Subject:

Hip-Hop and Rap

  • 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 >>

  • Music

    January 5, 2011

    Wu Tang Clan, Dearling Physique, and more

    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 >>

  • News

    January 5, 2011

    DMX: Will the Ruff Ryder rise again?

    Hear exclusive new songs from the troubled rapper

  • Calendar

    January 5, 2011

    Wu-Tang Clan

    Hear exclusive new songs from the troubled rapper

  • Calendar

    December 22, 2010

    Yo Gotti

    Hear exclusive new songs from the troubled rapper

  • Blogs

    November 30, 2010

    2011 album trainspotting: Why not start now?

    ​Here's a little free, unsolicited, pre-Christmas advice from Gimme Noise: Do let the iTunes gift cards Santa leaves behind burn a metaphorical hole in your stocking. No pain, no gain, after all - and if you're willing to hold your zombified-consumer rifle fire for a little while, the new year pro ... More >>

  • Blogs

    November 22, 2010

    The Week That Was: Wyclef v. Bieber, Talib Kweli returns, N.E.R.D.'s self-canonization

    ​Last week, you hurried to begin Christmas shopping, finish buying Thanksgiving trimmings, and scrounge enough spare change to buy yourself a copy of Nicki Minaj's Pink Friday. And while you weren't paying much or any attention - and who could blame you? - all of this stuff happened.

  • Blogs

    November 16, 2010

    Dr. Dre and Snoop have a couple more things to say about smoking weed

    ​As a song title, "Kush" isn't exactly original; but neither was "Under Pressure," come to think of it now. The title of former speaks directly to producer/rapper/legend Dr. Dre's great theme: smoking copious quantities of great, dank weed. That may be why "Kush" is slated to be the first single f ... More >>

  • Blogs

    November 1, 2010

    Nicki Minaj releases "Roman's Revenge" featuring Eminem

    Seriously​On Friday we 'examined' Kesha's recently released "Sleazy", which comes off as a talent-divorced Nicki Minaj pose; affectation lacking experimentation. Today our mostly unprayed prayers get answered, as Minaj releases a single from her upcoming Pink Friday, featuring Eminem in full fuck ... More >>

  • Blogs

    September 17, 2010

    "I Am Not A Human Being": Lil Wayne's Rikers prison album

    I Am Not A Human Being by Lil Wayne​On his Facebook page, Lil Wayne just posted the tracklist for "I Am Not A Human Being," the album  that he announced from his incarceration on Rikers Island.We can see from the tracklist that Drake is getting a big push (or perhaps supporting Weezy, conside ... More >>

  • Calendar

    September 1, 2010

    Ludacris

    I Am Not A Human Being by Lil Wayne​On his Facebook page, Lil Wayne just posted the tracklist for "I Am Not A Human Being," the album  that he announced from his incarceration on Rikers Island.We can see from the tracklist that Drake is getting a big push (or perhaps supporting Weezy, conside ... More >>

  • Blogs

    August 24, 2010

    Mos Def at the Guthrie 8/23/10

    Photos by Jon Behm​Mos DefGuthrie TheaterAugust 23, 2010The Guthrie is the last place you would have expected Mos Def to play a set, but the Live at the Guthrie series, which has brought the likes of Bruce Springsteen and Robin Williams, definitely kicked it up a notch in the mass appeal of hip-ho ... More >>

  • Calendar

    August 11, 2010

    Mos Def

    Photos by Jon Behm​Mos DefGuthrie TheaterAugust 23, 2010The Guthrie is the last place you would have expected Mos Def to play a set, but the Live at the Guthrie series, which has brought the likes of Bruce Springsteen and Robin Williams, definitely kicked it up a notch in the mass appeal of hip-ho ... More >>

  • Calendar

    July 21, 2010

    Warren G

    Photos by Jon Behm​Mos DefGuthrie TheaterAugust 23, 2010The Guthrie is the last place you would have expected Mos Def to play a set, but the Live at the Guthrie series, which has brought the likes of Bruce Springsteen and Robin Williams, definitely kicked it up a notch in the mass appeal of hip-ho ... More >>

  • Music

    July 14, 2010

    Elite Gymnastics ride the chillwave

    Duo's electronic pop receiving national attention

  • Blogs

    June 15, 2010

    Peter Parker talks about B96, Twin Cities love, and relocation to Boston

    B Fresh Photography​Pete Mazalewski, more widely known as Mr. Peter Parker, visited the Twin Cities this past weekend to hit the turntables for SP Styles' River Rampage boat party. As his four-year-run as the old B96's night DJ (7-11pm) ended earlier this year, he did not let his career in acting, ... More >>

  • Calendar

    June 9, 2010

    Gorilla Zoe

    B Fresh Photography​Pete Mazalewski, more widely known as Mr. Peter Parker, visited the Twin Cities this past weekend to hit the turntables for SP Styles' River Rampage boat party. As his four-year-run as the old B96's night DJ (7-11pm) ended earlier this year, he did not let his career in acting, ... More >>

  • Blogs

    May 28, 2010

    Soundset 2010: What to Watch

    P.O.S at Soundset 2009Photo by Denis Jeong Plaster​Memorial Day weekend is upon us, and that means it's time for Soundset 2010 to take over the parking lot of Canterbury Park in Shakopee. Every year, the annual Rhymesayers-sponsored hip-hop festival features a mix of local heroes, classic legends, ... More >>

  • Music

    May 12, 2010

    Kristoff Krane nixes hip-hop cliches

    Hunting for Father reveals MC to be daring and visionary

  • Blogs

    April 19, 2010

    P.O.S at Coachella: Read the reviews

    It's P.O.S-central around Gimme Noise lately, and for good reason; the beloved local rapper made his way out to Indio, California this past weekend to perform as the only Minnesotan act at the Coachella music festival. Here's a recap of some of the reviews (both positive and negative) of Stef's Frid ... More >>

  • Blogs

    March 30, 2010

    Atmosphere, Method Man & Redman to headline Soundset '10

    ​The lineup for this year's Soundset has been released, and Rhymesayers bigwigs Atmosphere will headline once again with a slew of openers, including Def Jam duo Method Man & Redman, the Hieroglyphics crew (Del the Funky Homosapien, Souls of Mischief, Casual, and Pep Love), and Rhymesayers art ... More >>

  • Calendar

    March 10, 2010

    Afrika Bambaataa

    ​The lineup for this year's Soundset has been released, and Rhymesayers bigwigs Atmosphere will headline once again with a slew of openers, including Def Jam duo Method Man & Redman, the Hieroglyphics crew (Del the Funky Homosapien, Souls of Mischief, Casual, and Pep Love), and Rhymesayers art ... More >>

  • Calendar

    March 10, 2010

    GZA

    ​The lineup for this year's Soundset has been released, and Rhymesayers bigwigs Atmosphere will headline once again with a slew of openers, including Def Jam duo Method Man & Redman, the Hieroglyphics crew (Del the Funky Homosapien, Souls of Mischief, Casual, and Pep Love), and Rhymesayers art ... More >>

  • More >>

Now Trending

Browse Voice Nation
  • Voice Places Minneapolis / St. Paul

    Voice Places

    Find everything you're looking for in your city

  • Happy Hour App

    Happy Hour App

    Find the best happy hour deals in your city

  • Daily Deals

    Daily Deals

    Get today's exclusive deals at savings of anywhere from 50-90%

  • Best Of

    Best Of...

    Check out the hottest list of places and things to do around your city