Fully Satisfied

Seattle has become a hip-hop factory — or at least hip hop with a PNW twist: Blue Scholars, Macklemore & Ryan Lewis, Wanz, Common Market, Grieves, Shabazz Palaces. And, like most hip-hop scenes, Seattle is dominated by male artists. Then there’s THEESatisfaction, an R&B-leaning hip-hop duo made up of Stasia “Stas” Iron and Catherine “Cat” Harris-White.

THEESatisfaction will be one of the headliners for the Out/Loud queer women’s music festival, and they will offer something completely different from the rest of the roster. Their sound has been described as “black jazz,” “Sunday morning soul” and “funk-psychedelic feminista sci-fi epics.”

“There’s always some sci-fi influence there,” says Stas. After a slew of mixtapes like Sandra Bollocks & Her Black Baby (2011), they released their debut full-length album, awE naturalE, with Sub Pop Records (Dum Dum Girls, Nirvana). “QueenS,” the only song on the album accompanied by a music video, features a driving, supernatural techno beat, honey vocals and the all-important command “Whatever you do / Don’t funk with my groove.” Cat’s vocal jazz training shines through most on slinky tracks like “Existinct” and “Earthseed.” On “Bitch,” Stas raps with her distinctive cool, calm and collected delivery.

Cat says their music often focuses on the “constant struggle to feel completely comfortable in our skin.” It seems, at least in Seattle, they’ve carved out a comfortable and growing niche. And similar to other Seattle hip-hop artists, THEESatisfaction has been incredibly prolific in a short time. They released another mixtape in 2013: THEESatisfaction Loves Erykah Badu.

THEESatisfaction plays 8:15 pm Saturday, June 1, at OUT/LOUD, Kesey Square; $6 UO students, $8 public.

A Note From the Publisher

Dear Readers,

The last two years have been some of the hardest in Eugene Weekly’s 43 years. There were moments when keeping the paper alive felt uncertain. And yet, here we are — still publishing, still investigating, still showing up every week.

That’s because of you!

Not just because of financial support (though that matters enormously), but because of the emails, notes, conversations, encouragement and ideas you shared along the way. You reminded us why this paper exists and who it’s for.

Listening to readers has always been at the heart of Eugene Weekly. This year, that meant launching our popular weekly Activist Alert column, after many of you told us there was no single, reliable place to find information about rallies, meetings and ways to get involved. You asked. We responded.

We’ve also continued to deepen the coverage that sets Eugene Weekly apart, including our in-depth reporting on local real estate development through Bricks & Mortar — digging into what’s being built, who’s behind it and how those decisions shape our community.

And, of course, we’ve continued to bring you the stories and features many of you depend on: investigations and local government reporting, arts and culture coverage, sudoku and crossword puzzles, Savage Love, and our extensive community events calendar. We feature award-winning stories by University of Oregon student reporters getting real world journalism experience. All free. In print and online.

None of this happens by accident. It happens because readers step up and say: this matters.

As we head into a new year, please consider supporting Eugene Weekly if you’re able. Every dollar helps keep us digging, questioning, celebrating — and yes, occasionally annoying exactly the right people. We consider that a public service.

Thank you for standing with us!