They're not well known and they're not from around here, but the Seattle-based hip-hop group Blue Scholars is willing to play a free concert for UB. If enough students vote for one, that is.
The Scholars are a hip-hop duo that formed during 2002 while the two musicians attended the University of Washington. DJ Sabzi (Saba Mohajerjasbi) and MC Geologic (George Quibuyen) have "an innovative, yet familiar sound distinguishable from what's currently blasted on MTV or BET," as written on their Web site biography.
Geologic has a background as a spoken-word performer whereas Sabzi brings the talents of a jazz-trained pianist. These fundamental musical traits help to deepen the duo's sound, creating a style all their own.
They're reminiscent, but not quite an imitation of, the old school, laid-back beats of Common's Finding Forever or A Tribe Called Quest.
The name, Blue Scholars, serves as a pun off of the term "blue collar," a connection that can be seen throughout the duo's socioeconomic lyrics.
Citing the economic and societal struggles of Buffalo, it would seem appropriate for a retro-fused, socially aware music group to grace UB with a free show this spring.
By going online to http://eventful.com/bluescholars, the process involved in bringing the Blue Scholars to UB consists of clicking the "Join" tab next to "University at Buffalo, State University of New York," typing in your email address, year of birth, and gender.
UB currently sits fifth with 151 joined members so far. The Scholars are giving out free concerts to the top five schools in the competition. To find out more about the duo, check out www.bluescholars.com and the band's Myspace page for sample tracks.
Photo: Courtesy of Laron Fomby
