Eyedea & Abilities
Encyclopedia
Eyedea & Abilities was an influential American indie rap duo from Saint Paul
, Minnesota
, consisting of DJ Abilities
(Gregory Keltgen) and the rapper Eyedea
(Micheal Larsen). The group was founded in 1993
and became a prominent figure of the 90s underground hip hop
scene, known for Larsen's philosophical
and socially conscious lyrics, along with Keltgen's dynamic experimental fusion of stylistic elements from both rap and rock
, as well as electronic music
. The group was active until Larsen's death in October 2010.
Over the course of nearly two decades the duo collaborated with many well-known hip hop groups and artists such as Aesop Rock
and Sage Francis
, playing a preeminent role in the emerging underground rap movement. Larsen's highly successful background work in freestyle
rap and rap battle
s, along with his greatly introspective, complex and poetic
sense of lyrical integrity heavily influenced E&A's distinctive musical output and largely defined the group as a unique and stylistically independent presence within alternative hip hop
.
(who also performed under the name Oliver Hart and with freestyle group Face Candy), became widely known because of his battle
and freestyle
skills. Eyedea was best known for his victory at the Blaze Battle, which was aired on HBO
, showing some of the best underground battlers in action. Eyedea originally toured with Slug
and other Rhymesayers
crew. He made the jump from a battle emcee with the release of his first album First Born by joining forces with DJ Abilities
. DJ Abilities was known for winning three DMC
awards and for his work on his mixtape
s and 1200 Hobos. Following a solo effort by Eyedea in 2002 under the name Oliver Hart, Eyedea and Abilities released E&A in 2004, which returned Eyedea back to his battle rapper roots.
After the success of the 'E&A' album, Eyedea released "This Is Where We Were" in 2006 with his live freestyle/jazz group Face Candy. Around the same time, he went on to form Carbon Carousel, an alternative rock band made up of other Twin Cities musicians. They have released one EP titled "The Some of All Things or: The Healing Power of Scab Picking", in addition to two singles, both containing three songs. This brought on speculation that Eyedea & Abilities were no longer together. However, in August 2007, the duo announced on their Myspace that they would be at the Twin Cities Celebration of Hip Hop performing old songs, as well as new material.
Eyedea & Abilities returned to the road in the Winter of 2007 with their 'Appetite For Distraction Tour'. Accompanied by fellow Minnesota artists Kristoff Krane
and Sector7G, the tour was mainly on the west coast until the Spring of 2008 when the duo brought the 'Appetite For Distraction Tour' to listeners in east coast cities. The tour has garnered excitement from fans, as E&A had taken a four year hiatus, and the duo's next album was one of the most anticipated among the independent hip hop scene. The album "By the Throat" was released through Rhymesayers Entertainment
on July 21, 2009.
In 2007, Eyedea created a book of poetry and art with painter Louis N. LaPierre, who is also responsible for Face Candy's 'This Is Where We Were' album art. The book was titled 'Once A Queen... Always A Creep'. Only 60 copies were made. It was on sale during Eyedea & Abilities 'Appetite For Distraction' Tour.
Eyedea, or Micheal Larsen, was also the founder of Minnesota-based independent record label Crushkill Recordings. The label is host to experimental hip hop band Abzorbr, as well as the rock band Carbon Carousel.
On October 16, 2010, Micheal Larsen's mother found him dead in his home as a result of an opiate toxicity. Ramsey County
officials ruled the overdose accidental and have not yet released the drugs involved.
Singles
Other
Saint Paul, Minnesota
Saint Paul is the capital and second-most populous city of the U.S. state of Minnesota. The city lies mostly on the east bank of the Mississippi River in the area surrounding its point of confluence with the Minnesota River, and adjoins Minneapolis, the state's largest city...
, Minnesota
Minnesota
Minnesota is a U.S. state located in the Midwestern United States. The twelfth largest state of the U.S., it is the twenty-first most populous, with 5.3 million residents. Minnesota was carved out of the eastern half of the Minnesota Territory and admitted to the Union as the thirty-second state...
, consisting of DJ Abilities
DJ Abilities
DJ Abilities is a Minnesota-based hip-hop DJ affiliated with Rhymesayers Entertainment. With his emcee partner, the late Eyedea, he formed the group known as Eyedea & Abilities, also known as E&A...
(Gregory Keltgen) and the rapper Eyedea
Eyedea
Micheal Larsen , known by his stage name Eyedea, was a well-known freestyle battle champion and underground rapper. His notable wins included the televised Blaze Battle sponsored by HBO and a victory at Scribble Jam...
