the bad boy chiller crew thread reminded me of stuff i used to listen to almost a decade ago that i hadn’t thought of since. in the early 2000s there was sort of a backpack rap scene in the twin cities. it wasn’t that big obviously, but some of the main figures did get surprisingly popular. (later in the decade it developed into a more polished, real instruments, formally educated, NPR-friendly scene.) obviously none of it fits the dissensian notion of good music whatsoever. but a lot of it is grappling with the same underlying question of how to rap as a paste person.
most of this music (even, and particularly that of my old hero Eyedea) seems pretty cringe in retrospect. but i do think some of it holds up, even if i wouldn’t listen to it regularly. this being an example. i’ve always liked the lines from Slug: “I'm glad I left that farm in Northern Minnesota / Where the time moves slower and the winters are colder / Became a city boy, where everybody acts like they older” in particular. just very evocative and well observed.
tbh this video still makes me happy. sway extremely skeptical of these two white kids from minnesota, then instantly smiling when they start, it being obvious how at home they are freestyling. so comfortable that they eventually slip into sort of a funny back and forth banter. totally overqualified for the test they were given. i never wanted to be rapper, so it’s not quite a moment for the fantasies thread. but it's always great when you find some kind of evidence that a weird niche artist you like has the ability to win over crowds and be recognized as talented by famous people should they actually try. that was definitely a part of the appeal of eyedea.