The University of Idaho Argonaut

George Quibuyen and Alexei Saba Mohajerjasbi are two names not likely to be heard in the world of hip-hop, but they don’t really care.
Together, they aren’t a duo of former University of Washington students representing their respective nationalities and cultures — they are Geologic and DJ Sabzi, the Blue Scholars and makers of meaningful rap music.

The Scholars’ release “Bayani” starts with a Bahá’í healing prayer leading directly into a chain of tracks masterfully sampled with scientifically placed beats and lyrics to make the heart swell and goose bumps rise. The Scholars pay homage to the “top left corner” of America in the sweetly anthemic “North By Northwest.” After listening to this track, the listener can only assume Seattle is, in fact, the Emerald City and no other place on earth could trump its geographic location. Plenty of rap songs have numerous shout outs to American cities — “Chi City” Chicago, any part of New York City, Los Angeles, Oakland, or Atlanta — but when was the last time you heard the Mariners name dropped? The Scholars are truly proud of where they come from and are more than willing to tell everyone about it.
It’s obvious what the Scholars are about. Geologic and Sabzi are simply two dudes who love hip-hop and music itself, uninterested in selling out arenas or collecting gold chains to look fly. In their incredibly honest lyrics, the Scholars rake their rap colleagues who lose the meaning in lyrics simply to gain airplay and a higher ranking on the Top 40 countdown. Geologic makes clear he’s not making music to make money, although that would be nice one day. His son’s love and respect are his first priorities, he states throughout “Bayani.”
He’s willing to work the day job and continue to rap at night, if that’s what it takes. The Scholars continue to stay content with an underground audience that actually cares by shouting out to their local fans and slinging a comment at the listeners who found them at Target as well.
“Bayani” is incredible. To remedy yourself from the ailing hip-hop market, take a second glance at The Blue Scholars. The combination of straightforward lyrics, feel-wonderful beats and a socially conscious and responsible attitude is a welcome interjection to high profile feuding and tear drop tattoos.