Daudi Abe is a professor at Seattle College and the author of the forthcoming book Emerald Street: A History of Hip-Hop in Seattle.

“The Roots of Seattle’s Progressive Hip-Hop”
The voice of Black history in Seattle played a crucial role in the ultimate development of 206 hip-hop. The progressive vibe of the scene has reflected the progressive nature of the region, which included Black men and women voting in the 1880s and a racially integrated Garfield High School basketball team that won a state championship in 1955. In this talk, I will trace how the historic racial and socio-political climate of Seattle has manifested itself in local rap.