On Sunday, Dec. 30, Sanni Brown and I got to sit down with a huge piece of Twin Cities hip-hop history. The I.R.M. Crew is in the first paragraph of every history of Twin Cities hip-hop worth a damn. But the crew's heyday was long before I moved to the Twin Cities.

The I.R.M. were active from 1984 to '88, and they made minor national waves. Via a distribution deal with K-Tel, the local label CChill was able to spread word of the I.R.M. Crew. Though true national fame eluded the group, they were the first to help put Minnesota hip-hop on the map. And even though the group were frustrated with never hitting it big at the time, it's clear that those memories have fallen to the wayside. What remains is an indelible friendship among these Twin Cities hip-hop pioneers.

As we sat with Cuttin' Kal, B-Fresh, TLC, Kel C (as well as the promoter, John Washington, and Kel C's son, Cohen) I was so thankful they shared their history of breaking ground in the Twin Cities. From the group starting out with TLC winning a rap battle in New Hope, Minn., to planning out the group at City Center and briefly being label mates with Gang Starr, this conversation is full of legendary Twin Cities hip-hop moments, many recorded for the first time. I am so thankful they were willing to visit and share their story with the Message. Hear some of our conversation using the audio player above; we'll feature highlights from the rest of it on The Message, Wednesday, Jan. 2, at 10 p.m. Central on The Current.

The reunion show is on Friday, Jan. 4, at the 7th Street Entry. And The Current's own Derrick Stevens (aka Kid DeLite) will be hosting the event.

External Link

The I.R.M. Crew (Discogs)

The I.R.M. Crew Reunion Show (First Avenue)