No Nami Half Moon

“All I wanna do is rock mics for a living.” For this to happen, one would need persistence, focus, talent, networking skills and patience for the ups and downs that any creative path requires. In the last ten years, I’ve seen a lot of people in the local hip hop scene drop in and out of this passionate pursuit, as maintaining these traits is arguably the hardest job in the world. One guy, though, worked that job to the bone and never fell off when it came to his music: my man No Nami Half Moon. When you heard Nami on stage, on a tape, and especially in a freestyle cipher, as an MC you knew you needed to work a lot harder. You saw the real potential of what the hip hop generation had to offer in Eugene. Nami arrived in the mid nineties with a high top fade, from Nebraska. He soon after linked up with a local crew, the “Organics.” Sage, Shortround, Mattic and Nami started doing shows together in Eugene and Portland at places like the old Icky’s Teahouse, The Nexus, and the Agate and WOW Halls, where the crowds often consisted of younger hip hop and punk rock fans. Relationships and respect from other local bands became apparent and we started to see Organics on more posters and flyers around town. Along with stage shows, they made a name for themselves locally by rocking neighborhood house parties and dominating freestyle ciphers every chance they got. During the next few years, they formed “The Greenhouse Effect,” a larger crew with more like-minded MCs, graffiti artists, DJs and b-boys. They headlined dozens of shows and opened up for most of the bigger acts that came into town. There was solidarity in the scene then that accompanied its growth, and because he got along with everybody, Nami was sort of the ambassador of that era. He settled beef between groups, got different people working together, and was always able to keep a smile on his face. When the Organics split they all stayed busy with their own projects and later reunited with offshoot groups like the Point Blank Rangers, Plan B and the Burn Unit. During these times, Nami was still playing Mr. Miyagi to a whole generation of little Karate Kid MCs. Back then, there were only a few local crews doing hip hop, so kids in the community who were my age looked up to Nami as one of our cool older brothers. He took us under his wing and always had advice when we needed it. We were all proud of the things he had achieved in this town, and he was proud of us. When we got a little older and started performing at our own shows, Nami was always there, getting down in the front row. During these last few years, we’ve all performed together as peers on the same bill, or in the same crews. We’ve seen the scene incredibly expand from its humble beginnings and have been taken back by the enthusiasm this community has shown toward unique NW hip hop. This is a direct testimony to the influence that Nami had on all of us. Not only did he help pave the road, but he painted the lines that kept us to the right. Nami embodied all of Eugene and hung out with everybody from hip hoppers to punk rockers, hippies to D&D heads. A few weeks ago, No Nami Halfmoon passed away. We as a community have lost one of the most personable and prolific artists to ever call this place home. He greatly influenced the monumental movement that is Northwest hip hop and touched the lives of thousands through his music, personality, and vibrant nature. Nami showed us the importance of maintaining our creativity, dignity, and sense of humor throughout all of our pursuits. So I say “Thank you, No Nami Halfmoon, from Eugene. Your impact on all of us will never be forgotten.”rest in peace Jeff Mayo aka NoNami Halfmoonmake
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