra Theater was definitely buzzing for Illmaculate’s Clay Pigeons Release Party. The event, hosted by Cool Nutz, started off on a high note with a set from Load B. Granted, we could only gauge the liveliness of the set from the hallway, since due to technical/press pass difficulties, we were held in the lobby throughout their entire set. Cassow kept the energy going. At one point, he brought up Anael Jennis to perform “Get It.”
Although it was Illmaculate’s release party, Nacho Picasso may have stolen the show. In addition to his music, he won the crowd over with random comments like, “Have you ever been so high on coke, you kicked a window out?” About five minutes after he left the stage, the crowd practically made him come back and perform “Ducktales.”
With that said, Illmaculate certainly didn’t disappoint. His set featured guest appearances from Chase Moore, OnlyOne, Goldini Bagwell and Al-One. Illmaculate treated fans to a glimpse into the past, present and future, doing some joints from Skrill Talk, Clay Pigeons and even never-before-performed songs from the upcoming Only and Ill album.
Overall, it was a great look for Northwest hip-hop.
