Rapper’s Delight

Eugene is known for a lot of things — its local rap scene is not one of them. Those looking for live lyricism around town usually have to shell out a Jackson at WOW Hall which, granted, attracts an incredible roster of touring rappers year-round.

On Jan. 7, Sam Bond’s Garage will host an entire night of hip hop, featuring only rappers — six of them, all local — for three bucks. So, if you’re hankering to hear some bars, this will be a good introduction to Eugene’s hip-hop community.

It’s a motley crew: Elena Leona raps and sings, backed by a band; RxN performs in the vein of moody emcees like Hopsin and Tech N9ne; Rollen Poole leads the underground-leaning FreeOnes collective; Day Dreamer’s work is slow and trappy, slathered in Auto-Tune; Guilt By Association seems to take cues from the most extreme, aggro variants of Southern rap; and the mysterious Xyro does not seem to have any releases to its name.

Don’t let the wild stylstic buffet scare you away. Those expecting microphone mathematics may not necessarily vibe with Day Dreamer’s hooky miasmas, while those who want to pump fists and jump around might find it difficult to do so with Leona’s flighty funk.

It’s safe to say, however, that there’s something for everyone. Eugene is no Atlanta as far as its rap community goes, but none of these rappers are slouches.

A Night of Hip Hop kicks off at 9:30 pm Saturday, Jan. 7, at Sam Bond’s Garage; $3, 21-plus.

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!