Libretto

about

There are multiple artists named Libretto: 1)One of the most important developments in Portland music has been the local and national success of Libretto and Lifesavas. They're longtime Portlanders steady grindin' with their crew, Misfit Massive, since the mid-'90s. But their 2003 release, Spirit in Stone (Quannum), put them in the worldwide underground, and exposed them to parts of the city that might not have known their music otherwise (aka much of white Portland). In a segregated city that seems to only talk to one another about racism when someone dies, the sheer uniting force of Libretto & Lifesavas' larger presence--and message--has been an important one for the spiritual well being of Portland. And, put simply, the talented Misfit Massive crew--which includes Libretto, the three Lifesavas (Vursatyl, Jumbo, and Shines), Sly Da Brown Hornet, Dubb-Flexx aka Wolverine, --is defining the Portland hiphop sound in the early oughties. Each artist has his own style--but when you work together for upwards of 10 years like they have, you start out friends and end up brothers. They help each other out as individuals, as only a family can. As Libretto puts it, "Lifesavas represent that underground raw, head knockin' lyrics. But when me and my man Dubb hook up, we be coming with that whole gangsta whatever you wanna call it, but at the same time, I'm droppin' that wisdom on 'em. So that's how hot our arsenal is... I kinda look at us like the Wu-Tang--we got too many styles. Anyway