Album Notes

Fueled both by the urgency of today's political climate and the raw energy of true school hip-hop, Blue Scholars has arrived on the scene like a bullet train tagged with messages of resistance and celebration. Geologic's honest reflections about community and struggle combine with Sabzi's melodic and uplifting music to form a distinct and progressive, yet universally appealing sound rooted in hip-hop's true school era.

Geo & Sabz first began working together in early 2002 with no intention of forming a hip-hop group. It would require hours of building in a makeshift bedroom-studio to bridge the gap between the Geo's battle emcee bravado and poetic lyricism with Sabzi's background as a former punk/ska vocalist and jazz-trained pianist. After countless smoke-filled political debates, the Blue Scholars identity grew out of a blending between a blue collar work ethic towards making music, while analyzing one's surroundings and experiences with the articulation of a scholar. The wordplay in the group's name reflects this approach, as well as their working-class backgrounds and formation while attending college.

Almost a year and a half after its conception, Blue Scholars completed its self-titled debut album on the summer solstice of 2003. Resurrecting the lost art of creating a complete album from beginning to end, the debut maintains a strong consistenty of beats and rhymes while exploring a variety of moods and subject matter. That highly anticipated work finally emerged with a release in February 2004. With an already seasoned live performance set developed over the previous two years, Geo & Sabz significantly increased the number and variety of gigs in support of the album and to hit as many new ears as possible at college student organization conferences, labor organization fundraisers, street fairs, and traditional hip-hop shows among others.

Soon after the album dropped, Blue Scholars earned Best Album at the Seattle Weekly 2004 Music Awards through a write-in vote which proved a strong indication of the album's influence on the masses. That distinction contributed to new opportunities to bring their distinct brand of hip-hop to key Seattle area events like the Capitol Hill Block Party, Bumbershoot Festival, and the University of Washington's Dawg Daze.

Then in October, the self-titled album garnered praise and airplay on KEXP 90.3 FM, holding the No. 1 spot on the hip-hop charts for the rest of the year, and capturing the No. 2 spot in November for all music genres with an average of four spins per day. In addition to broadcasting to Seattle area listeners, people around the world have become Blue Scholars fans through KEXP's streaming internet broadcast.

Because of the tremendous reception the album received, Geo & Sabz decided to re-release it with the Freewheelin music video, four new songs, brand new art, and a complete lyric booklet. With a street date of June 21, 2005 for the Pacific Northwest, Blue Scholars has yet another opportunity to promote critical thinking and social change through quality hip-hop music.