Rap Attack Reunion: Shockmaster And Nasty Nes Kick It Old School 15 Years Later -- On The Radio And Onstage

Look mean in your pictures.

That was always one of the unwritten rules about old school hip hop.

And although it's perhaps true, that me and Nasty Nes probably look a lot less convincingly "hard" these days -- some fifteen years after the fact -- this past weekend we proved to the hip hop nation here in Seattle that the chemistry was, and is still there.

You see, back in the eighties and well into the nineties, Nasty Nes and myself (as the "Shockmaster" Glen Boyd), kicked down a few doors and blazed a few trails as the "originators, not the imitators" of Seattle rap radio on "Seattle's Only All Rap Show in FM Stereo," KCMU Rap Attack.

This weekend, Nasty Nes and I reunited on the radio for the first time in 15 years, in our old timeslot on 90.3 FM. The station is now KEXP, and our old timeslot these days is held down by the ever capable DJ B-Mello on his own hip hop show, Street Sounds. But for one hour this past Sunday, Nes and I "took over" those airwaves (with the kind permission of B-Mello of course -- a guy who grew up listening to us).
And for that one hour at least, time stood still as the world faded away to a place where the match was just being lit to the impending explosion of hip hop music. Sir Mix A Lot, Public Enemy, NWA, and The Beastie Boys ruled the record charts.

And in Seattle at least, Nasty Nes and Shockmaster Glen Boyd ruled hip hop radio.

This past Sunday, the world once again became that place even if for an hour. The chemistry between Nes and I was almost as though we'd never stopped doing it.

You can listen to a quick run-through of that hour (or what we in the radio trade call an "air-check") by going to this link.

It was the culmination of a weekend when Nes and I also emceed our first live event in what also has to have been at least 15 years (possibly even 20). Back in the eighties, Nes and I emceed numerous Seattle hip hop shows including shows by Run DMC, the Beastie boys, LL Cool J, and NWA.

Anyway, the event this past weekend was the Seattle Asian Hip Hop Summit, which featured an incredible array of up and coming hip hop talent, who also all happened to be of Asian descent.

Although I will admit to a bit of nervousness at first. Playing before a group of twenty something's -- many who weren't even born during my heyday as the Shockmaster, you had to wonder just how they would accept the ridiculous looking 50 year old white guy wearing the dated looking Adidas jacket.

As it turns out, my fears were unfounded. Once again, the natural chemistry between myself and Nes seemed to reappear out of nowhere.

And at the risk of sounding like grandpa, "the kids loved us."

We even signed autographs that night. And for just one night, it felt like 1987 again. If I wanted to run off and "git bizzy" with one of the numerous twenty something hotties running around on this night, I think I could have even pulled it off, without the aid of those damn little blue pills.

"The need to 'G', without having to reach for the "V".

Imagine that!

Earlier in the night, Nasty Nes was also surprised when he was finally awarded status in the Zulu Nation, the organization started back in the early eighties by DJ Afrika Bambaataa. Nes was finally given his Zulu beads by longtime local hip hop veteran Silver Shadow D (in another of this weekend's many surprises as the trip down hip hop memory lane continued).

So this was a great weekend for the old "Shockmaster."

And you know what the best part is?

I finally have some new pictures of me and my old Rap Attack "potna" Nes that aren't 15 years old.

Peace Out Y'all.

-Shockmaster GB