A few years back, Sabzi and I submitted an unreleased track “Final Call” to the Reigncraft compilation series, which showcased local artists. When the CD was released, we bumped it out of curiosity and one of the tracks that stood out was by some dude named Grynch. Just as we were listening, thinking to ourselves, “yo, who is this dude? he can rap,” Saba goes, “yo rewind that, I think he said your name.” So I rewound it, and, it turned out we misheard it–he was just spelling “God.” 30 seconds later, Saba goes, “yo rewind that, I think he really said your name.” Yeah whatever, I thought, and reluctantly rewound it. Saba was right, dude shouted me out with the line “Geo said it best, hip-hop’s malnourished and underfed.”

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Grynch – That’s Hip-hop

In rapper circles, the unsolicited shoutout is one of the highest compliments one can give another. It turned out that we and this Grynch character had mutual friends, including the homie Chris G. who gave us a copy of “This Is What I Do,” which we bumped on the ride back home from a show at Washington State University. So when Grynch hit me up to spit a verse on a remix for that very track I first heard him on (“That’s Hip-hop”), I was like sure, why not? Besides, I didn’t want to make the same mistake Saba did in previous calab holler encounters. We all cramped into Macklemore’s crib one afternoon to record the track. It took me a good minute to actually believe that the voice I heard on record belonged to this guy.

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Grynch feat. Geo – Summertime

Months later, he apologized profusely for the track having never been released. Now, you’d think lil’ homie would’ve taken the L and eased up off the “calabs.” But being the young fearless Jedi that he is, he asked if I’d be down to spit on another track! That’s how “Summertime” came about. Then, dude did the impossible: he became the first local emcee not named Geo, RA Scion or Gabriel Teodros to snag a beat from Sabzi with the 2007 internet-only track “The Life I Chose,” which also has the dubious honor of being the soundtrack music for a fight that broke out during soundcheck one day long ago.

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Grynch – The Life I Chose (prod. Sabzi)

Since then, we’ve toasted drinks at many bars from here to San Francisco to Hawaii, discussed the intricacies of obscure ’90s gangsta rap, and recorded a couple more songs together (“I’m a Dreamer” and “Smoke & Mirrors”). Constantly grinding out quality performances, releases and press, he’s become a town celebrity. True story: we’ll stand next to each other at shows and kids wearing Blue Scholars t-shirts will walk right past me to say wassup to him.

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Grynch feat. Geo & Thig Natural – I’m A Dreamer

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Grynch feat. Tunji & Geo – Smoke & Mirrors

Most recently, I was on a good one at my own birthday party and apparently tried to shove homeboy into a closet. To make amends, I’ve invited the homie along with us this Friday to play his VERY FIRST SHOW in Eugene, Oregon. So, to all Eugenians: get his music (if you haven’t yet), come through, and welcome him to his first, but certainly not last, appearance in your magical town. Maybe we’ll even run into this local metal band out there and have an epic rap-rock battle for Grynchian name-supremacy.

Download Grynch’s music at GetGrynch.com