PRIMER: Twin Cities Hip Hop

(P.O.S. at Soundset; photo from Rhymesayers)

Is the Twin Cities hip hop scene oversaturated (as this recent Slug-by-way-of-the-City-Pages article said)?  I don't think so.  There are a ton of hip hop acts here, but there are also a ton of hip hop acts doing radically different, interesting, creative things.  I've been wanting to post something like this for a while now, and this seems like as good an opportunity as any.

One note, though.  The TC hip hop scene is DEEP.  In this post, I'm going to talk very briefly about the artists I know, but there are MANY more that I don't.  Basically, this is how I see the scene right now, in 2012-- and I'm one person who occupies a specific space within that scene, so my view is going to be skewed, naturally.  This is not meant to be a comprehensive overview of every single person making hip hop music in the Twin Cities-- just a place to start.  So if you don't see yourself, or your homies, just leave a comment-- it wasn't an intentional omission.  

In the interest of space, I'm also not including singers (big ups to Alicia Steele, K.Raydio, Claire de Lune and others), DJs, b-boys/b-girls, poets, producers, promoters and the like, though all are instrumental in creating the scene that we have here.  And in the interest of not getting punched in the face, I'm going to save the criticism (constructive or otherwise) for another post.  I may not love every artist below, but I do believe that every artist below has qualities someone could love.  So I'm focusing on the positive here.

I wanted to write this so I'd have somewhere to point all those people who say "I had no idea MN had a hip hop scene, " or the people who love Atmosphere and Doomtree but don't know what else is going on here.  Because there's a LOT going on here.

3 New Videos: Starfish, The Mommy Effect & Lightning

Brainerd, Minnesota has been one of my favorite places to perform over the past few years.  That's mostly thanks to Matt from the Moonshine Lounge, who has done an amazing job organizing these shows.  These three videos were filmed at that spot (by Creative Jinx), and I'm really happy with how they turned out.


There are two or three other versions of this online, but this is definitely the best performance of this poem, a poem that means a lot to me. Aside from being about educators and schools, this is really a poem about the tension between engaging in on-the-ground direct service work and the need to work for large-scale, institutional change. Obviously, we need both; but it can be hard to figure out where you fit in as an individual.  I think that's a really important question that activists-- and people in general-- need to keep asking themselves.


This is an older poem, even though it's just now finding its way online. It's always been kind of a second-tier poem for me, but listening to it again, I like it (for the content, but also for its structure and arc). On the surface, it's about military recruitment, but I think it's really about mothers, and the lack of respect afforded to them by the powers that be. With that in mind, this poem is a companion piece to this song in a lot of ways.


This is another version of "Lightning," an a capella performance of a song that's going to be on the next Guante & Big Cats! album. There's already a good version of this online, but it's on Vimeo so I wanted to get it up on YouTube too. And I can't wait for people to hear the actual album-version of the song.

Heidi Barton Stink: album pre-order, single and release party news

Heidi is one of my favorite local artists.  I love hip hop that's both radically political and funny and big-hearted at the same time, and Heidi does that really well.  Her new album will be released on May 7, and you can pre-order it now at this link.

As someone who has heard the whole thing (multiple times), I can say that it definitely deserves some attention, even in a scene as saturated with talent as ours.  Aside from having the unique perspective of a trans-woman and queer-liberation activist (not exactly a commonly-heard voice in hip hop), Heidi also has a dense, technically precise rhyme style and wonderfully poetic way of talking about important issues that should appeal to indie-rap heads as much as it does to LGBTQ activists.  The production, handled exclusively by See More Perspective, is unlike anything else you'll hear this year-- grounded in old-school, sample-based boom-bap, but growing into some very weird, funky, forward-thinking places.

Here's an advance single, a song that features me and See More rapping as well.


