Cloudbreak, a three week festival in Seattle officially kicked off tonight at El Corazon as a packed venue cheered on as Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell and Kate Becker, Director of King County Creative Economy & Recovery, who stood in for Executive Dow Constantine, as they formally recognized the Seattle-based Hip Hop icon for his years of contribution to the Pacific Northwest and beyond.
Cloudbreak, Seattle’s ReviveLive Music Fest is an initiative by Visit Seattle and King County to revitalize music venues in Seattle, with dozens of events taking place between November 3rd to the 23rd.
“King County is delighted to present this music festival in partnership with Visit Seattle,” said Kate Becker, Office of King County Executive Dow Constantine. “Live music is a significant tourism driver for our region and supporting our venues and artists as they recover from the devastating impacts of COVID is essential to the future of this important part of our city’s creative economy.”
See CloudBreakMusicFest.org for full event listings.
SIR MIX-A-LOT DAY PROCLAMATION
WHEREAS, Anthony Ray, a.k.a. Sir Mix-a-Lot, was raised at Bryant Manor projects and inspired by his single mother, Helen Ray, who worked throughout his childhood as a licensed practical nurse at the King County Jail, making six or seven dollars an hour; and
WHEREAS, the young Mix was greatly influenced by the work of the Black Panther Party in the Central Area and his experiences being bused to Roosevelt High School; and
WHEREAS, Mix got his first access to recording equipment at Rotary Boys and Girls Club of King County in the Central Area, later building a home studio and participating in the club’s Music and Performing Arts program, which was created by Steve Sneed and Reco Bembry;
WHEREAS, Mix was performing at Rainier Vista Boys and Girls club, when he met ‘Nasty’ Nes Rodriguez, a local radio DJ and host of Fresh Tracks on KFOX radio – the meeting helped lead to airplay for Mix and the creation of NastyMix Records, King County’s first Hip-Hop record label, with New and Ed Locke; and
WHEREAS, Mix- signed in 1991 with Rick Rubin’s Def American label, which released the album Mack Daddy in 1992 and “Baby Got Back”, a number one hit that went double platinum and earned a Grammy Award for Best Rap Solo Performance; and
WHEREAS, with Def American, Mix formed Rhyme Cartel Records which exposed and supported other Northwest artists at the peak of grunge; and
WHEREAS, Sir Mix-A-Lot did all of that back in the day, and he continues to work to support community, and the artists and venues around him, as evidenced by his commitment to the Keep Music Live effort last year.
NOW, THEREFORE, I, Dow Constantine, Executive of King County, do hereby proclaim November 3, 2022 to be
Sir Mix-a-Lot Day
in King County, in recognition of Sir Mix-A-Lot’s vast artistic, cultural and philanthopic contributions to our community.
