Meet Five Minnesota Artists Streaming on MNspin

Get to know your neighborhood artists, then stream their music on MNspin, the library's free online streaming platform!

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Text reads "MnSpin" beside the shape of Minnesota filled with the image of with a vinyl record.
NUR-D poses with his hands making an L on his forehead to signify "loser." He wears bright colors and neon, oversized glasses.
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Doodles surround the album title, "Songs About Stuff," hand-written on lined notebook paper.

Music has been part of my life for as long as I could remember. It is like a family crest or something on the inside of my heart.

- Nur-D

Nur-D

 

What got you interested in music? 

Music has been part of my life for as long as I could remember. It is like a family crest or something on the inside of my heart. I heard “Songs in The Key of Life” once when I was a kid and I knew I would never let it go.

What music do you love to listen to on a long drive? 

I like listening to anything with a story. Whole albums from front to back that have a through line. Rock Operas are pretty cool too!

What’s your favorite song to perform live?

Oh goodness that changes every show. A lot of it depends on how the crowd is feeling it. Their energy is what makes it the most fun for me. But I right now I am gonna say my favorite to perform live is “Break Chains” or “Heaven in this Bed.”

Do you have any pre-show routines or rituals to get you ready for a performance?

When I am with the band we all huddle up, get our minds & hearts in synch, and then we have a saying that we have been using for a very long time now: “Everybody wanna be famous. Nobody wanna put the work in. So let’s put the work in.”

How do you spend a typical Saturday?

Well if I had a show on Friday I am going to try to spend as much of it recovering as I can LOL. But normally I wake up, put on some “One Piece,” work on something for my Dungeons & Dragons games, and try to relax. But it’s also a day where I have shows often so a lot of the time I am just getting ready for whatever wildness is gonna happen on stage that night. 

If I weren't a musician, I'd be a… 

Professional Wrestler. That would be my very first choice. I honestly am still trying to be one right now LOL. If not that then I think I would try and be a writer. Fiction, comics, movies, tv shows, that kinda stuff. 

What’s the last book you checked out from the library?

The last book I checked out of the library was a graphic novel. I want to say it was Maus

Anything else you’d like to share?

Be good to yourself & be good to others!

 

Nur-D is a hip-hop artist based in Saint Paul.  He has been awarded City Pages' Top 5 Hip Hop artist 3 years in a row and won the 2019 Picked to Click honor. In 2020, he won "Best Local Concert" for his headlining performance at First Avenue's annual Best New Bands Show. You can stream his albums 38th and Songs About Stuff on MNspin. 

IG, Twitter, Instagram, Tiktok: @nurdrocks | Nurdrocks.com | Facebook.com/nurdclub

 

Mayda wears dramatic, bright makeup and sings passionately on a dark stage.
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Lasers shoot from Mayda's eyes on this bright, electric album cover.

As a MN Korean adoptee with not an inch above 5 feet, I try to rock further than I can see and harder to bust mountains. 

- Mayda

Mayda

 

What got you interested in music? 

If we are to look to the beginning of that era.... it was when I was in a crib at 2yrs old, swaying back and forth. I could have just been hungry though!

One album that reminds you of home: 

Axis Bold As Love by Jimi Hendrix

What music do you love to listen to on a long drive? 

I like podcasts/interviews. Musically, I like listening to songs that create a continuous groove, rhythm or story. Usually nothing really slow or metal.

Do you have any pre-show routines or rituals to get you ready for a performance?

Unintentional and unwanted anxiety likes to sneak into the green rooms. 😉

What has been on repeat recently?

Miguel and Phantogram

What artist (other than you!) should we check out on MNspin? 

Ka Lia Universe and Lady Midnight!

 

Mayda performs original music for the purpose of sharing and communicating with communities. She writes edgy electro-pop with influences from hip-hop, R&B, funk, swing and even doo-wop. You can stream her latest album, MRDR PxP, on MNspin. 

Twitter: @mayda | Instagram: @maydamess | TikTok: @maydamess | Youtube: @maydamiller | Facebook: @maydaslice 

 

Headshot of Gao Hong playing the Chinese Pipa.
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A Chinese Pipa and other string instruments are illustrated on a red background.

When you improvise on the spot, the audience is part of your music-making. I want to connect with the audience with my heart.

- Gao Hong

Gao Hong

 

What got you interested in music? 

My father was a government official and landowner during the Cultural Revolution. He was blacklisted and sent to a rural area to learn from the peasants, so my mother held the family together as a music teacher. To help the strain on the family budget, at just 12 years old, I left my family in the ancient Chinese capital of Luoyang and moved 400 miles away to Heibei Province to begin my professional music career with a provincial song and dance troupe. This was a hard thing for me to do at such a young age but I knew it was an opportunity for me amidst the chaos created by the Cultural Revolution. 

One album that reminds you of home: 

Spirit of Nature – Traditional Chinese Music

What music do you love to listen to on a long drive? 

Pipa Potluck – Lutes Around the World

Do you have any pre-show routines or rituals to get you ready for a performance?

Before each performance I change the first string on my pipa because this string breaks easily.

What has been on repeat recently?

Hunting Eagle Catching Swans – Music for Chinese Pipa

What’s your favorite song to perform live?

“Flying Dragon” because it was based on my life story and was my first original composition. I also create live compositions/improvisations based on titles suggested by the audience.

What music has inspired your work? 

Cross-cultural music from all over the world.

