Doomtree is an American hip hop collective and record label based in
Minneapolis
Minneapolis () is the largest city in Minnesota, United States, and the county seat of Hennepin County. The city is abundant in water, with list of lakes in Minneapolis, thirteen lakes, wetlands, the Mississippi River, creeks and waterfalls. ...
,
Minnesota
Minnesota () is a state in the upper midwestern region of the United States. It is the 12th largest U.S. state in area and the List of U.S. states and territories by population, 22nd most populous, with over 5.75 million residents. Minne ...
. The collective has seven members:
Dessa,
Cecil Otter,
P.O.S,
Sims,
Mike Mictlan,
Paper Tiger, and
Lazerbeak. The collective is known for incorporating a wide range of musical influences into their work with lyrical complexity and wordplay, and their annual "Doomtree Blowout" events held in Minneapolis venues to showcase their group performances and the
Twin Cities
Twin cities are a special case of two neighboring cities or urban centres that grow into a single conurbation – or narrowly separated urban areas – over time. There are no formal criteria, but twin cities are generally comparable in stat ...
music scene.
Early years
The name "Doomtree" is a made-up word that doesn't have a meaning, according to
P.O.S, who says that it has come to represent "my people and my life's work so far." When Dessa was asked about the name, she said "Initially it was a proposed name for a Cecil and P.O.S. record. The name followed us when we all lived together in a big rundown house a few years ago. Whether it was the fault of architecture or some sort of cosmic wormhole, dead pigeons always showed up on our doorstep." The group was originally named "False Hopes" when it was just P.O.S and Cecil Otter, but after consideration, it was traded off to be the name of a series of releases (there are 15 total) by Doomtree members (such as
Cecil Otter's or Doomtree's
debut
Debut or début (the first public appearance of a person or thing) may refer to:
* Debut (society), the formal introduction of young upper-class women to society
* Debut novel, an author's first published novel
Film and television
* ''The De ...
).
Members of Doomtree have described the group's formation as a gradual process. The initial lineup saw P.O.S and MK Larada, friends from high school, making songs with other local artists such as
Cecil Otter and Beautiful Bobby Gorgeous. The beginning of the name began when P.O.S and Cecil Otter first envisioned Doomtree to be an in house production team.
Soon enough
Sims and
Lazerbeak, fellow
Hopkins High School alumni, followed.
Mike Mictlan, having also attended high school with P.O.S, became an official member when he moved back to Minneapolis from Los Angeles.
Dessa joined after having a chance encounter with P.O.S, who was living down the street from her at the time along with Sims, Turbo Nemesis and MK Larada. Sims and Dessa were said to be the last to join the collective.
After its final formation, members MK Larada, Turbo Nemesis, Tom Servo, and Bobby Gorgeous gradually drifted away from the group. MK Larada is responsible for Doomtree's famous "Wings and Teeth" logo.
Musical career
Doomtree's first official album, ''
Doomtree'', was released on July 29, 2008.
Their second official album, ''
No Kings'', was released to critical acclaim on November 22, 2011.
In 2012, ''
Time
Time is the continued sequence of existence and events that occurs in an apparently irreversible succession from the past, through the present, into the future. It is a component quantity of various measurements used to sequence events, t ...
'' included Doomtree in the "11 Great Bands You Don't Know (But Should)" list. December 12, 2012 was proclaimed by Mayor
R. T. Rybak
Raymond Thomas Rybak Jr. (born November 12, 1955) is an American politician, journalist, businessman, and activist who served as the List of mayors of Minneapolis, 46th mayor of Minneapolis from 2002 to 2014. In the 2001 election Rybak defeated i ...
as "Doomtree Day in the city of Minneapolis" in conjunction with the opening night of the Doomtree Blowout 8 show at
First Avenue.
Doomtree's documentary film, ''Team the Best Team'', was also released as a DVD in 2012, and also as a digital stream and download in 2013.
