It seems the Nomad is the place to be for hip hop and revolutionary causes. We got some photos from the night and collected links to some insightful El Guante news. I don’t know why I end up writing about many a hip hop shows other than I love the music and I do most of the photography. I dare not tell you I’m an expert evaluating the genre considering one of my friends there said “EJ, I just never imagined you at a hip hop show!” What?! Shoo’ gurl where you been?

Like many of you scenesters, I expand my horizons and it seems that the Nomad is doing a good job of helping others expand theirs. Once again the place is diverse, unpretentious, and just plain dance breaking fun. With a chilly -4 degrees, I got there to see the last act, managing to embarrass myself in front of K. Myhre (spoken word hero El Guante). I noticed he was giving away Culture Bully stickers which some of you ought to plaster the town with. The Guante reports that the Nomad has never been so packed, ever, and people were literally pushed up to the doors and windows mid-act (okay I lied I drove by two hours earlier). A

s my fingers snapped away about 1:30am, Kredentials was riling up a young audience that still filled half the room. My gurl commented that she was digging the boys. Why of course there are boys (and girls), the show is called Hip Hop Against Homophobia and with the promoting muscle of the state’s largest LGBTQ organization OutFront Minnesota, not to mention rally rable rousing Join the Impact, there was indeed a feeling of community outpouring from those I spoke to. It was celebration and recognition. It reminded me of the struggle of women in hip hop.

Btw lead vocalists Mr. Kretz and Mr. Dent, she would like you to have her phone number. To learn more about the night’s organizering magic, check out Culture Bully’s video preview. Cake in 15, the music blog sophisticate, has a very introspective interview with El Guante.

A Google survey of the event reaps that nearly every single interweb out there promoted the show. Kudos! But poor Andrea Swensson of City Pages was berated by a gay hip hop artist for accidentally writing “Hip Hop Against Homelessness” which was later corrected. I’m sure such a show will eventually happen. If no one noticed last year an Office to End Homelessness was created at Hennepin County/City of Mpls to assist our chronic street friends toward a sustainable life by 2010.

Kredentials (myspace)

Culture Bully has add’l artist links and MP3 downloads