Rapper who opened for Lil Wayne celebrates homecoming with Tri-Cities show

After plenty of time away, a well-known rapper who cut his teeth in the Tri-Cities is making a return.

Seattle-based Marquise “Nobi” Green will perform Saturday, Aug. 20, at the Emerald of Siam.

It’ll be his first set in the Tri-Cities in four years.

He’ll be supported by fellow West Coast acts Moondrop, David July, and Esteelo.

Tickets start at $10. Doors are at 8:30 p.m., and performances start at 9.

“Nobi is far from just another Washington-based rapper, he’s a voice of his generation,” reads a news release announcing the show.

“His poetic lyrics and incredible flow make him one of the most talented MCs the region has ever seen, and with sold out shows and festival performances across the Pacific Northwest, Nobi is solidifying that he doesn’t just make rap, he makes art.”

He’s previously opened for Lil Wayne at the Toyota Center. And his debut album, “Fulminate,” was among the Seattle Times’ 20 best albums of 2020.

On tracks like “Displaced” and “Lxst,” Nobi blends elements of jazz-influenced hip hop with electronic music and boom-bap beats. A singer and MC, his lyrics delve into elements of and commentary on social justice, capitalism, racism and his life as a Black Asian male.

His first album took inspiration from the 2020 Black Lives Matter protests.

Nobi, 26, has been making music for about a decade now. He grew up in a musical Richland household. His father and adopted siblings also rapped.

Before moving to Seattle five years ago, he would regularly perform sold-out shows at the Uptown Theatre.