Editor’s Note: I’ll be damned, I got this one completely wrong. #BoycottRhymesayers. More details.
My introduction to the Minnesota hip-hop music scene started with a friend of a friend getting kicked out of July 2003 concert in Austin, TX. Perez never got to see Atmosphere that night, but on the strength of his recommendation, Adam, Ben and I caught their set at Warped Tour in San Antonio the next day.
I was more into punk and indie rock at the time, but that show marked a turning point, my interest now piqued by the Minnesota based Rhymesayers Entertainment label. Their releases across myriad artists (Brother Ali, Eyedea&Abilities, Evidence, The Uncluded, Jake One to name a few) would end up as healthy chunk of the soundtrack to my next decade or two.
Atmosphere “You”
When Life Gives You Lemons, You Paint that Sh*t Gold came out when I was still steady burning CDs for the road. My copy had been floating around the car a bit, so it had a few deeper scratches. Honestly, it only really effected one song.
I’d made Adam listen to the first 5 tracks before the bass line for our next song dropped. A few seconds in, some scratches break up the song and I quickly skip to the next one. An unexpectedly raging Adam had apparently been waiting patiently for that one song. The single, with the video on MTV, that we’d heard on late night radio. Oops. As best I can tell, there are no scratches in this video version.
VIDEO REMOVED DUE TO RHYMESAYERS BOYCOTT
P.O.S *** P O S indeed ***
I distinctly recall speeding out of the parking lot after an RX Bandits concert in Ft. Worth. The windows were down and the radio was blaring what could be one of the better opening lines of all time. While I was generally unfamiliar with him, Stef’s message was incredibly relatable at the time (2006ish).
First of all, Fuck Bush. That’s all, that’s the end of it.
P.O.S
VIDEO REMOVED DUE TO RHYMESAYERS BOYCOTT
The Hold Steady “Stay Positive”
I’d first heard the lead singer, Craig Finn, on the P.O.S track “Safety in Speed (Heavy Metal)”. It would take me a few more years to really get into The Hold Steady, but their Stay Positive album has some songs I still keep in rotation (namely this one and “Constructive Summer”).
This song has the type of message I needed to hear today and offers a healthy perspective on judgmental pasts. (guilty.)
There’s gonna come a time when the true scene leaders,
Craig Finn, The Hold Steady
Forget where they differ and get big picture,
’cause the kids at their shows, they’ll have kids of their own,
The sing-a-long songs will be our scriptures
