Musicians/Bands/MCs/DJs/Producers/Dancers

David “Bboy Abide” Pellinen Breaking Class Co-Director / Instructor David “Abide” Pellinen, started dancing in 1998 after seeing Hip Hop dance crew, Battle Cats performed at First Avenue nightclub in Minneapolis. He has shared his unique expression of dance in urban communities worldwide, including locations Kampala, Tokyo, Nairobi, Amsterdam, Montego Bay, Atlanta, New Orleans, Tampa, Orlando, New York, Seattle, Los Angeles and throughout his homeland of Minnesota, especially the Twin Cities metro. Stage performances alongside KRS One, Naughty By Nature, Vanilla Ice, DJ Premier, Agape, Ryan Daniel, Xross, Tru Serva, Mello-D, Maria Isa, Guante, Big Cats!, Diamond D., DJ Los Boogie, Curio Dance, regularly at NBA and WNBA games in Minnesota 2009-2014, and Superbowl LII Halftime show with Justin Timberlake. Co-founded Dance Orchestra, New Heist Dance Crew, The Pack, and 612 Crew. Teaching artist, has directed Hip Hop youth programs and summer camps for youth enrichment in Minneapolis. Mentor with Twin Cities Mobile Jazz Project. Married 10+ years, with two children, and continues to perform, judge, compete, teach, and build appreciation for Hip Hop culture and dance with a youth focus throughout the Twin Cities Metropolitan area in Minnesota.

We like to perform with our hearts and play with our feet and arms. Holly Hansen and band Past and Present players… Brianna Kocka Adam Wozniak Scott McPherson Bree Melechinsky Zack Warpinski Peter Bregman Matt Latterell Noah Paster Justin Korhonen Tim Abramson Thom Burton Jef Sundquist Brett Bullion Joshua Caro Josi Quick Grant Cutler Al Swenson Bobby Maher Mitch Miller Jon Davis Jimmyapolis Josh Granowski

Muja Messiah- Thee Adventures Of A B-Boy D-Boy  A veteran of Minneapolis underground Hip-Hop scene, Muja Messiah, released his first full-length album, Thee Adventures of a B-Boy D-Boy . The Minneapolis based MC is know for his politically incorrect satire as he combines serious issues along with comedy and street anthems that attract the ‘thinking wo/man’ to his sound. With politically charged subject matter like the powerful anti-Bush song, “Patriot Act,” featuring I-Self Devine and “Give It Up,” featuring Black Thought of The Roots, Messiah is lyrically bursting of passion and his message is stronger than ever! Thee Adventures of a B-Boy D-Boy was originally slated to be called Niggativity when the process started in 2006. After working with Che Vicious (Dr.Dre/Eminen) in Los Angeles during the spring of 2007 and with advice from Slug and I-Self Devine, Muja Messiah was out to make a classic album that represented Minneapolis’ harder side. The concept and ideas for the album evolved and Messiah dropped the name Niggitivity, and recorded a fresh batch of songs including bangers-“You Betcha,” “Never Be Broke Again,” and “Pretty Gurl.” Working with longtime producer Doc (Esthero/RES/Young Buck) on the emotional “Growing Pains” Muja shows a vulnerable side […]

http://iTunes.apple.com/us/album/whittier-alliance/id620262073

Mayda is a young yet seasoned Korean Adoptee multi-musician/artist/producer from the land of 10,000 Lakes. “Her R&B-infused pop is undeniably fresh, as she swings between pared-down acoustic struts, full-band funkadelic blasts, and electronic drumbeats and synth flourishes that would make the Purple One proud. The result is a slick, expansive, and evolving pop sound, aided in part by producer and mentor Michael Bland (who drummed with Prince in the early ’90s and currently plays with Nick Jonas), whose Sonic Matrimony Collective label released Mayda’s first full-length, The Interrogation, last year. The prolific young soul singer is just beginning her journey, but it’s hard not to anticipate big things from the petite yet larger-than-life pop songstress.” -Andrea Swensson, The Current Mayda’s music has been featured locally as well as internationally. Numerous of Mayda’s songs have been on Rachael Ray show, Good Morning America, KFC youtube, Reebok Seoul commercials, Jersey Shore, and cable networks such as Showtime and MTV. Recently, Mayda has just signed with South Korean Indie Label, Musicaroma/Feel Good Inc. On a her 3-week tour in Seoul, Mayda was able to meet her birth parents for the first time. In lieu of the performances, her trip was documented on public […]

