The Wake

The Unknown Prophets is a telling name for the Northeast Minneapolis hip-hop group. Local hip-hop veterans Big Jess (producer/emcee), Mad Son (emcee) and Willy Lose (DJ) will lay their hearts and souls out for any listener willing to listen. In such a bling-bling, MTV hip hop era, it’s refreshing to hear a group like the Unknown Prophets that actually offer poetic lyrics.

The Unknown Prophets’ latest album The Road Less Traveled carries on with the same attitude. It offers tight production and lyrics that mean something. The title is appropriate considering the group’s ambition for reaching ears that are brainwashed by mainstream hip-hop. The album considers and comments on the mainstream music industry, mobilizing against the grain, and shedding light on the misfortunes in life that we can never predict. While playing with the unpaved road theme, the Unknown Prophets manage to express mad love for the Midwest, and in particular their home state of Minnesota. They also never forget to show appreciation for the supporters—creating a much more personal listening experience.

The artwork is also noteworthy. The artist, Chris Allen, (a.k.a. Inkproof) creates a sharp, professional and overall very attractive cover design. So if you were going to judge an album by the quality of the cover, it would be safe to bet on The Road Less Traveled. The attractive cover is only the surface to an album that is sincere in the face of the mainstream music industry puppets.