Soundset 2009 Recap (Video)

Rhymesayers put this one together.

Atmosphere: Interview with Peter Parker at Soundset 2009 (Video)

Peter Parker interviewed (if you want to call this an interview) Slug and Ant separately during Soundset 2009. Don't get to see Ant doing the talking often. He was a little preoccupied with his cigarette and corndogs though.

Illogic: "1000 Whispers" + "Crash ft. Ill Poetic"

Ill Poetic just emailed me a heads up on these videos. They were shot during Illogic's Diabolical Fun release party. He also had some good news to share: "New Greenhouse Effect (illogic & blueprint) on Weightless this Summer: Print and Ill will be out on the road in support of it this summer as well, as will I."

Maria Isa: "Passion Fantasy" (Live on The Local Show)

Maria Isa performs "Passion Fantasy " live on The Local Show from 89.3 The Current. Her album, Street Politics, comes out on June 6, and the album's release party will be at First Ave on June 5, with special guests Muja Messiah (who makes a cameo appearance on the album), Kill The Vultures, St. Paul Slim, and I Self Devine.

Brother Ali: MC For The People (Hip-Hop Official Video)

A hoarse Brother Ali speaks with Hip-Hop Official about coming up as youngster MC, and how his next album with reflect the people's struggle.

If you didn't catch my video footage of Brother Ali performing two unreleased songs from Street Preacher at Soundset 2009, check that out now.

Guante and Big Cats!: "1 10 20 200" + "One Of These Mornings (Remix)" + "Old English Letters" (Live)

For the last time (for now), these are from Justin at 612 to 651. These videos are more recent: from the Guante and Big Cats! Start A Fire EP release party a couple weeks ago. They performed three songs from their excellent collaborative EP, which I would encourage you to pick up ASAP.

M.anifest: "Where I'm From" (Live)

Once again, from Justin at 612 to 651. M.anifest performed his song "Where I'm From" with Muja messiah backing him up at the Artist Meets Artist show a while back. Justin has also got great footage of M.anifest performing "Gentleman" and "Spell Check" from a while back.

Illuminous 3: "Average Day" + "94" (Videos)

Illuminous 3 recently performed at the Turf Club, and Justin of 612 to 651 was able to get some footage of two of their songs, "Average Day," and the Minneap to St. Paul and beyond anthem, "94." Make sure to check out the group's debut album, Room, and stay on the lookout for all of the members' solo projects.

While I'm at it, Justin has tons more great videos, so although I'm late in finding them, I'm going to post some of my favorites anyway in the next couple of posts.

The Dream: "Walking On The Moon ft. Kanye West" (Video)

Thanks to OnSmash for the upload.

Just.Live: "I'm Phresh"

Via Culture Bully:

Fresh off sets at this year’s Soundset both Kristoff Krane and Just.Live will be performing at the B.U.M. Radio showcase on June 1 at Father Hennepin Bluffs Park in Minneapolis. The free showcase is being coordinated by a team of local students who are creating a new (streaming) radio station in the Twin Cities which will focus solely on local independent music.

Mic Terror: "Best To Ever Rap"

Understatement of the year? No shots! Props to Andrew (who supplied the download link as well).

Mic Terror: "Best To Ever Rap"

Kanye West: "Paranoid ft. Mr. Hudson" (Video)

Off 808s and Heartbreak (Review), but you already knew that.

Jake One: "Home ft. Vitamin D, C Note, Maneak B, & Ish"

Jake One drops the second video off of his superb album, White Van Music, released via Rhymesayers back in 2008. Below the video is some behind the scenes footage from the video shoot. This video holds it down for Seattle big time: Zia Mohajerjasbi, who has done videos for Common Market and Blue Scholars, was the director, Sir Mix-A-Lot brought out his orange Lambo, and (former Minnesota Viking) Nate Burleson represented for the Seattle Seahawks as well.

Brother Ali: Karmaloop TV Feature, Pt. 2 (Video)

More from the big bad Brother! Always a good thing. Yesterday I posted Part 1 of his interview with Karmaloop TV, and now here is part 2.

Brother Ali: Two Unreleased Songs from 'Street Preacher' LP (Live at Soundset 2009)

I always have mixed feelings about recording video at concerts. Sometimes I go to shows and really document the hell out of it; but I always end up feeling a little guilty afterward. It's a tough call to make between the honest notion that only paying ticket holders should be allowed to experience a concert, and the demand for nonstop media in today's YouTube age. This year at Soundset I busted out my camera only to take photos, except for two occasions. Brother Ali performed two unreleased songs from his upcoming full-length LP, Street Preacher, which is slated for a fall release date. I decided to record some video of both of these songs. Shouts to my man Brok for the camera work — he had better position in the crowd than I did.

Unfortunately, I don't have names for either of the tracks yet. The first song features a very bouncy, horn-dominated beat, and Ali spitting an uptempo flow pretty much nonstop for 3 minutes. The second song was a very fun live track. It's another thumping, soul-sampling song featuring a self-affirming, joyful Ali rapping and singing about his ever-increasing satisfaction with his life. It looks like Ali may have even been rapping at my camera during that song, but there's no telling. Overall, it looks like, unsurprisingly, Ali is busy cooking up some incredible material for Street Preacher. You can stay updated with all his progressions on the album by following his Twitter.

