{{Short description|American independent hip-hop record label}} {{Infobox record label | name = Rhymesayers Entertainment | image = Rhymesayerslogo.jpg | founded = {{start date|1995}} | founder = {{plainlist| * Sean Daley (Slug) * Anthony Davis (Ant) * Musab Saad (Sab the Artist) * Brent Sayers (Siddiq) }} | distributor = ADA (former)<br/>Secretly Distribution (current) | genre = Hip-hop, underground hip-hop, alternative hip-hop | country = U.S. | location = Minneapolis, Minnesota | website = {{URL|rhymesayers.com}} }} '''Rhymesayers Entertainment''' (sometimes abbreviated '''RSE'''<ref>{{cite web|first=Chaz|last=Kangas |url=http://www.citypages.com/music/rhymesayers-at-20-how-the-best-roster-in-hip-hop-was-built-7870787 |title=Rhymesayers at 20: How the best roster in hip-hop was built|work=City Pages|date=December 2, 2015|access-date=June 30, 2019}}</ref>) is an American independent hip-hop record label based in Minneapolis.<ref>{{cite magazine |url=https://www.billboard.com/pro/rhymesayers-entertainment-survived-20-years-indie-label/|title=How Rhymesayers Entertainment Survived 20 Years As An Indie Label|magazine=Billboard |first=Dan|last=Rhys |date=December 4, 2015|access-date=June 30, 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|first=Rory|last=Burbeck |url=http://www.sxsw.com/music/news/2015/rhymesayers-label-founders-discuss-20-years-success-sxsw-music-2015|title=Rhymesayers Label Founders to Discuss 20 Years of Success at SXSW Music 2015|work=SXSW |date=February 4, 2015|access-date=January 6, 2016}}</ref>
== History == Rhymesayers Entertainment was co-founded in 1995 by Sean Daley (Slug), Anthony Davis (Ant), Musab Saad (Sab the Artist) and Brent Sayers (Siddiq).<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/shawnsetaro/2015/11/30/rhymesayers-20-an-oral-history/ |title=Rhymesayers At 20: An Oral History|work=Forbes|first=Shawn|last=Setaro|date=November 30, 2015|access-date=January 6, 2016}}</ref> Former members of the Headshots crew.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://rhymesayers.com/blogs/news/a-moment-in-rhymesayers-episode-4-headshots-tape-4-history |title=A Moment In Rhymesayers: Episode 4 - Headshots Tape 4 History |work=Rhymesayers Entertainment |access-date=May 18, 2022}}</ref> Beginning in 2008, Rhymesayers Entertainment sponsors the annual Soundset Music Festival, a popular attraction that takes place over Memorial Day weekend in Minneapolis.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.citypages.com/music/how-rhymesayers-set-up-the-soundset-festival-6757365|title=How Rhymesayers set up the Soundset Festival|work=City Pages|first=Reed|last=Fischer|date=May 23, 2012|access-date=June 30, 2019}}</ref> The music festival was postponed in 2020.<ref name="GoRadio">{{Cite news |last=Kangas |first=Chaz |date=2020-01-24 |title=Soundset 2020: CANCELLED, Go Radio looks back on Soundset memories |language=en-US |work=Go 95.3 |url=https://goradiomn.com/soundset2020cancelled/ |access-date=2020-11-01}}</ref>
Rhymesayers released Prof and Dem Atlas from their label in 2020.
