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The Come-Up: Twin Cities' Hip-Hop for the Movement

June 04, 2020

Twin Cities hip-hop artists, top row, L to R: Jode Exo, JaeMyth, Juice Lord, Lewiee Blaze, REEL Smoovv; middle row, L to R: OKnice, Sole2dotz, Chase Vibe, Reed Benjamin, Just Jimi; bottom row, L to R: P Will (Prince William$), Nado NSE, The Maraj, Ricki Monique, Blood $moke Body.images courtesy the artists

Being far away from home as our city mourns the loss of George Floyd and mobilizes to take down systems of oppression has been hard for me. I watched as our city burned and have been proud that our communities have come together to clean up in the aftermath. I'm even more proud that we've been unrelenting in our fight for justice and change.

For over a week, I mulled over how I can best be helpful to the community and I've finally come to a conclusion. One, through my personal social media channels and my media and tech start-up, Plugged (@thepluggedapp), I will continue to share information on how folks can volunteer or donate in the healing of our cities.

With Plugged, we will be helping to document the stories of our community members that have been part of the movement--protesting, volunteering and otherwise. If you have a story you'd like to share from your personal narrative, please DM us on Twitter (@thepluggedapp) or email us at info@thepluggedapp.com.

Lastly, as a music aficionado and a man dedicated to showcasing Minnesota's Hip-Hop talent, I will continue to promote the dope music that comes out of our great state.

In this edition of the Come-Up, I'm featuring new music and sounds from Twin Cities' artists. I pray that it gives you the energy you need to continue to uplift, heal and fight for justice.

Blood $moke Body - Lovesick Animal Online

Lewiee Blaze - Freedom Fighter

P Will (Prince Williams) - Survival

REEL Smoovv - Silent Ride

Ricki Monique - Garden of Better

Nado NSE - One For All

Juice Lord - 5/5 EP

The Maraj - Dripstars

Chase Vibe - Love, Again

OKnice - Social Distance

JaeMyth - Real One

Jodé Exo - Nights Like these When Stars Collide

Reed Benjamin - Heirlooms

Just Jimi - Dead

Sole2dotz - DHF

Check them out, and make sure to check out our Spotify playlist of Twin Cities' Hip-Hop:

Jeffrey Bissoy is a former assistant producer at MPR News. Born in Yaounde, Cameroon, raised in The Twin Cities and now based in Mexico City, Jeffrey has grown a passion for representation and identity, Hip-Hop, and the impact of sports on society. He's also the host of the podcast -- The Come-Up -- which stays current with the NBA when the season is on.