The Physics (music group)

Last updated
The Physics
Origin Seattle, Washington
Genres Hip hop
Northwest hip hop
Years active1998–present
MembersThig Nat
Monk Wordsmith
Justo
Website thephysicsmusic.com

The Physics is an American hip hop group based in Seattle, Washington. It was created in the late-1990s when its members, Thig Natural (Gathigi Gishuru), Monk Wordsmith (Njuguna Gishuru) and Just D'Amato (Justin Hare) were students at O'Dea High School in Seattle. Since 2007, the trio has released three full-length albums, two EPs and several non-album singles.

Contents

The Physics are an integral part of the Seattle hip hop community, and much of their music is centered on life in Seattle ("Seward Park" and "Coronas on Madrona," for example). They are known for rapping about everyman themes such as romance, working 9-5 jobs, and enjoying life. [1]

Members

The Physics consists of two MCs, real-life brothers Thig Natural (often referred to as Thig Nat), and Monk Wordsmith (who functions as the group's hype man as well) and producer, Justo. [2] All three members grew up in a neighborhood known as Seattle's South End. [3] Thig and Monk are first-generation Americans of Kenyan descent, and Just D'Amato (also known as Justo) is half-Filipino. [4] The Physics reference their heritage in their music, especially in the Tomorrow People track, "Journey of the Drum." [5] Thig is also a photographer who shoots primarily fashion and street photography.

Their music frequently features other artists from hip-hop and other genres. They have collaborated with R&B singers Mario and Malice Sweet, renowned producer Jake One, and Phonte, THEESatisfaction, Macklemore, Grynch, Sol, Bambu, Dave B, Blue Scholars and more. In recent years, they have recorded and performed with a live band including trumpeter Owuor Arunga, guitarist Eben Haase, keyboardist Sam Wishkoski, and Mario and Malice Sweet’s backup vocals. [6]

Distribution

The Physics’ three albums, Future Talk, Love Is a Business and Tomorrow People have all been self-released, as have their free EPs and singles. [7] The Physics' most recent album, Tomorrow People, was funded through Kickstarter. The crowd funding campaign raised $11,721 dollars from 242 backers – surpassing a goal of $8,000 dollars. [8] The project appeared on Kickstarter's "Staff Picks" and "Popular" pages in July and August 2012.

Critical reception and role in the Seattle scene

The Physics' sound has been synonymous with "Seattle summers," for many, due to its hyperlocal lyrics and laid back, upbeat vibe. "You could hardly imagine better ambassadors of our deep, watery homegrown flow," wrote The Stranger's Larry Mizell Jr. in a 2012 review. [9] Seattle Weekly writer Todd Hamm wrote, The Physics' most recent album, Tomorrow People, transcends local hip hop to a broader appeal. "Their vibe is positive, their production is intricate and well-finished, and they reach a rare-level of professionalism with each release." [10] The Seattle Times named Love Is a Business one of the Top 10 local albums of 2011. [11] Radio station 90.3 KEXP ranked Tomorrow People on its "DJ's Top 10 Lists of 2012." [12]

Three Piece was named Seattle Weekly's "Best Free EP To Light Up Your Summer" in 2010. [13] Love is a Business LP ranked No.1 on KEXP’s hip hop and variety charts for eight weeks each, [14] and Tomorrow People LP hit No. 1 on KEXP's hip hop charts for all of August 2012. [15]

Performances and Tours

The Physics have performed at Seattle's Bumbershoot festival in 2008 and 2010, and the Capitol Hill Block Party music festival in 2008 and 2010. They played at South By Southwest in Austin, Texas in March 2011, and at Sasquatch! Music Festival at the Gorge Amphitheatre in May 2012. The group opened for Mos Def at CityArts Fest2012. [16]

In late 2011, The Physics toured with Blue Scholars on the Cinémetroplis Tour, ending with a sold-out show at the Bowery Ballroom in New York City. [17] In fall 2012, The Physics launched Tomorrow People Tour, a West Coast tour with The Bar (Prometheus Brown and Bambu) and Grynch. They played shows from Los Angeles to Vancouver, British Columbia. [7] In December 2012 The Physics joined Blue Scholars again on the national Town All Day Tour. [18]

Discography

Albums

EPs

Non-album Singles

Related Research Articles

Common Market (hip hop group) American hip hop group

Common Market is an American hip hop duo based in Seattle, Washington, active from 2005 through 2009 and from 2019 to present. Both members, DJ/Producer Sabzi and MC RA Scion, had been active hip hop artists in the Pacific Northwest for three years before they combined their talents in 2005 to form Common Market. Together they have released two albums, three EPs, and have gone on several tours.

