Careful with the jokes you tell, they could lead to an impromptu career as a rhyme-spittin’ dynamo. The Dirty White Hats as a hip-hop concept gave punk lifers Leon Samson, Nick Scala and J.J. King some good yuks in a winter kitchen when the idea was hatched. Before they knew it, though, the DWH had gone from buddies goofing off to a troika of crazed emcees capable of packing one of Portland’s biggest rooms.
GO sat down with one of the city’s most natural performers, the incorrigible Samson, to trace how these scattered punch lines coalesced into an act worth buzzing about.
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What are the origins of The Dirty White Hats?
Actually, it all started with a joke: “Hey Nick, we should write and record a rap song.” Rimshot.
You guys jammed Port City Music Hall. What do you attribute this to?
Grass-roots, word-of-mouth promotion, Facebook spammage, and us all having a strong network of friends who want to be supportive. I would also be foolish if I didn’t think that a lot of it had to do with curiosity. I’m sure a lot of people were wondering what it was gonna be all about. Nick and I have been playing punk rock and its derivatives for over 15 years. Coming out with a rap crew is probably the last thing anyone ever expected of us.
How much of your hip-hop style can be traced to the DWH punk rock heritage?
Dirty White Hats take a lot from punk rock. We are 100 percent DIY, and we pour everything we have into our live show — it’s about the live experience. As far as style goes, we definitely have a touch of that punk rock angst in most of our stuff. Everything I learned about music and bands I learned from punk rock.
What can a fan expect from one of your shows?
The unexpected paired with copious amounts of energy.
When does the record drop, or will you guys break in with a couple mixtapes?
Our mixtape has been in a near-finished state for a few months. We need to mix it down and give it a spit-shine still. Probably going to release that bad boy within a month or so. Look for solo tapes from J.J. King and myself after that.
Is it harder to perform hip-hop than other kinds of music?
It’s challenging for different reasons. When you forget that it’s time to sing the hook/chorus, the instrumental doesn’t realize your mistake and give you another bar or two of verse. Gotta be on point.
When will The Dirty White Hats take the stage again?
June 28 at the Big Easy for their Cover to Cover series. We’re going to start the night with a set of our original stuff and then perform the Beastie Boys’ “Licensed to Ill” in its entirety — start to finish. Five bucks, doors at 9 p.m.
Mike Olcott is a freelance writer who lives in Portland and Boston.
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