Rapper Pearl Dragon is one of those people who seems to be everywhere, doing everything. He was raised in Seattle, lived in Houston, and once drove a car through the South ahead of a man trying to prove he could ride his bike across the country after gastric bypass surgery. (Ask him about it sometime.) No one's surprised to hear Pearl talk about finding himself in the studio with rap royalty OutKast or hitting the road with Spank Rock. "It seems accidental, but I put myself in situations and make things happen," he says. Pearl formed the hip-hop outfit Champagne Champagne with Thomas Gray and DJ Gajamagic -- whom Seattleites know as drummer Mark Gajadhar from punk's the Blood Brothers -- and the band wasted no time scoring gigs at Seattle's prime clubs. Champagne Champagne's lyrics mix life in Seattle's Central District (CD) with cultural touchstones like Pop Rocks, Molly Ringwald and Oshkosh kids clothes. When the lyrics get rough (see the police brutality track, "Radio Raheem"), there's music close by to get the body rocking ("What's Your Fantasy"). It's music for a rainy city in recession. If you're down, Champagne Champagne will tell you you've got good reason. And if you're up, well hey, they're gonna take you higher.
