Chad Kamenshine
The Minneapolis collective (from left): P.O.S, Dessa, Cecil Otter, Paper Tiger, Sims, Lazerbeak and Mike Mictlan.
What do seven hip-hop artists do when they need to get away from the distractions of the big city? Escape to Wisconsin.
In 2010, members of Minneapolis’ rap collective Doomtree retreated to a cabin outside of Hayward, in the deep North Woods, to arrange and write their 2011 release, No Kings.
“We knew the cabin was out of cell range, so we holed up there for a week. We went to the grocery store, got a bunch of supplies and sat there, making rap music,” says Lazerbeak, one of the group’s producers. “It was the easiest way we could commit to making anything because there’s no distractions besides a couple of deer out in the woods.”
This year, they did it again, creating their All Hands album during another trip to the cabin.
Madison audience members will hear tracks from both cabin-inspired albums as well as songs from the members’ many solo albums at the group’s first-ever show at the Barrymore Theatre on Saturday, Dec. 5.
In addition to Lazerbeak, the Doomtree collective includes producer Paper Tiger; MCs Dessa, Sims and Mike Mictlan; and rapper/producers P.O.S and Cecil Otter. The group is known for turning out tracks with fast-paced, complex lyrics and layered hooks over a wide range of ever-changing beats.
Doomtree’s content is multifaceted, intellectual, sometimes emotional and often introspective. The beat production is just as varied, pulling from different influences and incorporating jazz, punk, blues and soul sounds.
With seven artists offering input, making it all come together isn’t always easy, but Doomtree uses the large size of the group to its advantage. “With multiple producers, we’re able to form each section [of the song] to a different [MC’s] voice, and often times, turn one song into what kind of feels like multiple songs,” says Lazerbeak.
“It’s a lot of very confident, creative voices coming together, so the challenge is to know when to trust yourself and your idea and when to trust someone else’s idea and when to take the lead and when to follow,” adds Sims. “You can’t just shoot down an idea. If you don’t like something you have to come up with something that’s equal or better than that idea you don’t like.”
The strategy seems to work: After more than a decade of making music together, the band has become close. “We’ve grown up together and seen each other grow from nothing to what we were able to build on our own,” says Lazerbeak. “There’s a huge amount of loyalty, love and respect there. It’s a family — it’s dysfunctional. It’s just like when you don’t always love your little brother, but you still make it work.”
Spending time apart on solo projects also helps keep the bonds strong. “It allows people to experiment and grow artistically and explore what you want to do as a showman and as a songwriter,” says Sims, adding that the Barrymore date is the last stop on the group’s “Off in the Deep Tour.”
Lazerbeak says the best way to experience Doomtree is by coming to a live show. “It’s seven best friends on stage, losing it, sweating and having a good time, and doing that with a crowd who’s doing the same thing,” he says. “It’s a bit rowdy, but it’s inclusive. It’s not like a lot of rap shows where it’s one guy and a bunch of hype men on stage. You’re a part of the show if you’re there. It’s a party.”
