With Diamonds shining as far as the eye can see (or at least all the way across the room at his release and listening party last night at Liberty on Capitol Hill) Meez definitely has the swagger to back his anthemic claim to be the “Boss of the Sea Town”–even if no one else is really on their way to the throne in the same thugged-out way. The South End emcee has been active in the rap scene since the late ’90s, and except for a short detour to the South by way of Atlanta has been more than eager to rep everything cash, street and Seattle. His solidly West Coast sound echoes the sentiment. Shoebox Money, the most recent record, sports guest verses so eclectic they merit at least a partial listing: Ish, Dougie Ur Dad, OJ Da Juiceman, Freeway, Mistah Fab and THEESatisfaction all get a shot. And that’s not to mention some production highlights include Tha Bizness and local favorite Vitamin D. Seattle isn’t known for the proliferation of it’s Gangsta Rap image, but Meez’s album hits hard enough to warrant revisiting it. Keep an eye out for this one to roll out over the summer.