Recap by Naomi @nwilliam720

Hip hop. Culture. Unity. Rhymesayers Entertainment celebrated their 20th anniversary with thirty performances that had a clear message of love and celebration. The Target Center was packed with concert goers and amazing artists who all had something in common- their love for hip hop and their support for one another.

Emceed by Brother Ali himself, the lineup included (in alphabetical order) Abstract Rude, Aesop Rock, Atmosphere, Battlecats, BK One, Blueprint, Boom Bap Project, Brother Ali, deM atlaS, Dilated Peoples, DJ Abilities, Evidence, Felt, Freeway, Grayskul, Grieves, Hail Mary Mallon, I Self Devine, Jake One, K-Salaam, Los Nativos, Micranots, Mr. Dibbs, Musab, P.O.S, Prof, Soul Position, The Uncluded and Toki Wright. The six hour event ran smoothly and began with P.O.S. kicking it off with a high energy performance before having to catch a plane for another show in Chicago. He showed his dedication to his fans and made it a point to not cut his performance short due to his flight. In addition, deM atlaS, Toki Wright, Grieves, and other talented artists continued to amp up the energy as both the floor and seats continued to fill up throughout the night in anticipation of the evening’s biggest performances.

Many artists embraced the opportunity to show their pride in their culture and community. Los Nativos began their set with Aztec dancers in ornate and elaborate costumes who gave a captivating performance to get the crowd moving. Battlecats gave an amazing demonstration of how adults in the hip hop scene are positively influencing the youth and included breakdancers of a variety of ages who showcased their talents on stage and received much love from the audience. Kimya Dawson from New York, one of the only female performers, gave a beautiful folk/hip hop blend with her acoustic performance of “Delicate Cycle” with Aesop Rock. The energy then skyrocketed when Prof brought the rowdy crowd to their feet as inflatable animals were released into the crowd.

Later in the evening, DJ Abilities hit the turntables and the strong sense of love in the building was amplified as the backdrop and screens throughout the auditorium displayed images of the unforgettable late bandmate Eyedea. The amount of support from the artists and fans was tangible and reminded us that Rhymesayers is not just an epic hip hop label, but also a community built on dedication to one another. Brother Ali put on one of the most emotional performances of the night when he delivered “Dear Black Son”, his new spoken word piece. The audience waved their hands in praise and could feel the strong emotions in his voice.

Atmosphere ended the evening with what many concert goers called “the best show they have ever seen them put on in all of their years.” The main act began with “Scapegoat.” Slug encouraged concert goers to let off steam and push each other around and jokingly teased the crowd about how they sang along a bit too loud during the popular song “The Woman with the Tattooed Hands.” The most impactful moment of the evening was when he had the crowd light their cell phones up and shine their own faces to see all of the beautiful people in attendance that night. He enhanced the sense of community even more when he asked everyone to look to their neighbors, and despite who they were or if they knew them, grab hands. The entire arena was then packed with over 10,000 beautiful people showing their love for one another as they raised their united hands in the air and sang along.

Towards the end of the night I had the pleasure of speaking with Toki Wright about his experiences working with hip hop, education, and its impact on the youth. In our conversation with others who had attended previous shows the consensus was clear; there is just something about Minnesota’s fans where the vibe you feel is nothing but pure love. Rhymesayers has proven, yet again, that their growth in popularity does not hinder their ability to turn thousands of fans in one building into a community and give them that Midwest love that we all appreciate so much.