This song is a lot of fun, but I'm super excited for people to hear the rest of the album... like the song where Heidi and See More build a golem out of school lunch meet to defend kids from bullies.  It's a remarkably creative album, and while there's a strain of dark humor and burnt-out-radical-cynicism running through it, there's also a beautiful core of humanism and hope.  This isn't just a well-made, head-nodding hip hop album; it's an important album, one that gives voice to a struggle that is all too often invisible, especially in a place like Minnesota, especially this year.

I hope it blows up, and if you're someone who already knows about Heidi and/or wants to help the album blow up, PLEASE spread the word.  Invite people to the show.  Forward the album link.  Word of mouth is incredibly powerful.

The CD release party will be on Thursday, May 17 at Hell's Kitchen in MPLS, and will feature me, See More and Desdamona, as well as Heidi herself.  (10pm, 18+, $5).  HK LINK HERE.  Facebook event page HERE.

UPDATE: Another song from the album, one of my favorites:

Heidi, Hieu, Miles, Kristoff, Mammoth, CeCe, Kevin, Big Quarters, Kulture Klub and other people you should know

I'm in Roseau, MN right now, just a few miles south of Canada, for a school residency.  Figured it might be a good time to catch up here and spread the word about some of the stuff my friends are up to.

The new Junkyard Empire album is out.  Radically-progressive hip hop band, hopefully you're familiar.  I'm on this song, along with Truthmaze and RDM of Abstract Pack:


New Heidi Barton Stink album, release party, free song (featuring me); info and a full post here.

The homie Hieu Nguyen is in the running for a Write Bloody publishing deal.  Like this video and help him.  I coached Hieu once, when he was on the MN Brave New Voices team.  But he's always been brilliant, and his work this year has just been just devastatingly good.  Once there are more, better videos of him online, I'll post them all.

The other homie Miles Walser is also in the running for a Write Bloody publishing deal.  Like this video and help him.  Miles is also amazing.  His work is smart and heartfelt and important.  Aside from the video linked here, do a YouTube search for him and you'll find some beautiful, powerful work.

Update: Khary Jackson is ALSO in the running for a Write Bloody publishing deal.  Wow.  Here's his video; like it and help him out.

Kristoff Krane has an album release party coming up.  He's one of the most talented hip hop artists I've ever known, and deserves your support.  The album is FREE too.  Link to the show.

Mammoth is one of those guys who always seems to be smiling.  He can also rap his ass off, and just released a new video.  I don't know what the hell is going on in this song, but it makes me smile.

On a more serious note, CeCe McDonald's trial started, and her case is one everyone should know about.  A Black trans-woman gets assaulted by a group of people, defends herself and is now on trial for murder.  Learn more here.

I finally found a good online video of Kevin Yang, who is one of my favorite local poets.  This piece brings tears to my eyes every time.

My friend Laura is spreading the word about Single Moms' Day in Seoul, an event/conference committed to raising awareness about discrimination, children's rights and other issues related to adoption and single motherhood in South Korea.  Check it out.

Unique Techniques is still going strong.  Both a Twin Cities hip hop-focused podcast AND video series, it's definitely worth a look, especially if you're into MN rap.  All kinds of gems in there-- in-depth interviews with Carnage, Desdamona, Truthmaze, Kevin Beacham, me and a bunch of other people.

Finally, a special note about something else to look out for this month.  Big Quarters (whom I've written about before, another one of my favorite local hip hop acts) recently partnered with Kulture Klub Collaborative, an organization that brings together artists and homeless youth in the Twin Cities.  Here's the official blurb:

Kulture Klub Collaborative has partnered with local hip-hop artists Big Quarters to create a music artist-in-residence at St Barnabas Apartments. St. Barnabas Apartments are a transitional housing site for formerly homeless youth which is owned by Aeon and operated in partnership with YouthLink. Over the course of several months, youth will write their own music and create several songs for distribution. Sales will go to supporting future music projects at the Youth Opportunity Center in downtown Minneapolis. This project is also supported by Hennepin Theatre Trust's Our Town initiative. Youth have used the opportunity to write songs and poems reflecting on Hennepin Ave.

