Twin Cities hip hop
Encyclopedia
Twin Cities hip hop is hip-hop or rap music that originates from the Twin Cities metropolitan area in the U.S. state
of Minnesota
.
of the Twin Cities area.
Freddy Fresh
used to mix on Travitron's Hip Hop Shop 89.9FM KMOJ. Street DJs included Bill Blass from AVLN, Cuttin Cal from IRM. Shows took place at house parties on the North Side of Minneapolis, and Club Hip Hop on Selby Avenue in Saint Paul
. Other artists and DJs include Disco T, Verb X, Brother Jules, Derrick Delite Stevens aka Skat Kat, Madskills aka DJ Cyrus, and Truth Maze.
The first real album to come out of the Twin Cities was called The I.R.M. Crew, released in 1985. Graffiti
and b-boy crews existed in the city. However the first verifiable rap record to be released in Minnesota was Twin City Rapp, a 12" on Twin Town Records. This record was produced by David "TC" Ellis, who is also the founder and Executive Director of STUDIO 4/HSRA High School For Recording Arts, also known as Hip Hop High.
The Jukebox and Sugarfree team made notable contributions. Having grown up in North Minneapolis, they began participating in talent shows and freestyle battles in 1983. Sugarfree is featured on Sue Anne's "Rock Steady" Blue Velvet Album (Blue Velvet, Rock Steady, Sue Anne (1986)).
During this same period, an artist who would eventually become known as Brother Ali, was being schooled on politics by DJ Madskills. This influence later became evident in Brother Ali's lyrics. Prior to the awareness raised by DJ Madskills, Brother Ali had all but given up on Hip Hop.
During the mixshow, a segment called 'Blackwatch' raised the political awareness of KMOJ's Hip Hop audience. DJ Madskills mix shows saw some of the highest ratings in the history of KMOJ, but the show was forced off the air. Madskills moved back to NYC in 1997, and continues in mixology under the name of DJ Cyrus. Some of DJ Cyrus's (Madskills) podcasts can be downloaded at undergroundhiphop.com under the title of B-Boy Classics & Battle Mixes.
As for rap music, the main movers of Twin Cities hip hop came together to form the group Headshots, a precursor to the Rhymesayers Entertainment
label. Members of this group included Slug
, I Self Devine, Micranots, Musab, Siddiq, and Ant
.
, heavily influenced by the Chicago mainstream and underground. The content of music speaks about, political, economic, and social issues. The beats use influences from jazz
, soul
and classic rock
. Many rap songs from the Twin Cities speak on social and political issues, and also involve personal stories. More recently, in the post-2000 years, the Midwest universal sound, including heavy Chicago underground and mainstream influences have arisen in the young hip hop movement in the Twin Cities, embracing the sounds of soul sampling and epic drum kits, as made by popular by producers such as Kanye West, No I.D and the Heatmakerz.
In the first five years alone, nearly 20,000 people from around the world had taken part in the festival and conference. Past participants include Slick Rick
, MC Lyte
, Cee-Lo
of Gnarls Barkley
, Clipse
, Camp Lo
, Crazy Legs
, Slug
of Atmosphere
, Studio The Kid, Jean Grae
, Asia-One, EWOK (HM Crew), Brother Ali
, and many others.
Headline performers:
artists and their accomplishments the previous year. It was originated by local St. Paul Native David Powell in 2006 and has continued.
, Fifth Element, the store owned and operated by the label.
The well known Minneapolis venue First Avenue has been a typical location for major performances of Twin Cities hip hop, including the annual Twin Cities Hip Hop Festival. Other common places for shows around the cities include Dinkytown (in venues such as the Varsity Theater and the Dinkytowner), The Red Sea and the Cedar/Riverside area, and downtown Saint Paul
.
Other Locations include
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
of 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...
.
Pre-1996
A strictly subterranean hip hop culture in the Twin Cities existed as early as 1981. Similar to the development of hip hop in the South Bronx, Twin Cities rap started as humble parties with a DJ and an emcee.http://citypages.com/databank/25/1237/article12383.asp. A DJ named Travitron was comparable to the DJ Kool HercDJ Kool Herc
Clive Campbell , also known as Kool Herc, DJ Kool Herc and Kool DJ Herc, is a Jamaican-born DJ who is credited with originating hip hop music, in The Bronx, New York City...
of the Twin Cities area.
