Bio | Press | Contact

Guante is a hip hop artist, two-time National Poetry Slam champion, social justice activist and educator. His work, which explores the places where progressive politics, magical realism, working-class identity and the power of perspective intertwine, has been featured in URB Magazine’s “Next 1000” list, City Pages’ “Artists of the Year” list, CMJ and the Progressive, and he's shared bills with Talib Kweli, Atmosphere, Dead Prez, Sage Francis, Brother Ali, Mr. Lif, P.O.S. and many more of the top names in indie hip hop. Apart from these artistic endeavors, Guante also founded and manages the MN Activist Project, freelances as a music writer, curates the Hip Hop Against Homophobia concert series and facilitates writing and performance workshops for youth.

Guante is also part of the MC/producer duo GUANTE & BIG CATS!, and the acoustic hip hop duo A LOUD HEART.

Yearly Recaps:  2008  |  2009  |  2010  | 2011

Booking Information HERE

CONTACT: elguante@gmail.com

PRESS QUOTES:

"Guante and Big Cats! create intelligent, political hip hop that mercifully doesn't come off as preachy or self-righteous. It's sobering, demanding your attention like a car crash, yet emotional and alarmingly intimate at times."  --Michael L. Walsh, City Pages (link)

"Earnestness can go wrong in hip hop.  On this album, it goes very right." --Sage Francis, Strange Famous Records (link)

"Part Cormac McCarthy, part Woody Guthrie, and part Public Enemy." --Justin Schell, Twin Cities Daily Planet (link)

"Giving you something to think about while nodding your head to his nimble, casual flow, Guante could very well follow Atmosphere and P.O.S. in the long line of outstanding rappers to break out from the Midwest." --CMJ Artist Spotlight (link)

"Whether writing of lost causes or zombie apocalypses, Guante demonstrates impeccable artistic control; in performance, he has the audience's undivided attention." --City Pages "Best of 2009" Feature (link)

"...Guante has a deft sense of humor and style in his arsenal, along with a battle-hewn tongue that rattles off sharply-spit rhymes and high-concept narratives... Guante's lyrics go deeper than the familiar comic-book premise into an authority-questioning meditation on violence that'd do John Romero's most allegorical moments proud." --Nate Patrin, City Pages (link)

"...one of the best rappers in the Twin Cities today, not to mention its best spoken-word poet." --Jon Behm, Reviler (link)

"Over bandmate Big Cats!'s layered, dark beats, rapper Guante is an avalanche of words." --Jay Boller, MN Daily (link)

"(Guante) has worked hard to create a style and flow uniquely his own.  He has also made a habit of exploring issues at greater length and depth than most rappers ever do.  On his newest record, An Unwelcome Guest, Guante somehow manages to push the envelope even further." --Emily Mills, Dane101 (link)

"Man of many words Kyle "Guante" Myhre slams poetry, regales with rap and hypnotizes as an MC." --Trish Collopy, St. Paul Pioneer Press (link)

"Guante quietly rolled into the Twin Cities' hip hop and spoken-word scenes with a hand grenade, and pulled the pin.  If you look anywhere in those scenes now, you'll see his shrapnel buried deep in every wall." --City Pages "2008 Artists of the Year" Feature (link)

"[El Guante's Haunted Studio Apartment] is a megaton bomb on local indie rap, bound to be the heaviest breath of fresh air hip hop heads will suck in all year." --Jordan Selbo, City Pages (link)

"Shocking as it may be, somehow between writing plays, literature and poetry and organizing politics, this Minneapolis renaissance man still finds a way to hold down a rap career.  Chock-full of biting political commentary... this guy is attempting to carry the Twin Cities on his back." --URB Magazine "Next 1000" Feature (link)

VARIOUS ACCOLADES:

~2010 National Poetry Slam champion (Saint Paul team)
~2009 National Poetry Slam champion (Saint Paul team)
~Grand Poetry Slam Champion of St. Paul (2009), Minneapolis (2008) and Madison (2006)
~URB Magazine “Next 1000” for 2008
~2008 Independent Music Awards finalist for Best Hip Hop Album and Best Hip Hop Song
~One of City Pages’ “Artists of the Year” for 2008
~City Pages’ “Best Slam Poet” for 2009
~2009 VERVE grant recipient for spoken-word poetry
~People’s Choice for “Best Slam Poet” and “Artist/Activist Award” at the 2009 Urban Griots Minnesota Spoken-Word Awards

NOTABLE PERFORMANCES:

~Soundset 2009 w/ Atmosphere, the Pharcyde, Freeway, Brother Ali and MF DOOM
~Ripple Effect 2008 w/ Rage Against the Machine, Michael Franti, Dead Prez and Anti-Flag
~Forward Music Fest 2008 w/ Neko Case and Killdozer
~Homegrown Hip Hop Fest 2008 w/ Kid Sister and Doomtree
~Homegrown Hip Hop Fest 2007 w/ Brother Ali and Rhymefest
~Iraq Veterans Against the War 2008 National Conference
~Vices to Verses 2010 w/ Dead Prez, Toki Wright, more
~Manifestation 2009 w/ Sage Francis, B.Dolan, Building Better Bombs and Cecil Otter
~2009 B-Side Jazz Festival w/ Mr. Lif and Dessa
~Hip Hop Against Homophobia concert series (primary organizer and performer)
~Guante's Haunted Van Tour, Verbal Graffiti Tour, Bricks and Bones Tour, a billion other shows...