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Somebody Cares, somebody should
by Kaleb Gubernick
Bellingham hip-hop band, Somebody Cares
The Somebody Cares roster reads like the birth certificate of the lovechild of several major groups in Bellingham hip-hop. Adjectives and Whiplash from the Educataz, Chris Willis from Rec. Rm., Lokeye from North by Northwest and DJ Booger from Wilson Project all came together to form a group concerned with bringing back something that’s been missing from hip-hop for too long: having fun. And that’s exactly what Somebody Cares does, if anything, though it may be hard to tell when you see the Persian rug they roll out on stage before every show.
But what’s most intriguing about the group is they aren’t afraid to take risks or break a mold. In a city with a hip-hop scene known for brooding, bleak production and pensive, contemplative rhymes, they’ve all picked the pop, the soul, the rhythm and the blues off of the shelf and blown the dust away. The original influences are still there. Dirty, break-neck drums still drive the tracks, only now with more uplifting and lively instrumentation riding atop. The same cynical wit floats over the beats, but these days it’s smeared with a bit of hope and high spirits. What comes out when it all combines? Basically, Willis’ ultimate goal for the group’s music: something listenable. And it’s something different. Thing is, Somebody Cares isn’t purposely making attempts to deviate from the norm.
“We’re not trying to be different,” Willis said. “We’re just us.”
As cliché as it sounds, it’s true. They generally don’t try to do anything; they just do. Just as well, the same idea goes for their music-making process. Adjectives says songs come together effortlessly when they need to simply because their music is not work for them, nor is it something they have to do. For them, making the music they really want to make is pure recreation and happens at a natural pace. And it has to—Lokeye lives in Kirkland and Whiplash lives in Seattle. So why did these formerly separate group members decide to shake up the normal order and amalgamate to form a group? Easy. It was a natural progression.
“I’ll put it in a weak analogy,” explained Adjectives. “So you have a couple that’s been in a good relationship for a long time. What’s the next step? You add a couple members to the family.”
And in this analogy, the family was the Educataz. Adjectives said after a lengthy stint of being in the forefront of Bellingham’s hip-hop arena along with Wilson Project, the chemistry between himself and Whiplash had begun to stagnate. In order to breathe new life into what they were doing and rejuvenate whatever inspiration they had left, Adjectives started to lay the foundation for what was to become Somebody Cares.
Chris Willis and Adjectives recorded two vastly different songs together (“Edgar Cayce,” a society-is-out-to-get-you track, and “How It Goes,” an ode to the girl who makes you do stuff you’re not into) and scouted out Whiplash, Lokeye and DJ Booger—the rest is history. But the group is far more than just a new and improved version of an old group.
“It’s not so much of an expansion of the Educataz,” Adjectives said. “It’s a reformation of our potential as musicians.”
- What's Up Magazine
Discography
Somebody Cares - 'You Already Are' LP
Photos
Bio
The Somebody Cares roster reads like the birth certificate of the lovechild of several major groups in Bellingham hip-hop. Adjectives and Whiplash from the Educataz, Chris Willis from Rec. Rm., Lokeye from North by Northwest and DJ Booger from Wilson Project all came together to form a group concerned with bringing back something that’s been missing from hip-hop for too long: having fun. And that’s exactly what Somebody Cares does, if anything, though it may be hard to tell when you see the Persian rug they roll out on stage before every show.
But what’s most intriguing about the group is they aren’t afraid to take risks or break a mold. In a city with a hip-hop scene known for brooding, bleak production and pensive, contemplative rhymes, they’ve all picked the pop, the soul, the rhythm and the blues off of the shelf and blown the dust away. The original influences are still there. Dirty, break-neck drums still drive the tracks, only now with more uplifting and lively instrumentation riding atop. The same cynical wit floats over the beats, but these days it’s smeared with a bit of hope and high spirits. What comes out when it all combines? Basically, Willis’ ultimate goal for the group’s music: something listenable. And it’s something different. Thing is, Somebody Cares isn’t purposely making attempts to deviate from the norm.
“We’re not trying to be different,” Willis said. “We’re just us.”
As cliché as it sounds, it’s true. They generally don’t try to do anything; they just do. Just as well, the same idea goes for their music-making process. Adjectives says songs come together effortlessly when they need to simply because their music is not work for them, nor is it something they have to do. For them, making the music they really want to make is pure recreation and happens at a natural pace. And it has to—Lokeye lives in Kirkland and Whiplash lives in Seattle. So why did these formerly separate group members decide to shake up the normal order and amalgamate to form a group? Easy. It was a natural progression.
“I’ll put it in a weak analogy,” explained Adjectives. “So you have a couple that’s been in a good relationship for a long time. What’s the next step? You add a couple members to the family.”
And in this analogy, the family was the Educataz. Adjectives said after a lengthy stint of being in the forefront of Bellingham’s hip-hop arena along with Wilson Project, the chemistry between himself and Whiplash had begun to stagnate. In order to breathe new life into what they were doing and rejuvenate whatever inspiration they had left, Adjectives started to lay the foundation for what was to become Somebody Cares.
Chris Willis and Adjectives recorded two vastly different songs together (“Edgar Cayce,” a society-is-out-to-get-you track, and “How It Goes,” an ode to the girl who makes you do stuff you’re not into) and scouted out Whiplash, Lokeye and DJ Booger—the rest is history. But the group is far more than just a new and improved version of an old group.
“It’s not so much of an expansion of the Educataz,” Adjectives said. “It’s a reformation of our potential as musicians.”
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