MikeDrastic is a veteran in the music game and although he's been in a face in the local hip-hop scene for 15+ years, it's not what you think. He's a veteran in life and it shines through on his new project that came out Oct. 11 on Itchy Metal Entertainment. MikeDrastic, whether he knows it or not, has quite the lane that's wide open for himself in that he's a true, honest, hip-hop bluesman. I'm not talking twangy guitars, smokey juke joints and songs about your dog dying kind of blues, I'm talking the real essence of the blues: Stories of hardship and struggle that your average Joe or Jane no matter what their genre preference or skin color can relate to. These honest stories are spun in a way that you know it's 100 percent authentic and not fabricated. Melancholy throughout, this is if nothing else, a window to his soul.

MikeDrastic is a gentle giant and if you've had the pleasure of meeting the man, you don't have much of a choice but to relate to the music. He's an avid motorcyclist as member of the Ruff Ryders crew, part comedian, part conspiracy theorist and all- around good guy. He's the guy you'd want to have escort you down the darkest alley of the seediest neighborhood and in the same breath the guy you'd trust with your kids and wife while you were away on vacation. The beautiful thing about MikeDrastic's music is all of those elements come out in his music. Even the "club" anthem tracks on his CD are in every way 100 percent MikeDrastic, and while that's a good thing, it's the one spot on the CD I could do without. Even when prefaced by an interlude that was an audio collage of fan voicemails urging him to drop a club joint, I'm still not sold. In this instance, MikeDrastic's attempts at club music is like asking an NBA center to nail a couple 3-pointers every game. Sure, he can do it and do it pretty good all things considered, but do you REALLY want that from him? MikeDrastic's game is better suited down low on the blocks where it's gritty, physical and rough.

MikeDrastic will celebrate with a release party 9 p.m. Saturday night at The Lochs, 928 Pacific Avenue, Tacoma. The bill also includes Carl Roe & Produktive's (Roe & Pro) Mini tape with DJ No Mercy spinning.

For more information, visit www.Mikedrastic.com