While other regions of the country may have embraced hip-hop before the Midwest, these states in the middle are certainly making up for lost time. With hip-hop scenes in Chicago and Minneapolis gaining significant national attention recently, the Midwest is establishing itself as a breeding ground for emerging talent.
From tomorrow through Saturday this week, a sample of these rising artists will convene at the University of Wisconsin for the second annual Homegrown Hip-Hop Festival.
According to Matt Forrest, who helped organize the event with the Wisconsin Union Directorate’s Music Committee, Associated Students of Madison, Multicultural Council and Wisconsin Union, the idea behind the Homegrown Hip-Hop Festival is “to bring the best hip-hop acts from around the Midwest to Madison.”
Last year’s inaugural celebration boasted passionate performances from Rhymefest and Brother Ali from Chicago and Minneapolis, respectively. While those two rappers have achieved local and national success, Forrest still believes this year’s festival will better demonstrate the versatility of Midwest hip-hop artists.
“This year we wanted to show the extremely dynamic and creative directions that hip-hop in the Midwest is moving in,” Forrest said. “I think all of our artists bring something different to the table, and having them here is something truly amazing.”
And it seems the event’s goal will be achieved — this year’s festival revolves around a deep and very diverse lineup. A handful of Minneapolis artists will perform Thursday night at 7 p.m. in the Memorial Union’s Great Hall. Muja Messiah is a gritty rapper who mixes street economics, hustler anthems and political themes into his music. I Self Devine is a rapper signed to Rhymesayers Entertainment, whose activist lyrics often tell moving tales of victory and injustice. The headliners for Thursday, though, are Minneapolis hip-hop posse Doomtree, a nine-member clique who first met in junior high. They recently released their proper studio debut album and are known for spoken-word style lyrics and genre-bending production.
While there is no concert on Friday night, the “Just Bust A Move!” Open Mic Night, presented by the Office of Multicultural Arts Initiatives, will be held from 8:30 to 11 p.m. in Tripp Commons. This event, hosted by First Wave and co-sponsored by the WUD Student Performance Committee, will allow students to show off their spoken word talents to attendees or take in the rhymes of others.
Saturday night’s shows will also be in the Great Hall, and they will begin at 6 p.m. Among those performing will be Quest McCody, an MC known for his freestyling prowess. Krukid is a Ugandan rapper who now resides in Champaign, Ill., and uses his music to represent his home nation as well as raise awareness about some of the social problems persisting there. But the headliner for Saturday, and for the entire event, is Chicago’s spunky female MC Kid Sister, best known for her poppy, Kanye West-collaborated single, “Pro Nails.”
With a varied body of artists, all exhibiting different styles and backgrounds, this year’s Homegrown Hip-Hop Festival should thoroughly encapsulate the essence and potential of Midwest hip-hop music.
The Homegrown Hip-Hop Festival starts Thursday, and it’s free.
