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The Come Up: New Minnesota hip-hop favorites for fall

Cassette
CassetteProvided, artwork created by Natalia Toledo | MPR

by Jeffrey Bissoy-Mattis

October 10, 2022

I pray y’all enjoyed the summer — or as I coined it, #BigBoySummah — just as much as I did. That said, the heat coming from Cities this past year continues into autumn. I’ve got some new music for y’all. A little Afrobeats, some trap, some R&B, some chill vibes for the fall. I got that new new for the whole family. Check it out! 

Kokou Kah - “Good Company”

I’m not sure how I’ve gone so long without featuring Kokou Kah. That’s more of an indictment of me, rather than Kokou, cause my man makes great music. His single, “Good Company,” is great vibes. I personally fell in love with the strings in the background on the beat. Such a great touch. 

JuneThaKid ft. $aiku, King Swank, Stix - “Total Package”

“Total Package” is a fu***** bop. I love everything about his song: the beat, the production, and the macho man presence by JuneThaKid. Everything about it screams tough, and June and company did what they had to do. 

Avante - “Keep On Rocking”

The Twin Cities have steadily increased their roster of top Afrobeats/Afro-fusion artists, and Avante is a name to know. His beats and melodies evoke positive energy that makes you want to hop off your seat and start grooving. If you’ve been in need of a much-needed energy boost check out his recent single, “Keep On Rocking.”

Cassette - “Passin Tha” 

Cassette is back and I couldn’t be happier. The Frenchman has done it again. His latest single, “Passin Tha,” has some serious bounce to it. In my opinion, it’s a perfect vibe to lean into fall with a song that you’d use on IG reels to highlight all your summer exploits and fun.

Reed Benjamin - “Relativity”

Reed Benjamin’s recent single, “Relativity,” was a reminder of how nice he is on the mic. Mans just knows how to put songs together that sound good on the ears. Don’t believe me? Just play the track and get back to me. I’ll wait.

Royal Blaqq ft. Ameen Taahir & The Khidd Kinetic - “FWD”

Between Royal Blaqq and Ameen Taahir, you have two extremely polished rappers, capable of sliding on any track. Bring their talents together like a Dragonball Z fusion and you garner something truly special. “FWD” had me feeling royal, as if everyone should bow down to me or something. 

Prince Carter - Missed Calls

Prince Carter is a singer and overall maestro of curating solid lofi-ish R&B vibes. His single, “Telenovela,” which has been on rotation more than I would care to admit, is an absolute bop. His recent EP, Missed Calls, didn’t disappoint and I think you’ll love it.

Rich Pedro - Peso Talk

I saw a live performance Rich Pedro put up on IG and I was automatically hooked by my man’s flow and energy. Didn’t know who he was and went on a deep dive. A non-mumble rap trap star with a gudda/slimy feel to his beats, Pedro’s had yours truly swaying his head and bopping since I’ve been hip.

Randy $avage - $avage Mode

Some artists get you hooked with their lyricism, others with their flow, some with impeccable beats, but others get you hooked with their voice. That’s how I feel when I listen to Randy $avage. The Afro-Latino from Minneapolis and Oaxaca, Mexico, has a unique rapper voice, which he combines with bangin’ beats and hypnotic flow. He flexes all this and more and his recent project, $avage Mode, which is just that. My favorite song off the project is “Rose.”

Nazeem - “No Me Queda Mas” 

Never thought I’d live to see the day when Minneapolis’ own Nazeem would rap over a Selena beat, but here we are. And wow! That’s all I can say. I’m still processing the seamless blend of cumbia and rap, and Nazeem leaning deeeeep into it. It may not be everyone’s cup of tea, but I loved everything about it. One thing about Nazeem is that you’ll never hear the same song twice, whether it be solo or with Blood $moke Body.

Mack OC - “Superman”

One of the youngest and newest members of Ozone Creations, Mack OC takes the stage here. Being part of one of the largest production companies to take the Twin Cities by storm — and also being cousins with Obi Original — some might say he has some big shoes to fill. Full of swagger and wavy like the rest of Ozone Creations, Mack OC slid on his “Superman” single, fully showcasing his qualities.

Xay Herron - “C H E C K I N G I N”

Excited to introduce y’all to Xay Herron. A singer from the Twin Cities infatuated with making love ballads, Xay is a talented artist. Through the years, I’ve become a fan of live mic performances and the one he did of what appears to be Lake Minnetonka was solid. I hope you enjoy it.

Student 1 - “Psilly Math”

It’s a blessing to get two newly released tracks by Student 1 in recent months. Also, rumor has it there’s a project on the way. “Confines” was a short little bop, but the recent single, “Psilly Math” is a longer, trippy experience as you follow Student 1 losing his mind. The video matches the vibe, fully capturing Student’s goofiness and creativity.

If you have new artists or new music for me to check out — reggae, reggaeton, Afrobeats, house, R&B, hip-hop/rap — SEND IT MY WAY!

DM me anytime @thejeffbissoy on IG and Twitter. 

Much love!