Canterbury Park
Shakopee, Minnesota
24.05.09
A parking lot in the middle of the Minnesotan countryside was the unusual setting for the world’s premier independent hip hop festival. Forget Rock The Bells, forget Paid Dues – Soundset is the true king and after the brilliant 2008 event, Minneapolis label Rhymesayers, the event’s organisers, went even better in 2009.
The two stages were both so choc-full of talent it was almost impossible to decide where to go, but whoever was witnessed, they didn’t disappoint. Starting off on the mainstage, with the sun beating down and around 14,000 people milling around, Aceyalone and Ab Rude dropped the feel good and got the smiles firmly planted on the crowd’s faces with their typically upbeat tunes. Next up was the returning duo of Eyedea and Abilities who showcased new material from their upcoming album “By The Throat” which hits stores in July. Eyedea’s blistering vocals and Abilities mind-bending turntables skills were a joy to behold as the showed that 5 years away from the hip hop game hasn’t blunted their talent and the raucus applause they recieved was a measure of how much they’ve been missed.
Moving over to the Fifth Element stage, Doomtree’s Mike Mictlan and Lazerbeak, the duo known as Hand Over Fist were rocking the crowd with fellow DTR member Paper Tiger. The local rapper knew exactly how to get the crowd moving and his call was a perfect invitation for the crowd’s response which never faltered throughout the set. The beats were banging, with Lazerbeak throwing the drums out from an MPC and Mictlan’s delivery was spot on, the perfect way to show just how talented the crew and indeed the city of Minneapolis, really is.
As if that wasn’t enough Doomtree awesomeness, the main stage then saw P.O.S bring his ridiculously brilliant show to the fore. Never once looking over-awed by the now huge crowd, he and Plain Ole Bill dropped tracks from his recently released “Never Better” album, with sing-a-longs galore before Stef brought out his guitar, allowing his hardcore roots to get their chance to shine in the sun. Crew-mates Dessa and Sims joined him for “Low Light Low Life” before he made way for the enigmatic Sage Francis, who, along with B. Dolan, provided the perfect segue to El-P.
Before El-P hit the main stage however, we moved back across to the Fifth Element stage to see One Be Lo, formerly One Man Army of Binary Star fame. Binary Star were one of the most underrated independent hip hop groups going so to hear the MC bring out some old BS classics was amazing. As soon as he was finished, we hotfooted it back across for the Def Jux head honcho’s set which was comically interspersed with a drunk couple slow-grinding each other to the most sludgey hip hop known to man – who knows what was going on in their heads! El’s set was as big as anticipated with the unexpected bonus of Blueprint rushing the stage and using Mr Dibbs’ microphone to jack a chorus.
Immortal Technique got many of the crowd hyped but was far too monotonous for my liking, but Freeway and Jake One hit the stage to wipe that memory away, the rapper being the latest signing to Rhymesayers. Whilst that was going on, we moved back again to the smaller stage to see Sims‘ set which once again saw fellow Doomtree members hit the stage as P.O.S and Mictlan rejoined him to continue their supremely impressive showing at the festival.
After Sims was done it was over to the bleachers looking out onto the mainstage for the rest of the evening. Brother Ali hit the stage earlier than expected [as DOOM was late!] but showed no signs of letting that affect him belting out crowd favourites like “Forest Whitaker” and the like. There are very few things more satisfying than listening to the big bad motherfuckin’ Brother Ali with the sun beating down on you. When the albino MC was done, it was time for the Metal Faced villain to take to the stage.
Now, let’s get this clear from the off, just seeing DOOM turn up was a treat, following his well publicised continual pulling-out of shows or sending someone else in his place wearing his mask. He played on this at the start of the set, sending out a DOOMposter but when he finally hit the stage, people were more hyped than ever. What following was one of the biggest anti-climaxes in history – the sound cut twice, his hype man was louder than DOOM himself, continually drowning him out and the crowd lost interest quite quickly. But fuck it, at least we saw him right?
If the atmosphere was dampened after DOOM, The Pharcyde‘s bouncing onto the stage stirred it right back up immediately. With all four original members on stage for the first time in years, they knocked out the classics like “Runnin‘” and “Ya Mama” as well as Booty Brown dropping his guest verse from the last Gorillaz album. But the cake-taker of the set was the cover of Bobby Brown’s “My Prerogative” complete with dance moves. They may have been a while but they have lost absolutely nothing, brilliant.
The closing set came from the homegrown kings of the underground – Atmosphere. I have honestly never seen a sight like it in my life when “God Loves Ugly” was played and around 14,000 people threw their hands in the air, pumping back and forth, creating a human wave to gee on Slug and Ant. Slug was at his brilliant best with the crowd, sometimes loving them, sometimes jokingly dissing them – “How’d you know the words? Your old brother lend you a cassette?” – but always staying in control, keeping the spectators eating out of the palm of his hand. Hearing my favourite Atmosphere track, “One Of A Kind” was a highlight among what was an incredible set. They played to the packed out crowd as the sun went down before aptly playing “Sunshine” and signing off the single greatest day of hip hop I’ve ever experienced.
For an independent label to be able to organise an event like this, keep the price down to $30 a ticket whilst having a line-up as eye-popping as they did, is nothing short of a miracle. Every last word of praise deserves to go to everyone at Rhymesayers – Keep on doing what you’re doing and let’s get Soundset 2010 coming around soon!
Abjekt.
Shout out to Jake Money for the hook ups.