Broadtexter Weekly

Contributing Writer - Rocco Decicco (Queens, NY) - Ah, Humboldt County…home of the most legendary marijuana ever to surface on American soil.  Renowned enough to send herbal aficionados across the country into mythic, Holy Grail-like journeys to Northern California…and to lead San Francisco area residents down the path of discovery that their hairdresser’s chronic back problems gets them a “medicinal marijuana card” and, thus, access to unlimited Humboldt weed for all their friends and clients! If that’s all that we ever learn about Humboldt, though, it would be quite unfortunate.  Potluck has been at the forefront of the burgeoning hip-hop scene in Northern California for the last ten years, and they are working to make your brain think not only “killer weed”, but also “killer hip hop” when you hear the word “Humboldt”.

On Potluck’s latest release, Straight Outta Humboldt, emcees UnderRated and OneTon keep us constantly on our toes…tackling subject matter that is thoughtful (the questioning and fulfillment of one’s personal destiny in ‘Funeral’), hilarious (putting a girl with an over-inflated ego in check in ‘U Ain’t Fine’), and prideful (bragging about the quantity and quality of marijuana they smoke in their beloved Humboldt).  Whatever the topic, ‘Straight Outta Humboldt’s’ relentless verbal assault, memorable hooks, and consistently thumping beats solidify Potluck’s status as a force in underground hip-hop….with potential for commercial expansion well beyond the indie realm.

Like West Coast legends Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg, Potluck are experts at the art of braggadocious, effortless storytelling over powerful, complex beats.  Like Eminem, their rapid fire verbal delivery displays both undeniable rhyming skill and a keen understanding of the disillusion and desperation felt by so many.  Like their other West Coast contemporaries Jurassic Five and Pharcyde, their sound is the perfect accompaniment for sunny backyard barbeques, as “my parents are out of town!” dance party, or cruising the avenue for girls while rolling an endless supply of blunts.