Trama

There're three significant reasons why it's amazing that Trama's new mixtape Barack Otrama has the Twin Cities' best unsigned MC spitting a couple of verses over BDP's "The Bridge Is Over" at one point. First off, Trama grew up in Queens, the borough that Bronx native KRS-One dissed in the original track; second, Trama reworks the lyrics into a recollection of the 35W bridge collapse; and third, he hits every single nuance of KRS's original flow and transforms it into his own thing, to alternately chilling and head-nod-inspiring effect. But that's just one of the tracks on this wall-to-wall hot hood-politics mix, where Trama and an impressive guest roster rock over beats ranging from LL's "4, 3, 2, 1" (the frequently hilarious, regularly sharp battle rap cut "9, 10, 11, 12," featuring Carnage and Ayentee) to Kanye's "Flashing Lights" (the fierce anti-brutality "Fuck Da Police" with Muja Messiah). When it comes to nominations for the best local rap summer jam, this Barack's victory looks to be completely uncontested. With Muja Messiah, Carnage, and Guardians of Balance. $5 for 18+; $3 for 21+.
Thu., May 29, 9 p.m., 2008