Soundset 2009 Recap (Photos)

You already know just about everything I'm about to say. Soundset 2009 was incredible. Great performances from (most of) the artists. Got quite sunburned. Legs felt like cooked spaghetti by the end of the day. And so on.

I opted not to get a press pass, and spent the entire day in the thick of the crowd watching the shows on the main stage. My biggest regret is not seeing a couple of sets on the Fifth Element side stage – mainly One Be Lo, Unknown Prohpets and Cunninlynguists, as those are the main acts I had never seen before. However I also regret not catching Sims, Blue Scholars and Heiruspecs, who are all great live. The reason for me not catching those shows is that during P.O.S.'s lively set, in a moment of pure serendipity, my friends and I ended up getting pushed to literally the front row. Although in retrospect, Sage Francis, El-P, and much to my dismay, DOOM, were all arguably "skippable" performances, we decided it was in our best interests to not sacrifice our great crowd position to see the shows on the side stage. While, I was up there, I tried snapping a few "point and shoot" photos with my low budget camera. I'm no professional, but they ended up half decent. If you want to see some great photo coverage of the day, though, go to Jules Ammel Visuals or the Rhymesayers Flickr. I'll leave you with a few thoughts I had about Soundset 2009, as well as my photos.

• Toki Wright was one of the better pure performers of the day. He reallys pours his heart out in his shows: jumping and dancing around, using the entire stage, working the crowd, etc. Great stuff. If only the fans were more familiar with his songs.
• As per usual, DJ Abilities was the true star during E&A's set. While Eyedea gets a little quirky during live shows, Abilities spent a solid five minutes amazing everyone with his technical prowess on the wheels of steel. The guy nevers slips up.
• Speaking of never slipping up, Mr. Dibbs absolutely put it the fuck down during his turntable sting during El-P's set.
  
• P.O.S. may be on the verge of breaking through the Rhymesayers ranks, approaching Slug and Brother Ali's levels of stardom. Maybe.
• Sage Francis seemed to be legitimately enjoying himself up there.
• In the biggest disappointment of the day, DOOM's set was pretty terrible. First off, 75% of the crowd didn't seem familiair with DOOM's Rock The Bells scandal last summer, and thus didn't understand his whole imposter joke. DOOM's hype man was overbearing and annoying. The sound was all distorted, and the bass was overbearing, making it impossible to decipher his lyrics unless you truly knew them word-for-word. He seemed unconcerned with hammering home a truly special performance, and more worried about getting his set over with and getting back in his SUV. Because his set was one of my top three most anticipated of the day, I couldn't have been more let down.
• Why the fuck did Freeway and Jake One not play a one of their songs from White Van Music. It was the perfect opportunity to bring out Brother Ali for "The Truth," and he didn't even do "How We Ride!" Although I still loved Freeway's set, that was discouraging.
• I loved Brother Ali's quote: "Jay-Z put of Freeway's first album, 50 Cent put out his second album, and Rhymesayers is putting out his third album." Although it's technically going to be his fourth, Rhymesayers have established themselves as indie heavyweights in this rap game.
• One of my top three songs of the day happened when Slug came out during Ali's set and they did "The Believer."
  
• The Pharcyde were the opposite of DOOM, and were one of the biggest highlights of the day. Great show. Great.
• I've seen Atmosphere perform about six or seven times, on multiple continents, and I can now say this confidently: No one, with the exception of Jay-Z, can control a crowd better than Slug. It may be because Atmosphere's audience is incredibly loyal, and it may seem like that because I was watching an Atmosphere concert in Minnesota, of all places. But, Slug had 15,000 hands in the air waving side to side, and probably every other person in the crowd knew at least some of the lyrics, if not most. And I saw him do the exact same thing in London. Slug can officially rock a show with the best of them.
  

Kristoff Krane: "Easy Way Out" (Live at Soundset 2009)

It's here's another one! Local artist Kristoff Krane performed his single "Easy Way Out" at the Fifth Element Stage during Soundset 2009. It was also nice to see him get some love on the main stage during Eyedea & Abilities' set.

Young Son: "Arrows For Eros"

Young Son continues the countdown to his upcoming LP Dreamer's Poetry with another single released in association with DJBooth.net, the mellow "Arrows for Eros."

Young Son: "Arrows For Eros"

P.O.S., Sims, & Dessa: "Low Light Low Life" (Live at Soundset 2009)

I found this while doing a little YouTube searching for Soundset 2009 footage. I'll continue to post videos when they're of relatively high quality. Feel free to forward videos on to me, too. Particularly if they're of the Fifth Element stage, which I was not able to check out.

In this video, a few members of the Doomtree collective get down to "Low Light Low Life," off P.O.S.'s Never Better. The crowd went nuts when Dessa started rapping. Got it from Mind Inversion.

Soulcrate Music: "Bruised Reflection" (Live Video)

Sioux Falls, South Dakota's Soulcrate Music performing their track "Bruised Reflection." The group was featured on Flyover Land, Vol. 1, as well, and if you don't have that yet, then I have failed.

