Twin Cities hip hop

Minneapolis hip hop is hip-hop or rap music that originates from the Minneapolis metropolitan area in the U.S. state of Minnesota.

History

Pre-1996

Hip hop culture in the Twin Cities can be traced as far back as 1981.[1] Similar to the development of hip hop in the South Bronx, Twin Cities rap started as humble parties with a DJ and an emcee.. A DJ named Travitron was considered the "godfather" of hip hop in the Twin Cities,[2] and began hosting Hip Hop Shop, on 89.9 KMOJ, the first hip hop radio station in the Twin Cities.[3]

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, Polaris aka tha North $tar, 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 Drop Funkin', a 12" dance single on Wide ange Records released in 1984. It was produced by David Z Rivkin and Bill Blow.

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)).

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 hop, 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.

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, MC Lyte, Cee-Lo Green of Gnarls Barkley, Clipse, Camp Lo, Crazy Legs, Slug of Atmosphere, Studio The Kid, Jean Grae, Asia-One, EWOK (HM Crew), Brother Ali, I.L.I.C.I.T. and many others.

Headline performers:

Locations

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.

Other Locations include

Radio

See also

References

  1. ↑ Hess, Mickey (2010). "Introduction". In Hess, Mickey. Hip hop in America : a regional guide. Santa Barbara, Calif.: Greenwood Press. p. xvi, xxxv. ISBN 0313343217.
  2. ↑ Hess 2010, p. xi.
  3. ↑ Hess 2010, p. xxxvi.