It's ‘bout to be 4/20, an important date for the marijuana community, and therefore the hip-hop community. The green, beats and rhymes roll together like the Three Musketeers. For all my medical-card holders, celebrate this year by checking out DJ Gerze's new dispensary that'll have its grand opening on 4/20. It's called the Herbal Health Center and it's at 6311 McKinley Ave. Gerze will be supplying free gifts on opening day.

One of the brightest names to emerge out of the Tacoma hip-hop scene in 2011 was Cedric DaGreat. He first appeared as one of the MCs in the now-defunct supergroup the Academy. Cedric makes classic hip-hop with a freshness many older artists lack. Right now ya'll can hear Cedric's three newest songs for free on his Reverbnation page. He's posted a moving tribute to Trayvon Martin (Rest in Power) on the page. The second song is a highly contemplative, moody, smooth, somber track titled "Feel My Pain." Cedric has a clear, easy flow. His voice is youthful but also has a gravelly quality to it that gives his words weight. The last track has a party vibe. He is one of the most promising young MCs from our city. Get to know him early so ya can enjoy his ride to the top.

Cedric DaGreat

One of the most highly anticipated and biggest releases of the year so far is the second project from Awall aka 2Piece and BoomBox Massacre titled BoomMan and Mobbin. It's available on both artists' Bandcamp pages and soon will also be available at all major digital-distribution music websites. The project has a superhero-comic-book vibe. The characters of BoomMan and Mobbin are a play on Batman and Robin. The album is a highly polished and well-thought-out piece of work. There are features from Duranged Pitt and Duce 1 of Bo$$ Fam Officials, Da Ghetto Baby and Skirt Digla, Outrageous, Bobby Slice and me. The album is well-rounded, with songs about love, the streets and some classic Awall hip-hop masterpieces. Awall has truly come into his own as a well-established and well-respected veteran solo artist. His peers respect him and the younger MCs look up to him.