Read issue 295 »
Iowa is far from a hip-hop capital, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t ingenious emcees, badass b-boys and b-girls, rising rap stars and rhyme-hungry audiences here in the Hawkeye State. In this issue, meet TheZeffsterr, the self-styled “Lazy Billy G.O.A.T.” of rap and founder of the Iowa City hip-hop label Critical Money, which recently earned a lucrative gig opening for DaBaby. Enter, if you dare, Des Moines’s dramatic, boastful world of rap battles, and lay some cardboard on the floor as dancer Chuy Renteria breaks down the art of breaking. (Starting with rule number one: real breakers don’t call it “breakdancing.”) Also in this issue: Cedar Rapids rappers discuss the state of their scene, including a lack of local venues for hip-hop acts; and musicians Nathan and Susan Kula recount how pandemic boredom led them to build their own outdoor stage in Williamsburg. Plus: Chilling at Ely’s bold and cyclist-friendly House Divided Brewery, and reviews of the freshest local albums and books.
