What is "qui vive" (pronounced kay veev)? Basically, it means staying on point when shit is ‘bout to go down. The history of the word is political.

Qui Vive is also the name of a Tacoma producer. Tacoma's Qui Vive recently dropped an EP, Solidarity, featuring Julie C, Greg & Jerome and Blae Lue (and even myself). It's available on the artist's Facebook music page. Ya can hit Qui Vive up for physical copies.

The whole project is made and printed locally using Highwayman Press. The physical copy has an aesthetically pleasing, understated, simple, DIY feel. It's also a benefit album, with proceeds going to help some of Qui Vive's friends and fellow rabble-rousers for justice.

As a producer, Qui Vive does more than just make beats and send them off to rappers. He performs live sets where he produces his beats right before the audience's eyes - using his producer tools much like a musician uses instruments. It makes for an engaging live show. Qui Vive's beats are wonky, fonky, loose and quirky. It's good nerdy shit that makes ya want to groove. Give it a listen.

Also, for some harder local hip-hop give Swift Holiday and Mr. Burnz a listen. The two artists have been teaming up and making some polished street shit for us. Mr. Burnz has a sinister flow that locks in well with Swift's big sound street music production. They're on Facebook.

For some smooth shit check Tacoma's Blakmic, who just released "WaterFront," an effort that features Noo. It's a classic Tac-City summer track. Blakmic laces the beat with nice drums, smooth sounds and some vibey horns. Noo rides the track nice and easy. I think of Blakmic as a sleeping giant in our scene. He's too damn good to only be hitting us with a track every month or so. Can I get an album?

For all the real heads out there, though, just visit General Wojack's Facebook page daily for nonstop revolutionary (but gangsta) shit. Honesty, very few in the entire country make such well thought out, intelligent, street, hardcore, lyrical music as Wojack. For all the Johnny Come Latelies, Wojack has been self-producing all his music since the mid-‘90s.