The digital version of the EP should be out this month, with a 7" following that.  I've heard a couple of the tracks on it, and they're really good.  Not in a "help out these kids who are trying to rap and do something positive by checking out their music" way, but in a "this is good music I would actually listen to regardless" way.  The beats knock (no surprise, with BQ involved), and the MCs are unique and charismatic-- this is high-quality Twin Cities rap music, and the fact that it was made by youth from a transitional housing site should be no surprise-- many of our best artists come from adversity, and genius is all around us, especially when we talk about youth.  Much respect to BQ, KK and the youth themselves-- I'll definitely be checking for the project when it drops, and I hope you will be too.  I love the variety of good youth arts programs in the TC (especially hip hop-based ones); this is something we need to acknowledge and continue supporting.

Sorry if I've missed anyone, I know a ton of people, and they're all doing amazing things.  I'm grateful to have this community.  Keep up the good work.

Guante & Big Cats!: TO YOUNG LEADERS (Live at Occupy MN)

This is a video of me performing the new Guante & Big Cats! song "To Young Leaders" live at the Occupy MN site this past Fall.  I also spoke there during the big opening rally.  I've talked and written a lot about Occupy already, so I want to focus on this song for this post.  Our new album, "YOU BETTER WEAPONIZE," is coming this Fall, and though we're not going to release the lead single for a minute still, this is the first peek at an actual song that's going to be on the album.

This track is also the album's mission statement in a lot of ways.  Just about every song on the album is a concept or topic song; this is one of the few more general straight-up rap songs, but it really gets to the core of my artistic and political philosophy; the album's title isn't just there because it's a pun; it really means something to me.  I'll include the lyrics after-the-jump.

And just a note on the beat.  If you've been following Big Cats!'s work with The Tribe & Big Cats!, you already know that this guy is one of the BEST producers in indie hip hop.  This track is bone-crunchingly huge on a good club sound system.  It knocks here too, but wait until you here it in your car, or at a show.  It's just nasty.  And the whole album is like that.  I can't wait to show you more.

Finally, be sure to check out Guante & Big Cats!: WINTER IS COMING as well as Guante: Lightning for more peeks at the new album.  Lots more coming.

Michael Lee's "Pass On" and Why Spoken-Word Continues to Matter

I really like this piece.  If you like it too, check out Michael's other poems in the related videos.  He's got some really strong material and is only getting better.

Now don't get me wrong.  I don't think this is a perfect poem.  I don't think the writing or delivery is flawless.  But I do think it's pretty damn good, and that it taps into something profound and beautiful.  If you don't, that's fine. But I'm tired of having every spoken-word video on the internet turn into a referendum on spoken-word as an art form.  So I'm using this poem as an opportunity to push back.

Without fail, when a spoken-word poem gets posted on a major blog or website, the same comments always pop up:

• "Too much poet voice."
• "Too melodramatic; overly sincere; too loud."
• "A 'real' poet doesn't need the theatrics to be good."
• "It's too flashy; it's just style over substance."
• "It's well-done, but it's not poetry."

Now, are there specific instances when those critiques apply?  Sure. There are plenty. But my argument is that those critiques are constantly applied to EVERY spoken-word performance, no matter how good or bad it may be. So I just have a few bullet points for the haters, as it were, to keep in mind:

Guante: "Lightning" (A Capella)

Guante -- Lightning (Acapella) from Unique Techniques on Vimeo.

This is actually the a capella version of a song on the new Guante & Big Cats! album, YOU BETTER WEAPONIZE. The album version will be very different, but I wanted to share this now.  It was recorded at the A Loud Heart album release party at Honey in MPLS.  Big thanks to Patrick Pegg and Unique Techniques.

I wrote this after giving the keynote speech at the Tomorrow's Leaders Today conference and hearing so many stories, sometimes heartbreaking, sometimes inspiring, and then thinking of my own life.  This is one of those "realest shit I ever wrote" type of songs for me, and the theme of focusing so-called negative energy into something constructive is something I tend to write about a lot because it resonates with me a great deal.

For more information on the new album (and a new song you can DL for free) check this link.