How Eye One The Write to Think

Last Sunday marked one year since Michael Larsen aka Eyedea ("idea") passed away October 16, 2010. Eyedea was a rapper (stay with it) from the Minnesota underground hip hop movement "Rhymesayers" which started in the late 90s and became popular recently under the group Atmosphere. What set Eyedea apart from the rest was that he was an awkward young white battle rapper unlike anyone else. His speed, intelligence, and punchlines were second to none. Eminem might be a good writer but his freestyles can't come anywhere close to Eyedea.

                              Eyedea freestyling at HBO's Blaze Battle

On his CDs Eyedea's music was very different. His topics ranged from philosophy and quantum mechanics to relationships, narratives, and the metaphysical. His lyrics and content was truly universal and unlike any other artist. Rap gets a bad reputation and for good reason but Eyedea was a true poet and one of those artists you could listen to and really learn from no matter your musical or spiritual preference. Strange how people exist in various areas of life you wouldn't expect to see them in.

I got to meet him at a show in late 2007 and also remained in contact with him for a bit. His music and character had more influence on me than probably anyone else I've ever met, read, or listened to. Funny how you can relate so strongly to other people you may not even know.

Eyedea passed away in 2010 due to an accidental combination of things which caused him to not breathe properly while he slept. I say it ambiguously out of reverence and because it was not simply an overdose or mixture of prescription meds like is usually the case today. After his death I kept tossing around the eyedea in my head to start a fundraiser project and eventually did it by printing up shirts and donating all of the funds to his mother who dedicated a park bench in Minnesota to her son last Sunday at a memorial dedication ceremony.

After explaining to her what I did she mailed me a handwritten letter in return explaining a lot of things I wish I could share. Her loss still affects me deeply and it often feels like I lost the bigger brother I've never had. After reading so many youtube and facebook comments it appears he had this effect on just about anyone who ever heard his music and became a fan. A true sign of impact we ALL can have on others working in public policy and the greater good of the world.

I write this blog to vent and because a few weeks ago at Lodestar there was an organization there who put on live entertainment for the people. It was an inspiring experience and reminded me a lot of the local work Eyedea did for kids and others alike to give them a chance to express themselves as a means of empowerment. Seeing everyone having fun and seemingly forgetting their troubles for one peaceful moment was powerful stuff. Despite all of their hardships they could still smile. I think that's really what it's about at the end of the day. After all our achievements, job titles, deadlines, experiences, mistakes, raises, and intentions to position ourselves in comfortable corporate or even non-profit organizations go away, none of it really matters. We're still the same as the others even with all our talents, education, and externalities. 

If anyone's interested in a good read this is a pretty good article on the story of Eyedea, "The Underground poet of St. Paul" and this song of his is pretty popular and really expresses what solidarity, public service, and life should be about coming from a 19 year old awkward white rapper guy genius.