Brother Ali: Karmaloop TV Feature (Video)

The big, bad, Brother recently sat down with Karmaloop TV, he speaks on his anthemic song "Forrest Whittaker," relating to his fans, and some of the personal trials and tribulations he has dealt with on his path to rap success.

P.O.S. and Toki Wright: Backstage Interviews at Soundset 2009 (Video)

Via the City Pages blog Gimme Noise. P.O.S. talks about Soundset, touring, and current projects, with a review of his performance by his son Jake. In the next video, Toki Wright talks about being signed to Rhymesayers and what that means for a hip-hop artist.

Brother Ali: "Good Lord" (Video)

I was hoping some music videos from Ali's The Truth Is Here EP would surface. Here we get "Good Lord," directed by Rik Cordero. Maybe now we can get "The Believer"? Ali and Slug performing that together at Soundset was possibly the best moment of the entire day. Not kidding.

Fake Shore Drive, Timbuck2, & The Cool Kids: The Fake Shore Drive Mixtape

Congrats the Andrew.

Yes, I know it's been a long time coming, and I've seemingly been talking about it forever, but today is the day that Tim and I are unleashing it to the world. Ladies and gentlemen, I bring you The Fake Shore Drive Mixtape.

Now you can finally see what actually made the final cut, and how Tim sequenced and mixed the mixtape, that blends and cuts nicely. We have new and unreleased material from Bump J, The Cool Kids, Lupe Fiasco, Mikkey Halsted, GLC, Naledge, Twista, Rhymefest, Really Doe, Sly Polaroid, Pugs Atomz, J. Ivy, Que Billah, Big Wiz, Skooda and more.

DOWNLOAD - The Fake Shore Drive Mixtape

Mikkey Halsted: "My Life" (Video)

Some visuals from my favorite joint off Mikkey Halsted's Uncrowned King mixtape.

Atmosphere: "Always Coming Back Home To You" (Live at Soundset 2009)

This literally happened less than two hours ago. It was the last song Atmosphere performed during their show-ending performance at an incredible Soundset 2009. I've got some various photos/other media to show, and I'll probably write a little show recap tomorrow. I actually spotted myself in this video, too. I was in the front row at the main stage for basically the show, but I won't bother trying to describe where to spot me.

Brother Ali: "Pedigree" (Live at Soundset 2009)

I'm posting this video last, but putting it behind the Atmosphere video to keep things in semi-chronological order, as if that's important. I can spot myself grooving and rapping along with Ali in this video, too. What a day.

P.O.S.: "Goodbye" (Live at Soundset 2009)

P.O.S.'s set was the craziest of the day. Lots of pushing around, and overall chaos. He tore it up, though. People were loving it up front by the stage, but you can't really get that effect with the big picture view in this video.

Eyedea & Abilities: "This Story" (Live at Soundset 2009)

E&A were super live today. Amazing show, and great festival from Rhymesayers.

Blueprint: "Big Girls Need Love Too" (Live at Soundset 2009)

Printmatic's set this year was waaay better than last year's performance. He killed it this time around.

Toki Wright: "State of Emergency" (Live at Soundset 2009)

Slug: B96 Interview with Mr. Peter Parker

Took a little posting hiatus to let Flyover Land, Vol. 1 sit at the top for a couple days. But I'm back, and on to bigger things, namely Soundset 2009, which I will be attending tomorrow. Slug recently did an interview on B96 to speak with Peter Parker about the festival, among other things.

Midwest Broadcast Presents Flyover Land, Vol. 1

It's been a long time coming, but Flyover Land, Vol. 1 is finally available for free download. I won't weigh this post download with excessive anecdotes or sentimental thank yous — I can save those for later. However, I will say that I think this is a legitimately outstanding project, and I'm confident that you will enjoy the music on Flyover Land, Vol. 1 as much as I do. Some of the most talented emcees and producers from the Midwest have contributed songs for this mixtape, most of which are entirely exclusive to this project and have not been heard before until today.

Furthermore, if you take any message from this release, I hope that you realize that Midwest Broadcast is for the people. Excluding the intro track, this mixtape features no shout outs for this site. I hate it as much as anyone when a mixtape's flow and rhythm is absolutely ruined by overbearing DJ drops — I did not want that for Flyover Land, Vol. 1. Just sixteen consecutive tracks of uninterrupted, high-quality hip-hop. I appreciate every reader of Midwest Broadcast, whether you check the site daily or stumble upon it irregularly. Readers visiting this site and showing love is what keeps me working on this blog, and I don't take it for granted. Thank you.

Finally, I want to close on a couple of notes. First, I want to give one huge shout out to Jonah Miller at High Top Productions. Jonah did the artwork for Flyover Land, Vol. 1 (as well as the website's banner design) and was extremely cooperative and patient with me in the creation of the album's covers. Secondly, I want to remind you that Midwest Broadcast will be coming back with Flyover Land, Vol. 2 in a matter of months. The artist feedback for this project was so great that I had to expand the series to multiple volumes. I already have several tracks collected and big plans for the next volume, and I encourage you to keep checking back at Midwest Broadcast for the next release in the Flyover Land series (as well as all other daily updates!). Without further adieu, I present to you Flyover Land, Vol. 1. Enjoy. Share it with friends. Peace!

