Event Announcement: Boom Bap Village 2011

I'd like to announce Boom Bap Village 2011, a Hmong hip-hop event here in Saint Paul. It will be taking place on July 1 and 2. There will be a b-boy competition and the debut screening of two films, "Among BBoys" and "Travel in Spirals." Below is the press release describing those documentaries. If you have some free time this weekend and can attend this event, you should check it out.

Screening of “Among B-Boys” and “Travel in Sprials”
Saturday, July 2nd · 6 p.m. · FREE ADMISSION

Buetow Music Auditorium
Concordia University
275 Syndicate St. N.
St. Paul, MN 55104

Concordia University will be providing screenings of the following documentaries: “Among B-Boys” and “Travel in Spirals.”

Among B-boys” was initially created as a short film. Director, Christopher Woon, has since turned this into an hour long feature documentary focusing on two main story lines, that of B-Boy Sukie and the Velocity/Soul Rivals and twin brothers, Bboys Mpact and Villn of Underground Flow. The documentary takes us geographically from Merced, Fresno and Sacramento in the California Central Valley, to Long Beach, California to as far as Tulsa, Oklahoma. It’s a multigenerational view of the impact B-Boying has had on the Hmong American community, the contributions made by these B-Boys, and the identities they are seeking to forge. For additional information, please visit the following webpage at: http://www.amongbboys.com/.

“Travel in Spirals” tells the story of Hmong hip-hop MC, spoken word poet, and
community organizer Tou SaiKo Lee and his journey back to his birthplace of Thailand. Born on the Nongkhai refugee camp, his parents fled Laos after the Vietnam War and came to America when Tou was two months old. Taking its title from the spirals in Hmong paj ntaub, Travel in Spirals documents Tou’s journey to the source of himself and his heritage almost 30 years after he left. For additional information, please visit the following weblink: http://www.travelinspirals.blogspot.com.

Atmosphere: "Until The Nipples Gone" + "The Last To Say" (Live at Bonnaroo)

Here's some video of Atmosphere performing at Bonnaroo couple weeks ago. Atmosphere often gets mid-to-late afternoon time slots at big music festivals, but seem to always draw a huge crowd. I had a friend who went to Bonnaroo this year and he told me that Atmosphere tore it down. Hit this link to view a few more videos from their set. Atmosphere is on the road right now and you can also catch them in a festival setting at Lollapalooza in August.

Fifth Element Presents: Midwest Konnect's 'The Trailer' (Video)

Illuminous 3: Illuminous Free, Vol. 1 (Mixtape)

If you read Midwest Broadcast with any regularity, you should be familiar with local trio Illuminous 3's Illuminous Free series. The group has been linking up with one local producer to release a free song each month for quite some time now, and the group has just compiled their first 12 songs in mixtape form for you to download. The tape features production from the likes of Gmo, Greg Grease, Medium Zach, The Sundance Kid, Mike Frey, hell, basically all the dopest young producers in the Twin Cities. It even features one bonus song, from their 17th episode of the series with P.O.S. Download it below.

Illuminous 3: Illuminous Free, Vol. 1 (Mixtape)

Illuminous 3: "No Kings ft. P.O.S." (Prod. P.O.S.)

Even after posting their Illuminous Free, Vol. 1 mixtape, I think this deserves its own post.

Illuminous 3: "No Kings ft. P.O.S." (Prod. P.O.S.)

The Cool Kids: "Swimsuits ft. Mayer Hawthorne"

Here's another single from Chicago retro-rap duo The Cool Kids. "Swimsuits" features crooner Mayer Hawthorne on the chorus, and will be featured on The Cool Kids' upcoming album, When Fish Ride Bicycles. Stream only, but the single can be purchased on iTunes.

Freddie Gibbs: 'Cold Day in Hell' (Trailer)

Freddie Gibbs' Cold Day in Hell is dropping next month and it should be a good one. Here's a trailer detailing what to expect. Video via Fake Shore Drive.

Lipset: "A Toast To Us"

Here is the next release in the Level Heads Project, courtesy of Lipset and producer Lokes. This one is a break up song, "written before the break up." Stream it below or hit Bandcamp for the download link.

Lipset: "A Toast To Us"

Concert Announcement: Heiruspecs to 'Rap the Aster' Tonight

11th hour awesome concert announcement: Heiruspecs are performing TONIGHT at 10pm at the Aster Cafe in Minneapolis. It will be a special show, the band is debuting two new songs from their upcoming album (working title: We are the Future and We Know It). They are also performing some throwback gems, as well as reworked versions of the usual classics we have known to expect and love at Heiruspecs shows. If you can make it to this show, you should go.

