This past week on the Local Show, host Andrea Swensson shared the voices of Minnesota artists sharing their thoughts and feelings in the wake of George Floyd’s killing. Here’s a statement shared by MaLLy. Yo. What’s good? This is MaLLy, hip-hop artist out of the Twin Cities, Minneapolis, Minnesota. It’s been a challenging week. I’ve…

Twin Cities hip-hop artist Nur-D was arrested in St. Paul last night while providing volunteer first aid at the Minnesota State Capitol during a peaceful demonstration in the wake of the police killing of George Floyd. The protesters, who were singing “Lean On Me,” were out past the 10 p.m. curfew imposed by Minnesota authorities.…

This past week on the Local Show, host Andrea Swensson asked artists and musicians to discuss their reactions to George Floyd’s death and the community’s response. She was able to connect with Maria Isa and Muja Messiah and chat about who George Floyd was and his role in the community, as well as the necessity…

“It takes me ten minutes to drive to school, right?” said André Cymone, referring to the approximate amount of time former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin knelt on George Floyd’s neck. “That’s how my kids understand, how I understand it. Ten minutes to get in the car, start to drive, get on the freeway, drive…

In light of the events that have been transpiring in Minneapolis, this week’s Friday Five will focus on local artists’ response to police violence throughout history. astralblak – “What’s The Price?” In a 2016 video, astralblak (fka ZULUZULUU) repeat the question “What’s the price for a young black man’s life?” and illustrate the all-too-common violence…

Yesterday, as protests over the death of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis police spread across the nation, the Prince estate released a 2015 live recording from a “Dance Rally 4 Peace” the artist played with 3RDEYEGIRL at Paisley Park. The concert was held to honor the late Freddie Gray and support Baltimore protesters…

The Hexagon Bar, a Minneapolis music and nightlife landmark since 1934, erupted in flames overnight as Minneapolis and St. Paul were roiled by ongoing unrest in the wake of the death of George Floyd in police custody. Social media posts this morning show that the venue became engulfed in flames between 2:00 and 3:00 a.m.,…

The Minnesota music community is reeling from the death of George Floyd. Around 8 p.m. on Monday, Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin knelt on Floyd’s neck for several minutes at 38th and Chicago in South Minneapolis (for more on this, go to MPR News). In Minneapolis, Floyd was best known for working security at Conga…

“I don’t celebrate birthdays, so that stops me from counting days, which stops me from counting time,” said Prince in an interview with Dutch TV host Ivo Niehe in 1999. Prince was born in Minneapolis on June 7, 1958 and although the icon didn’t always celebrate the occasion, fans have largely embraced the date as…

If you have a music video you’d like to be considered for an upcoming feature, send it my way at fridayfive [at] mpr.org! Graveyard Club – “Dreamland” Graveyard Club’s nostalgic 80s synth-pop influenced jams are as cinematic as ever in their video for “Dreamland.” Here, a man is haunted by memories of an ex-lover, shown…