(Micheal Larsen). The group was founded in 1993
1993 in music
This is a summary of significant events in music in 1993.-January–February:*January 8 – The U.S. Postal Service issues an Elvis Presley stamp. The design was voted on in February 1992....
and became a prominent figure of the 90s underground hip hop
Underground hip hop
Underground hip hop is an umbrella term for hip hop music outside the general commercial canon. It is typically associated with independent artists, signed toindependent labels or no label at all....
scene, known for Larsen's philosophical
Philosophy
Philosophy is the study of general and fundamental problems, such as those connected with existence, knowledge, values, reason, mind, and language. Philosophy is distinguished from other ways of addressing such problems by its critical, generally systematic approach and its reliance on rational...
and socially conscious lyrics, along with Keltgen's dynamic experimental fusion of stylistic elements from both rap and rock
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
, as well as electronic music
Electronic music
Electronic music is music that employs electronic musical instruments and electronic music technology in its production. In general a distinction can be made between sound produced using electromechanical means and that produced using electronic technology. Examples of electromechanical sound...
. The group was active until Larsen's death in October 2010.
Over the course of nearly two decades the duo collaborated with many well-known hip hop groups and artists such as Aesop Rock
Aesop Rock
Ian Matthias Bavitz , better known by his stage name Aesop Rock, is an American hip hop artist and producer. He was at the forefront of the new wave of underground and alternative hip hop acts that emerged during the late 1990s and early 2000s. He was signed to El-P's Definitive Jux label until it...
and Sage Francis
Sage Francis
Paul "Sage" Francis is a hip-hop artist from Providence, Rhode Island.-Biography:Born Paul Francis in Miami, Florida, Sage Francis is a rapper/writer/performer from Providence, Rhode Island. He is the founder and CEO of the independent hip-hop record label Strange Famous Records...
, playing a preeminent role in the emerging underground rap movement. Larsen's highly successful background work in freestyle
Freestyle rap
Freestyle rap commonly refers to rap lyrics which are improvised through a acapella or with instrumental beats, i.e. performed with no previously composed lyrics, or "off the top of the head"...
rap and rap battle
Battle Rap
Battle rap is a type of rapping that includes a lot of braggadocio content "combined with put-downs, insults, and disses against real or imaginary opponents"...
s, along with his greatly introspective, complex and poetic
Poetry
Poetry is a form of literary art in which language is used for its aesthetic and evocative qualities in addition to, or in lieu of, its apparent meaning...
sense of lyrical integrity heavily influenced E&A's distinctive musical output and largely defined the group as a unique and stylistically independent presence within alternative hip hop
Alternative hip hop
Alternative hip hop is a sub-genre of hip hop music. Allmusic defines it as follows: -Origin:...
.
History
EyedeaEyedea
Micheal Larsen , known by his stage name Eyedea, was a well-known freestyle battle champion and underground rapper. His notable wins included the televised Blaze Battle sponsored by HBO and a victory at Scribble Jam...
(who also performed under the name Oliver Hart and with freestyle group Face Candy), became widely known because of his battle
Battle Rap
Battle rap is a type of rapping that includes a lot of braggadocio content "combined with put-downs, insults, and disses against real or imaginary opponents"...
and freestyle
Freestyle rap
Freestyle rap commonly refers to rap lyrics which are improvised through a acapella or with instrumental beats, i.e. performed with no previously composed lyrics, or "off the top of the head"...
skills. Eyedea was best known for his victory at the Blaze Battle, which was aired on HBO
Home Box Office
HBO, short for Home Box Office, is an American premium cable television network, owned by Time Warner. , HBO's programming reaches 28.2 million subscribers in the United States, making it the second largest premium network in America . In addition to its U.S...
, showing some of the best underground battlers in action. Eyedea originally toured with Slug
Slug (rapper)
Sean Michael Daley, better known by his stage name Slug or "'Sep Seven'", is an American rapper. He is from Minneapolis, Minnesota. Slug is best known as one fourth of the hip hop group Atmosphere, which he founded with Derek Turner...
and other Rhymesayers
Rhymesayers Entertainment
Rhymesayers Entertainment is an independent hip hop record label based in Minneapolis, Minnesota, co-founded in 1995 by Sean Daley, Anthony Davis, Brent Sayers and Musab Saad....
crew. He made the jump from a battle emcee with the release of his first album First Born by joining forces with DJ Abilities
DJ Abilities
DJ Abilities is a Minnesota-based hip-hop DJ affiliated with Rhymesayers Entertainment. With his emcee partner, the late Eyedea, he formed the group known as Eyedea & Abilities, also known as E&A...
. DJ Abilities was known for winning three DMC
Disco Mix Club
Disco Mix Club is a DJ remix service founded by Tony Prince which began as a radio show in 1981 on Radio Luxembourg in the UK. Prince helped popularise a new style of DJ mixes using the turntable as an instrument. DMC started operating as a remix service in 1983. They started producing remix...
awards and for his work on his mixtape
Mixtape
A Mix Tape or Mixed Tape is a compilation of songs recorded in a specific order, traditionally onto an audio Compact Cassette.A Mix Tape, which usually reflects the musical tastes of its compiler, can range from a casually selected list of favorite songs, to a conceptual mix of songs linked by a...
s and 1200 Hobos. Following a solo effort by Eyedea in 2002 under the name Oliver Hart, Eyedea and Abilities released E&A in 2004, which returned Eyedea back to his battle rapper roots.
