The HomeSkillet Records Blog

Common Market

Common Market arrived in Sitka around 8am Saturday morning. They immediately did an interview with Raven Radio (the contents of which I will try to get to post here). They shined some light upon what hip-hop music was, is, and what will come to pass. In doing so, they gave a glimpse, or perhaps a new perspective, which many Sitkans may not have previously had.

We picked up Sabzi and RA Scion (Common Market) an hour before day two of the festival began. All they had was DJ equipment and a big red heavy bag of merchandise. I sensed a confident calmness about them, which permeates everything they do. Both are very soulful dudes, and in meeting them, I became confident they were going to pull off an amazing show.

Sabzi hopped on the turntables around 10:20pm and RA Scion began shortly thereafter. They played a set off of their self-titled debut album, “Common Market.” I can’t express how good it was bringing Common Market music to Sitka for everyone involved, from the crowd to those of us who put on the show.

This is hip-hop music at it’s finest; soulful, intellectual, and thoughtful, all tied into a tightly produced package by Sabzi. As RA Scion worked the crowd, one could see melding of the two different worlds we are from. He brought us together with his poetic lyrics, fluid delivery, and gave us all an idea of what presence really is.

Upon finishing their set, RA Scion invited both Phonetic and Micelph to join him on stage for a freestyle session. At that moment, it felt very surreal.

Seeing local sons like Phonetic and Micelph on stage with Common Market, not only sets the course for what they may both do in the future, it shows those unfamiliar to hip-hop a very bright moment. Although we often hear the negative sides of hip-hop culture due to mainstream media’s focus on violence, we don’t get to hear the positive.

What the crowd saw Saturday night was positive, it was sharing the love of hip-hop between people from very different backgrounds. Those of us hip-hop fans standing out there that night, were truly given something special.

Common Market music spent Sunday with folks of the Baha’i faith who reside in Sitka, as well as doing another radio show. These guys are all about community and that fits very nicely with the values of the local islanders.

A group of us caught a bite to eat at the airport restaurant with Common Market before they went back to their hometown of Seattle. Sabzi ordered locally caught Halibut, and RA Scion ordered a bottle of ketchup. I think they enjoyed themselves.

HomeSkillet Records is very thankful to have guys like RA Scion and Sabzi help build the first HomeSkillet Fest into a successful, positive event.

Tags: Common Market