Toki Wright

Top 10 must-see Minnesota music videos this week

Local Frames is a weekly column spotlighting the best new music videos featuring musicians and directors with Minnesota ties. This week we kicks things off emphatically with the punkish awesomeness of Kitten Forever, who look like they throw the world's best slumber party in their brand new video. ... More >>

The best Twin Cities concerts this week: 2/27- 3/5

The shortest month of the year comes to an end, spend it out with the Minneapolis music scene! Dessa performs at the Minneapolis Institute of Arts Thursday while the Current hosts a live Local Current set at the Amsterdam. Friday, The Tribe and Big Cats say goodbye at Triple Rock, Vita.mn presents ... More >>

Mixed Blood Majority at the Triple Rock, 1/26/13

Mixed Blood Majority with Guante & Big Cats and LaLiberte Triple Rock Social Club, Minneapolis Saturday, January 26, 2013 It's easy to be cynical about new local supergroups when our music community seems to interbreed at such an alarming rate, but Mixed Blood Majority's set on Saturday made an ... More >>

Sean Anonymous's 6th Annual Birthday Bash

Guante calls for activism

You Better Weaponize mixes personal and political

Local Frames: New videos from Liars, the Japhies, Twin Cities Funk and Soul All-Stars, and more

As the Twin Cities music scene grows, more and more artists are creating music that demands our attention. Combine the music with talented filmmakers locally and beyond, and you have a fruitful mix of distinct skills that generates more locally connected music videos than ever before. While it's im ... More >>

Summer Set, Bonnie Rait, Murder by Death, and more

Mayda talks about upcoming show at Icehouse, theater project

See Also: Mayda's Boomerang Tour diary: 6/10/12 - 6/17/12Mayda tells us her survival tactics for life in the Twin CitiesMayda releases music video for 'The Panthers' It's been nearly a year since Mayda released Tusks In Furs in September 2011, and the tiny artist has been quite busy. Over the cours ... More >>

Weekend Checklist: Rock the Garden, Jimmy Cliff, Aerosmith, The Weeknd

Rock the Garden may be sold out, but there's still plenty of music that can be heard outdoors this weekend with the Stone Arch Bridge Festival returning after not possibly happening. Jimmy Cliff will be rocking the MN Zoo while up-and-coming Stephen Kellogg and the Sixers bring their Americana flavo ... More >>

Tapes 'n Tapes, Kimya Dawson, Greg Brown top Winona's Mid West Music Fest lineup

Part of the appeal of out-of-town music festivals (like SXSW and Soundtown) is seeing local acts in front of crowds who aren't nearly as familiar with them as we are in the Twin Cities. Having to win over new fans will only make those bands better when they return back home, and bearing witness ... More >>

Grant Hart, Guante, Mayda to perform at Foreclosure Free Block Party tonight

​​​Be it the noise or the names, music attracts attention. A number of local artists are hoping to draw that attention to Powderhorn community member Bobby Hull's house, which has been in his family since 1968 and is now facing foreclosure. A concert of protest, which went underway last night, ... More >>

TC Hip Hop Awards post 2011 nominees

​The process for the annual TC Hip Hop Awards has always seemed a little mysterious, and this year's poll is no exception -- with little warning or ceremony, the awards show's hosts have published a comprehensive list of 2011 nominees to their sparse website and opened up the poll to the public fo ... More >>

Black Friday Record Store Day: A guide to special sales and events in the Cities

Black Friday. Potentially the single most terrifying phrase in the English language, those two little words are a retailer's curse and a shopper's pipe dream come true. This year, if you somehow missed pitching your tent in the Best Buy parking lot in preparation for the sales, not to worry--there i ... More >>

Jeremy Messersmith, Hastings 3000 join in the Occupy movement

Photo by Nick Vlcek​As Occupy Wallstreet and our own local version, OccupyMN, wear on, more and more Minnesota musicians are asserting themselves as vocal members of the 99%. Over the past few weeks, artists ranging from hip-hop acts Toki Wright, Sean Anonymous, and Guante to R&B maven Mayda t ... More >>

Audio Perm Block Party showcases Twin Cities hip-hop, offers up free mixtape

​It's not uncommon to find a rap act sharing a bill with a bunch of rock and pop acts at one of the Twin Cities' many block parties, but aside from mammoth outdoor fest Soundset you're hard-pressed to find a summer shindig that caters specifically to the local rap scene. Next weekend, thanks to a ... More >>

KRS-One headlining North Minneapolis tornado benefit with Slum Village, Toki Wright

​KRS-One is coming to Minneapolis on Tuesday, July 19 to headline First Avenue, and it's for a great cause: The Bronx-based influential rapper is joining a strong lineup of hip-hop artists like Detroit's Slum Village, Chicago's Da Black Pearll and the Twin Cities' own Toki Wright and Truthmaze to ... More >>

Weekend Checklist: Howler, Uptown Pride Block Party, BNLX, Red Pens

​The first official weekend of the summer is here!  Let's do this!

