As the world turned its eyes to Minneapolis this week, it found Tony Zaccardi. A member of Romantica and a longtime bartender at Grumpy’s NE, Zaccardi bought Palmer’s Bar in 2018. The bar, a hub of the legendary West Bank music scene, became the site of live broadcasts across the country and beyond as Zaccardi…

Art has been a grounding force in the people’s fight for justice throughout history. If you know of a Minnesota music video we should feature in an upcoming post, please let me know: fridayfive [at] mpr.org. Dua Saleh – “Body Cast” Sudanese-American artist Dua Saleh‘s art has never been separate from their activism. On Instagram,…

Throughout the aftermath of the police killing of George Floyd, Morning Show host Jill Riley has been checking in with community members who have been actively participating in the events that have since unfolded. Riley connected with local hip-hop artist Nur-D after he had recently been arrested to discuss his work with the Justice Frontline…

This past week on The Local Show, we heard from local artists who have been impacted by the killing of George Floyd. Minnesota rapper Dwynell Roland shared a message with The Current’s Local Show listeners on Sunday regarding this tragedy and the community’s response. Hey. This is Dwynell Roland. It’s a wild time. I would…

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…