For the Love, a celebration of the St. Paul community and the Twin Cities hip-hop scene, will return to Lowertown on July 11 for its second year. Offering 12 hours of free performances and demonstrations, the event will also host the Twin Cities' own Kanser, who, in celebration of their 20th anniversary, will perform for the first time in years. Other artists in the lineup include Maria Isa, Muja Messiah, Ashley Dubose, Greg Grease, and Baby Shel.

Kanser is a group of musicians with strong ties to the underground hip hop scene and a do-it-yourself work ethic, producing music that they sell hand-to-hand. Founded in 1995 by rappers Zach Combs and Unicus Harry, the group produce high-energy music with a positive perspective. 20 years later Kanser are still going strong, having recently added Alicia Steele and DJ Gabe Garcia.

For the Love will be held from 2:00 p.m. to 2:00 a.m. on Saturday, July 11. It's free and all-ages until 10:00 p.m., at which point it will become 18+. According to the press release from ACEntertainment, this year's festival will highlight the strength of women in the community. In addition to 13 female performers, there will be 20 female hosts introducing acts throughout the event. MetroTransit will offer free transportation to and from the festival, showcasing the newly-finished Green Line Light Rail. For more information, see the For the Love website.

Allegra Wallingford, of Eden Prairie, is a rising sophomore at the University of Notre Dame. She runs a music blog called the Suburban Hipster and drinks a lot of coffee.