KayelaJ, D.Y.K.E., (Don’t Yield, Keep Enduring) D.Y.K.E.
“This is the ending of something great, this is the ending–thanks for listening.”
“I made this shit for you, I hope that you like it.” These lines overlap repeatedly over the opening track of Portland-based rapper KayelaJ’s 2019 debut album, setting the tone perfectly for what the artist describes as an “autobiography and an emotional roller-coaster which starts in KayelaJ’s deep depression, transitions into her rage, and ends in love (including her self-love and love for others).” Deceptively simple production–elegant head-bobbing beats, bubbling body-shaking bass, spookily spirited synths–supports KayelaJ’s story of queer endurance and triumph, a hour-plus journey in word and sound that will leave you drained, outraged, entertained, and ultimately inspired. We often enjoy sharing this video of her 2021 Thesis performance, and we’ve previously raved about her excellent, snazzily-titled LP D.Y.K.E., (Don’t Yield, Keep Enduring). Shar’Dai, Retrograde retrograde by Shar'daiĬontinuing the Thesis/Bandcamp theme, consider Portland rapper KayelaJ ( read Mac Smiff’s profile for Vortex Magazine here). The shindig starts Thursday night, February 2nd (tonight, if you’re reading this on Thursday, February 2nd) and runs through Saturday. Today we’d like to introduce you to the February edition of the long-running showcase, in which The Thesis partners with Jack London Revue (literally right around the corner from Kelly’s) for a three-night block party. You can read Bruce Poinsette’s profile of Smiff (extracted from his Oregon Humanities article “Just Go Do It”: Portraits of Black Muslim community leadership in Oregon) right here. It’s called The Thesis, and they do it Every.
Jimmy Mak’s remains closed, but the other jazz clubs are still going.Īnd for nearly a decade now ( not counting the mezzanine), Mac Smiff and DJ Verbz have been producing a hip-hop showcase at Kelly’s Olympian right in the middle of Downtown Portland. You can still worship music at The Old Church.
The Schnitz still hosts the Oregon Symphony and various other high profile acts several nights a week. In some sense, they never existed–although it’s true that for awhile there the police were known to shut down hip-hop shows. No doubt some readers still imagine Portland–and especially its downtown area just west of the Willamette River–as a ravaged ghost town with boarded-up storefront windows and roving gangs of black-clad agitators. Listen: You might remember the days when hip-hop shows in Portland were so cop-ridden that some artists refused to even perform there.
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