Junkyard Empire releases 'Acts of Humanity' Saturday at 7th St. Entry

​It's not all that common these days that a band takes a real stand on a political message, much less forefronts it as the most prominent piece of their music. Granted, that's probably for the better, particularly given how easy it ease to ruin perfectly good music with a half-cooked ideology or t ... More >>

Soundset 2011: Atmosphere, Big Boi, De La Soul, Doomtree, Brother Ali

Big Boi co-headlines Soundset 2011​The Soundset festival revealed its much-anticipated 2011 lineup this morning, and there are a few national surprises amongst the local mainstays: In addition to headliners Atmosphere, Brother Ali, and the full Doomtree crew, this year's fest will feature sets by ... More >>

Twin Cities Hip-Hop Awards at First Avenue, 1/28/11

Photo by Autumn ComptonSick performing "Purple and Gold"​Twin Cities Hip-Hop Awards with Maria Isa, I Self Devine, No Bird Sing and moreJanuary 28, 2011First Avenue MainroomThe Twin Cities Hip-Hop Awards is kind of an odd event. On Friday night, the First Avenue mainroom was full of hip-hop fans r ... More >>

Weekend Checklist: 501 Club farewell and more

​The big news this weekend is tomorrow night's show at the 501 Club, which marks the last concert inside the venue before it closes down as well as the last gig for hip-hop duo MC/VL. But that's not the only thing going down this weekend -- here's a rundown of our top recommended shows happening F ... More >>

The Southern Songbook

Cedar Cultural Center knocking out 22 shows in 20 days

The Sweet Colleens perform amidst a flurry of shows​Rocktober is in full swing, and the Cedar Cultural Center doesn't intend to slow its pace as we head into November. The all-ages venue is hosting an impressive run of shows over the next 20 days, squeezing in 22 separate events by an eclectic arr ... More >>

Kanser 15-Year Anniversary Show

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 >>

POS tears it up at the Turf in preparation for Coachella

POS knows how to shake things up.

Fifth Element relaunches open-mic night

Event helped early careers of Brother Ali, Toki Wright

From Vices to Verses conference schedule announced

Authors, politicians, rappers, and activists hope to promote activism through hip hop and art at this free event.

Mike Dreams (CD-Release)

Rhymesayers announces benefit for Haiti

Brother Ali, Sage Francis, Toki Wright, Sims, and more will join forces for a Haiti fundraiser.

New Year's Eve 2010 concert guide

The best of the best music events for December 31.

Gimme News Weekly Wrap-Up: Nov. 2-6

The Uptown Bar closes its doors, Estate appears on Gossip Girl, M.anifest releases new music & the Suicide Commandos get their own day.

Gimme News Weekly Wrap-Up: June 5-11

Jeff Hanson passes, Gaslight Anthem announce TC date, the Pretenders pull out of MN Zoo show & next week's best new releases.

Soundset line up announced

Pharcyde and MF Doom? Looks like the 500 pound gorilla of hip hop festivals put on some weight over the winter.

SXSW: Rhymesayers showcase, the Hold Steady, and two churches

A recap of Day Two at South by Southwest.

March 9, 2009: Awesome Snakes & Anni Rossi

New music from Awesome Snakes, Anni Rossi hits the Current, and Clawthroat & Vernal Pool interviews

Gimme News Weekly Wrap-Up: Feb. 20-26

Blitzen Trapper FAIL, Element closes, Atmosphere announce tour & news on next week's new releases

Feb. 10, 2009: Lykke Li & Artist Meets Artist

Lykke Li plays the Varsity, Artist Meets Artist announced and new music from Mouthful of Bees

Hip Hop Against Homophobia

Dec. 23, 2008: Har Mar Superstar & Hip Hop Against Homophobia

Music A-List

Picked to Click XVII: complete ballots

Concert Highlights for the Week Of June 6-12

Local Music Yearbook '06

Prince went to Vegas. Smokers went to Maplewood. Tapes 'N Tapes went to the moon. And sometime after the last zombie dance party got busted, we wrote it all down for you.

Local Music Yearbook '05

Rappers were hot. Smokers were cold. Rockers were on Myspace. And sometime after the last Katrina benefit, we wrote it all down for you.

Give Me the B-Boys and Free My Soul

20 weird moments from the Twin Cities Celebration of Hip Hop

Ce-le-brate hip hop, come on!

Picked to Click

To those who have recently begun to rock, we salute you

Blazin' on $20 a Day

A DJ for every club, a mic for every stage: Five days in our own hip hopolis