Subject:

Hip-Hop and Rap

  • Blogs

    May 25, 2012

    Top 20 best Minnesota rappers: The complete list

    Related:Cover Story: How Rhymesayers set up the Soundset FestivalTop 20 best Minnesota musicians: The complete listTop 20 best Minnesota songs: The complete listIn 2012, rap music is as definitive a part of Minnesota lore as the Mall of America -- or anything else Muja Messiah name-checks in "Leech ... More >>

  • Blogs

    May 25, 2012

    Chuuwee on Watching the Throne, his Soundset approach

    By Mike MaddenRelated:Bambu on the L.A. riots' 20th anniversary, his Soundset debutTraveling from his native Sacramento to take over Shakopee, Chuuwee might be the best bet among this year's Soundset freshmen to blow up by the time May 2013 rolls around. Not long removed from his excellent Wa ... More >>

  • Blogs

    May 25, 2012

    Truthbetold on Tribe & Big Cats! next record, Soundset strategy

    By Mike MaddenRelated:How Rhymesayers set up the Soundset FestivalOne of the groups set to make their Soundset debut this year, the duo of the Tribe and Big Cats! was born out of a somewhat unlikely relationship. MC Chris "Truthbetold" Hooks spent parts of his youth in Chicago's south side and began ... More >>

  • Blogs

    May 24, 2012

    Big K.R.I.T. on country rap, dream cars, and playing Soundset

    Related:How Rhymesayers set up the Soundset FestivalSoundset 2012 lineup announcedDanny Brown on XXX, almost signing to G-UnitFrom the jump, Mississippi rapper Big K.R.I.T is full of interesting paradoxes. He represents dirty-south rap with endless country swag that juxtaposes hip-hop's decidedly ... More >>

  • Blogs

    May 24, 2012

    Top 20 best Minnesota rappers: #10-1

    Related:Top 20 best Minnesota rappers: #20-11How Rhymesayers set up the Soundset FestivalTop 20 best Minnesota musicians: The complete listTop 20 best Minnesota songs: The complete list10> Mictlan Origin: Minneapolis/Hopkins/Los Angeles | Active: 2001 - present | Songs: "Prizefight," "Game Over, ... More >>

  • Blogs

    May 24, 2012

    Bambu on the L.A. riots' 20th anniversary, his Soundset debut

    Related:*How Rhymesayers set up the Soundset Festival*Danny Brown on XXX, almost signing to G-Unit*Big K.R.I.T. on country rap, dream cars, and playing SoundsetBy Mike MaddenRealizing Bambu deliberately released his debut album, self untitled..., 10 years after the 1992 Los Angeles riots, it's ... More >>

  • Music

    May 23, 2012

    How Rhymesayers set up the Soundset Festival

    Minnesota's biggest annual hip-hop showcase enters its fifth year

  • Blogs

    May 23, 2012

    Top 20 best Minnesota rappers: #20-11

    Related:How Rhymesayers set up the Soundset FestivalTop 20 best Minnesota musicians: The complete listTop 20 best Minnesota songs: The complete listIn 2012, rap music is as definitive a part of Minnesota lore as the Mall of America -- or anything else Muja Messiah name-checks in "Leech Lake" or Slug ... More >>

  • Blogs

    May 22, 2012

    Summer Set Festival 2012 lineup

    The 2012 Summer Set Music and Camping Festival arrives in late August, and the lineup is a doozy. Combining the powers of jam bands, electronic music, hip-hop, reggae, and all of the confluences that exist between these many worlds, this year's edition should be a shock to the system. To say nothing ... More >>

  • Blogs

    May 21, 2012

    Rick Ross at Epic Nightclub, 5/18/12

    Rick RossEpic Nightclub, MinneapolisFriday, May 18, 2012Since his undeniable hit "Hustlin'" in 2006, Miami's Rick Ross has banked on the legend of his namesake by crafting a string of street anthems touting his wealth and ability to move drugs in large quantities. While the subject matter has certai ... More >>

  • Blogs

    May 2, 2012

    Soundset 2012 videos: Brother Ali, MaLLy, I Self Devine, & Aesop Rock

    Related:Soundset 2012 lineup announcedWith Soundset 2012 less than a month away now, the Rhymesayers Entertainment folks have launched a rapid-fire barrage of new videos.Conveniently enough, the guys featured in these fresh clips -- Brother Ali, MaLLy, I Self Devine, and Aesop Rock -- will all take ... More >>

  • Blogs

    April 30, 2012

    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 >>

  • Calendar

    April 25, 2012

    De La Soul

    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 >>

  • Blogs

    April 23, 2012

    Best of Coachella 2012: Sunday, April 22

    See also: Our complete Coachella coverage By the third day of Coachella's second weekend -- the sixth and final day of this year's festival -- folks had more or less learned to ignore the dust and the heat. Here are our intrepid writers' favorite things about the final hours of the 2012 event.

