Hip hop

Internationally acclaimed, socially conscious Ghanaian rapper M.anifest releases his new EP Apae in 2013, building upon his success with two studio albums Immigrant Chronicles: Coming to America and Manifestations, and high-profile collaborative recordings with Damon Albarn (Gorillaz), Flea (Red Hot Chili Peppers), Afrobeat co-founder Tony Allen, Erykah Badu, and more. 

He has been described as an artist with “an incredible gift” (the run off groove) who possesses “the kind of assured, joyful, ruminative voice that made Mos Def into Hollywood's favorite conscious-rap star" (City Pages).

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Over the past few months, Big Cats! (of The Tribe and Big Cats!) aka Spencer Wirth-Davis wrote a 70's style soul/Rnb record, "For My Mother" along the lines of Marvin Gaye's "What's Going On" and recorded it with a 9 piece band featuring members of No Bird Sing, Alicia Steele and the Endeavors, Heiruspecs, and more. He then sampled from the recordings to create a full length, instrumental hip hop record. All funds for the album were raised through a Kickstarter project that met its goal of $7,000.  All proceeds of the album and a percentage of the release show will be donated to the Minnesota Ovarian Cancer Alliance in honor of his mother, Christi Wirth-Davis, who died from ovarian cancer two years ago.

Also on the bill tonight will be K. Raydio, and the bold women of The Chalice.

The Cedar is now air-conditioned for your year-round comfort!

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Night Two will see the unique Swedish hip-hop swing proponents MOVITS! take The Cedar audience by storm, after being charged up by North African Arabic fusion proponent MC Rai.

This event is free and open to all.

Three years after WHY? turned the oft-boxed music world on its cauliflower ear with a pair of odd pop stunners—Alopecia and its quieter cousin Eskimo Snow—these meticulous and morbid Midwestern men return refreshed, a new album in the holster and an EP for your immediate enjoyment. Sod in the Seed is a scion of the WHY? To come. Sure, there's familiarity to glom to: psych-warped sunshine choruses, folksy jangle, internally knotted rhyme schemes, confessionals cut with wry wit and crude details. But these new songs also signify a general toughening up: Yoni Wolf, Josiah Wolf and Doug McDiarmid in the pocket, the unbreakable rock core at the center of a spinning ball of sound. Read more »

It is perhaps not so surprising that Bamako, Mali hip-hop trio SMOD are following in the footsteps of Amadou and Mariam in having an album produced by the great Manu Chao. After all, Manu got to know the group, which includes Amadou and Mariam's son Sam, when he was producing the hit album ‘Dimanche à Bamako’ and from there it was but a small step for Manu Chao to record their debut album SMOD back in their home territory a few years later. The Cedar is proud to welcome for their Minnesota debut Sam, Ousco, and Dronsky, who together make up SMOD!

The Cedar is now air-conditioned for your year-round comfort!

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89.3 The Current believes Minnesota music rocks and wants to spotlight it live and out in the community. On Wednesday, June 27, join 89.3 The Current for “Local Current Live”—a showcase of our local music scene. The concert will feature a great mix of local acts: the folk soul of Chastity Brown, the airy indie pop of Van Stee and the sassy hip-hop collective The Chalice. The Local Current crew—David Campbell, Andrea Swensson, and Jon Schober—will also DJ between band sets.
 
“We’re always looking for new ways to share our love of local music and support our scene. Curating a show seemed like a natural fit,” said David Campbell. DJ/host of 89.3 The Current’s “The Local Show.” “Watching bands perform is pretty much the official pastime here at The Current. You hear music you know in a whole new way when musicians and audience commune for a live instillation of the work.” Read more »

Father Creeper, the second album by Johannesburg's Spoek Mathambo (real name: Nthato Mokgata), makes the Afro-futurists look old school. Live drumming and rock guitars intertwine with cyborg drum machine beats, video game bleeps, soulful singing and rap choruses. Lyrically, Father Creeper embraces a deep sensitivity for a traumatized society where the turmoil is real, the optimism stubborn and the booty ripe. Father Creeper shows us a musician hitting his stride with the confidence and vision to craft songs as robust and challenging and attractive as life in our electrified, apocalyptic 2012.

The Cedar is now air-conditioned for your year-round comfort!

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Hip hop artist, two-time National Poetry Slam champion, social justice activist, educator and writer Guante will do one set of spoken word and one more rap-oriented set. Outside on the Cedar patio...free!

It's hip hop night at The Cedar! Tonight, we feature a roster of acts from local label Pledge Empire Records. Headliners Sti-Lo Reel and Ced Linus will be joined by special guests including Cato, Taye, Kidd Cane, Yellow Boy, Tez Michael, Edot, and more. Both Sti-Lo Reel and Cato will be celebrating the release of new albums tonight! Label manager Prince Carlton will be coordinating, and keeping the evening on track.

The Cedar is now fully air-conditioned for your year-round comfort!

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Rock on at the Cedar on one of the darkest days of December with this sweet four-fer, featuring The Book Of Right On and Kill The Vultures, with support from Gay Witch Abortion and Wizards Are Real.

The Cedar is now fully air-conditioned for your year-round comfort!

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• On sale date: noon Fri Oct 21
• Phone: 612-338-2674 ext 2 ($1 fee per ticket)
• In person: From a Cedar volunteer in the front lobby during events (no fee; cash, check, credit card), Depth of Field (no fee; cash or check only), or Electric Fetus (small fee)
• Online: Ticketweb (fees apply) (click on red Buy Tickets button at top of this page)
• All Cedar shows are all ages.
• Students with ID may purchase tickets at a discount at the door.