This is the sound of the Twin Cities underground before it became a global indie powerhouse. It is thick with the atmosphere of 1990s cassette culture, featuring dusty jazz samples, crackling vinyl loops, and a rhythmic delivery that prioritizes substance over flash. The production is warm but unpolished, capturing a specific moment in time where the focus was entirely on the craft of the lyricist and the texture of the beat.
What makes this music distinctive is its lack of pretension. Beyond (Musab) delivers lines with a grounded, almost conversational cadence that feels like he is speaking directly to you in a crowded room. The beats, often provided by Ant, have that signature early Rhymesayers swing, slightly off-kilter and deeply soulful, evoking the feeling of a cold Minnesota winter spent inside a studio.
Start with the album Comparison. It is the definitive document of this era, showcasing the foundational DNA of the Midwest indie rap scene. It is essential listening for anyone who wants to understand the roots of the Rhymesayers movement or simply wants a solid, cohesive boom bap record that rewards close attention.
Shares sample based, lo fi, analog warmth (production style); boom bap, abstract hip-hop, conscious hip-hop (subgenres)
Shares midwest hip hop, abstract hip-hop, conscious hip-hop (subgenres); sample based, lo fi, bedroom production (production style)
Shares midwest hip hop, abstract hip-hop, conscious hip-hop (subgenres); rap, deadpan, narrating (vocal style)
Shares contemplative, confident, nostalgic (moods); rap, deadpan, narrating (vocal style)
Shares contemplative, confident, nostalgic (moods); boom bap, abstract hip-hop, conscious hip-hop (subgenres)
Shares abstract hip-hop, conscious hip-hop, boom bap (subgenres); urban night, basement show, focused work (atmosphere)
Shares midwest hip hop, abstract hip-hop, conscious hip-hop (subgenres); sample based, lo fi, analog warmth (production style)
Shares abstract hip-hop, conscious hip-hop, boom bap (subgenres); sample based, lo fi, analog warmth (production style)
Shares abstract hip-hop, boom bap, conscious hip-hop (subgenres); rap, deadpan, narrating (vocal style)
Shares boom bap, abstract hip-hop, conscious hip-hop (subgenres); urban night, basement show, focused work (atmosphere)
Shares dusty vinyl crackle loops, train ride, dusty, conscious hip-hop (detail)
Shares midwest hip hop, conscious hip-hop, sample based, turntables (signature)
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