Freddy Fresh
Freddy Fresh
Freddy Fresh is among the most active and prolific American underground dance music musicians, having released more than a hundred records on many record labels...
used to mix on Travitron's Hip Hop Shop 89.9FM KMOJ. Street DJs included Bill Blass from AVLN, Cuttin Cal from IRM. Shows took place at house parties on the North Side of Minneapolis, and Club Hip Hop on Selby Avenue in Saint Paul
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...
. Other artists and DJs include Disco T, Verb X, Brother Jules, Derrick Delite Stevens aka Skat Kat, Madskills aka DJ Cyrus, and Truth Maze.
The first real album to come out of the Twin Cities was called The I.R.M. Crew, released in 1985. Graffiti
Graffiti
Graffiti is the name for images or lettering scratched, scrawled, painted or marked in any manner on property....
and b-boy crews existed in the city. However the first verifiable rap record to be released in Minnesota was Twin City Rapp, a 12" on Twin Town Records. This record was produced by David "TC" Ellis, who is also the founder and Executive Director of STUDIO 4/HSRA High School For Recording Arts, also known as Hip Hop High.
The Jukebox and Sugarfree team made notable contributions. Having grown up in North Minneapolis, they began participating in talent shows and freestyle battles in 1983. Sugarfree is featured on Sue Anne's "Rock Steady" Blue Velvet Album (Blue Velvet, Rock Steady, Sue Anne (1986)).
1996-present
In 1996, DJ Madskills revived real Hip Hop in Minneapolis, MN. After spending time in NYC in 1995, Madskills returned to the Twin Cities with an abundance of underground Hip Hop that received almost no attention outside of New York. A talented mixologist, DJ Madskills show on 89.9FM KMOJ was popular. It was the only time since Travitron's Hip Hop Shop that live mixes and freestyles combined to create on air Hip Hop in the Twin Cities.During this same period, an artist who would eventually become known as Brother Ali, was being schooled on politics by DJ Madskills. This influence later became evident in Brother Ali's lyrics. Prior to the awareness raised by DJ Madskills, Brother Ali had all but given up on Hip Hop.
During the mixshow, a segment called 'Blackwatch' raised the political awareness of KMOJ's Hip Hop audience. DJ Madskills mix shows saw some of the highest ratings in the history of KMOJ, but the show was forced off the air. Madskills moved back to NYC in 1997, and continues in mixology under the name of DJ Cyrus. Some of DJ Cyrus's (Madskills) podcasts can be downloaded at undergroundhiphop.com under the title of B-Boy Classics & Battle Mixes.
As for rap music, the main movers of Twin Cities hip hop came together to form the group Headshots, a precursor to the 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....
label. Members of this group included 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...
, I Self Devine, Micranots, Musab, Siddiq, and Ant
Ant (producer)
Ant is a hip hop producer whose full name is Anthony Davis.He is best known as being one half of the hip hop group Atmosphere, but has worked with many other artists and projects, mostly with Rhymesayers Entertainment, such as Brother Ali, I Self Devine, Felt and The Dynospectrum...
.
Style
Twin Cities hip hop is characterized best by the alternative rap, underground rap, conscious hip hop, popularized by Atmosphere. Another style category includes Midwest hip hopMidwest hip hop
Midwest hip hop is hip hop music performed by artists from the Midwestern United States. In contrast with its East Coast, West Coast and Southern counterparts, Midwest hip hop has very few constants...
, heavily influenced by the Chicago mainstream and underground. The content of music speaks about, political, economic, and social issues. The beats use influences from jazz
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
, soul
Soul music
Soul music is a music genre originating in the United States combining elements of gospel music and rhythm and blues. According to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, soul is "music that arose out of the black experience in America through the transmutation of gospel and rhythm & blues into a form of...
and classic rock
Classic rock
Classic rock is a radio format which developed from the album-oriented rock format in the early 1980s. In the United States, the classic rock format features music ranging generally from the late 1960s to the late 1980s, primarily focusing on the hard rock genre that peaked in popularity in the...
. Many rap songs from the Twin Cities speak on social and political issues, and also involve personal stories. More recently, in the post-2000 years, the Midwest universal sound, including heavy Chicago underground and mainstream influences have arisen in the young hip hop movement in the Twin Cities, embracing the sounds of soul sampling and epic drum kits, as made by popular by producers such as Kanye West, No I.D and the Heatmakerz.
