Book Blue Scholars

Blue Scholars were a Seattle hip-hop duo made up of DJ and producer Sabzi and MC Geologic, who met through a student hip-hop organization at the University of Washington and formed the group in 2002. The name plays on the phrase "blue collar," and their music centered on working-class struggle, questioning authority and youth empowerment, often rooted in the Pacific Northwest on tracks such as "Southside Revival," "North by Northwest," "Joe Metro," "Slick Watts" and "The Ave." Geologic's background as an activist in the Filipino American community shaped much of their writing. Their self-titled debut Blue Scholars (2004) was followed by Bayani (2007), released through a partnership between their own MassLine Media label and Rawkus Records, and supported by the Stop the Killings Tour that year. In 2011 they funded Cinémetropolis directly through fans on Kickstarter, becoming the first hip-hop act to "Sign to the People." The OOF! EP explored Geologic's Hawaiian heritage. The duo were known for grassroots, community-focused shows and multi-night stands in their hometown, and remain a landmark name in Northwest hip-hop history.