DOWNLOAD - Midwest Broadcast Presents Flyover Land, Vol. 1

Soundset 2009: The Mixtape

I got another particular mixtape coming your way in a matter of hours....

The tracklist features nothing too exclusive, but is a good introduction if you're not familiar with all the artists on the Soundset bill. The likes of Brother Ali & Jake One, Atmosphere, P.O.S., One Be Lo, The Pharcyde, and more contribute tracks. Shouts to Jake Money, who I snatched the link from as well.

DOWNLOAD - Soundset 2009: The Mixtape

Common: Interview on Tavis Smiley (Video)

Common speaks on his role in the Terminator flick, his next album, and more. From The Amajanese Blog.

Scratch: "Ready To Go ft. Kanye West & Consequence"

Scratch's Loss 4 Wordz drops next Tuesday, May 26th.

Scratch: "Ready To Go ft. Kanye West & Consequence" (Post and link via Nah Right)

Slug: B96 Freestyle (Video)

This took place last summer. C'mon, Peter Parker, I know YouTube's video upload process isn't that slow! Slug kills it, though.

In other Slug news, City Pages (via Decider's recent interview with Slug) reported that Slug and Murs are preparing to release Felt 3. However, we don't know who produced it, and we don't know which female celebrity this edition is dedicated to. Any guesses? A special, yet-to-be-decided prize will be awarded to anyone who correctly predicts the dedication in the comments section.

Atmosphere, Brother Ali, C-Rayz Walz, & Mudkids: Freestyle Session (Video)

Atmosphere, Ali, C-Rayz Walz, and Mudkids do a little freestyle session over a slightly improvised "Smart Went Crazy" beat to close out their Indianapolis show just last night. Slug goes last, so you unfortunately don't catch his entire flow. Still, these freestyle sessions have been a great addition to Atmosphere's live shows. I remember Slug, Eyedea, and Abstract Rude all going off during a show in Madison last Halloween, it was spectacular. Spotted at RSE affiliate Jakemoney's Twitter.

Naledge: "Dark Giangreco Freestyle"

It's about time Naledge dropped another freestyle over some instrumental that I've never heard before. This time it's somebody's track called "Swag Surfin'." I'm sure Naledge kills it way harder than Young Jock Strap, or whoever is making "hot" tracks these days. All props go to Andrew for the premier, who also clarifies Naledge's new "Dark Giangreco" moniker.

Naledge: "Dark Giangreco Freestyle"

Y.P.: "I Hustle" (Video)

I posted the mp3 to the Chicago rapper's single a while back. Here's the video. This will be on his street album Classified, scheduled for release in late June/early July.

I'm going to be spending a portion of my day on a Greyhound back to Saint Paul, so pardon me for the likely lack of posts today. Soundset in 4 days!

Muja Messiah: "Yes Sir" (Prod. Che Vicious)

A couple of unexpected obstacles have gotten in the way of the imminent release of Flyover Land, Vol. 1. However, I can say that the finishing touches are being completed, practically as we speak, and the mixtape will be released on Thursday, May 21. In the meantime, though, this delay allowed me to continue promoting the project with additional leaks. Yesterday, I made a low budget slideshow promoting Flyover Land, Vol. 1, as well as world premiering part of the unreleased Heiruspecs song on the mixtape, "Same Thing."

Now, I'm sending out my last leak from the project, the previously unreleased track "Yes Sir," by Muja Messiah of Minneapolis. This Che Vicious produced track features Muja rapping uninterrupted for nearly 3 minutes — no hooks, just his characteristic street-smart lyricism, complete with drug, economics, and government-related punchlines. The download to the track is featured below, along with the official back cover and tracklisting for Flyover Land, Vol. 1. Once again, all praise on the artwork is due to my man Jonah at High Top Productions. Remeber to check back on Thursday, May 21, for the official release of Flyover Land, Vol. 1!

Muja Messiah: "Yes Sir" (Prod. Che Vicious)

Eyedea and Abilities Announce New Album, Titled 'By The Throat'

I must say I was very excited to get this email from Rhymesayers Entertainment:

A duo thoroughly steeped in hip-hop accolades, the Minnesota-based duo Eyedea and Abilities have returned with their brand new album By The Throat, out July 21st on Rhymesayers Entertainment. Their first album since the breakout 2004 release E&A, By The Throat's songs range from intensely personal topics to the more esoteric (quantum mechanics). The end result is leaps and bounds beyond what MC Eyedea is perhaps best known for, his prowess as a battle rapper (winner of HBO's Blaze Battle, Scribble Jam and several others). DJ Abilities, also a well-known battle vet and contributor to El-P's now-classic Fantastic Damage, adds heavily to the sonic soundscape of this album, which advances beyond boom-bap hip-hop into rock-fueled guitar riffs, gritty production and melodic songwriting.

Eyedea and Abilities were instrumental in the wave of independent hip-hop that includes Atmosphere, El-P, Aesop Rock, Living Legends and several other seminal acts. By The Throat is their most progressive and refined effort to date.

