RC Jamerson remembers the revelation as clear as day: the first time he encountered hip hop. It was 1979, and for a young teen in North Seattle, the world was about to tilt on its axis.
“That’s when I heard ‘Rapper’s Delight,’” Jamerson recalls. He was at Nathan Hale High School when “a cat named Nate Wells came through with the boombox and he was playing this music and it sounded like ‘Good Times’ from Chic, but there were people doing poetry on it.”
“Rapper’s Delight” by The Sugarhill Gang wasn’t just a song; it was a cultural earthquake. This track ignited a global phenomenon, spreading the nascent genre of rap from the streets of New York to eager ears worldwide. Like countless others captivated by the infectious rhythm and lyrical novelty, Jamerson was hooked. He even took the plunge, attempting to form his own hip-hop group, The Funkatizers.
“It wasn’t very successful,” he laughs now.
The Funkatizers might not have taken off, but fate had other plans. Jamerson’s path intertwined with Ed “Sugarbear” Wells and James “Captain Crunch” Croone. Together, they forged a new identity, christening themselves the Emerald Street Boys. This trio would not only become Seattle’s first rap group but also pioneers who laid the groundwork for a scene often overlooked in the broader hip hop narrative. Their story, rooted in the energy of emerald street aspirations, would be etched in local music history through newspaper articles, performances at the Mercer Arena, and the recording of Seattle’s inaugural hip-hop track, “Christmas Wrap,” with “The Move” as its B-side.
More Than Just Rap: The Emerald Street Show
The hip hop landscape of the early 1980s was a far cry from today’s specialized categories. The Emerald Street Boys weren’t just rappers; their performances were a holistic hip hop experience.
“Part of the allure of their show was the intricately choreographed dance moves that they would also have,” explains Dr. Daudi Abe, author of the upcoming book, Emerald Street: A History of Hip Hop in Seattle. His research highlights the unique approach of early hip hop artists.
“Right now, hip hop is very siloed. If you’re a rapper, you’re a rapper. If you’re a DJ, you’re a DJ. If you’re a breaker, you’re a breaker. Well, early on, young people who embraced hip hop participated in pretty much all aspects and all kinds of four elements of the culture. And so, it was not an unusual thing to have a group that rapped like the Emerald Street Boys also have these really great dance moves that would put on a kind of a full show.”
Jamerson affirms this multifaceted approach. The Emerald Street Boys were guided by seasoned adults, including their own parents, who understood the nuances of show business. This mentorship led to the group’s signature style: matching, tailored outfits and meticulously synchronized dance routines, adding a layer of polish and visual appeal that set them apart and contributed to their emerald street brand.
Rising Stars in the Seattle Scene
This dedication to performance paid off. The Emerald Street Boys began securing bigger gigs, their name becoming a regular fixture in the pages of the local arts and culture weekly, The Rocket. One review captured their burgeoning reputation:
“The Emerald Street Boys lived up to their reputation. Seattle may not be the Bronx, but the boys are great. They did a mighty job of rapping and rocking the house. Although the word cute does come to mind, the boys are both talented and sophisticated in both dancing and rapping. Rapping in unison is this group strength and they use it to good effect. The Emerald Street Boys have been together for about a year and a half playing clubs and parties around Seattle.”
Their performances extended beyond local clubs. They graced the stage at Bumbershoot, Seattle’s iconic music and arts festival, and even opened for the renowned Gap Band.
“We did the Torchlight parade just out of nowhere,” Jamerson remembers, still surprised by the unexpected opportunities. “We were walking down bopping in the street on the parade.”
Local television appearances followed, and even playwright A.M. Collins, known for Angry Housewives, created a play inspired by their story. They even had the chance to connect with hip hop royalty, playing basketball with The Treacherous Three, one of the era’s most influential groups.
“It will be easy to feel like kind of like your celebrity,” Jamerson reflects on that whirlwind period, “but you didn’t feel like that. You just felt like I did that. I performed and people liked it and we enjoyed ourselves.” Their focus remained grounded, driven by the pure joy of performance and connection with their audience, a testament to the authentic spirit of emerald street culture.
The End of an Era, The Start of a Legacy
The Emerald Street Boys eventually disbanded in the late 1980s, but their impact resonated far beyond their active years. Dr. Abe emphasizes that their influence is sometimes obscured by Seattle’s long-standing perception as a city lacking a significant hip hop history. He points to a Billboard magazine from the mid-80s that mocked Seattle’s hip hop aspirations. Even recently, a music channel trivia snippet about Macklemore reinforced this dismissive narrative.
“It said, did you know Macklemore grew up in the spoken word community due to Seattle’s barely there hip hop scene, something like that,” he recounts. “This was on a TV screen within the last like three or four years. So, the utter kind of dismissal and disrespect of the historical aspects of local hip hop had been going on for a long time.”
Dr. Abe counters this misconception by highlighting Seattle’s impressive roster of Grammy Award-winning hip-hop artists. Crucially, some of these artists were directly inspired by the Emerald Street Boys. Ishmael Bulter, who achieved Grammy success with Digable Planets, is RC Jamerson’s cousin and witnessed the Emerald Street Boys’ local stardom firsthand. Sir Mix-a-Lot, a Seattle hip hop icon, also acknowledges the Emerald Street Boys as a pivotal influence, even paying tribute to them in a guest verse on Travis Thompson’s track “Glass Ceiling.” These connections underscore the enduring legacy seeded on emerald street.
The Emerald Street Boys briefly reunited in 2010, a testament to their enduring bond and shared history. However, each member also carved out individual paths. James “Captain Crunch” Croone found his calling as a pastor. Ed “Sugarbear” Wells continued his musical journey until his passing earlier this year.
RC Jamerson’s journey took a turn towards singing. He can now be found performing at the Sneaky Tiki in Georgetown on Wednesday nights, trading rhymes for melodies under the tiki bar’s grass roof and faux palm trees. After the Emerald Street Boys, he briefly pursued solo rapping, even writing a final rap song titled “Decisions” during his time working at a youth center.
“Then after that, then it was like, okay, you’re getting kind of old to be rapping,” Jamerson jokes.
He discovered a passion for karaoke, which blossomed into a band and regular gigs at the Georgetown Tiki Bar. During his performances, friends often join in, creating spontaneous collaborations, dancing, and a lively atmosphere fueled by music and camaraderie. And in the midst of it all, a true trailblazer of Seattle hip hop continues to perform, his story interwoven with the very fabric of emerald street and the city’s rich, often understated, music history.
