Rhymesayers Entertainment (sometimes abbreviated RSE) is an American independent hip-hop record label based in

Minneapolis Minneapolis () is the largest city in Minnesota, United States, and the county seat of Hennepin County. The city is abundant in water, with thirteen lakes, wetlands, the Mississippi River, creeks and waterfalls. Minneapolis has its origins ...

History

Rhymesayers Entertainment was co-founded in 1995 by Sean Daley (

Slug Slug, or land slug, is a common name for any apparently shell-less terrestrial gastropod mollusc. The word ''slug'' is also often used as part of the common name of any gastropod mollusc that has no shell, a very reduced shell, or only a smal ...

), Anthony Davis (

Ant Ants are eusocial insects of the family Formicidae and, along with the related wasps and bees, belong to the order Hymenoptera. Ants evolved from vespoid wasp ancestors in the Cretaceous period. More than 13,800 of an estimated total of 22 ...

), Musab Saad (

Sab the Artist Musab Saad, better known by his stage name Sab the Artist, Musab, or Beyond, is an American recording artist, rapper, songwriter, record producer, and music executive from Minneapolis, Minnesota, currently residing in Las Vegas, Nevada. Career ...

) and Brent Sayers (Siddiq). Former members of the Headshots crew. Beginning in 2008, Rhymesayers Entertainment sponsors the annual

Soundset Music Festival Soundset Music Festival was a hip-hop music festival held yearly in the Minneapolis-Saint Paul area over Memorial Day, Memorial Day weekend. Since Soundset began in the Metrodome parking lot in 2008, attendance has grown from 12,000 to over 30,000 c ...

, a popular attraction that takes place over Memorial Day weekend in Minneapolis. The music festival was postponed in 2020. Rhymesayers released

Prof Professor (commonly abbreviated as Prof.) is an academic rank at universities and other post-secondary education and research institutions in most countries. Literally, ''professor'' derives from Latin as a "person who professes". Professors ...

and

Dem Atlas Joshua Ryan Turner (born May 31, 1992), better known by his stage name Dem Atlas (often stylized as deM atlaS), is an American rapper from Saint Paul, Minnesota. He was formally a member of the group Sifu Hotman alongside rapper Guante and produc ...

from their label in 2020. In 2020, Rhymesayers was among the many labels distributed by

Alternative Distribution Alliance Alternative Distribution Alliance (ADA) is a music distribution company owned by Warner Music Group, which represents the rights to various independent record labels. ADA provides "independent artist and label partners with access to the resource ...

that left the company after ADA moved all of its business to the

Indiana Indiana () is a U.S. state in the Midwestern United States. It is the 38th-largest by area and the 17th-most populous of the 50 States. Its capital and largest city is Indianapolis. Indiana was admitted to the United States as the 19th s ...

-based Direct Shot Distributing. Controversy erupted when Direct Shot received numerous complaints from retailers over delayed or missing shipments. As a result,

Secretly Distribution Secretly Group is a family of American independent record labels based in Bloomington, Indiana. The group is made up of Secretly Canadian, Jagjaguwar, and Dead Oceans. Secretly Canadian, the first of the labels, was formed in 1996 by brothers Ch ...

became the current distributor for Rhymesayers Entertainment. The label also opened a record store in 1999 called Fifth Element, which closed on April 1, 2020. 2013-0314-FifthElement-Rhymesayers

Roster

Artists in promotion by 2016

Aesop Rock Ian Matthias Bavitz (born June 5, 1976), better known by his stage name Aesop Rock, is an American rapper and producer from Long Island, New York. He was at the forefront of the new wave of underground and alternative hip hop acts that emerge ...

Atmosphere An atmosphere () is a layer of gas or layers of gases that envelop a planet, and is held in place by the gravity of the planetary body. A planet retains an atmosphere when the gravity is great and the temperature of the atmosphere is low. A s ...

(

and

) *

Brother Ali Ali Douglas Newman (born Jason Douglas Newman, July 30, 1977), better known by his stage name Brother Ali, is an American rapper, community activist, and member of the Rhymesayers Entertainment hip hop collective. He has released seven albums, ...

Dilated Peoples Dilated Peoples is an American hip hop group from Los Angeles, California. They have had little mainstream success in the US, with the exception of the song " This Way", a 2004 collaboration with Kanye West. Better known in the UK, they reached t ...

(

DJ Babu Chris Oroc a.k.a. Melvin Babu (born September 17, 1974), better known as DJ Babu or DJ Babu the Dilated Junkie, is a Filipino-American DJ and producer. He is a member of the hip hop trio Dilated Peoples, with Rakaa Iriscience and Evidence and ...

, Evidence and

Rakaa Rakaa Taylor, better known by his stage names Rakaa, Rakaa Iriscience, and Iriscience, is a rapper from Los Angeles, California. He is a member of Dilated Peoples alongside Evidence and DJ Babu. Career Rakaa released the solo debut album, ''Crow ...

