A Tribe Called Quest

RIP, Beastie Boys' Adam "MCA" Yauch

The Beastie Boys' Adam Yauch, best known as MCA, has died at 47. He was diagnosed with cancer in 2009 after a tumor was discovered in his salivary gland, and had been in treatment since that time.Related:Adam Yauch, RIP: A Life in PhotosCompared to the high nasal proclamations of Ad-Rock and Mike D' ... More >>

De La Soul at the Cabooze, 4/27/12

De La SoulThe Cabooze, MinneapolisFriday, April 27, 2012View a slideshow from the concert here. De La Soul have always been on the outside edges of hip-hop. They have tight rhymes, sharp, smart beats and a manner about them that's incredibly magnetic. But they weren't and aren't part of the gangsta ... More >>

Hip-Hop Valentines: The 14 most romantic rap songs

​Valentines Day is here and you need some help to win over the heart of that sexy B-girl or B-boy?We know hip-hop doesn't have the best history romancing the opposite sex, "bitches better having my money" and "skeeting on walls" doesn't really set the mood.But don't worry, we have you covered. So ... More >>

Mark Farina interivew: 5 minutes with the deep-house legend

Farina in his record room​If you love house music, you know Mark Farina. The jazz-house pioneer got his start in Chicago and San Francisco in the late '80s and has stayed true to his funky flavors of mellow house, downtempo and hip-hop ever since. He self-released the seventh installment of his fa ... More >>

Seven Inches of Minnesota Music: Sukpatch, "Ides"

​Believe it or not, kids, their once was a time before random shuffle and mash-up remixes where music tended to stay in its distinct categories and within specific genre contours. Typically people liked one kind of music or another, and that was about it. The Beastie Boys and Beck's fast folk ... More >>

Corporatized Joy: A mixtape for the newly employed

​Here's some noise that a few Gimme Noise readers will mourn, but the majority of you might not: you won't have An Affront to Serious Music Criticism to kick around anymore. Or not quite as much, anyway. Why? Because yesterday, I started a full-time day-job after five and a half months of depraved ... More >>

In case you missed it: Gayngs cover Sade for Daytrotter

illustration via Daytrotter​I know, I know. Gayngs this, Gayngs that. It's not our fault they continue to murder it. And this is especially notable for the beautiful rendition of Sade's "By Your Side" they recorded at Chez Iver, Daytrotter in tow (and the footage of them performing it live in Chic ... More >>

Deep Soul Deities EP-release tonight at Sauce

​Deep Soul Deities are serving up a heaping helping of that funky chicken grease tonight at Sauce -- and please, leave your tired loops at home. That's right, Garageband geeks. The Twin Cities' newest hip-hoppers get surprisingly fresh by kicking it old school. Backed by a live band including ... More >>

Parliament, Broken Social Scene top our list of best mega-groups of all time

​With the 24 members of Gayngs assembling themselves for a pair of "Last Prom on Earth" shows tonight at First Avenue, we asked ourselves: Who are some other awesome, ridiculously large supergroups and mega-collaborations? Here's a short list of our faves.

The Songs We Can't Escape

​With the 24 members of Gayngs assembling themselves for a pair of "Last Prom on Earth" shows tonight at First Avenue, we asked ourselves: Who are some other awesome, ridiculously large supergroups and mega-collaborations? Here's a short list of our faves.

Mashups of the Week: Skeetabugg & Wale

Wale takes Black Moth Super Rainbow on a world tour, the Fugees dive into '80s synth-pop & the Offspring connect with a one-hit wonder.

The Popstream: Q-Tip, "Scenario" (live @ the Knitting Factory 9/29/08)

I must atone for what I put you readers through on Monday. This should hopefully do it.

From Cool Kids to Kanye: Top 10 Hip-Hop Albums Of 2008

My Top 20 music videos of all time

The Year's Best Local Albums

It may seem greedy, but we couldn't confine ourselves to fewer than 13 riotous / melodious / prodigious records

Super-Extended MC/VL Interview Transcript

It may seem greedy, but we couldn't confine ourselves to fewer than 13 riotous / melodious / prodigious records

Rek the Heavyweight moves beyond his Atmospheric past

It may seem greedy, but we couldn't confine ourselves to fewer than 13 riotous / melodious / prodigious records

City Planner: Thursday 10/19

It may seem greedy, but we couldn't confine ourselves to fewer than 13 riotous / melodious / prodigious records

J Dilla: The Shining, Donuts

It may seem greedy, but we couldn't confine ourselves to fewer than 13 riotous / melodious / prodigious records

Träma Ward

A New Yorker in Minnesota raps his contradictions, invites guests

Thursday video: "Electric Relaxation"

A New Yorker in Minnesota raps his contradictions, invites guests

What's Your iTunes Smart Playlist?

A New Yorker in Minnesota raps his contradictions, invites guests

We Got Us

They write their own songs. They play their own instruments. For 19 years, they've stuck together. The rise and fall -- and rise -- of St. Paul's greatest R&B band, Mint Condition.

Del Tha Funkee Homosapien: The Best of Del Tha Funkee Homosapien (The Elektra Years)

They write their own songs. They play their own instruments. For 19 years, they've stuck together. The rise and fall -- and rise -- of St. Paul's greatest R&B band, Mint Condition.

Local Music Yearbook '03

We Sang. We Danced. We Set things on Fire. And Sometime after the Bar Closed, We Wrote It All Down for You.

The Flamin' Groovies

Smokin' Grooves lights up hip hop's crossover crowd

Signal to Noise: RPM Strikes Back

Smokin' Grooves lights up hip hop's crossover crowd

Lucy Pearl: Lucy Pearl

Smokin' Grooves lights up hip hop's crossover crowd

All Tomorrow's Parties

After 12 years on the fringes of pop, hip hop, and techno, Jungle Brothers crash all three with V.I.P.

Footsteps in the Dark

A walk through D'Angelo's hotly awaited, strangely elusive masterpiece, Voodoo

A Tribe Called Pop

A walk through D'Angelo's hotly awaited, strangely elusive masterpiece, Voodoo

Mos Def: Black on Both Sides

A walk through D'Angelo's hotly awaited, strangely elusive masterpiece, Voodoo

Crazy Wisdom Masters: The Payback EP

A walk through D'Angelo's hotly awaited, strangely elusive masterpiece, Voodoo

various artists: Old School vs. New School

A walk through D'Angelo's hotly awaited, strangely elusive masterpiece, Voodoo

Deeper Roots

Underappreciated hip hoppers the Roots put their sound together on the new album Things Fall Apart

Black Star: Black Star

Underappreciated hip hoppers the Roots put their sound together on the new album Things Fall Apart

Fugazi: End Hits

Underappreciated hip hoppers the Roots put their sound together on the new album Things Fall Apart

True MCs

Back to Middle School: Wild Pitch reissues hip-hop classics by Gang Starr, the UMC's, Main Source, and Lord Finesse.

Prince Paul: Psychoanalysis (What is it?)

Back to Middle School: Wild Pitch reissues hip-hop classics by Gang Starr, the UMC's, Main Source, and Lord Finesse.

Common: One Day It'll All Make Sense

Back to Middle School: Wild Pitch reissues hip-hop classics by Gang Starr, the UMC's, Main Source, and Lord Finesse.

Crazy Wisdom Masters

The Jungle Brothers' careful return to hip hop.

Record Roundup

The Jungle Brothers' careful return to hip hop.