Soundset set for a 5th year

Posted at 10:52 AM on May 25, 2012 by Euan Kerr
Filed under: Music

(Editors note: MPR Engagement Team intern Sarah Harper contributed this blog entry)

Minnesota mainstay Atmosphere, anti-establishment Chicagoan Lupe Fiasco and Wu-Tang legends Ghostface Killah and Raekwon are slated to headline the annual Soundset festival this Sunday at Shakopee's Canterbury Park.

A slew of Twin Cities artists will perform, including I Self Divine, Prof and the Tribe & Big Cats. National acts include a strong West Coast representation -- two rappers, Grieves and Macklemore, come from Seattle alone.

With Rhymesayers Entertainment behind Soundset , it's no surprise local acts dominate the lineup. But the expected Doomtree affiliates are joined by a diverse bunch of new faces.

Freshest among them is the 16-year-old Tomorrow Genius, a rapper from North Minneapolis who got his big break when Brother Ali brought him up on stage at local faves Get Cryphy's fourth anniversary show.

The precursor to Soundset was a hip-hop rave in a warehouse on Lake Street in 1997, according to City Pages . The event has since grown into a nine-hour festival with three stages, over 40 artists and plenty of diversions. Crowd members with wandering attentions can check out things like a B-boy/B-girl DJ tent and a custom car show.

It's tempting to say the Minnesotan portion of the Soundset lineup is a portrait of the Twin Cities hip-hop scene. But that would be to paint with too broad of a stroke. Soundset is more of a rowdy Sunday picnic, during which crowds can sample a smorgasbord of flavors available in the Twin Cities on any given night.
Find the full lineup and ticketing information here.

(MPR file image of Atmosphere by Nate Ryan)

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