OWEN TAYLOR: HIP-HOP IN OLYMPIA >>>

The first time I saw Rheteric Ramirez do his set, I was blown away. It was Saturday night in L.A. and Olympia’s Saints of Everyday Failures were on tour playing a weekly hosted by Awol One at Bobby McGee’s Bar & Grill, which is like Red Robin if they had a stage in the bar and did a Best Bikini Body contest on Service Industry Night. Out steps a stocky dude in a sleeveless muscle shirt that had a Harley and an eagle on it, and over the P.A. system comes something like Suicidal Tendencies with breakbeats, and this vato that looked like he’d be just as comfortable kicking your teeth in as breaking your surfboard screaming “Locals Only!” is double-time rapping and singing his own hooks like he was Danzig’s little brother, Frankensteining around the dance floor like he’s priming the mosh pit. Later, I saw him rock the Blunt Club in Phoenix with a set that got the entire 300 people there bobbing, a daunting task in a town full of hip-hop afficionados.

Tonight at The Royal in Olympia, Rheteric brings a style all his own to the South Sound, and with a supporting cast that includes Northwest stallion of style Dulak Shaman, fellow L.A. maniac Cadalack Ron and a grip of others â€" hosted by (((Sound Asylum)))‘s DJ, Deadbeat â€" this show is definitely one not to miss.

[The Royal, 9 p.m., $5, 311 Capitol Way, Olympia, 360.705.0760]

LINK: Live music and DJs tonight
LINK: Hip-hop in the 25360