E & A will be performing at Rhymesayers' Soundset '09 on May 24th and will be headlining a tour in the fall of 2009. They have also been confirmed for the following Rock the Bells dates this summer.

06.27 - Chicago, IL @ First Midwest Bank Amphitheater
06.28 - Detroit, MI @ DTE Energy Music Theatre
07.05 - Toronto, ON @ Molson Amphitheater
07.12 - Washington DC @ Merriweather Post Pavilion
07.18 - Boston, MA @ Comcast Center |
07.19 - New York, NY @ Jones Beach Amphitheater
08.01 - Vancouver, BC @ Deer Lake Park
08.06 - Denver, CO @ Red Rocks Amphitheater
08.08 - Los Angeles, CA @ San Manuel Amphitheater
08.09 - San Francisco, CA @ Shoreline Amphitheater

Jet Audio: "I'll Let You Know ft. Naledge"

I saw this at a few blogs, and I'm not sure who premiered it, but I'm jacking the press release from Nah Right:

Here’s the latest and greatest from producer Jet Audio’s upcoming project, “Jet Audio’s Stand Alone Complex”, due out on June 16th. The song is entitled “I’ll Let You Know”, features Naledge (Kidz In The Hall), and production, of course, by Jet. Check out how he flipped the popular Phoenix track “If I Ever Feel Better”… Artwork by ARTEKnyc.

Jet Audio: "I'll Let You Know ft. Naledge"

Unknown Prophets: "Fresh ft. New MC"

The Unknown Prophets are one of the first groups that introduced me to the Twin Cities hip-hop scene. I remember bumping "Never ft. Slug" at my homie's house after school before I even knew who Slug was. Essentially, if you don't know who the group is, do some research.

As for this track, I saw on Big Jess' Twitter that they dropped a new song on their Myspace page. I more or less begged him for an mp3 to post on Midwest Broadcast, and he kindly obliged my request. This sanguine song, featuring New MC of Kanser, will be on their upcoming album, Le System D, which should be dropping sometime in the fall of 2009.

Unknown Prophets: "Fresh ft. New MC"

Guilty Simpson: "Stress" (Prod. J Dilla)

Guilty Simpson was working on an album with J Dilla before the legendary producer passed away. A few of the songs from that project have surfaced, while others remain "lost." One of the songs that recently found it's way to the internet is "Stressed." I spotted it via the Stones Throw twitter account via Rap Cats. Plenty other Guilty Simpson/J Dilla collaborations can be found at FatBeats.com.

Guilty Simpson: "Stress" (Prod. J Dilla)

Abzorbr: "Early Bird"

Saint Paul's experimental hip-hop band Abzorbr is releasing their third EP, conveniently titled ep3, for digital download on May 23. The group is composed of lyricist Kristoff Krane, as well as Graham and Casey O'Brien holding down the instrumentation (drums and bass) and electrionic production. You can easily discover more about the group by doing some simple Googling or checking out their label, Crushkill Recordings.

Abzorbr: "Early Bird"

Zone: "Clap ft. Illogic & Illpoetic"

Ill Poetic just hit me with this new single from Zone, of Cincinnati, that will be on his upcoming That Dude Mixtape. Ill Poetic and Illogic both have guest verses on the song, and Ill Poetic handled the production as well. The mixtape will be released as a free download in late July in anticipation of Zone's album with Mick Boogie, That Dude, which will feature guest spots from Illogic, Naledge, Tanya Morgan, Ill Poetic, and T3 of Slum Village.

Zone: "Clap ft. Illogic & Illpoetic"

Franz Diego: The Quick and Dirty Mixtape (Free Download)

Minneapolis' own Franz Diego just hit me with his second mixtape of 2009 (well, the FranzDiego.com EP was an EP)! Damn, homie! I'll let him sum it all up:

In support of the 2nd season of the Minneapolis based, hip hop influenced weekly podcast-ListenToMPLS.com is releasing a free mixtape entitled "The Quick & Dirty Mixtape" which technically is a FranzDiego.com release but also features the talents of his co-hosts' and creators' of the show DJ Noam The Drummer and Alicia Steele. The mixtape functions as both promotion for the podcast and promotion for FranzDiego.com's album release this summer. Also featured on the tape is production by PC of Creative Sorts Collective, Mavin MC and Freez of Illuminous 3, Alissa Paris and Greg Grease of The Usual Suspects and Grips of Syrup.

For those unfamiliar with the Listen To MPLS podcast, it is a weekly talk show focused mainly on Twin Cities urban music and culture featuring weekly guests and no censorship. The cast is well versed in the scene, politics and culture of Minneapolis hip hop and youth culture featuring DJ Noam The Drummer of Radio K's The Beat Box Radio Show and member of the all-star beat-collective Fam Feud. Alicia Steele who is a local youth worker, organizer, artist and blogger and FranzDiego who is a member of the South Minneapolis based rap group Illuminous 3, past radio DJ, organizer, youth worker, blogger and all around renaissance man.

Some of the past interviews featured on the site include: P.O.S., Mike Mictlan, Big Zach of Kanser, Medium Zach of Big Quarters, Mux Mool, DJ Mike 2600, local poets, organizers, producers, directors, painters, personalities, etc. Which give a new and often undocumented view of what the Twin Cities really have to offer. Listen to it while you fix your breakfast or passing time at work, just make sure the boss or kids aren't around for them to here the effects of uncensored hip hop folk.

