Micranots is an American hip hop duo, consisting of

I Self Devine Chaka Mkali (born 1972), better known by his stage name I Self Devine, is an American hip hop musician based in Minneapolis. He has been a member of groups such as The Dynospectrum, Micranots, and Semi.Official. In 2012, ''City Pages'' describ ...

and DJ Kool Akiem from

Atlanta Atlanta ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is the seat of Fulton County, the most populous county in Georgia, but its territory falls in both Fulton and DeKalb counties. With a population of 498,71 ...

Georgia Georgia most commonly refers to: * Georgia (country), a country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia * Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the Southeast United States Georgia may also refer to: Places Historical states and entities * Related to t ...

, but currently reside 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 ...

. In 2013, the group was described by ''

City Pages ''City Pages'' was an alternative newspaper serving the Minneapolis–St. Paul metropolitan area. It featured news, film, theatre and restaurant reviews and music criticism, available free every Wednesday. It ceased publication in 2020 due to ...

'' as "the pioneering rap group that left an immense footprint on the local hip-hop scene".

Early beginnings

The original roster of Micranots included

, DJ Kool Akiem, and Truth Maze, another emcee. The group originally formed in 1991 in Minneapolis, Minnesota and the group moved to

Atlanta, Georgia Atlanta ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is the seat of Fulton County, the most populous county in Georgia, but its territory falls in both Fulton and DeKalb counties. With a population of 498,71 ...

in 1994 after Truth Maze left the group. Following the release of their second album, ''

Obelisk Movements ''Obelisk Movements'' is the second studio album by American hip hop duo Micranots, consisting of rapper I Self Devine and producer DJ Kool Akiem. It was released October 31, 2000 on Sub Verse Music. Music The album is mostly produced by DJ Ko ...

'', they returned to Minnesota. The group soon became well known, in effect helping popularize

Twin Cities hip hop Twin Cities hip hop, also referred to as Minneapolis hip hop, is sub-genre of rap music that originates from the Minneapolis–Saint Paul metropolitan area in the U.S. state of Minnesota. History Hip hop culture in the Twin Cities can be traced a ...

and

Midwest hip hop The Midwestern United States, also referred to as the Midwest or the American Midwest, is one of four census regions of the United States Census Bureau (also known as "Region 2"). It occupies the northern central part of the United States. ...

as a whole.

Musical career

In 1996, Micranots released the debut album, ''Return of the Travellahs'', which was later re-released on

Rhymesayers Entertainment Rhymesayers Entertainment (sometimes abbreviated RSE) is an American independent hip-hop record label based in Minneapolis. History Rhymesayers Entertainment was co-founded in 1995 by Sean Daley ( Slug), Anthony Davis ( Ant), Musab Saad ( Sab ...

in 2003. After a chance encounter with Big Jus while he was just departing from Company Flow, he decided to release Micranots' second album, ''

'', on

Sub Verse Music Sub Verse Music was a record label specializing in hip hop. It existed from 1998 to 2003 and released recordings by MF Doom, Blackalicious and KMD, among others. History The label was dedicated to underground, conscious hip-hop and was started by ...

. While reviewing the album, Thomas Quinlan of

Exclaim! ''Exclaim!'' is a Canadian music and entertainment publisher based in Toronto, which features in-depth coverage of new music across all genres with a special focus on Canadian and emerging artists. The monthly Exclaim! print magazine publishes 7 ...

said "I Self Devine has everything it takes to be a highly-respected MC: a voice with presence and charisma, plenty of attention paid to the intricacies of writing and a message that not only needs to be verbalised but is expressed with sincerity as well." Following the folding of Sub Verse Music, Rhymesayers Entertainment, whose members Slug and Siddiq (then known as Stress) knew Micranots through the local Minnesota circuit, and signed the group to release their third album, ''

The Emperor & the Assassin ''The Emperor & the Assassin'' is the third studio album by American hip hop duo Micranots, consisting of I Self Devine and DJ Kool Akiem. It was released February 3, 2004 on Rhymesayers Entertainment. Music The album is entirely produced by ...

.'' The album has guest appearances from Slug of

Atmosphere An atmosphere () is a layer of gas or layers of gases that envelop a planet, and is held in place by the gravity of the planetary body. A planet retains an atmosphere when the gravity is great and the temperature of the atmosphere is low. ...

and

Muja Messiah Robert Hedges (born December 10, 1976), better known by his stage name Muja Messiah, is an American rapper from Minneapolis, Minnesota. He has been a member of the groups Raw Villa and Villa Rosa. ''Vibe'' named him in "51 Best MySpace Rappers" a ...

Discography

Studio albums

*''Return of the Travellahs'' (1996) *''

'' (2000) *''

'' (2004)

Compilation albums

*''The Final Blend Tape'' (2007)

EPs

*''Farward EP'' (1999)

Singles

*"So Deep I Never Fell" (1995) *"All Live" (1999) *"Culture" b/w "Illegal Business" (2000) *"Pitch Black Ark" b/w "Exodus" (2000) *"Glorious" b/w "Heat" (2003)

References

External links

* on

* {{Rhymesayers Alternative hip hop groups American hip hop groups American musical duos Rhymesayers Entertainment artists