Mike Dreams: "Champion" (Music Video)

Mike Dreams recorded this song over an instrumental from some UK rapper named Chipmunk. The video was recorded by Zeke, who may or may not still be a "Freak." Download the mp3 below if you like what you hear.

Mike Dreams: "Champion" (Music Video)

Danami: "Unusual"

Danami has recently returned to the studio to begin recording his new album, Delayed Gratification, due out in 2012. Consider this freestyle he did over Trey Songz's "Unlimited" the first of a few warm up sessions. More on the way soon.

Danami: "Unusual"

Mac Lethal: "Vodka Tonic with a Lime"

Mac Lethal just let this loose on Twitter to celebrate not signing with Sony. I hope he enjoys the extra 250k coming his way soon.

Mac Lethal: "Vodka Tonic with a Lime"

Hand Over Fist: "Shux ft. P.O.S." + "Hand Over Fist" (Live)

Mike Mictlan and Lazerbeak united for a semi-rare Hand Over Fist show on Thursday night at the Triple Rock. I biked to Target Field for the Twins game with some friends, and told them that we should go to this show afterward. Long story short, we didn't end up making it to the show, and I lost out big time. Here is some video of P.O.S. joining Hand Over Fist on stage to perform "Shux" and "Hand Over Fist."

Lipset: "New Era Kids ft. Duenday" (Music Video) + "Temptation ft. Alissa Paris"

Up above is the new music video from Lipset and Duenday, for their song "New Era Kids." Down below is yet another song in the track-by-track re-release of the Level Heads LP. This time I'm here to provide you the twelfth song on the album, "Temptation" which features vocals from Alissa Paris.

Lipset: "Temptation ft. Alissa Paris"

Orikal Uno: "Lonesome Road" (Music Video)

Toki Wright: Static Statistic (Video)

"I learned that trying to be better creatively is good, but trying to be perfect will only make you go crazy. I've been making landscapes for my life and every once and a while I'd like to share them with you. They aren't always going to be full of "hot raps" and "banging beats" but it's what's inside my head. This is what I was doing at 4am. Hope it does something for you." - Toki Wright

Bobby Raps: Gimme Daps (Mixtape)

In late April I posted Bobby Raps' debut music video for his song "Riff Raff." Now, he's officially released his Gimme Daps mixtape, establishing himself among the brightest young talents in the Twin Cities rap scene. The 18-year old from Saint Paul showcases his talents on the 10-song mixtape, which also features Freez of Illuminous 3 and others.

Big Quarters: "Good Look" (Music Video)

Vote for the homies Big Quarters on mtvU, where the "Good Look" music video was premiered today.

Kanye West: "Monster ft. Rick Ross, Jay-Z, Nicki Minaj, & Bon Iver" (Music Video)

The rough cut of this video leaked back in December. Months later, Kanye finally released the official version via his website. Sadly, this one still doesn't feature Justin Vernon holding any decapitated body parts.

Elzhi: "It Ain't Hard To Tell" (Music Video)

Off of Elzhi's superb Elmatic mixtape.

Big Quarters: "Good Look" (Music Video Teaser)

On Monday June 6, mtvU will premiere the full video for "Good Look," from Big Quarters' From the Home of Brown Babies & White Mothers. MTV2 will premiere the video on Wednesday, June 8. Good look for brothers. Can't wait to hear Party Like A Young Commie. Apparently it's been getting mixed down...

Atmosphere Closes Out Soundset 2011 (Video)

Brother Ali Performs New Material at Soundset 2011 (Video)

My apologies for my absence with blogging. I'm in the process of moving reseidences, and don't have Internet at my house. Shout out to the free Wi-Fi at Coffee News on Grand Avenue.

Anyway, Brother Ali woke up on the morning on Soundset 2011 and decided he didn't want to do that same old set that he's been performing. He did a cheeky fake intro to "Forrest Whittaker" that brought some laughs from the crowd. I know this was disappointing for some fans who hadn't seen him before, but I couldn't have been more excited. Ali announced that he's been preparing for a new album with Jake One, and that it's titled Mourning in America, Dreaming in Color. They're hitting the studio to record it soon. He opened his set with a new song that I assume is from that record, and it was fantastic. Ali sounds at home over Jake One's instrumentals. Later in the set he grabbed his rhyme book to recite a new song titled "Letter To My Countrymen" that he hasn't even memorized yet. It was powerful stuff, to say the least.