DOWNLOAD - Franz Diego: The Quick and Dirty Mixtape

Black Milk, Guilty Simpson, & Will Sessions: "Sound The Alarm" (Live Video)

The Detroit artists got together for a live rendition of "Sound The Alarm." I'm loving the band that Black has got backing him up. He's high up on my "artists I still need to see live" list. Spotted at Michigan Hip-Hop.

Flyover Land Promo Video + Heiruspecs "Same Thing" Snippet

I'm not too savvy with the whole video editing process, but I put together a quick slideshow promoting the upcoming Flyover Land mixtape, which will be released this week. Things have been crazy lately, and I'm just putting the final touches on the project, but it's basically ready right now.

I also made the video to leak the Heiruspecs song on the mixtape, "Same Thing." Twinkie Jiggles was kind enough to cooperate with me for the project. He let me have "Same Thing," which was a track that the band recorded for their latest album, but didn't make the final cut. Midwest Broadcast world premier!

Atmosphere, Brother Ali, & Reef the Lost Cauze: Freestyle Session (Video)

At a recent Philadelphia show, Slug, Ali, and Reef freestyle over the "Smart Went Crazy" instrumental. I maintain that Slug and Ali are two of the best freestylers out there. I've seen them both go in at live shows numerous times and never fail to be impressed. Got this footage from 2DopeBoyz.

Kero One: Early Believers (Album Review)

San Francisco rapper/producer Kero One became an overnight sensation in Japan in 2003, when a song of his was played at a club and spread like wildfire. Since then, his music has made its way stateside, and he has received significant praise from artists and fans alike. Now, Kero One returns with his sophomore LP, Early Believers.

Kero One is, for better or worse, hip-hop’s Burt Bacharach — easy listening to the core. Nearly every song on Early Believers sets the perfect mood for any sunny summer day. “When The Sunshine Comes,” “Let’s Just Be Friends,” and “Love and Happiness” are a few song titles that help reinforce the notion of “easy on the ears” hip-hop present throughout Early Believers. There are no in your face battle raps or diss tracks to be found here. Although that’s not necessarily always a bad thing, Early Believers can get a little too overbearing in its joviality.

It should be noted that Kero One can flow, too. With a voice eerily reminiscent of Del Tha Funky Homosapien, his laid-back rhymes can be defter than it seems. On “Welcome To The Bay,” Kero One provides a thorough and skillful assessment of his hometown and upbringing. “Stay On The Grind” typifies the “do it yourself” mentality that Kero One has used to approach his music throughout his career.

Overall, Early Believers is a fun, mellow album. It may only be enjoyable to listen to on situational occasions, but what album isn’t? Kero One is probably just as influenced by his surrounding as every other rapper. It’s just that he doesn’t have as many tales or hardship or struggle embedded in his music, which is why Early Believers is an album to listen to when you want to lift your spirits (or go lie down in the sunshine).

M.anifest: "Rebel ft. Muja Messiah"

The homie M.anifest just hit me with a new joint from his upcoming Coming To America EP. "Rebel" features M.anifest and Muja Messiah both dropping memorable lines over a Budo-produced beat. I can dig it.

M.anifest: "Rebel ft. Muja Messiah"

V-Stylez: "Clash of the Titans ft. Royce Da 5′9″, Elzhi, Rapper Big Pooh & Phat Kat"

No idea who V-Stylez is. But this is an incredible lineup. I actually didn't listen to it yet, but I will when I get back from embarrassing myself on the basketball court, where I'm headed now. All props go to 2DopeBoyz, where I found this.

V-Stylez: "Clash of the Titans ft. Royce Da 5′9″, Elzhi, Rapper Big Pooh & Phat Kat"

Looney and the Tunes: Concert Recap (Video)

Jordan Looney recently hooked up with a band down at NU, and they're doing some big things in the local scene. Check the footage below to catch a recap of one of their recent performances. If you haven't checked out Looney's debut mixtape yet, Nerd-Hop, you should either bang your head against a wall, or go download it.

M.anifest: Interview with Peter Parker at Soundset 2008 (Video)

Like I pointed out before, Peter Parker is ironically promoting Soundset 2009 by posting video footage from some of his interview at last year's Soundset. This time he speaks with M.anifest. Late Pass!

P.O.S.: ShockHound TV Interview (Video)

Says ShockHound:

The Minneapolis rapper explains how he wound up blending hip-hop with hardcore punk, and what it's like splitting time between both worlds.

Freez: Basement Freestyle (Video)

I only called it "Basement Freestyle" because just "Freestyle" sounded too boring. I3 what up?

Add-2: "Whatchalike ft. Neak & Sincerely Yours" (Prod. Slot-A)

Well folks, it's time for another leak for the upcoming Midwest Broadcast mixtape, Flyover Land, Vol. 1. That's right, the artist feedback for the mixtape was so great that I was forced to release it in two volumes. I'll be releasing the official tracklist either tomorrow or Thursday, so get ready, you're in for a treat.