After the success of the 'E&A' album, Eyedea released "This Is Where We Were" in 2006 with his live freestyle/jazz group Face Candy. Around the same time, he went on to form Carbon Carousel, an alternative rock band made up of other Twin Cities musicians. They have released one EP titled "The Some of All Things or: The Healing Power of Scab Picking", in addition to two singles, both containing three songs. This brought on speculation that Eyedea & Abilities were no longer together. However, in August 2007, the duo announced on their Myspace that they would be at the Twin Cities Celebration of Hip Hop performing old songs, as well as new material.
Eyedea & Abilities returned to the road in the Winter of 2007 with their 'Appetite For Distraction Tour'. Accompanied by fellow Minnesota artists Kristoff Krane
Kristoff Krane
Kristoff Krane is a multi-genre recording artist, author, and teacher from the Twin Cities area of Minneapolis, MN. In addition to releasing a number of his own works, he has served as an emcee/vocalist for Abzorbr, Face Candy, Saturday Morning Soundtrack, and Puppy Dogs and Ice Cream...
and Sector7G, the tour was mainly on the west coast until the Spring of 2008 when the duo brought the 'Appetite For Distraction Tour' to listeners in east coast cities. The tour has garnered excitement from fans, as E&A had taken a four year hiatus, and the duo's next album was one of the most anticipated among the independent hip hop scene. The album "By the Throat" was released through Rhymesayers Entertainment
Rhymesayers Entertainment
Rhymesayers Entertainment is an independent hip hop record label based in Minneapolis, Minnesota, co-founded in 1995 by Sean Daley, Anthony Davis, Brent Sayers and Musab Saad....
on July 21, 2009.
In 2007, Eyedea created a book of poetry and art with painter Louis N. LaPierre, who is also responsible for Face Candy's 'This Is Where We Were' album art. The book was titled 'Once A Queen... Always A Creep'. Only 60 copies were made. It was on sale during Eyedea & Abilities 'Appetite For Distraction' Tour.
Eyedea, or Micheal Larsen, was also the founder of Minnesota-based independent record label Crushkill Recordings. The label is host to experimental hip hop band Abzorbr, as well as the rock band Carbon Carousel.
On October 16, 2010, Micheal Larsen's mother found him dead in his home as a result of an opiate toxicity. Ramsey County
Ramsey County
There are two places in the United States named Ramsey County:*Ramsey County, Minnesota, the seat of the state capital, Saint Paul*Ramsey County, North Dakota...
officials ruled the overdose accidental and have not yet released the drugs involved.
Discography
- First BornFirst Born (album)First Born is the debut album by Minnesota hip hop group Eyedea & Abilities. The album is largely abstract hip hop, with the lyrical content ranging from Platonian philosophy to traditional emceeing. DJ Abilities production on this album is much simpler than on the E&A album.-Track listing:The...
- 2001, Rhymesayers EntertainmentRhymesayers EntertainmentRhymesayers Entertainment is an independent hip hop record label based in Minneapolis, Minnesota, co-founded in 1995 by Sean Daley, Anthony Davis, Brent Sayers and Musab Saad.... - E&A - 2004, Epitaph RecordsEpitaph RecordsEpitaph Records is a Hollywood, California based independent record label owned by Bad Religion guitarist Brett Gurewitz. The label was originally "just a logo and a P.O. box" created in the 1980s for the purpose of selling Bad Religion records, but has evolved into a large independent record...
, Rhymesayers EntertainmentRhymesayers EntertainmentRhymesayers Entertainment is an independent hip hop record label based in Minneapolis, Minnesota, co-founded in 1995 by Sean Daley, Anthony Davis, Brent Sayers and Musab Saad.... - By the Throat - 2009, Rhymesayers EntertainmentRhymesayers EntertainmentRhymesayers Entertainment is an independent hip hop record label based in Minneapolis, Minnesota, co-founded in 1995 by Sean Daley, Anthony Davis, Brent Sayers and Musab Saad....
Singles
- Pushing Buttons 12' (2000)
- Blindly Firing 12' (2001)
- Now 12' (2003)
Other
- E&A Road Mix (2003)
- E&A Instrumentals (2003)
- When in Rome, Kill the King (2010)
- Eyedea: Freestyles (2010)
External links
- Michael Larsen Official Website
- Eyedea & Abilities at DiscogsDiscogsDiscogs, short for discographies, is a website and database of information about audio recordings, including commercial releases, promotional releases, and bootleg or off-label releases. The Discogs servers, currently hosted under the domain name discogs.com, are owned by Zink Media, Inc., and are...
- Eyedea & Abilities Official Myspace Page
- Oliver Hart Oliver Hart/Eyedea Fan Page