Biography
In 2002, RA Scion made his freshman debut with a project titled
Apostrophe, The EP. Equipped with little more than a hand drum and a
thrift-shop beat machine, he set out to make a name for himself within
Seattle's burgeoning underground rap scene, making it clear to anyone
who cared to listen that there was, in fact, a didactic message in his
music.
His sophomore effort, Live & Learn, still lacked the
overall production value that established his contemporaries like Boom
Bap Project and D. Black as contenders for a more widespread audience,
but the album marked the origin of his working relationship with
DJ/Producer Sabzi of the Blue Scholars, who contributed beats for the
album's stand-out tracks; two years later the duo would release one of
The Town's most significant musical contributions of 2005, Common
Market.
As Common Market,
RA Scion and Sabzi would go on to release 4 complete projects, most
notably 2008's full length Tobacco Road, quickly followed by a
digital-only EP offering titled The Winter's End. Critics and fans
alike have speculated about the album's prominent theme of death as a
metaphor for the dissolution of Common Market, but rumors have never
been substantiated by either band member.
What is certain, however, is that RA Scion will continue to
make music. Now under the pseudonym Victor Shade (alter ego of Marvel
Comics' West Coast Avenger, The Vision), RA appears more eager than ever
to deliver his message to the listener. With producer MTK providing
the perfect soundscape, RA delivers the graphic narrative, appearing as
comfortable and as purposeful in a mask and cape as he did in bib
overalls. While Victor Shade is sonically a half-genre removed from
anything Common Market, the material remains message-driven; where
Tobacco Road drew parallels between farm labor and community organizing,
Victor Shade relies heavily on the analogy of artist as superhero,
expounding upon the idea that "with great power comes great
responsibility."
Much is inferred here, even within the relatively obscure
moniker - "victor," a champion, one who has overcome; "shade," a respite
from the sun, the mythological god of which is Ra. It's evident on
multiple levels that the emcee is reinventing himself, but without
blatant disregard for his foundation. There is an appreciable
congruousness in Victor Shade, a continuation without contradiction, a
hearkening back to RA's early years. Suited up in the green and gold,
the rapper is poised and confident, and with all the verve and vigor
befitting of a caped crusader, he delivers his most impressive
perfomance yet.-RAscion.com
Apostrophe, The EP. Equipped with little more than a hand drum and a
thrift-shop beat machine, he set out to make a name for himself within
Seattle's burgeoning underground rap scene, making it clear to anyone
who cared to listen that there was, in fact, a didactic message in his
music.
His sophomore effort, Live & Learn, still lacked the
overall production value that established his contemporaries like Boom
Bap Project and D. Black as contenders for a more widespread audience,
but the album marked the origin of his working relationship with
DJ/Producer Sabzi of the Blue Scholars, who contributed beats for the
album's stand-out tracks; two years later the duo would release one of
The Town's most significant musical contributions of 2005, Common
Market.
As Common Market,
RA Scion and Sabzi would go on to release 4 complete projects, most
notably 2008's full length Tobacco Road, quickly followed by a
digital-only EP offering titled The Winter's End. Critics and fans
alike have speculated about the album's prominent theme of death as a
metaphor for the dissolution of Common Market, but rumors have never
been substantiated by either band member.
What is certain, however, is that RA Scion will continue to
make music. Now under the pseudonym Victor Shade (alter ego of Marvel
Comics' West Coast Avenger, The Vision), RA appears more eager than ever
to deliver his message to the listener. With producer MTK providing
the perfect soundscape, RA delivers the graphic narrative, appearing as
comfortable and as purposeful in a mask and cape as he did in bib
overalls. While Victor Shade is sonically a half-genre removed from
anything Common Market, the material remains message-driven; where
Tobacco Road drew parallels between farm labor and community organizing,
Victor Shade relies heavily on the analogy of artist as superhero,
expounding upon the idea that "with great power comes great
responsibility."
Much is inferred here, even within the relatively obscure
moniker - "victor," a champion, one who has overcome; "shade," a respite
from the sun, the mythological god of which is Ra. It's evident on
multiple levels that the emcee is reinventing himself, but without
blatant disregard for his foundation. There is an appreciable
congruousness in Victor Shade, a continuation without contradiction, a
hearkening back to RA's early years. Suited up in the green and gold,
the rapper is poised and confident, and with all the verve and vigor
befitting of a caped crusader, he delivers his most impressive
perfomance yet.-RAscion.com