In the meantime, how about a little Add-2 to tide you over? The Chicago rapper graciously obliged my request to submit a track for the mixtape, and even brought along a few of his friends for the ride, Neak and Sincerely Yours. So check out this Slot-A produced cut, "Whatchalike," and keep checking back this week for the final leaks before Flyover Land, Vol. 1 is released early next week!

Add-2: "Whatchalike ft. Neak & Sincerely Yours" (Prod. Slot-A)

Prof & St. Paul Slim: Recession Music (Free Album)

So Prof and St. Paul Slim just today released their special collaborative album to help us get through these tough economic times. The album can be downloaded at the Recession Music website. I've already posted a couple of tracks, "Is This Mic On?" and "Fire." The album also features some pretty impressive contributors. It was executive produced by Ant of Atmosphere, features production by Ant, Mux Mool, as well as work by Prof and Slim themselves. P.O.S. has a guest verse on this online download version. Finally, if you actually buy the hard copy of the album at CalSurf or Fifth Element, there are a couple bonus tracks, one of which has a guest verse from none other than Slug, and another has Big Zach of Kanser spitting some bars. Good stuff.

DOWNLOAD - Prof & St. Paul Slim: Recession Music

Quest M.C.O.D.Y.: "Back On The Block (Freestyle)"

Quest M.C.O.D.Y. just put out this freestyle over some instrumental called "Back On The Block," which I've never heard before. I tend to be grossly out of touch with what's happening in the popular rap scene. So sue me. Quest spits better than 85% of them anyway. Shouts to Michigan Hip-Hop.

Quest M.C.O.D.Y.: "Back On The Block (Freestyle)"

Prof: "Fire" (Video)

Prof just released the video to "Fire," which is on St. Paul Slim & Prof's collaborative release, Recession Music. The free album was just released today, and I'll be posting a download link to it very shortly.

Guante & Big Cats! with Jeremy Messersmith: Freestyle Session (Video)

Guante and Big Cats! put on a show recently for their Start A Fire EP release; I'm a little late with this post as the show has already happened, but they got together with Jeremy Messersmith, another local indie artists who I'm not quite familiar with, to do a little freestyle session. Messersmith apparently also had a show the same night of the Guante & Big Cats! jump off, and I'm sorry to say I missed their Gangs of New York style brawl. Via CultureBully, who should be hitting us with some footage of the show sometime soon (I hope).

Kristoff Krane: The Dustbowl's Skyway Sessions (Video)

He performs verses/excerpts from a few songs off This Will Work For Now. Via Culture Bully via The Dustbowl.

GLC: Hip-Hop Official Artist of the Week (Video)

The G.O.O.D. Music artist speaks on his upcoming album, as well as his big singles of the moment ("Big Screen," "Flight School") and side projects.

Soundset 2009 Promo Video

Thank you, Rhymesayers. Order your tickets here.

F. Stokes & Lazerbeak: Death of a Handsome Bride (Album Review)

Expectations can be treacherous and unpredictable when listening to albums for the first time. In today’s Internet age, many rappers can hardly eat lunch in public without appearing on YouTube only hours later; this 24/7 barrage of media constantly shapes our opinions of musicians. Needless to say, rarely do our personal biases not influence our initial reactions to artists’ new music. So, it’s a refreshing situation when, as a “critic,” an album can be judged solely on the merits of its content. I was able to do this with Chicago rapper F. Stokes and Minneapolis producer Lazerbeak’s recent collaborative EP release, Death of a Handsome Bride.

It’s clear from the EP’s opening song that F. Stokes is unabashedly honest in his songwriting. The a cappella track, “Too,” assess some of the social handicaps Stokes has had to deal with (“Too skinny, too fat, too black, ain’t black enough”; “Offspring of a dope head”). The track transitions into “Jeremiah,” another one-verse opener on which F. Stokes effortlessly rides a bouncy, soul-sampling beat from Lazerbeak and raps about the problems of being an African-American in modern society. “Fresh out the womb, got penitentiary memberships,” he raps, criticizing our country’s criminal justice system. Lazerbeak offers up an absolute gem of a beat for “Hang On,” a track on which F. Stokes kicks knowledge about the struggles of inner-city living, notably the omnipresent conflict between living legally and doing what’s necessary to make ends meet (“My niggas be hustlin’/ trying to get that bubble Benz,” and “Them Chi streets cold, when your baby need clothes”).

These conflicts dominate the thematic landscape of Death of a Handsome Bride. F. Stokes’ lyrics tiptoe the fine line between the blues and gospel impulses. Some tracks are all about acknowledging the burdens that dominate our lives, and finding some way to deal with those pains (“Pretty Shit” evaluates the vicious cycle of domestic violence in relationships). Other songs concern unification, community, and finding ways to overcome life’s difficulties and issues (“Blessings,” on which Doomtree rapper Mike Mictlan lends a nice verse, and “So Into U”). In the end, though, F. Stokes reminds us that the dichotomy between blues and gospel, pain and joy, isn’t as separated as we believe. His opening lines of “Hang On” help to demonstrate that concept: “Who would have thunk it?/ The kid who sold crack for Dunk kicks/ Would get his opportunity and punch it out the ceiling/ And it didn’t take an A&R or labels frontin’ millions/ It’s motivation for my nappy-headed ghetto children.”

