THEESatisfaction has taken Seattle by storm. They stunned at the Capital Hill Block Party and turned a lot of industry heads at SXSW back in March. Now, Seattle is taking more notice of this emerging femme rap duo, embracing their jazzed-out boho “one love” vibe and scooching over a tad, anticipating their dominance. Real-life couple Cat and Stasia are breaking down what you THOUGHT you knew about women in the hip hop world, spinning it around and dishing it out in a smart, aware, and irrevocably cool way.
THEESatisfaction aren’t just rappers. Sure, they can lay down a solid acapella flow with ease, but their stunning live soul interludes and choruses are the sweet, sweet icing on the cake. The Columbia City Theater literally set the stage for their brainy, soul-infused, sci-fied performance on Saturday night. They owned the theater, Cat strutting around and punctuating Stasia’s crisp flow with cooing backing vocals. They wear their sexuality on their sleeve, speaking positively and with conviction about who they are (self-proclaimed “Black Weirdos”).
“Moonday School (Intergalactic Church)”, which has been getting heavy play at KEXP as of late, was just as infectious as the recorded track, a hip-hop spaceship pointed towards a fabulous soul-sister saturated planet in outer space. This was a great intro to their set, the song just glittered and the bumping base and swaying tempo was the appropriate foreshadowing for their performance.
Onstage they banter back and forth, deftly trading off flows emphatically over pre-recorded beats. THEESatisfaction are certainly a two-MC show, with both partners playing equal parts. “Bisexual”, their gay mantra, was a rouser. The witty, honest and playful vocals are the perfect vehicle for such a proclamation. They exuded self-affirmed cool, comfortable in their own skin, parading “weir,d” loud and proud.
Their sound is decidedly sparse in execution though, snappy rhymes and smooth-like-molasses throaty vocals stand above all else with the easy bass booming in the background. But their earnest and clever lyrics coupled with a performer’s swagger and approach is a deadly combination. You’ll see more of Thee Cat and Stasia Satisfaction… they’re just finding their groove.
***THEESatisfaction at CHBP 10 photo by Jason Tang