) *

Evidence Evidence for a proposition is what supports this proposition. It is usually understood as an indication that the supported proposition is true. What role evidence plays and how it is conceived varies from field to field. In epistemology, evidenc ...

Eyedea & Abilities Eyedea & Abilities (often abbreviated as E&A) was an American hip hop duo from Saint Paul, Minnesota, consisting of rapper Eyedea and DJ Abilities. The duo was founded in 1999 and became a prominent figure of the underground hip hop scene, be ...

Face Candy Face Candy was an American improvisational jazz rap group by led rapper Eyedea in Saint Paul, Minnesota. The group released one album, ''This Is Where We Were'', in 2006. The initial lineup on the album consisted of Eyedea, Kristoff Krane, J.T. B ...

(

Eyedea Micheal David Larsen (November 9, 1981 – October 16, 2010), better known by his stage name Eyedea, was an American musician, rapper, and poet. He was a freestyle battle champion and songwriter from Saint Paul, Minnesota. Larsen had appear ...

Kristoff Krane About Kristoff Krane is a rapper from Minneapolis, MN known for his stream-of-consciousness approach to writing, freestyling, and performing. In addition to his solo releases, Krane was also frontman alongside Eyedea (of Eyedea & Abilities) ...

, J.T. Bates and Casey O'Brien) *

Felt Felt is a textile material that is produced by matting, condensing and pressing fibers together. Felt can be made of natural fibers such as wool or animal fur, or from synthetic fibers such as petroleum-based acrylic or acrylonitrile or wood ...

(

Murs Murs may refer to: People * Marc Athanase Parfait Œillet des Murs (1804-1878), French ornithologist * Olly Murs (born 1984), English singer-songwriter * Murs (rapper) (born 1978), American rapper Places * Murs, Indre, France * Murs, Vaucluse, ...

and Slug) *

Hail Mary Mallon Hail Mary Mallon was an American hip-hop group consisting of Aesop Rock, Rob Sonic, and DJ Big Wiz. The group's name is a reference to Typhoid Mary. Their first release was the song "D-Up", featured on the compilation album, ''Definitive Jux ...

(Aesop Rock, DJ Big Wiz and

Rob Sonic Robert Smith, better known by his stage name Rob Sonic, is an American rapper and record producer from the Bronx, New York. He has been a member of the groups Sonic Sum and Hail Mary Mallon. He is a founder of the record label Skypimps Music. B ...

) *

I Self Devine Chaka Mkali (born 1972), better known by his stage name I Self Devine, is an American hip hop musician based in Minneapolis. He has been a member of groups such as The Dynospectrum, Micranots, and Semi.Official. In 2012, '' City Pages'' describ ...

Malibu Ken Malibu Ken (also known as Aesop Rock & TOBACCO are Malibu Ken) is an American hip hop duo composed of rapper Aesop Rock and multi-instrumentalist Tobacco. The duo released their eponymous debut album on January 18, 2019, through Rhymesayers En ...

(

Tobacco Tobacco is the common name of several plants in the genus '' Nicotiana'' of the family Solanaceae, and the general term for any product prepared from the cured leaves of these plants. More than 70 species of tobacco are known, but the ...

and Aesop Rock) * Micranots (I Self Devine and DJ Kool Akiem) * MInk (Musab and Ink Well) *

Nikki Jean Nicholle "Nikki" Jean Leary is an American singer. After studying theatre, Jean began her career as the lead singer of the Philadelphia-based band Nouveau Riche. She began posting acoustic music online. Jean gained major recognition after bein ...

Sa-Roc Assata Perkins (born December 28, 1981), known professionally as Sa-Roc (), is an American rapper. In 2016, she became the second female rapper to sign with the Rhymesayers label. Early life Sa-Roc was born in Southeast, Washington, D.C. on Dece ...

Semi.Official Semi.Official is an American hip hop group from Minnesota. It consists of I Self Devine and DJ Abilities. The duo released the debut album, ''The Anti-Album'', on Rhymesayers Entertainment in 2003. In 2011, ''Complex (magazine), Complex'' listed t ...

(I Self Devine and

DJ Abilities Gregory Keltgen, better known by his stage name DJ Abilities, is an American underground hip hop producer and DJ signed to Rhymesayers Entertainment who is based in Minneapolis. He is a founding member of Eyedea & Abilities alongside Eyedea, S ...

) *

Soul Position Soul Position is an American alternative hip hop duo hailing from Columbus, Ohio. It consists of DJ/ producer RJD2 and rapper Blueprint. The duo has released two albums and one EP on Rhymesayers Entertainment. Discography Albums * '' 8 Milli ...

