Andrea Gibson

“Andrea is a queer poet/activist whose work deconstructs the foundations of the current political machine, highlighting issues such as patriarchy, gender norms, white-supremacy, and capitalist culture.”
www.andreagibson.org

Immortal Technique

Immortal Technique has some of the most insightful and powerful lyrics in the genre of Hip-Hop.  He doesn’t censor himself when addressing difficult topics, and his lyrics reflect his education and passion about ending oppression and overthrowing corrupt systems of government through the world.
www.immortal-technique.com

Talib Kweli

“Ever since emerging as a member of Black Star in the late 1990s, Talib Kweli is one of the few artists making commercially viable music that matters. The Brooklyn bred rapper's hard-hitting music has been able to educate and entertain simultaneously.”
www.talibkweli.com

Mos Def

Mos Def simultaneously combines intricate and unique musical stylings with some of the most carefully-crafted and powerfully-poetic rhymes.
Additionally, when he teams with Talib Kweli as Blackstar, few in Hip-Hop can touch this duo’s talent and message.
www.mosdefmusic.com

Outkast

Outkast is one of the most innovative and boundary-pushing hip-hop duos ever to pick up the mic.  Hailing form Atlanta, GA, Outkast has tremendous diversity in their sound and message and are able to make you get up and move or lay back and chill.
www.outkast.com

Sage Francis
“Darkness and light, anger and serenity, tragedy and comedy - these extremes are contained in Sage Francis . . . Who else besides old-guard warriors like Dylan, Young, Springsteen has the courage to tell the truth? Sage Francis, a man blissfully out of step with his genre, and with his generation.
www.strangefamousrecords.com

Lupe Fiasco
“Hip-hop music, once a platform for creative expression and friendly competition, has, sadly, become a popularity contest. With record sales down and ringtone dollars up, rookies searching for that "one big hit" seem solely concerned with being deemed "cool." Lyrics have side-stepped, giving way to dance-instructing "rappers" more concerned with sparking the new "Macarena" than being hailed as an MC.

On the outside looking in at such followers is Lupe Fiasco. Rather than conform to music industry standards, Fiasco (born Wasalu Muhammad Jaco) has trail-blazed his own path to critical acclaim. Possessing head-spinning wordplay and a topical range more akin to the underground than the mainstream, the 25-year-old lyricist has proven that talent can still make waves in the rap game.”
www.lupefiasco.com

Common
“What does it take to create something timeless? How do you make art that speaks to the human experience? How do you make music that crosses boundaries of gender, class, ethnicity and geography? You speak truth from your heart, filter it through your mind and put your soul into all you do. This is the process of finding forever; and Common’s approach to music. In the age of disposable ringtone rap and one-hit wonders it’s rare to find a rapper who asks himself “what am I giving to the world?” every time he steps into the studio. In rap these days how many people really aspire to make classic material? The man born Lonnie Rashid Lynn does. You see Common isn’t just a dope emcee; he’s the perfect example of hip-hop’s potential for growth.”
www.common-music.com

Atmosphere
“Eleven years after becoming the first hip-hop act to put the Twin Cities on the map, Atmosphere has grown into one of the most accomplished MC/producer duos around . . . Since releasing their 1997 debut, Overcast!, Ant's ASR-born melodic beats and Slug's open book and observational style of rapping continues to evolve into hip-hop that's more honest - more textured.”
www.rhymesayers.com