Twin Cities Celebration of Hip Hop Festival
The annual Twin Cities Celebration of Hip-Hop, also known as The Hip Hop Fest, was cofounded by Larry Lucio, Jr. and Toki Wright of Amplified Life in 2002. It is hosted by YO! The Movement and brings together people from all walks of life to celebrate the power of community through hip-hop culture. In addition to featured performances from National Headlining artists and local acts, The Hip Hop Fest includes Battles in the following Categories: MC Battle, DJ Battle, B-Boy/B-Girl Battle, Beatbox Battle, and Production Battle.In the first five years alone, nearly 20,000 people from around the world had taken part in the festival and conference. Past participants include Slick Rick
Slick Rick
Richard Walters , better known by his stage name Slick Rick is a Grammy-nominated English-American rapper...
, MC Lyte
MC Lyte
MC Lyte is an American rapper who first gained fame in the late-1980s becoming the first solo female rapper to release a full album with 1988's critically acclaimed Lyte as a Rock.-Early life:...
, Cee-Lo
Cee-Lo
Thomas DeCarlo Callaway , better known by his stage name Cee Lo Green, is an American singer-songwriter, rapper, record producer and actor...
of Gnarls Barkley
Gnarls Barkley
Gnarls Barkley is an American soul duo comprising Danger Mouse and Cee Lo Green. Their first studio album St. Elsewhere was released in 2006; along with its first single "Crazy". Both single and album were a major commercial success and have been noted for their large sales by download...
, Clipse
Clipse
Clipse is a Virginia Beach, Virginia-based hip hop duo. Formed in 1992 by brothers Malice and Pusha T , the group is heavily affiliated with production team The Neptunes and signed to Star Trak Entertainment.- Exclusive Audio Footage :The Thornton brothers were born in The Bronx, New...
, Camp Lo
Camp Lo
Camp Lo is an American hip hop duo, formed in 1995, which hails from The Bronx, New York. The duo consists of rappers Sonny Cheeba and Geechi Suede , both of Muslim upbringing.-Career:...
, Crazy Legs
Crazy Legs
Richard Colón better known by his stage name Crazy Legs is a b-boy from the Bronx, New York City, USA. He featured in the earliest stories on hip hop dancing to appear in mainstream press, and as president of the Rock Steady Crew brought the form to London and Paris in 1983...
, 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...
of Atmosphere
Atmosphere (music group)
Atmosphere is an American hip hop group from Minneapolis, Minnesota. The group is composed of rapper Slug and DJ/Producer Ant...
, Studio The Kid, Jean Grae
Jean Grae
Jean Grae , born November 26, 1976 is an American hip hop artist who hails from South Africa. She rose to prominence in the underground hip-hop scene in New York City, and has since built an international fanbase.- Early life :...
, Asia-One, EWOK (HM Crew), Brother Ali
Brother Ali
Ali Newman , better known by the stage name Brother Ali, is an American hip hop artist signed to Rhymesayers Entertainment.-Personal life:...
, and many others.
Headline performers:
- 2007 (6th): Naughty By NatureNaughty by NatureNaughty by Nature are a Grammy Award-winning American hip hop trio from East Orange, New Jersey that at the time of its formation in 1989 consisted of Treach, Vin Rock, and the DJ Kay Gee...
and Eyedea & AbilitiesEyedea & AbilitiesEyedea & Abilities was an influential American indie rap duo from Saint Paul, Minnesota, consisting of DJ Abilities and the rapper Eyedea... - 2006 (5th): MC LyteMC LyteMC Lyte is an American rapper who first gained fame in the late-1980s becoming the first solo female rapper to release a full album with 1988's critically acclaimed Lyte as a Rock.-Early life:...
, Brother AliBrother AliAli Newman , better known by the stage name Brother Ali, is an American hip hop artist signed to Rhymesayers Entertainment.-Personal life:...
& The Chosen Few - 2005 (4th): Slick RickSlick RickRichard Walters , better known by his stage name Slick Rick is a Grammy-nominated English-American rapper...
, Slum VillageSlum VillageSlum Village was a hip hop group from Conant Gardens, Detroit, Michigan.The group was formed by three members: rappers Baatin and T3, plus rapper and producer J Dilla . J Dilla left in 2002 to pursue a solo career with MCA Records...
