Minneapolis Hip-Hop & The Doomtree Collective

So, finally I have something else to blog about. J forced me into the outside world this weekend, at the expense of all the work we both had to do. But we ignored it, at least for one night, and drove down to Minneapolis to go to First Ave. and check out Doomtree.

First Ave: I love that place. I think it may be one of my favorite venues of all time. It stands, proud in all it's dive-y glory, on the corner across from the Excel Center. It's a monument to the local venue. There is no corporate sponsor, and although they can't let you smoke in there anymore, it still holds all the atmosphere of a smoke-filled dark and crusty club. It's been a long time since my sneakers stuck to the floor, let's put it that way.

And it was so good to see some local music. We went to the Doomtree Blowout, an annual celebration of, you guessed it, Doomtree, a Minneapolis hip-hop label/collective. They put on a great show, full of energy and grit, and, at the intermission, some great breakdancing. And... I found a new female rapper to love. It's rare to find a woman who can rap and command respect, and who has great lyrics as well. Dessa, of Doomtree, fit the bill. Of all the rappers present (and they were good), she was my favorite, with a distinctive style that reminded me of Mony Love (we're going way back here, folks) with her high staccato style, combined with maybe a little Lauryn Hill soul and intelligence. And her enthusiasm was contagious. The crowd was sooo responsive, not just to her, but the whole time, and the whole show thrived on it.

Aaahhh. And now I feel like a real person again, someone with a life. It was just what I needed, even though J had to practically drag me out. I was giddy with fun while I was down there, and we even killed some time before the show (after some Guiness) at Gameworks, that crazy arcade place downtown. I rode a Harley, killed some zombies with a shotgun, and watched people work it on one of those dance games (although, if you danced like that at a club, people would give you a wide berth, pinning you immediately as a demented Celtic sailor - "Lord of the Poopdeck"). All in all, a fun and silly time was had.

And it's been a long time since I've come home with one ear still ringing...

edit: I just listened to some Dessa clips on myspace.com and I have to reevaluate the Mony Love comment. I think it was just the show (don't get me wrong, I loved Mony Love, she had her charm) - it's a problem I've noticed when going to shows where most of the mc's are men, and then there is a woman. The levels just aren't set right for a female voice or something. Not that I'm an expert or anything, just something I've noticed...

anyway, if you have a myspace account (I had to poach off Liza), do a search for Dessa and listen to some clips. She plays around the Cities pretty regularly, and I would recommend her to anyone in the area looking for something new...