(

Blueprint A blueprint is a reproduction of a technical drawing or engineering drawing using a contact print process on light-sensitive sheets. Introduced by Sir John Herschel in 1842, the process allowed rapid and accurate production of an unlimited number ...

and

RJD2 Ramble Jon Krohn (born May 27, 1976), better known by his stage name RJD2, is an American musician based in Columbus, Ohio. He is the owner of record label RJ's Electrical Connections. He has been a member of groups such as Soul Position, MHz Lega ...

) * Step Brothers (

The Alchemist An alchemist is a person who practices alchemy. Alchemist or Alchemyst may also refer to: Books and stories * ''The Alchemist'' (novel), the translated title of a 1988 allegorical novel by Paulo Coelho * ''The Alchemist'' (play), a play by Ben ...

and Evidence) *

The Uncluded The Uncluded was an American indie folk rap group, formed by rapper Aesop Rock and singer-songwriter Kimya Dawson. In 2013, they released an album titled ''Hokey Fright'', through Rhymesayers Entertainment. The band name is a reference to the Mi ...

(Aesop Rock and

Kimya Dawson Kimya Dawson (born November 17, 1972) is an American folk singer-songwriter, one half of the anti-folk duo the Moldy Peaches. Dawson's work with the Moldy Peaches earned them a cult following and critical acclaim, with their 2001 song "Anyone El ...

)

Archived artists

Abstract Rude Aaron Pointer, better known by his stage name Abstract Rude, is a rapper from Los Angeles, California. He is the MC of Abstract Tribe Unique, alongside dancers Zulu Butterfly and Irie Lion King, turntablist DJ Drez and producer Fat Jack. He ...

* Budo *

Freeway A controlled-access highway is a type of highway that has been designed for high-speed vehicular traffic, with all traffic flow—ingress and egress—regulated. Common English terms are freeway, motorway and expressway. Other similar terms ...

Grayskul Grayskul is an American hip hop duo based in Seattle, Washington, consisting of rappers Onry Ozzborn and JFK Ninjaface. Since its formation in 2003, the group has released ten solo albums. The duo often collaborate with artists from the Pacifi ...

(JFK aka Ninjaface and

Onry Ozzborn Michael Sean Martinez (born March 25, 1979), better known by his stage name Onry Ozzborn, is an American rapper and producer from Seattle, Washington. He is a founding member of alternative hip hop groups such as Grayskul, Dark Time Sunshine, and ...

) *

Jake One Jacob Brian Dutton (born May 11, 1976), known professionally as Jake One, is an American record producer and songwriter.Palermo, Thomas (2008)Jake One Readies New Album, XLR8R, September 5, 2008Matos, Michaelangelo (2004)Rocketship Blowing Up, Se ...

MF Doom Daniel Dumile ( ; July 13, 1971October 31, 2020), best known by his stage name MF Doom or simply Doom (both stylized in all caps), was a British-American rapper and record producer. Noted for his intricate wordplay, signature metal mask, and ...

Mr. Dibbs Mr. Dibbs (born Brad Forste) is an American DJ and hip hop producer. He is the Founder of 1200 HOBOS j/graff collective He was also one of the founders of Scribble Jam. Early life Born in Cincinnati, Ohio, Forste was introduced to DJing aroun ...

* P.O.S *

Psalm One Cristalle Bowen (born July 1, 1980), better known by her stage names Psalm One and Hologram Kizzie, is an American rapper from Chicago, Illinois. She has been a member of the groups Nacrobats, Rapperchicks, and Big Silky. Early life Psalm One w ...

Toki Wright Toki Wright (born March 27, 1980) is an American rapper and educator from Minneapolis. His debut solo studio album, ''A Different Mirror'', was released on Rhymesayers Entertainment in 2009. Early life and education Toki Wright was born in Minne ...

Artists formerly signed to the label include

Boom Bap Project Boom Bap Project is an American Northwest hip hop group from Portland, Oregon. It consists of Karim, DJ Scene, and Destro, who are also part of the Oldominion collective. History Boom Bap Project released the first album, ''Circumstance Dictat ...

The Dynospectrum ''The Dynospectrum'' is a studio album by The Dynospectrum, a collaboration between rappers Slug, I Self Devine, Sab the Artist, and Swift. They performed under the pseudonyms Sep Sev Sev Two, Pat Juba, General Woundwart, and Mr. Gene Poole, respe ...

Mac Lethal Mac or MAC most commonly refers to: * Mac (computer), a family of personal computers made by Apple Inc. * Mackintosh, a raincoat made of rubberized cloth * A variant of the word macaroni, mostly used in the name of the dish mac and cheese * Mac ...

Grieves Benjamin Laub (February 23, 1984), better known by his stage name Grieves, is an American hip hop artist based in Seattle, Washington. Born in Chicago, Illinois, he lived in Colorado, San Diego, and New York City. He was signed to Rhymesayers En ...

References

External links

* * {{Authority control Record labels established in 1995 American independent record labels Independent record labels based in Minnesota Hip hop record labels Hip hop collectives Companies based in Minneapolis Minnesota culture