  • Blogs

    April 12, 2012

    First Avenue's 20 best concerts: #10-1

    Related:Slideshow: First Avenue: An archived history via flyers, riders & contracts First Avenue's 20 best concerts: #20-11First Avenue's 40 years of rock 'n' rollTop 20 best Minnesota musicians: The complete list10. Basement Jaxx, First Avenue, 10/08/01Basement Jaxx's first appearance in Minne ... More >>

  • Blogs

    April 2, 2012

    Five identity crisis songs: Danny Brown, Garbage, & more

    ​This week's edition of 5ingles spotlights songs by artists who seem to be undergoing an identity crisis -- musicians who aren't quite themselves, who apparently woke up a bit off of their game. So these five tunes sound sort of like what you've come to expect from their creators, but not quite, w ... More >>

  • Music

    March 28, 2012

    Critics' Picks: Skream & Benga, Black Milk, and more

    ​This week's edition of 5ingles spotlights songs by artists who seem to be undergoing an identity crisis -- musicians who aren't quite themselves, who apparently woke up a bit off of their game. So these five tunes sound sort of like what you've come to expect from their creators, but not quite, w ... More >>

  • Calendar

    March 28, 2012

    Black Milk

    ​This week's edition of 5ingles spotlights songs by artists who seem to be undergoing an identity crisis -- musicians who aren't quite themselves, who apparently woke up a bit off of their game. So these five tunes sound sort of like what you've come to expect from their creators, but not quite, w ... More >>

  • Calendar

    March 28, 2012

    B-Boy J-Sun Presents: Hip Hop?

    ​This week's edition of 5ingles spotlights songs by artists who seem to be undergoing an identity crisis -- musicians who aren't quite themselves, who apparently woke up a bit off of their game. So these five tunes sound sort of like what you've come to expect from their creators, but not quite, w ... More >>

  • Calendar

    March 28, 2012

    Shabazz Palaces

    ​This week's edition of 5ingles spotlights songs by artists who seem to be undergoing an identity crisis -- musicians who aren't quite themselves, who apparently woke up a bit off of their game. So these five tunes sound sort of like what you've come to expect from their creators, but not quite, w ... More >>

  • Blogs

    March 9, 2012

    Lil' Twist on Adele, his name, and his mentor Lil Wayne

    ​Minneapolis has a tendency to become so preoccupied with the local backpack rap mainstays that commercial hip-hop oftentimes gets lost in the periphery. Chalk it up to Rhymesayers loyalty or the fact that a majority of big-ticket rap promoters have settled on dismissing Minneapolis as a flyover c ... More >>

  • Blogs

    March 5, 2012

    Soundset 2012 lineup announced, includes Big K.R.I.T.

    ​ Officially on its fifth year of making the Twin Cities a legitimate festival destination for hip-hop lovers, Soundset will celebrate a handful of years when it returns to Canterbury on Sunday, May 27.

  • Blogs

    March 2, 2012

    Dessa, Tupac, the Roots, and the rap misogyny problem

    ​The mere announcement that Doomtree rapper/poet/writer Dessa is giving a lecture/performance at the Nobel Peace Prize Forum this evening has already stirred up a bunch of debate regarding her qualifications to give the talk. "Mic Lines: Art, Ethics, and their Contested Connections," is expected t ... More >>

  • Calendar

    February 29, 2012

    AraabMuzik

    ​The mere announcement that Doomtree rapper/poet/writer Dessa is giving a lecture/performance at the Nobel Peace Prize Forum this evening has already stirred up a bunch of debate regarding her qualifications to give the talk. "Mic Lines: Art, Ethics, and their Contested Connections," is expected t ... More >>