& I Self Devine - 2004 (3rd): Cee-LoCee-LoThomas DeCarlo Callaway , better known by his stage name Cee Lo Green, is an American singer-songwriter, rapper, record producer and actor...
of Gnarls Barkley & Goodie Mob, ClipseClipseClipse is a Virginia Beach, Virginia-based hip hop duo. Formed in 1992 by brothers Malice and Pusha T , the group is heavily affiliated with production team The Neptunes and signed to Star Trak Entertainment.- Exclusive Audio Footage :The Thornton brothers were born in The Bronx, New...
, & Jean GraeJean GraeJean Grae , born November 26, 1976 is an American hip hop artist who hails from South Africa. She rose to prominence in the underground hip-hop scene in New York City, and has since built an international fanbase.- Early life :... - 2003 (2nd): Camp LoCamp LoCamp Lo is an American hip hop duo, formed in 1995, which hails from The Bronx, New York. The duo consists of rappers Sonny Cheeba and Geechi Suede , both of Muslim upbringing.-Career:...
- 2002 (1st): The C.O.R.E
Twin Cities Hip Hop Awards
The Annual Twin Cities Hip Hop Awards is an urban music awards ceremony honoring Minnesota's notable Twin Cities Hip HopTwin Cities hip hop
Twin Cities hip hop is hip-hop or rap music that originates from the Twin Cities metropolitan area in the U.S. state of Minnesota.-Pre-1996:A strictly subterranean hip hop culture in the Twin Cities existed as early as 1981. Similar to the development of hip hop in the South Bronx, Twin Cities rap...
artists and their accomplishments the previous year. It was originated by local St. Paul Native David Powell in 2006 and has continued.
Notable artists
- AtmosphereAtmosphere (music group)Atmosphere is an American hip hop group from Minneapolis, Minnesota. The group is composed of rapper Slug and DJ/Producer Ant...
- Auburn
- SlugSlug (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...
- Brother AliBrother AliAli Newman , better known by the stage name Brother Ali, is an American hip hop artist signed to Rhymesayers Entertainment.-Personal life:...
- Carnage the Executioner
- Crime Dogg
- DessaDessaDessa is a spoken word artist, author, and MC from Minneapolis, MN. She is best known as a member of the Doomtree Hip-Hop Collective.-Education:...
- DoomtreeDoomtreeDoomtree is a hip hop collective based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Members of Doomtree bring various bases of knowledge and musical backgrounds together to create alternative-influenced rap and hip-hop music. Nearly as prominent as the influence of hip-hop in their music is that of punk, and their...
- Unknown ProphetsUnknown ProphetsThe Unknown Prophets, are an American Hip hop group from Minneapolis, Minnesota.-History:Big Jess and MaD SoN are both graduates of Edison High School in Northeast, Minneapolis, where they met and began playing music together. After high school, the duo played at the Bon Appetit in Dinkytown in...
- Eyedea & AbilitiesEyedea & AbilitiesEyedea & Abilities was an influential American indie rap duo from Saint Paul, Minnesota, consisting of DJ Abilities and the rapper Eyedea...
- Felt (hip hop)
- HeiruspecsHeiruspecsHeiruspecs is a live rap/hip hop band based in Saint Paul, Minnesota, specifically the Midway neighborhood. The band's name is based on a deliberate misspelling of haruspex.Their album, 10 Years Strong, was released in December of 2007...
- Grave PlottGrave PlottGrave Plott is a hardcore/horrorcore rap group consisting of Killa C and Liquid Assassin . Their first full length album, The Plott Thickens, was released on May 20, 2008, through a Distribution deal with Strange Music and Dirty Thug Records...
- I Self Devine
- Mr. Tankdog
- P.O.S
- DessaDessaDessa is a spoken word artist, author, and MC from Minneapolis, MN. She is best known as a member of the Doomtree Hip-Hop Collective.-Education:...
- OddjobsOddjobsOddjobs were a Minnesotan hip hop group formed around 1998 by Minneapolis MCs Advizer and Crescent Moon , and St. Paul producers/DJs Anatomy and Deetalx . Another MC, Nomi , joined in 2001...
- T-Block
Raps about Minneapolis and/or St. Paul
- Lets Go Twin Cities by Mister Tankdog
- We Up North by Crime Dogg
Locations
The headquarters for Rhymesayers Entertainment is located in Uptown, MinneapolisUptown, Minneapolis
Uptown is a popular commercial district in southwestern Minneapolis, Minnesota, centered at the Uptown Theater at the intersection of Hennepin Avenue and Lagoon Avenue. It has traditionally spanned the corners of four neighborhoods, Lowry Hill East, ECCO, CARAG and East Isles neighborhoods, within...
