From the Ashes of Shankbone, A Star Rises

I can't say that I have always been too high on Sam Lachow. The 21 year old Seattle MC, and former Shankbone frontman has been jetting back and forth between New York and Seattle for the past three years, steadily writing and producing new music, shooting videos and relentlessly promoting himself over facebook and twitter.
I was first introduced to Shankbone about four years ago. At the time Lachow was still a senior at Garfield High School, and the group seemed to be a joke. Shankbone's claim to fame, "Blaow" or "Bajillion Bills", featured the chorus line: "Tonight I'm getting paid a bajillion bills, tonight I'm gettin laid by 41 girls, tonight I'm gon' be smokin the best pot in the world its gonna happen tonight". While comical, and I'll admit a little catchy, the song seemed to reflect a group of artists that were lacking in substance and depth.
After graduating from high school, my expectation was that Shankbone would cease to exist. I was wrong. The title of Shankbone has gone away, but Sam Lachow, and fellow Shankbone member Skyler "Sky Blaow" Swenson have continued to churn out new tunes and videos.
Whether it has been by choice or not, I have ended up paying more attention to Sam Lachow and his endeavors than almost any other local artist. With new songs and videos popping up all over my Facebook news feed, Lachow has proven himself to be a force to be reckoned with in the Seattle hip-hop community. With many of his videos reaching over 50,000 thousand views on youtube, his rise to fame is impressive. More importantly, the quality of his music has significantly increased. Though not up to the standards of more recognized Seattle artists, Lachow has brought together a wide range of budding musicians to create an exciting cornucopia of musical fusion. Taking a serious tone and rapping about his friends that have passed away, Lachow teams up with local rapper Raz and a moving horn section in the video above. Below, Sam Lachow's song "Liquor Store" off his Avenue Music EP features the talents of singer  Arianna Deboo  in addition to another appearance by Raz. Lachow has also joined forces with Knowmads' MC Tom Pepe, Nacho Picasso, co-producer Maggie Brown, and a bunch of other crazy characters. You can see them all in his "23rd Avenue" music video. Make sure to check out the verse from Lachow's buddy Wilson Luxurious. I have to agree with one of the top comments for the "23rd Avenue" video. "Who is Wilson Luxurious, and how did he get so awesome?".
Through his work, Lachow proves that he is a better music and video producer than rapper. He says it best in the video below, "I'm not a rapper, I just rap a lot". Most of the artists that make guest appearances on Lachow's songs usually out do him. However, his music should be respected. It is clear that Lachow puts his heart and soul into every song, and has a blast doing it. While he might not be the musical highlight for each of his songs, he is bringing together artists and crafting songs that are catching people's attention.

Sam Lachow's collection of songs and videos can be compared to a puzzle. Lachow's songs are laced with thoughtful lyrics, catchy choruses, intriguing beats and tasteful videos. Though not every aspect is fully present in each of Lachow's songs, these features are what define this ever developing artist. With some sorting, one can find a wealth of compelling musical material amongst Lachow's repertoire. The next step for Sam Lachow will be putting together more complete songs that include each aspect.
He is well on his way. His latest EP, Avenue Music was some of his strongest and most convincing piece of work yet.
What Sam Lachow has taught me, is that every artist deserves a chance. Though each song of his might not be golden, Lachow is on his way to making a name for himself.
Check out  http://blog.samlachow.com/  for more songs and videos.