  • Blogs

    February 27, 2012

    Get Cryphy 4 Year Anniversary at First Avenue, 2/24/12

    ​Get Cryphy 4 Year AnniversaryWith Plain Ole Bill, Jimmy2Times, Last Word, Fundo, and more.First Avenue Mainroom,Friday, February 24, 2012View a slideshow from the concert here.The combination of crunk and hyphy hip-hop subgenres serves as a decent shorthand for what the four-man Get Cryphy crew s ... More >>

  • Blogs

    February 27, 2012

    7 Ghostface Killah songs showing his softer side

    ​For the many who hold Enter the Wu-Tang: 36 Chambers among their favorites, Ghostface Killah's upcoming visit to Minneapolis is an event that'll be remembered for some time. Mark 4/20 on your calendar, and along with De La Soul coming, Cabooze is pulling to get that "flyover rap capital" thing re ... More >>

  • Blogs

    February 14, 2012

    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 >>

  • Blogs

    January 13, 2012

    Up in the air: How Minneapolis became a flyover city for major rap artists

    ​It was 1998, the Smokin Grooves Tour was in its second year, and a group of friends and I were geeked out about going to the show. Public Enemy, Gang Starr, Wyclef Jean, Cypress Hill and others were booked, but everyone was waiting and most excited for Busta Rhymes, known for his killer live show ... More >>

  • Blogs

    January 9, 2012

    Wu-Tang Clan at Epic, 1/7/12

    ​They might be battle-hardened rap assassins, but the Wu-Tang Clan aren't above having a good time.  The Clan were clearly up for a party on Saturday night at Epic, with Method Man admitting that hip hop is supposed to be fun:  "Since when are hip-hop fans too cool to put their hands in ... More >>

  • Blogs

    January 6, 2012

    Wu Tang's Inspectah Deck talks new album & retirement

    ​ The Wu Tang Killa Bees are on the swarm and headed toward Minneapolis tomorrow, and among the crew members ready to deliver a hot set of old favorites and new jams at Epic is Staten Island native Inspectah Deck. Whereas counterparts Method Man and Ghostface are known for their hyped-up character ... More >>

  • Blogs

    December 5, 2011

    Sims kicks off Doomtree Blowout Week, 12/4/11

    Photos by Nick Wosika​Sims Blowout night with One Be Lo, Astronautalis, and Brother Ali December 4, 2011 7th St. Entry, Minneapolis For anyone else, seven nights in a row of one musical act would be over the top. When that act is the Doomtree crew, seven consecutive nights of the Twin Cities ... More >>

  • Blogs

    December 5, 2011

    5 worst rap songs of 2011

    ​Is it safe to say the hip-hop's current era of triumphantism is officially over? Does anyone really troll R&B/rap stations expecting to be challenged in any way? The answer to the first question is a resounding yes; the answer to the second is a booming no. There's no way around the fact that ... More >>

  • Calendar

    November 30, 2011

    Waka Flocka Flame

    ​Is it safe to say the hip-hop's current era of triumphantism is officially over? Does anyone really troll R&B/rap stations expecting to be challenged in any way? The answer to the first question is a resounding yes; the answer to the second is a booming no. There's no way around the fact that ... More >>

  • Blogs

    October 20, 2011

    Yelawolf at First Avenue, 10/19/11

    Photo by Denis Jeong PlasterYelawolf at First Avenue in March​YelawolfOctober 19, 2011First Avenue, MinneapolisFor his second appearance in Minneapolis, Alabama rapper Yelawolf ripped up a sold-out mainroom crowd of mostly diverse dudes in flat-brims and girls in short minis. For fans of Eminem wh ... More >>

  • Music

    October 12, 2011

    Wize Guyz bring old-school to Minneapolis hip-hop

    Lojik and Dextro recall the genre's roots

  • Blogs

    September 30, 2011

    50 Cent Lil Wayne Beef: Fiddy rips Weezy for skateboarding, hot pants

    ​50 Cent attacks Lil Wayne on a new track, "Love, Hate, Love," which also takes a swipe at former G-Unit member Game.Fiddy has long been known for his takedown tracks -- he became famous with "How to Rob," which took on just about every rapper in the game, and famously feuded with Ja Rule.Sure, a ... More >>

  • Blogs

    September 29, 2011

    Sylvia Robinson, 'Mother of Hip Hop,' passes away at age 75

    ​Sylvia Robinson, singer, producer, and founder of hip-hop label Sugar Hill Records, passed away this morning of congestive heart failure at Meadowlands Hospital in Secaucus, New Jersey. She was 75.