Ask Tall Paul why he felt it was his purpose to emcee. Don’t expect the conventional “Nas and 2pac made me do it” kind of answer. “I started writing rhymes when I was 14. I was left in awe by 106th & Park’s ‘Freestyle Friday’ rap battle segment. When Jin won for 7 consecutive weeks, capping it off by signing a record deal with the Ruff Ryders, it was crazy. I didn’t actually start writing until shortly after that when I saw my cousin spittin’ into a tape recorder one day. From that point on I just liked the release that it gave me. The lure of the rock star lifestyle that rappers exhibited in music videos was cool too.” Born and raised in Minneapolis, MN, Tall Paul grew up listening to hip hop from all regions. “As a kid I was listening to whoever my brothers and cousins were listening to – Snoop, 2Pac, Biggie, The Fugees, the Luniz, Bone Thugs, Twista and the Speedknot Mobstaz, DMX, and the list goes on.” This would ultimately help mold his fatherless style of flow.  In 2009 Tall Paul decided to take rhyming more serious, both recording and performing live for the […]

New Primitives was founded in 2003 by Stanley Kipper, a veteran drummer of the Southern California music scene. Leading up to the formation of the Prims, Stan had established his presence by playing with such legendary acts as Jay Ferguson, Joe Walsh, The Bee Gees, Randy Meisner, Minnie Ripperton, Gypsy and Bill Withers, as well as acting as producer on many albums. He enlisted long time friend, collaborator, Percussion expert, and former Gypsy bandmate Chico Perez, who himself had performed with recognizable names like Crow, Seventh Wave, and Colla. With Stan on Drums and lead vocals and Chico on Congas and Backing Vocals they, along with a handful of other musicians formed the initial line-up of New Primitives, and the journey began. The music is a mixture of different genres, Reggae/Ska, R&B, Afro Cuban, World Music, deep Funk and American Rock and Roll. Sometimes all played at the same time. New Primitive live shows are legendary, big fun, hypnotic, dance filled events where the music is designed to bring the performers and the audiences into greater focus and deep into the groove, all day or night long! Prim’s bring a unique vibe unmatched by any of their contemporaries! The band’s […]

Jim Stapley has a history. He played the clubs and bars of London from the age of 17. He’s signed record deals, publishing deals and managements deals on multiple continents. He’s fronted bands for some cool names, and has played in front of crowds as small as 2 people, and as large as 30,000. ​ Thats history.  Now he lives in Minneapolis, MN. Now he has started over with a killer new band. Now he wants to do things the old fashioned way. Grass roots. Real music. Real listeners. Real connections. No Bullshit. So, listen to his music. If you like it, tell your friends. If they like it maybe they’ll tell their friends. Maybe you’ll all come hang out at a show. Maybe this could be something. Maybe.

Debbie Duncan may be considered the upper Midwest’s “best-kept-musical secret”, but she has become a local legend and treasure in her home of Minneapolis.   Read Full Article from the Current: https://blog.thecurrent.org/2018/03/minnesota-jazz-legend-debbie-duncan-comes-full-circle-at-the-dakota-jazz-club/

Brian ‘SNOWMAN’ Powers – Saxophonist, Full Band, Producer and Engineer

Guitarist & Vocalist. Whether he is performing at popular venues around the mid-west, building custom oil can guitars, or teaching music for kid’s programs, Joe’s dedication to music is without question. While performing 200+ shows per year, Joe offers a vast variety of live music. His custom oil can guitars, “Hayburners,” have been sold all over the world and have been featured on FOX 9 News, Blues in Britain Magazine, CNET, and The Drive Magazine. Not only content with performing, Joe also serves as a music teacher and promoter of Blues for Kids, a music education program he created at the 501c3 non-profit organization, “Discover Music”. The program is known for organizing workshops at schools and festivals with the mission of teaching children of all ages about the Blues music genre with harmonica and guitar.

Drummer, Guitarist, Vocalist. Growing up in the tough west side neighborhoods of 1950’s Chicago, he didn’t have  much.   Many times, Allen’s Uncle Joe would take him out for a walk that would  end up at the corner bar where Joe would sit Allen on a stool, drop a quarter in the jukebox and depression in teens step outside with his friends to drink a little bit of wine.   While waiting there, Allen would hear all the greats…  Muddy Waters, Howlin’ Wolf,  Little Walter, B.B. King, Jimmy Reed as well as Ethel Merman, Howard Keel, Dewayne Eddy, Elvis, The Moonglows and the Spaniels.  Those days laid the you can check here beginnings of a lifelong passion for music. As a teen, baseball was his claim to fame, but there was a different dream calling.  Allen Kirk has been a natural since the day in 1965 when he sat behind Dirty Red’s drum kit and started playing favorite soul hits. Allen paid his dues on Halsted Street backing up many of Chicago’s greatest at the Kingston Mines.   Across the street at B.L.U.E.S.  he worked with Sunnyland Slim, Bob Stroger, Sam Burkhardt and legendary blues drummer Robert Covington.  It was Robert who took Allen under […]

Ernest Bisong – Violinist

Nick Hensley & the Love Songs For Angry Men

Walter Chancellor Jr. – Professional Saxophonist, Multi-instrumentalist, Arranger, and Music Producer

Maria Isa – Singer, MC, Full Band

Bitter Roots – Full Band – Southern Guitar Rock

Chase and Ovation – A Salute to the Music of PRINCE!

Ryan Cahill – Vocalist, Guitar Player & Drummer