Mad Rad is a Seattle-based hip hop

Hip hop music

Hip hop music, also called hip-hop, rap music or hip-hop music, is a musical genre consisting of a stylized rhythmic music that commonly accompanies rapping, a rhythmic and rhyming speech that is chanted...

/electronic music

Electronic music

Electronic music is music that employs electronic musical instruments and electronic music technology in its production. In general a distinction can be made between sound produced using electromechanical means and that produced using electronic technology. Examples of electromechanical sound...

 group that consists of five members; three vocalists, a DJ, and a drummer. Four members of Mad Rad have stage names which are as follows; Nathan Quiroga (Buffalo Madonna), Peter Robinson (P Smoov), Gregory Smith (Terry Radjaw), Ty Finnan (DJ Darwin), and their drummer's name is Trent Moorman. Mad Rad formed in 2007 and have released two full length albums, their most recent in 2010 (The Youth Die Young).

Mad Rad has been classified in several different music genres and are widely popular in Seattle for their similarities to a genre called Hipster hop

Hipster hop

Hipster hop, a portmanteau of hipster and hip hop, is a sub-genre of alternative hip hop, or, more specifically, "indie rock-informed hip-hop". It is also known as hipster rap. According to critic Matt Preira, writing in the Miami New Times, hipster-hop constitues a "discernable transition in rap...

, also known as Third-Wave hip hop. Mad Rad member P Smoov is the main producer of all of Mad Rad's music. P Smoov attended Full Sail University in Winter Park, Florida. P Smoov is also one part of the Seattle-based hip-hop duo Fresh Espresso.

Critical Reception

The debut album "White Gold" was very well received by independent music review blogs and websites. cduniverse calls them the best hip hop act to come out of Seattle since the 1987 release "my posse's on broadway" by Sir Mix-a-Lot. Local news-weekly Seattle Weekly admired the album for making "hip hop for club kids", and for having a sound that transcends the northwest hip hop style, sounding instead like fresh global hip hop that could have come from new york or london and could be played across the country.

The album "The youth die young" has received widespread coverage, with generally positive reviews, giving credit to the group for maturing beyond their concert-oriented roots. A review for NPR by Cheryl Waters gives them credit for, as the band members say, "stepping up their game", balancing hip-hop lyrics over electronic beats.

Notoriety

On July 6, 2010, Spin Magazine named Mad Rad the "Best-Kept Seattle Secret". In November 2010, Mad Rad was featured on Seattle independent radio station KEXP's Song of the Day blog for their song “The Youth Die Young”. Mad Rad has performed at multiple music festival

Music festival

A music festival is a festival oriented towards music that is sometimes presented with a theme such as musical genre, nationality or locality of musicians, or holiday. They are commonly held outdoors, and are often inclusive of other attractions such as food and merchandise vending machines,...

s in the Pacific Northwest

Pacific Northwest

The Pacific Northwest is a region in northwestern North America, bounded by the Pacific Ocean to the west and, loosely, by the Rocky Mountains on the east. Definitions of the region vary and there is no commonly agreed upon boundary, even among Pacific Northwesterners. A common concept of the...

 including Bumbershoot

Bumbershoot

Bumbershoot is an annual international music and arts festival held in Seattle, Washington. One of North America's largest such festivals, it takes place every Labor Day weekend at the 74-acre Seattle Center, which was built for the 1962 World's Fair. Seattle Center includes indoor theaters,...

, Capitol Hill Block Party

Capitol Hill Block Party

The Capitol Hill Block Party is an annual three-day music festival held each July in Seattle's Capitol Hill neighborhood. In the past, the festival has included various famous acts including Macklemore, Atmosphere, MGMT, Sonic Youth, Mudhoney, The Presidents of the United States of America, Blue...

, and Sasquatch

Sasquatch! Music Festival

Sasquatch! Music Festival is a music festival held annually at the Gorge Amphitheatre in George, Washington. It is presented by the House of Blues. There is an emphasis on indie rock bands and singer-songwriters, although there are also alternative rock, hip hop and comedy acts...

.

Controversies

Mad Rad was involved in an incident at local Seattle club, Neumos. The incident sent three of the five members of Mad Rad to jail for two nights. They were banned from Neumos in early 2009, but the ban has since been lifted as of early 2010. Their return show to the Neumos, which was a free show, took place on January 21, 2010. The group was also reportedly banned from five other clubs in Seattle's Capitol Hill neighborhood; King Cobra, Havana, The Saint, The War Room and Chop Suey.

Discography

• White Gold (2008)
  • Label: Out For Stardom
• The Youth Die Young (2010)
  • Label: Out For Stardom