The Midwest hip-hop scene has really started to develop in recent years and proven to be a hot bed for rappers. The Twin Cities is really known for its artistic talent which extends in to rap music with each rapper having their own unique midwestern style. Here we will take a look at 5 famous rappers from Minnesota.
1) Slug
Everyone in Minnesota that was into independent rap grew up listening to Atmosphere. When you think of famous rap groups from Minnesota, Atmosphere is probably the first one that comes to mind. The group consisted of the rapper Slug (Sean Daley) and producer/DJ Ant (Anthony Davis). The group is from Minneapolis, Minnesota and formed in 1996. They went on to release nine albums and are still active to this day. The group also confounded the hip hop record label Rhymesayers Entertainment in 1995.
2) Brother Ali
Okay technically Brother Ali was born in Wisconsin but his family moved to Minneapolis, Minnesota when he was young. Brother Ali (James Douglas Newman) released his first album back in 2000. He has currently released six albums, four EP’s and a number of other singles and collabs. He is signed under the legendary midwest music label Rhymesayers Entertainment.
3) Eyedea
Micheal David Larsen also known by his rap name Eyedea was a prominent Minnesota Rapper that got his start in the freestyle battle scene. He grew up close to Saint Paul Minnesota. Eyedea got his start in the hip-hop battle scene winning battles at Scribble Jam and Blaze Battle. In 1999 he founded the legendary underground hip hop duo Eyedea & Abilities. He eventually signed to Rhymsesayers entertainment and eventually went on to found his own record label Crushkill Recordings. He passed away in 2010.
4) P.O.S.
P.O.S. (Stefon Alexander) is a well known hip hop artist from Minneapolis, Minnesota. He is a founding member of hip hop collective Doomtree. He has released five studio albums, and 2 EPs. His music has been released under the labels Rhymesayers Entertainment and Doomtree records. He is still currently active to this day.
5) Dessa
Dessa (Margret Wander) is a female rapper and singer from Minneapolis, Minnesota. She is a member of Doomtree and has released 4 studio albums under Doomtree Records. She has also released 2 EPs and a number of singles. Dessa is currently still an active rapper.
Minnesota is mostly known for its independent rap scene, and if you listen to any of the five artists mentioned in this list you will be able to hear the unique midwest artistic flavor in the music. Most of these artists have toured together and released songs together. Minnesota really is great for its artistic talent, and you can tell when you listen to its music.