, Fifth Element, the store owned and operated by the label.
The well known Minneapolis venue First Avenue has been a typical location for major performances of Twin Cities hip hop, including the annual Twin Cities Hip Hop Festival. Other common places for shows around the cities include Dinkytown (in venues such as the Varsity Theater and the Dinkytowner), The Red Sea and the Cedar/Riverside area, and downtown Saint Paul
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...
.
Other Locations include
- Duke's Lounge
- Trocaderos
- Fine Line Cafe
- Fifth Element
- Epic Nightclub
- Red Sea
Radio
- KCMPKCMP-WCAL:The station began with physics experiments in 1918 when five students and a professor built a small radio transmitter at St. Olaf College. Using a wire antenna strung between the campus chapel and the college's "Old Main" , signals from these experiments were picked up as far away as New...
89.3 (The Current) - Plays Twin Cities hip hop in regular rotation, as well as the weekly show Redefinition Radio - KFAIKFAIKFAI is a community radio station in Minnesota. The station broadcasts a wide variety of music, and also airs programming catering to many of the diverse ethnic groups of the region...
90.3/106.7 FM - Produces the weekly show RSE Radio, short for Rhymesayers Entertainment Radio. - KMOJKMOJKMOJ, 89.9 FM, is a community-oriented station located in Minneapolis, Minnesota airing a predominantly Urban AC format. It began in 1976 as WMOJ, a very low-power AM station at 1200 kHz that reached only a few blocks from its studios and transmitter in the Sumner-Olson and Glenwood-Lyndale...
89.9 FM - KUOMKUOMKUOM, known as "770 Radio K", "Real College Radio" is a college radio station operated by the University of Minnesota Twin Cities. Likely the oldest station in the state, Radio K broadcasts an eclectic mix of music from its transmitters—a variety that has been praised by radio critics...
770 AM (Radio K) - University of Minnesota College Radio. Home of the Beatbox show. - WMCNWMCN (FM)WMCN is a radio station broadcasting a variety format. Licensed to St. Paul, Minnesota, USA, the station serves the greater St. Paul area. The station is currently owned by Macalester College and run by students...
91.7 FM - Macalester College Radio - weekly hip hop radio shows featuring live performances and interviews with many local artists. Past guests include: Sims (Doomtree), St Paul Slim, Big Quarters, Prof & Rahzwell, M.anifest, Carnage & Desdamona, Background Noise Crew, The Usual Suspects, Kritical Kontact, The Watchmen, Kristoff KraneKristoff KraneKristoff 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...
, Analyrical, Orikal, Green Sketch, JSL (301Studios301Studios301Studios is an American independent electronica and hip-hop record label based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. It was founded by electronica/hip-hop artist/producer JSL and is operated by both Joshua and a small staff...
) - Antifreeze Radio - as hosted/DJ'd by JSL (301Studios301Studios301Studios is an American independent electronica and hip-hop record label based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. It was founded by electronica/hip-hop artist/producer JSL and is operated by both Joshua and a small staff...
). Broadcasting weekly from Minneapolis via Discotheque Radio, Antifreeze showcases new and independent electronica and hip-hop with an emphasis on Twin Cities artists. - Boombox Radio - Click here:http://www.huradio.tumblr.com - Live online stream of Hip Hop every Tue. and Thur. night from 9-10 PM featuring various local artist's performances and interviews. Past guests have included: Kristoff KraneKristoff KraneKristoff 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...
, Micheal Larsen (Eyedea)EyedeaMicheal 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...
, Carnage the Executioner, Desdamona, New MC & DJ Gabe from Kanser, St. Paul Slim and more...
See also
- DoomtreeDoomtreeDoomtree is a hip hop collective based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Members of Doomtree bring various bases of knowledge and musical backgrounds together to create alternative-influenced rap and hip-hop music. Nearly as prominent as the influence of hip-hop in their music is that of punk, and their...
- 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....
- 301Studios301Studios301Studios is an American independent electronica and hip-hop record label based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. It was founded by electronica/hip-hop artist/producer JSL and is operated by both Joshua and a small staff...
- Twin Cities Hip Hop