In December 2014, Doomtree had the final installment of the annual Blowout concert series, which the crew hosted for 10 years.
On January 27, 2015, Doomtree released their third group album, ''
All Hands''. In October 2015, Doomtree curated the first Doomtree Zoo festival at the
CHS Field.
Distribution
While
P.O.S and
Cecil Otter have released solo albums on other record labels (
Rhymesayers Entertainment and
Strange Famous Records
Strange Famous Records is an indie hip hop record label based in Providence, Rhode Island. It was founded by Sage Francis. Artists on its roster include B. Dolan, Cecil Otter, Prolyphic, and Sleep, among others.
History
Strange Famous Records st ...
, respectively), each of the group albums and the majority of the collective's solo work are released on their own label, Doomtree Records.
Doomtree has also formed a publisher, Doomtree Press. In 2009, it put out ''Spiral Bound'',
Dessa's first book of poetry and fiction.
Officially, the CEO of the label is Dessa, but the label is run by the entire group, with outside help from friends such as Ander Other, Doomtree's "Intern/Merchant/Graphic Designer/Webmaster/Video Editor/Social Media Agent/Librarian."
Style
As a group, Doomtree's sound reflects being a collective of many members with unique individual musical influences. Officially classified as hip-hop, the influences of
jazz
Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a majo ...
,
punk rock,
blues,
rock, and
soul
In many religious and philosophical traditions, there is a belief that a soul is "the immaterial aspect or essence of a human being".
Etymology
The Modern English noun '':wikt:soul, soul'' is derived from Old English ''sāwol, sāwel''. The ea ...
can be detected throughout their music.
Doomtree is known for having "tangled, multihued and pointedly intellectualized lyrics" with "cerebral rhymes and moody beats."
Honors and awards

The group has been honored with a star on the outside mural of the
Minneapolis
Minneapolis () is the largest city in Minnesota, United States, and the county seat of Hennepin County. The city is abundant in water, with list of lakes in Minneapolis, thirteen lakes, wetlands, the Mississippi River, creeks and waterfalls. ...
nightclub
First Avenue,
recognizing performers that have played sold-out shows or have otherwise demonstrated a major contribution to the culture at the iconic venue.
P.O.S also has a star for his solo work. Receiving a star "might be the most prestigious public honor an artist can receive in Minneapolis," according to journalist Steve Marsh.
Members
Current
*
Dessa: rapper
*
Cecil Otter: rapper/producer
*
P.O.S: rapper/producer
*
Sims: rapper
*
Mike Mictlan: rapper
*
Paper Tiger: producer/DJ
*
Lazerbeak: producer
Former
* MK Larada: producer
* Turbo Nemesis: producer/DJ
* Tom Servo: producer/DJ
* Beautiful Bobby Gorgeous: producer
Discography
Studio albums
EPs and mixtapes
Singles
Other
Doomtree Blowout

Between 2005-2014, Doomtree performed in annual group shows ("Blowouts") at local
Minneapolis
Minneapolis () is the largest city in Minnesota, United States, and the county seat of Hennepin County. The city is abundant in water, with list of lakes in Minneapolis, thirteen lakes, wetlands, the Mississippi River, creeks and waterfalls. ...
,
Minnesota
Minnesota () is a state in the upper midwestern region of the United States. It is the 12th largest U.S. state in area and the List of U.S. states and territories by population, 22nd most populous, with over 5.75 million residents. Minne ...
venues.
See also
*
Underground hip hop
*
Twin Cities hip hop
*
List of record labels
File:Alvinoreyguitarboogie.jpg
File:AmMusicBunk78.jpg
File:Bingola1011b.jpg
Lists of record labels cover record labels, brands or trademarks associated with marketing of music recordings and music videos. The lists are organized alphabetically, b ...
References
External links
*
{{Authority control
Alternative hip hop groups
Midwest hip hop groups
American independent record labels
Independent record labels based in Minnesota
Hip hop record labels
Companies based in Minneapolis
2001 establishments in Minnesota