Common Market (hip hop group)

Common Market
Common Market performs at the Capitol Hill Block Party in Seattle, July 2006.
Background information
Origin	Seattle, Washington, U.S.
Genres	Hip-hop, Northwest hip hop
Years active	2005–2009
Labels	Massline Media
Associated acts	Blue Scholars
Members	RA Scion Sabzi

Common Market was an American hip hop duo based in Seattle, Washington, active from 2005 through 2009. Both members, DJ/Producer Sabzi (Saba Mohajerjasbi) and MC RA Scion (Ryan Abeo), had been active hip hop artists in the Pacific Northwest for three years before they combined their talents in 2005 to form Common Market. Together they released two albums and two EPs.

Sabzi started his career as DJ and producer in another hip hop duo, Blue Scholars, in Seattle, Washington. RA Scion gained musical skill while in Louisville, Kentucky, before moving to Seattle. RA Scion and Sabzi's paths crossed through the Northwest hip hop scene, where they bonded over their Bahá'í Faith contacts, and their political and spiritual approach to hip-hop music.

After collaborating on a pair of tracks on RA Scion’s 2004 solo project, Live and Learn, the duo began working in an attic-based studio for what would eventually become the 14-track self-titled debut, released in October 2005. An advance copy caught the ear of KRS-One, who praised the album and RA Scion for “spitting in the tradition of the conscious hiphop movement.” KRS-One then drove up to perform at Common Market’s album release party in Seattle, then taking the duo on the road with him on the Temple of Hiphop tour.

The album was hailed by fans as a remarkable improvement over any of their previous works. Common Market takes on questions about religion, politics and the state of mainstream hip-hop. At the core of Common Market’s music is a critical, unapologetic world view that change is not only necessary, it is inevitable, and can only come about through having love for and serving the people.