Blue Scholars American hip hop duo based in Seattle, Washington

Blue Scholars is an American hip hop duo based in Seattle, Washington, created in 2002 while the members, DJ Sabzi and MC Geologic, were students at University of Washington.

Abyssinian Creole is a hip hop duo composed of Khingz and Gabriel Teodros.

Gabriel Teodros American rapper

Gabriel Teodros, is a hip hop artist and a member of the groups Abyssinian Creole and CopperWire. He was raised on Beacon Hill, Seattle, Washington. Teodros' music often features socially conscious themes, and he was a catalyst in the surge of dynamic underground rap acts from the Pacific Northwest during the first decade of the 2000s.

The Lonely Forest was an American indie rock band from Anacortes, Washington with two EPs and four studio albums. In 2011 lead singer, John Van Deusen, was selected for Seattle Weekly’s best male vocalist award and the band appeared on Jimmy Kimmel Live!. The group went on indefinite hiatus in 2014.

<i>Check the Technique</i>

Check the Technique: Liner Notes for Hip-Hop Junkies is a book by music journalist Brian Coleman that covers the making of 36 classic hip hop albums, based on interviews with the artists who created them, also providing a track-by-track breakdown for each album entirely in the words of the artists. It was published by Villard/Random House in 2007.

Eric Strand, better known as Fatgums, is an American record producer, hip hop DJ and independent record label owner/president. He is best known for his work with rapper Bambu of the rap group Native Guns. Fatgums' independent record label, Beatrock Music, was founded in 2009 in collaboration with the Long Beach based clothing company Beatrock.

David Mazzeo also known as Wizdom is a hip hop artist based in Seattle, Washington. The emcee has released three studio albums, one mixtape and one EP release. Guests on his music include Brainstorm of Dyme Def, Stef Lang and New Balance / Nate Burleson and has collaborated with Seattle-based musicians Grynch, Sol and Macklemore.

Macklemore American rapper (born 1983)

Benjamin Hammond Haggerty, better known by his stage name Macklemore, is an American rapper. A native of Seattle, Washington, he has collaborated with producer Ryan Lewis as the duo Macklemore & Ryan Lewis. His releases to date include one mixtape, three EPs, and four albums.

Sol (musician) American hip hop artist

Sol Alexander Rosenberg, better known as Sol or Solzilla, is an American hip hop artist. In 2012, he released his second studio album Yours Truly, which received critical acclaim and rose to number one on the iTunes U.S. Hip-Hop Albums Chart while also charting on Billboard's Heatseekers Chart. Sol has collaborated with other artists such as Macklemore, Blue Scholars, Grynch, and The Physics.

Mad Rad is a Seattle-based hip hop/electronic music group that consists of five members; three vocalists, a DJ, and a drummer. Four members of Mad Rad have stage names which are as follows; Nathan Quiroga, Peter Robinson, Gregory Smith, Ty Finnan, and their drummer's name is Trent Moorman. Mad Rad formed in 2007 and have released two full-length albums, their most recent in 2010.

Easy Street Records Record store in Seattle, Washington

Easy Street Records is an independent record store located in Seattle, Washington. Easy Street opened its store in West Seattle in 1988, and later added a cafe/bar, which serves coffee, breakfast, lunch, beer and wine. Easy Street Records often hosts live in-store performances by national and local musicians. The store carries new and used CDs, vinyl records, DVDs, new books, magazines and company-branded merchandise. In 2018, Rolling Stone named Easy Street one of the ten best record stores in the US. The publication also included the store in its 2010 article "Best Record Stores In the USA". Time magazine featured the store in its article "10 Great American Record Shops" On October 10, 2012, Easy Street was named King County's "Best Small Business" in the 2nd annual King County Executive's Small Business Awards. In November 2012, Seattle mayor Mike McGinn "recognized Easy Street Records for their stability, longevity, and involvement in Seattle's music community, while embodying Seattle's pioneering spirit and reflecting Seattle at its best." In 2017, the Travel Channel named Easy Street one of "Eight Must-Visit American Record Stores". Easy Street is a member of the Coalition of Independent Music Stores (CIMS).

Sabzi (musician) American hip hop group

Alexei Saba Mohajerjasbi, better known by his stage name Sabzi, is an American hip hop producer and DJ from Seattle, Washington, who is currently based in Los Angeles, California. He is a founding member of indie hip hop groups Blue Scholars, Common Market and Made In Heights.