The EP does have its knocks, however. Clocking in at less than 30 minutes, Death of a Handsome Bride is over when you are just starting to get an understanding of who F. Stokes is. Minus the opening a cappella, which doesn’t have much replay value, and the bizarre, electronic “Tickle Me Mars,” the EP’s song selection runs thin at times.

Nonetheless, Death of a Handsome Bride is a testament to the determined, “do it yourself” mentality in underground hip-hop. F. Stokes deserves praise for his introspective and forthright, yet still evocative lyricism, and Lazerbeak once again validated himself as the one of the best producers in hip-hop that no one knows about. Death of a Handsome Bride shows that listenable, thought-provoking hip-hop is out there, it just might take a little extra work to discover.

Behind The Beats, Vol. 7: Jake One's "The Truth ft. Freeway & Brother Ali"

Jake One dropped one of the best-produced albums of 2008 with his Rhymesayers-released album, White Van Music. The entire record featured track after track of sublime beats, whether they were sample-based or not. Jake One has an incredible knack for capturing the mood and theme of each song in his beats; it seems like each one was tailor-made to tell a specific story for evoke a certain emotion. One of the album's ndeniable highlights, however, was the lead single "The Truth ft. Freeway and Brother Ali." Besides boasting two of rap's finest emcees dropping knowledge to the finest degree, Jake One crafted an absolute masterpiece of a beat. Sampling Johnnie Taylor's "At Night Time (My Pillow Tells a Tale on Me)," the beat is the epitome of the call and response element of sampling old records in hip-hop production. Taylor's wistful, meloncholy piece was chopped and sampled by Jake One in to a beat that exemplifies the heavy blues influence on hip-hop. Check out the link below to hear Taylor's original piece, and then give Jake One's track a listen to check out some of the finest production work of 2008 (I included both the original and instrumental versions).

Johnnie Taylor: "At Night Time (My Pillow Tells a Tale on Me)"

Kid Cudi: "Day N Nite (Live)"

Wale's Attention: Deficit tour stopped through New York City just last night, and in the middle of the show, Wale and his band UCB brought out Kid Cudi for an impromptu performance of Cudi's infectious hit "Day N Nite." All The Way Live, as usual, was there to pick up a pretty good audio recording of the rendition, and get it online for the masses literally the day after the performance. Props.

Kid Cudi: "Day N Nite (Live)"

Eminem: 'Cha Cha Cha' Freestyle + Interview on German TV (Video)

This is way too funny not to post. They can get away with so much more in Europe. Shouts to NahRight.

Muja Messiah Makes URB's Next 100

Minneapolis rapper Muja Messiah recently appeared in URB Magazine's Next 100 issue — a big feat, to say the least. He appears in the issue alongside other prominent artists such as Drake, Asher Roth, N.A.S.A., and more. URB was also generous (and innovative) enough to provide the entire publication in digital format. I embedded the magazine below. Muja's feature appears on page 42, which you can scroll ahead to. Big ups Muja!

Kanye West: "Two Words ft. Mos Def & Freeway" (Video)

First GLC release some never before seen screen shot images from the long-lost "Spaceship" video. Now we get this. Amazing how things work like that. Props to Kanye for releasing it. He says:

This video never got played because I refused to remove the titles on it. They said people will think a TV show is going off and I said that's the whole point. Wow... even only 3 videos in to the game.... I refused to compromise my vision.

Not sure why it appears so small. Sorry.

Rhymefest: "Chicago" (Video)

This is Rhymefest's new video for "Chicago," off of the much anticipated/delayed El Che. Konee Rok directed this very original video. 'Fest is on his comic book steez!

Naledge: "Star Struck ft. Rus-Soul"

Naledge leaked the first song to his upcoming mixtape/album, The Chicago Picasso, which will be in stores on June 20. It features Rus-Soul, and was produced by Sa-Ra.

The rest of the album features guest spots from the likes of Bun B, Jay Electronica, Mickey Factz, Rhymefest, Mick Luter, GLC, and more. I've heard good things, to say the least.

Naledge: "Star Struck ft. Rus-Soul"

F. Stokes: "The GO" + "Powder Eggs" (Videos)

Chicago's F. Stokes may be one of the most skilled lyricists you have not heard of yet. He recently released an album produced entirely by Lazerbeak titled Death of a Handsom Bride. F. Stokes was generous enough to hit me with a copy of that album and I'll have a review posted by Thursday. In the meantime, here are two relatively low-budget videos he recorded for some non-album cuts, which I stumbled upon while doing some YouTube digging.

Soundset 2009 Presents the 2nd Annual Slow and Low Custom Car and Bike Show

Drive slow, homie.

Last of the Record Buyers: Relocation Info + New Dates

Last Of The Record Buyers is relocating at Fifth Element and opening up their doors to fans of all ages. Maybe those Dinkeytowner rumors are true after all... RIP?

Also, Big Quarters' sophomore album, From The Home of Brown Babies and White Mothers is in stores TODAY. Get it. You'll like it. I promise.