 

Gao Hong is a Chinese musical prodigy and master of the pear-shaped lute, the pipa.  She began her career as a professional musician at age 12 and graduated with honors from China's premier music school, the Central Conservatory of Music in Beijing, where she studied with the great pipa master Lin Shicheng. In both China and the U.S. Gao has received numerous top awards and honors, including First Prize in the Hebei Professional Young Music Performers Competition. You can stream her album, Pipa Potluck: Lutes Around the World, on MNspin.

www.Chinesepipa.com | Instagram: @gao_hong_pipa | Facebook: @gao.hong.56 | Twitter: @pipagaohong | Youtube: @GaoHongPipa

 

Twain sits at a high windowsill peering into the camera.
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A close up photo of silver gears is the album cover for TWAIN's "Central Standard Time."

I love my evolution from rapping about chasing and getting money in my songs historically, to now making a song about my issues with money and frustration with capitalism. 

- TWAIN

TWAIN

 

What got you interested in music? 

Growing up in Chicagoland listening to 107.5 WGCI probably…and also just hearing my family play music around the house, and later my friends. It got me wanting to try out being a recording artist & performer. 

What music do you love to listen to on a long drive? 

I can’t pick just one…I love full albums though, so one thing I love about long drives or road trips is that I can listen to albums uninterrupted. Whether it’s a classic, or something new I need to check out and soak in. 

What’s your favorite song to perform live?

I might be a tie between “No Regrets” and “Accountability”. I love how they feel onstage in the moment, and the impact they have on those in the crowd watching. 

Do you have any pre-show routines or rituals to get you ready for a performance?

I thought I was a great live performer, especially with my preparation, after I saw Beyoncé’s Homecoming film I realized I’m not even close to where I wanna be — haha! So now, I make sure I target my rehearsals really close and tight to the performance date. Sometimes, I’ll even do a two-a-day. Everything gets rehearsed, not just the song lyrics.

What has been on repeat recently? 

Alex Isley’s cover of “We Are One” by Maze featuring Frankly Beverly that she did special for Juneteenth 2022. It’s amazing.

If I weren't a musician, I'd be a… 

…person in distress— haha! No seriously, I’d be content in my purpose as a father, son, brother, and friend. And find another simple creative outlet.

What’s the last book you checked out from the library?

Painted Ladies by Robert B. Parker 

What music has inspired your work? 

Artists on artists on artists; some of my indie hip-hop peers, the biggest would be my music partner, collaborator & friend LUKE-O from Southwest PA. And to name a number of acts quick I’d say: Biggie, 2Pac, Nas, Jay-Z, Kanye West, T.I., Dr. Dre, Kendrick Lamar, Drake, Joe Budden, Fabolous, Eminem, Linkin Park, Michelle Branch, Mariah Carey, Beyoncé,  Mase, Jadakiss, plus many, many more.

 

TWAIN is a hip-hop recording artist from Minneapolis, by way of Chicago. A seasoned music maker, songwriter and lyricist, his sound strikes a balance of timeless and contemporary hip-hop energy, autobiographic tales, and wordplay purists can appreciate. Some of his live performances to date include Penn State University, the Fine Line Music Café, the historic Capri Theater, and the FOR THE LOVE hip-hop and Land of 10,000 Streams festivals. You can stream Midwest Mayor, The Gift of Discovery, and Central Standard Time on MNspin.

IG, Twitter, Instagram: @twainlo | reverbnation.com/twainonline

 

Carolyne sits in front of a white wall, holding her silver guitar and wearing a large beaded necklace.
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Carolyne sits on a woven chair and poses peacefully with her eyes closed in the album cover for Miss Naomi.

I realized at an early age that I loved singing along to any music I heard.

- Carolyne Naomi

Carolyne Naomi

 

What got you interested in music? 

I realized at an early age that I loved singing along to any music I heard. I’d take a song and re-word the lyrics to suit myself, then when I turned 9, I wrote my first original song about a math homework that was too difficult for me, LOL! Then I’d visit my neighbor often to play around with the little keyboard they had, just to get familiar with music notes and melodies. The first song I could play was “Mary Had a Little Lamb.” I later joined the teens choir at church when I was 12. In that audition, I was asked to harmonize a song, and I did it excellently. My audition was less than 30 seconds, and I was selected. During my undergrad program, I picked up the guitar and the rest is history.

What music do you love to listen to on a long drive? 

When I’m not listening to my music, I put on Gospel/Christian Contemporary Music, and Afrobeats playlists.  

What’s your favorite song to perform live?

For my original songs, I enjoy "JAPA," "Give it a Hundred," "No Be Me," and "Bamijo." For covers, Burna Boy’s “YE” is a band favorite, and several songs by Oxlade.

Do you have any pre-show routines or rituals to get you ready for a performance?

I do a few vocal warmups and I do my best to not talk too much, and let my voice rest before my shows.

What has been on repeat recently? 

My debut EP, MISS NAOMI. I’m constantly playing it in awe of how beautiful it sounds. I feel a huge sense of fulfillment and accomplishment listening to it.

What do you feel is the best song you’ve ever released, and why?

That’s a hard one. I ‘m not sure I can choose just one because I put in just as much effort into the creative process for each song. Most of my songs were written over a period of time. The one song written on the spot is No Be Me.

What music has inspired your work? 

I grew up on 90s RnB and African, specifically Nigerian music. The combination of these sounds has definitely inspired my sound today.

 

Carolyne Naomi is originally from Lagos, Nigeria. Her first introduction to the music community in Minneapolis/St. Paul was when she studied at McNally Smith College of Music. She began performing and releasing music officially in 2018, performing at Twin Cities events and locations such as the Skyway Theatre, the Cedar Cultural Center, and the Dakota Jazz Club, though she's been involved with music for more than 10 years. You can stream her album Miss Naomi on MNspin.

Instagram: @carolyne_naomi | Facebook: Carolynspire | http://carolynenaomi.com

 

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