Duce Khan and Tsis K, the two best MCs who rap in Hmong, performed together live for the first time at Boom Bap Village 2009.
New Video: The Blackbird Elements – The Mixtape
Posted in Hmong Rap, People to listen to on July 3, 2009 by 612 to 651Over the past couple of months, I’ve been working on a project with The Blackbird Elements, a group coordinated by Tou SaiKo Lee and featuring a number of the best young Hmong MCs the Twin Cities have to offer. Their debut mixtape dropped this week, and here’s a little video I put together for the occassion. Plans are to do a longer video on the group, so watch for much, much more soon.
From the mixtape’s notes:
The Blackbird Elements project is a fresh movement to bring visibility and elevate Hmong MCs that strive to make an impact through Hip-Hop music with words that move, inspire, and connect and “save” elements of Hmong heritage, history, honor hip-hop culture.
The first step for this movement is a Mix CD project that includes at least one song from every MC or MC crew that have met all the requirements of the Blackbird Elements project process.
This CD brings together MCs with the potential to move hip-hop forward by representing genuine experiences of the Hmong people in Minnesota.
For more information, see http://www.myspace.com/blackbirdelements
Dinkytowner, R.I.P
Posted in TCHistory, Videos on June 6, 2009 by 612 to 651Here’s a video I put together from footage shot at the Dinkytowner’s last night. Thanks to everybody who shared their thoughts, memories, and laughter.
Videos from Minneapolis Slam Finals
Posted in People to listen to, Things Goin' Down, Videos on May 20, 2009 by 612 to 651The good folks over at Minnesota Microphone have a wonderful write-up of the Minneapolis Slam Finals, held last week at Kieran’s, which included four videos that I shot.
Videos from the El Guante/Big Cats! EP release show
Posted in Uncategorized on May 16, 2009 by 612 to 651Here are some videos from the release show for Start A Fire, the debut EP from producer Big Cats! and MC/poet/activist El Guante. Sorry about the poor lighting, some of the Nomad’s lights were broken that night.
Video from Fong Lee Rally
Posted in Uncategorized on May 13, 2009 by 612 to 651Here’s a short video I put together from Monday’s rally for Fong Lee. For more information, see the Twin Cities Daily Planet.
Videos from the Urban Griots Spoken Word Awards
Posted in Videos on May 2, 2009 by 612 to 651Check out these performances from the first ever Urban Griots Spoken Word Awards. I’ll have a couple more up from this event in the next week, hopefully, and watch for video in the next couple of weeks of both the St. Paul and Minneapolis Slam Finals! See my good friends over at Minnesota Microphone for more information.
Somali Rap in Minnesota
Posted in Somali Rap on March 13, 2009 by 612 to 651
The first in my series of articles on Somali rap in Minnesota is live at the Twin Cities Daily Planet. Over the next few months, I’ll discuss the many dimensions of Minnesota Somalis making and listening to rap, from its relationship to Islam, the controversy surrounding its links to gang violence, as well as how artists and fans use hip-hop to connect themselves to the global Somali diaspora.
New Video – Dem Supa Staz
Posted in Somali Rap, Videos on March 6, 2009 by 612 to 651My latest video posted to YouTube, an interview with the young Somali rap group, Dem Supa Staz.
