 | Spotlight : Unexpected Arrival |  |
Finding NeemaA Day in the Life of Seattle's Own, Rated NextBy : Hope Evans - hope@seaspotmediagroup.com During the dizzying sound check for the Keith Murray/Kurupt concert at the Northgate Theatre, the opening acts rushed to make sure their mics were in cue, the music was right and the base was on point. In the distance, there stood a man - a bit apprehensive, but prepared for whatever came his way. He waited eagerly in the background as if wanting to escape from stardom. At this point, it seemed as if finding Neema's true character would be impossible. Upon taking the stage however, he took on a completely different demeanor. Having women in an almost erotic frenzy, and the men bobbing their heads, Neema served the small crowd with an unexpected commencement. Neema Khorrami, better known as Unexpected Arrival, is a cool, down-to-earth rapper with a shaved head and an unprecedented love for hip hop. With an infamous West Coast vernacular, Khorrami expresses his passion for the art of rap. "When you get that new beat and it's just crackin,' that's one of the best feelings in the world." Khorrami, 21, has been in the rap game for years and has felt the fury and the love of trying to make a name for himself. Many are familiar with his "If We Try" track, which had heavy rotation on 104.5 FM. His widely viewed song however, is only a bite of the whole pie that sits in the oven waiting to be cooled off. His upcoming album includes a hot, fast-talking collaboration with Twista entitled, "Everything." Imagine the challenges faced by someone from Seattle trying to make their mark in the rap game. Now imagine this person is a half-Puerto Rican, half-Persian 21-year-old who humbly puts other people before himself. Growing up in Kenmore, WA and attending predominantly-white Inglemoore High. School, no doubt forced Khorrami to complete an arduous task: prove his credibility to a somewhat skeptical urban audience. For Khorrami however, this wasn't hard to do. His unique, laid-back style doesn't boast about sex, money or hoes. In fact, he rarely even curses in his songs. While things seem to be looking up for Khorrami, that hasn't always been the case. He has lived what may seem to be a blessed life, but he has also had his share of let downs. One of the hardest ones to grasp? A demo deal with MCA that went awry. Working harder than a Jamaican with six jobs, he now spends most of his time promoting his album, trying to find a label, and on some nights, you can even catch him outside of a club passing out promotional materials. Khorrami admits, "Twenty-four-seven, I'm either promoting or in the studio recording or slanging CDs," he says. "You're constantly in the streets." Though his set in Northgate was only a couple songs long and he was forced to perform for an agitated crowd that demanded their money back because the two headliners didn't show, Khorrami quickly turned cynical, scrunched grills into head-bobbing, appreciative faces. Unexpected Arrival has all the right ingredients of becoming the best thing to hit Seattle since Starbucks. What makes him an eligible contender however, is not by way of the typical gangsta struggle, but his passion for hip hop and his altruistic attitude. He consistently showed love to other local artists like Mista Ock, Sleep, Aquino, and Street Level. With the success of If We Try and upcoming shows with big names like Twista, it's safe to say that Seattlelites may soon be "finding Neema" in heavy rotation on popular radio stations throughout the country. So while Khorrami may appear to be somewhat timid and a little overly humble, he inevitably is simply attempting to balance out the frenzied demands of the music industry-he's an observer, rather than an orator. He's an entertainer rather than simply an artist. And most importantly, he's a humble man rather than a self-seeking one. |
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