Within the Twin Cities hip-hop scene, few acts have had the fortune to flourish and adapt deep into their careers. On Evolve, the newest album from Unknown Prophets, they are proving that with age comes wisdom.

Hip-hop has been rife with debate regarding age, relevance, and longevity since its inception. The fans, artists, press, and industry all grapple with progressing with the times. Giving due to those that paved the way gets complicated in the face of lackluster projects and uneven career arcs. Recently, 21 Savage caught fire for saying Nas was “not relevant” — before they patched things up and released a new song together. It’s evidence of the ever-shifting tides.

“I’m here to redefine your perception of 40,” –Mad Son of Unknown Prophets, “Sunrise”

This new project comes on the heels of an 11-year hiatus since World Premier 2. Mad Son, Big Jess, and DJ Willy Lose not only unsheath the wisdom they’ve acquired, but bare their vulnerability and self-reflection.

“Evolve is special,” Mad Son recalls via Zoom.  “We’re at a place in our lives that we love, and Evolve is a celebration of getting to that place, and sharing it with others through our music. We’re so damn proud of this album.”

The hiatus between projects revolved not only around Mad Son and Big Jess’s own relationship but also their personal lives.  In the past, Big Jess was in the driver's seat as the group’s main producer, but Mad Son assisted more than ever before on Evolve — something Jess was reluctant to do at first.

“There was some ego that got in the way of how we used to do things, so it was initially difficult to let go,” Jess remembers. “A lot of the process in the past would be me building a lot of beats, and having things ready to go whenever we talked about a new project. Now with Mad Son involved more in the production of these songs, we can play off each other’s ideas, and it makes for a better dynamic in the group than we’ve had in the past.”

One thing that hasn’t changed in the process is DJ Willy Lose’s scratches finding harmony among the new songs that Big Jess and Mad Son have crafted. “Both Mad Son and Big Jess told me to let the vocal scratches come organically,” Willy mentions. “In the past, a lot of it would be me analyzing what they’ve done with the songs they created, and then figuring out with Jess what would go where.  This time, being told to pick what comes natural without regard for its being used a lot, it was definitely freeing, and a change.”

“Sunrise'' offers an unflinching reflection on the duo’s time in the Twin Cities music scene, and rekindled the creative spark between Mad Son and Big Jess.

“I remember being in a difficult space mentally,” Mad Son recalls. “I needed to create some new music. I told Jess let’s create a song from scratch, but this one has to count.” Jess pushed away from his workstation and invited Mad Son to come up with that “something.” “We started to build around a small organ sound that I dropped down several octaves as a bassline. Jess didn’t seem impressed at all until I added some guitar. I remember getting up to have Jess start adding drums and a proper bassline as I paced the room writing the hook. Before you knew it, we both looked at each other knowing we were creating something special. It was a modern, more mature version of us and our sound and it was the beginning of what would be our best work ever.”

Elsewhere on Evolve, “Say Goodbye” and “Driving Through the Darkness” have allowed the group to reflect on their personal lives as they let go of old vices.  Songs like “Nothing Left to Prove” touch on the legacy the Prophets have built, and jams like “Satellites” and “Journey” are geared to help keep fellow creatives in their field inspired.  

Unknown Prophets released Evolve 25 years after their inception in November of 1997. They haven't kept completely quiet during their 11-year hiatus. In 2021, they joined forces with Kanser to form the supergroup Re5ve, and released a self-titled project. Additionally, Mad Son is an accomplished photographer under the moniker Bump Opera (including work for The Current), and Big Jess continues to produce music for acts around the Twin Cities. Evolve reignites the Unknown Prophets’ creative flames with future plans to create music more collaboratively.

“Seeing those first reviews come in from people who listened to Evolve when we dropped it at midnight has been unlike any fan reception from any album we’ve released,” Mad Son and Jess say.  “Whether it’s a first-time listener who has heard ‘Sunrise’ or ‘Say Goodbye,’ or a longtime listener who has rocked with us since World Premier, all the praise about how honest and refreshing it is to hear some grown people rap about things that affect grown people like us has reaffirmed our dedication to continue to make good music.”