Eyedea and Abilities

As the brainy cousin of Slug from Atmosphere, Eyedea's reputation was built in renowned hip-hop war zones such as the Blaze Battle, DMC and Scribble Jam. The freewheeling Minneapolis wunderkind prattles in a dense, literate and hilarious style that pays homage to his battle-scarred past. To date, Eyedea's recorded works (including his spotty yet brilliant sophomore effort, The Many Faces of Oliver Hart) haven't captured his barnstorming live presence. However, the situation may be remedied with the release of his forthcoming full-length, an album with longtime turntable collaborator Abilities being issued by none other than punk icon Epitaph Records.