Jonathan Augustavo, better known as Jon Jon or Jon Jon Augustavo, is an American filmmaker, commercial director, and music video director who has written and directed works for artists including Macklemore & Ryan Lewis, Mike Posner, Allen Stone, Vicci Martinez, Nipsey Hussle, Blue Scholars, The Physics, Sammy Adams, among others. He is of mixed Filipino and American ethnicity.

Joshua Karp, better known by his stage name Budo, is an American musician, multi-instrumentalist, and record producer. He is a member of A.R.M. along with M.anifest and Krukid. He is one half of the duo Roger Lion along with Joe Pernice.

Wanz American singer

Michael "Mike" Wansley, better known by his stage names Wanz and TeeWanz, is an American singer, songwriter and rapper. He performs in various genres, including rock, R&B, soul, hip hop, and pop. He was featured on fellow Seattle-based duo Macklemore & Ryan Lewis' international hit single "Thrift Shop", which received two Grammy Awards for "Best Rap Performance" and "Best Rap Song".

Ryan Abeo better known by his stage name RA Scion, is an American alternative hip hop artist from Louisville, Kentucky. He is currently based in Seattle, Washington. Abeo is a member of the hip hop group Common Market along with DJ/Producer Sabzi. Abeo, with his wife, manages the independent record label SCIONtific Records.

Motopony is a Seattle-based alt-psych band led by singer Daniel Blue. With the success of their previous full-length albums and a recording journey to the iconic Abbey Road Studios, Motopony has toured around the world playing festivals including SXSW, India's NH-7 Weekender and Bumbershoot, with U.S. tours and dates all across the UK.

Onry Ozzborn American rapper

Michael Sean Martinez, better known by his stage name Onry Ozzborn, is a rapper and producer from Seattle, Washington. He is a founding member of alternative hip hop groups such as Grayskul, Dark Time Sunshine, and Oldominion, among others.

Jonathan Moore, also known by his stage name, Wordsayer, was a rapper, DJ and producer born in Seattle, Washington. Known as Seattle's "hip-hop ambassador" and "cultural mayor", Moore was influential in the Northwest hip-hop scene and founded the group Source of Labor in 1989.

References

  1. ↑ "KEXP and the Stranger Present: Blue Scholars, Common Market, Macklemore, the Physics @ Neumos - Mar 15, 2009 Seattle Washington".
  2. ↑ "The Physics: Seattle's Boys of Summer - Page 1 - Music - Seattle - Seattle Weekly". www.seattleweekly.com. Archived from the original on 2012-01-31.
  3. ↑ "The Physics: Seattle's Boys of Summer - Page 1 - Music - Seattle - Seattle Weekly". www.seattleweekly.com. Archived from the original on 2012-01-31.
  4. ↑ "Discovery: The Physics". 12 December 2012.
  5. ↑ "Journey of the Drum, by the Physics".
  6. ↑ "KEXP 90.3 FM - Album Review: Physics: Love Is A Business". kexp.org. Archived from the original on 2012-05-16.
  7. 1 2 "Music | The Physics". Thephysics.bandcamp.com. 2009-12-22. Retrieved 2022-05-04.
  8. ↑ "Crowd Funding for Musicians Isn't the Future; It's the Present". NPR.org.
  9. ↑ "The Physics' Tomorrow People".
  10. ↑ "The Physics' Tomorrow People is Music for Right Now. See Them at Neumos the Day After Tomorrow...People - Seattle - Music - Reverb". Archived from the original on 2013-02-01. Retrieved 2012-10-05.
  11. ↑ "The Seattle Times | Local news, sports, business, politics, entertainment, travel, restaurants and opinion for Seattle and the Pacific Northwest".
  12. ↑ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2013-04-17. Retrieved 2013-01-11.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  13. ↑ "Seattle Best Free EP to Light up Your Summer - - Best of Seattle - Seattle Weekly". Archived from the original on 2011-01-03. Retrieved 2012-10-05.
  14. ↑ "KEXP 90.3 FM - KEXP Hiphop music charts for 2011". kexp.org. Archived from the original on 2011-06-29.
  15. ↑ "KEXP 90.3 FM - KEXP Hiphop music charts for 2012". kexp.org. Archived from the original on 2012-04-22.
  16. ↑ "Mos Def | City Arts Festival 2012". www.cityartsfest.com. Archived from the original on 2012-09-20.
  17. ↑ "BLUE SCHOLARS X BAMBU FALL 2011 TOUR! | Blue Scholars". Archived from the original on 2012-06-29. Retrieved 2013-01-11.
  18. ↑ "Blue Scholars - Tour Dates | Blue Scholars". Archived from the original on 2013-02-05. Retrieved 2013-01-11.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.