Betsy Collins

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Eyedea 4 Africa benefit coming to Turf Club in June

Yeah, yeah, Soundset is this weekend. We see the tweets, the likes, and even the cover of this magazine. But in case you need a break or are a compulsive gambler and being around racetracks brings out the itch, how about a CD release party this weekend? More >>

With Soundset about to go off on Sunday at Canterbury Park, it's time for all of the online debate and heated discussions about the local hip-hop scene to grow silent in favor of the music itself, as the beats and rhymes of some of the best rap artists in the game are set to bring Minnesota hip-hop fans together and get Shakopee moving.

The Get Cryphy crew have done their part in bringing the focus back to the music, as they just dropped a fresh hour-long mix featuring all of the acts set to appear at Soundset 2012.

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Photo by Stacie Ann

By Allegra Oxborough

Xavier Davis sometimes Facebook-likes comments on Lupe Fiasco's page, a tactic he uses to turn strangers on to his own music. Performing under the name Xavier Marquis, Davis is forthcoming on how he markets himself.

"Probably 75 percent of my time is trying to get people listening, networking, sending e-mails. Once you've reached a certain level you can have people do that for you, but when you're grindin', you pretty much do all the leg work."

That's 75 percent of his time in total now that Davis lives with his dad. He burnt out on days processing documents for a law office, and nights producing albums for others. So he quit his job, milked unemployment benefits while they lasted, and moved home. "I'm givin' it my all right now, sacrificing being able to live on my own or have money all the time."

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Spencer Wirth-Davis

By Mike Madden

Related:
How Rhymesayers set up the Soundset Festival

One of the groups set to make their Soundset debut this year, the duo of the Tribe and Big Cats! was born out of a somewhat unlikely relationship. MC Chris "Truthbetold" Hooks spent parts of his youth in Chicago's south side and began rapping at just six years old, eventually tuning in to guys like Big Daddy Kane and Eric B. & Rakim; producer Spencer "Big Cats!" Wirth-Davis, on the other hand, grew up in St. Paul suburbs and studied classical music in high school to go along with tenures playing bass in various garage bands.

Formative differences aside, however, Truthbetold and Big Cats! have produced an ordinarily unified and idiosyncratic sound. On last December's Make Good, featuring appearances by the likes of Harlem's Smoke DZA and Twin Cities spitter MaLLy, the duo set the album off in directions at once trunk-thumping and silky ("Drive," "Stay High") and hazy and layered ("We Gone," "Jordan Numbers").

Gimme Noise caught up with Truthbetold to chat about learning to rhyme through his uncle's guidance, the Twin Cities' rap scene, and how TTxBC is approaching Sunday's big event.

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Photo by Shannon Blowtorch

It's been a busy spring for L'Assassins. The rising four-piece group recently dropped their first 7" and CD EP, played with legends Nikki Corvette and Ronnie Spector at the Girls Got Rythym festival, and are now playing the Jameson Main Outdoor Stage at the Memory Lanes Block Party.

As the band gets more and more exposure for their throwback sound, Gimme Noise talked with them about what got them into older music, the concept of "attitude," and some band history questions.

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M. Ward
First Avenue, Minneapolis
May 24, 2012

M. Ward took his fans on a tour up and down the radio dial, both past and present, during his vibrant 90-minute set at First Avenue. His classic, timeless songs as well as some choice, spirited covers were filled out by a cracking four-piece band alongside him, with Mike Coykendall on bass/guitar, opener Chris Scruggs (grandson of Earl Scruggs) on guitar/bass/violin, Scott McPherson on drums, and Bright Eyes' Nate Walcott on keys and trumpet. They all helped bring an added edge and strength to Ward's occasionally delicate material, which turned this last show of their current U.S. tour into a triumphant, celebratory affair.

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Rhymesayers.com

The mother of Micheal "Eyedea" Larsen has partnered with local Minnesota non-profit Moving Forward Africa to stage a benefit show at Turf Club next month. According to Matthew Ylvisaker, president of Moving Forward Africa, this was a show that Larsen was hoping to assemble before his life was cut short in 2010. "Mikey inspired and believed in this dream," Ylvisaker says. "His friends are all behind this, and we will be having a star-studded night of music."

The friends mentioned include Ill Chemistry (Carnage and Desdamona), Kristoff Krane, Gramma's Boyfriend, and Guitar Party. 100 percent of the cover charge will go to fund a hand pump borehole in Nyamor Village in Kenya.
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Ellie Niemeyer

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