  • Calendar

    August 24, 2011

    Audio Perm Block Party

    ​Sylvia Robinson, singer, producer, and founder of hip-hop label Sugar Hill Records, passed away this morning of congestive heart failure at Meadowlands Hospital in Secaucus, New Jersey. She was 75.

  • Blogs

    May 19, 2011

    Soundset Series: Big Boi, De La Soul, Slaughterhouse, and Curren$y

    Big Boi​Each year, much debate occurs from fans and festival organizers alike about who outside of the Rhymesayers roster is going to play Soundset.  In an attempt to both showcase a wide spectrum of regions and definitions of independent rap, Soundset manages to bring together some surprisin ... More >>

  • Calendar

    May 4, 2011

    Guilty Simpson

    Big Boi​Each year, much debate occurs from fans and festival organizers alike about who outside of the Rhymesayers roster is going to play Soundset.  In an attempt to both showcase a wide spectrum of regions and definitions of independent rap, Soundset manages to bring together some surprisin ... More >>

  • Blogs

    April 22, 2011

    Talib Kweli talks about his new tour, album, and the role of role models in hip-hop

    ​On the heels of his latest effort Gutter Rainbows, Queens rapper Talib Kweli rolls through Minneapolis this Sunday at Epic, with a live backing band and recent XXL freshman Fred the Godson in tow. The album, released online and containing some seriously sick beats and impressive flows, is a prec ... More >>

  • Blogs

    April 14, 2011

    Diddy Dirty Money with Lloyd and Tyga at Epic, 4/13/11

    Photos by Erik Hess​Diddy Dirty Money with Lloyd and TygaApril 13, 2011Epic NightclubFor this write-up, I could have skated by making jokes about how Diddy changed his name three times during the show or whatever -- but I'm a journalist dammit, not Jay Leno.  I came to check out the Dirty Mon ... More >>

  • Blogs

    March 21, 2011

    Owl City and Big Boi collaborate on new record

    ​We're still sifting through the onslaught of interviews and other coverage that took place over the week of SXSW, but this caught our eyeballs: Apparently Owl City's next record is going to feature some sort of collaboration with OutKast's Big Boi.

  • Calendar

    March 16, 2011

    Dipset: Reunion Tour

    ​We're still sifting through the onslaught of interviews and other coverage that took place over the week of SXSW, but this caught our eyeballs: Apparently Owl City's next record is going to feature some sort of collaboration with OutKast's Big Boi.

  • Blogs

    February 17, 2011

    Dr. Dre: An abridged history in honor of Dre Day

    ​Dre Day, our annual bluntsmoked, brass monkeyed, and ingeniously tended get-down in honor of the one and only, was started by the local design firm Burlesque of North America nine years ago Saturday, when those multi-disciplinarians were banded around Life Sucks Die Magazine. And for all the ridi ... More >>

  • Blogs

    February 14, 2011

    The Grammys: The good, the bad, and the really, really awkward

    ​Perhaps the biggest surprise from this year's Grammy Awards broadcast is that there are actually some honest-to-god surprises to report, the biggest of which was notoriously indie artists Arcade Fire coming out on top in the Album of the Year category.Here, we present a rundown of some of the mos ... More >>

  • Blogs

    January 20, 2011

    The Tribe and Big Cats! aim for 'real hip-hop without the elitism'

    ​"We are not underground artists.  We have no desire to be underground," declares Truth Be Told, MC from the rap trio the Tribe and Big Cats!, during our interview at Waterbury Studios.

  • Calendar

    January 19, 2011

    Snoop Dogg

    ​"We are not underground artists.  We have no desire to be underground," declares Truth Be Told, MC from the rap trio the Tribe and Big Cats!, during our interview at Waterbury Studios.

  • Calendar

    January 12, 2011

    Ms. Lauryn Hill

    ​"We are not underground artists.  We have no desire to be underground," declares Truth Be Told, MC from the rap trio the Tribe and Big Cats!, during our interview at Waterbury Studios.

  • Blogs

    January 10, 2011

    Wu-Tang Clan at Epic, 1/9/11

    Photos by Tony Nelson​Wu-Tang ClanJanuary 9, 2011Epic NightclubFor a hip-hop collective with a back catalog as formidable as Wu-Tang Clan's, the potential is there, during a live performance, to just count on the fiery nature of your hits to carry you through a show. Playing the last gig of their ... More >>

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