In 2020, Rhymesayers was among the many labels distributed by Alternative Distribution Alliance that left the company after ADA moved all of its business to the Indiana-based Direct Shot Distributing. Controversy erupted when Direct Shot received numerous complaints from retailers over delayed or missing shipments.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Grech |first1=Aaron |title=Indie Labels 4AD, Matador, Domino and More Exit Warner's Alternative Distribution Alliance Due to Delayed or Missing Vinyl Shipments |url=https://music.mxdwn.com/2020/01/07/news/indie-labels-4ad-matador-domino-and-more-exit-warners-alternative-distribution-alliance-due-to-delayed-or-missing-vinyl-shipments/ |website=mxdwn.com |date=7 January 2020 |publisher=mxdwn.com |access-date=2020-08-30}}</ref> As a result, Secretly Distribution became the current distributor for Rhymesayers Entertainment.<ref>{{cite web |title=Secretly Distribution - Partners |url=https://secretlydistribution.com/ |website=secretlydistribution.com |publisher=Secretly Group |access-date=2020-08-30}}</ref>
The label also opened a record store in 1999 called Fifth Element, which closed on April 1, 2020.<ref name="KSTP">{{Cite news |last=Wiita |first=Tommy |date=2020-03-27 |title=Fifth Element, Rhymesayers record store, closes permanently |language=en |work=KSTP |url=https://kstp.com/business/fifth-element-rhymesayers-record-store-closes-permanently-march-27-2020/5686068/ |access-date=2020-11-01}}</ref>thumb|right|Rhymesayers Entertainment is headquartered in the same building as its former music store, Fifth Element, in Uptown, Minneapolis, 2013. ==Roster== {{Update section|date=September 2022}} <!-- Please provide a valid source for any new additions or changes to this list --> ===Signees=== Source:<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.rhymesayers.com/artists|title=Artists|work=Rhymesayers Entertainment|access-date=January 6, 2016}}</ref> {{div col|colwidth=22em}} * Aesop Rock * Atmosphere (Slug and Ant) * Brother Ali * Dilated Peoples (DJ Babu, Evidence and Rakaa) * Evidence * Eyedea & Abilities * Face Candy (Eyedea, Kristoff Krane, J.T. Bates and Casey O'Brien) * Felt (Murs and Slug) * Hail Mary Mallon (Aesop Rock, DJ Big Wiz and Rob Sonic) * I Self Devine * Malibu Ken (Tobacco and Aesop Rock) * Micranots (I Self Devine and DJ Kool Akiem) * MInk (Musab and Ink Well) * Nikki Jean * Sa-Roc * Semi.Official (I Self Devine and DJ Abilities) * Soul Position (Blueprint and RJD2) * Step Brothers (The Alchemist and Evidence) * The Uncluded (Aesop Rock and Kimya Dawson) {{div col end}}
===Archived artists=== {{div col|colwidth=22em}} * Abstract Rude * Blueprint * Budo * DJ Abilities * Freeway * Grayskul (JFK aka Ninjaface and Onry Ozzborn) * Jake One * MF Doom * Mr. Dibbs * P.O.S * Psalm One * Sab the Artist * Toki Wright {{div col end}}
===Former artists=== {{div col|colwidth=22em}} * Boom Bap Project * The Dynospectrum * Mac Lethal * Prof * Grieves * Dem Atlas{{div col end}}<!-- Please provide a valid source for any new additions or changes to this list -->
==See also== * List of record labels * Twin Cities hip-hop * Underground hip-hop
==References== {{Reflist}}
==Further reading== * {{cite web|url=https://consequence.net/2015/03/once-upon-a-time-in-minneapolis-20-years-of-rhymesayers/|title=Once Upon a Time in Minneapolis: 20 Years of Rhymesayers|work=Consequence of Sound|first=Killian|last=Young|date=March 12, 2015|access-date=January 6, 2016}} * {{cite web|url=http://www.startribune.com/20-defining-moments-in-rhymesayers-20-year-history/360451691/|title=20 defining moments in Rhymesayers' 20-year history|work=Star Tribune|first=Chris|last=Riemenschneider|date=December 3, 2015|access-date=January 6, 2016}} * {{cite web|url=http://www.mtv.com/news/2616582/rhymesayers-20th-anniversary-oral-history-atmosphere/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151205192601/http://www.mtv.com/news/2616582/rhymesayers-20th-anniversary-oral-history-atmosphere/|url-status=dead|archive-date=December 5, 2015|title=Rhymesayers: An Oral History Of The Indie Rap Empire|work=MTV|first=Andres|last=Tardio|date=December 4, 2015|access-date=January 6, 2016}} * {{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2014/feb/04/rhymesayers-finest-independent-hip-hop-label-world|title=Rhymesayers – the finest independent hip-hop label in the world?|work=The Guardian|first=Rob|last=Boffard|date=February 4, 2014|access-date=November 5, 2018}}
==External links== * {{Official website|www.rhymesayers.com}} * {{Discogs label|Rhymesayers Entertainment}}
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Category:Rhymesayers Entertainment Category:Record labels established in 1995 Category:American independent record labels Category:Independent record labels based in Minnesota Category:Hip-hop record labels Category:Hip-hop collectives Category:Companies based in Minneapolis Category:Culture of Minnesota Category:1995 establishments in Minnesota