Tough crowd

The best multimedia comedians are those who have taken the time to master their medium rather than cheapen the genre for a punch line. Emerson Valentine Lyon and Caws Pobi, the two cerebral cortexes behind the ironic Portland hyphy hip-hop band Thuggage, have been fine-tuning their musical skills for years. Lyon, a Portland State English major, was raised by a trained opera singer and special effects supervisor, forging a unique fusion of classic and contemporary that realized itself in Lyon’s adolescent hobbies.

“When I was in high school I started getting into making my own music,” said Lyon. “I started with piano, then realized that, with my knowledge of computers and the music from my mother, I could create some type of electronic music.”

Caws, a veteran artist, met Lyon through comedy performance acts A+ Failing and Renob Control. The two bonded over a similar wit and scope of interests.

“I was a musician and a songwriter long before I was doing hip-hop,” Caws said. “Emerson and I started Thuggage because we have a similar sense of humor, and we both spend a lot of time making beats and music.”

After years of recording through online correspondence, Caws moved in with Lyon from Corvallis and the two began allowing their project to take on a more solid shape.

Since then, Thuggage has become more than a creative outlet. Blending their comedic nature with a long history of musical skills and interest in the dynamics of the modern music industry, the project has become a caricature of 21st century hip-hop intended to provoke thought and amusement as well as to entertain. Lyon is cautious in how he labels the innovative approach.

“I think there is a lot of stigma with hip hop. I try to veer away from hip-hop. As Thuggage, we take what is known as popular hip-hop and treat it like it’s a forum. Our music is a response to that. A lot of people don’t get it but it’s more of a satire and direct response to certain songs and genre.”

The inspiration for their work stems from a depreciation for the shallow direction popular culture is taking and the public’s complacency, even encouragement, in its doing so. Thuggage addresses the vain and formulaic pop music phenomenon through thoughtful parody, often playing with their audience’s social sensibilities.

“We play with what people think is politically correct,” Lyon said. “We’re so comfortable with the society that we’re living in that people don’t know how to handle it. They get confused. Everyone may be really comfortable with what’s happening, but they’re told not to be, so they respond to that.”

Of course, some people have never been good at taking a joke.

“Nobody can offend people like Thuggage can unintentionally,” Lyon said. “They get up and leave our shows. We make a valid effort to not swear in our music. I think some people are afraid of people who are confident. We know that what we’re doing is a really good social commentary. People are really scared of that.”

Despite the heavy subject matter, their points are not made in a way that feels preachy or didactic. It’s fun music with big-time dance appeal.

“Hip-hop today is at an all-time low,” said Caws. “Rick Ross is selling gold records, and all he does in his videos is eat food and ride around in speed boats. How can we not laugh at that?”

They trade in the soapbox for satire and dry wit spun into lyrics actually worth listening to. A Bonzi Buddy-esque voice makes a guest appearance rapping about sex appeal. Old soul and contemporary rap are juxtaposed on the album, allowing listeners to infer, rather than mindlessly absorb, the Thuggage point of view. With plenty of raw material, the cheap shots of the greater industry don’t make the cut.

Both band members find oblivious listeners to be particularly amusing and further proof of the current content, unquestioning state of mind of musical consumers.

“People ask us if Thuggage is a joke, and it always makes me laugh. We have a song about marshmallow Peeps and people don’t know if they should take it seriously.”

Approach Thuggage with an open mind. The new record is a composite of insight and comedy, but is also just a collection of good-time tunes with musicians skilled at their craft. Social awareness is the new complacency, so give them a listen. Everybody’s doing it.