Egypto Knuckles - CEO/Producer
He does things.
Background Noise Crew: Who We Are
Phingaz - Producer
Like an amorphous polyrhythmic garden-gnome come to life to smash your gladiolas and replace them with headphones, Phingaz has come to re-landscape your audio-garden.
Phingaz, a Utah native moved to Minneapolis in 2005, brings the freshness of mountain air to the Twin cities with his diverse approach to producing and creating. He is recognized for his underground work with Sinthesis and Background Noise Crew. His production, scattered over 12 full length Albums, showcases a hybrid sound of funk, folk and jazz instrumentation integrated with the driving force of sample based hip-hop. As both producer and artist, Phingaz brings his signature sound by layering tracks of acoustic instrumentation and matching them with a pounding rhythm section of Break-Beats and samples.
Tracks like "Financial Aid" (T.Q.D: Clench, Grit, Breathe) showcase this finesse and precision of such a hybrid sound. Similarly, a track like "For Every Action" (Sinthesis: Movement 4:6) shows that he isn't just out to make hits, but to blend genres and surprise listeners. Songs like "DNA" (Analyrical: Everybody Does This Vol. 1) references classic hip-hop themes in its music, but it does it with the warmth of an acoustic guitar. If you listen closely it's easy to hear the sound of expectations being shattered.
Analyrical - MC
Analyrical has been rapping since the age of 17. Originally born in Kansas, then transplanted to Saint Paul, then to Eau Claire and back, he has experienced many different environments in 25 years. Analyrical has opened for the likes of Tech N9ne, Brother Ali, Kanser, Big Quarters, and is one of the founding members of the Background Noise Crew.
His first time on recorded material was a mixtape, titled The Platter Mixtape. The Platter Mixtape showcased Analyrical’s versatility, penchant for punchlines and a way with words that only a battle tested rapper can carry along as stripes. During this time, Analyrical has beefed up his resume to be included as one of the many rappers featured on Grind Time, a national battling ground where he has been showcased and succeeded amongst many of his challengers.
ToneKrusher Smith - MC
Hailing as a transplant from Austin, Texas, ToneKrusher Smith began his musical journey during his junior year of high school. While it was just a hobby at the time, people gravitated toward his precise and skillful delivery, and at the age of 21, he decided to pursue it full time as a calling, inserting punch lines which made crowd goers enjoy his every moment on the stage. Having opened on the same stages with Tha Alkaholiks, Aceyalone, and Camp Lo, he had quite an audience that was enamored with his hilarious brag raps, and in your face delivery.
He then took a sabbatical from rapping to try his hand at different directions musically, starting with being a singer/vocalist for an all funk outfit, Enkindle Crown. Shortly after a few shows, audiences caught on and saw the seriousness in musical tone that ToneKrusher immediately brought to the group. The group dissolved shortly thereafter, while ToneKrusher ended up adopting a new persona under the name of J.O.L.A.S. He released Statik Radio, which was a brash and angry concept album about radio and its respective downfall, and described a town which didn’t even embrace its homegrown talent.
After completing the record, he started over from scratch when he moved to Minneapolis. ToneKrusher started distributing copies hand to hand, eventually getting it into the hands of Egypto Knuckles and Phingaz, who then lent him a guest spot on “Like That,” off The Mixed Up Tape. After taking a liking to Tone as a rapper and friend, he would then team up with Egypto Knuckles and make a new persona called Frugalis McSpiteful, having recorded their first EP. Aptly titled The Sunday School EP, it was a take on how rap is being treated today about the ultimate badass and the most horrible of people, which Nate Patrin of the City Pages stated, “Had more ‘oh no he didn’ts’ than any local album ever released.”
Shortly after doing shows around the Twin Cities local scene, his new album, titled Big Bombs of Love, talks from the perspective of a relationship; from wanting one, getting one, and then breaking up. ToneKrusher adopts a wise man stance, straddling topic to topic, using Big Bombs of Love to travail each track with honesty, sincerity, and talks about a man at odds with relationships and everything involved in them.
T.Q.D - MC/Producer
T.Q.D was born and raised in Minnesota. He has been rapping since 1997.
His first solo album entitled "Not Yet" was released at the tail end of 2006. "Not Yet" was a collection of songs, some brand new and some older songs, that became a document of his life in the immediate past leading up to its release. P.O.S (Doomtree/Rhymesayers) made a guest appearance on the song "Cedar States," and Cecil Otter (Doomtree/Strange Famous) contributed half of the album's production, and a guest verse on "Shore To Shore."
Not Yet was followed up at the tail end of 2007 with a collaborative EP with close friend and rapper/producer Phingaz under the name Green Sketch. The duo's EP was called "So Long…For Now." "So Long...For Now" displayed a different T.Q.D, shedding much of the subject matter displayed on "Not Yet" and a new found personal and artistic direction.
In 2009, T.Q.D released "Clench, Grit, Breathe," his sophomore solo effort. "Clench, Grit, Breathe" shows T.Q.D using the growth from the Green Sketch EP as a launching pad in a new direction. While "Clench, Grit Breathe" is still a personal record, this album finds T.Q.D taking some time to look outside the confines of his own life to touch on observations and opinions about his world view, and exploring stories about those whom he knows.
Besides his Background Noise Crew family, he has shared stages with the following artists: Brother Ali, Tame One, P.O.S, Cecil Otter, Carnage, Kanser, Big Quarters, The Usual Suspects, Ecid, M.anifest, Mally, Indigo, David Mars, Rek The Heavyweight (fka Spawn), Mr. Ruff, Prof & Rahzwell, Jordan Miche, Trama, Ernie Rhodes, DumpStarrs, Halfway, PLC, Mazta I, GWMC, A.Po, Brainstem Records crew, and many others.
What is next for T.Q.D? Time will tell.
Status Reign - MC
Status Reign has been rapping for 6 years, but his commanding voice and unbelievable delivery contains the wisdom of an elder statesman of rap. He originally had his start with Azrael's Youth, which consisted of Status Reign, J.L. Magee, and Legend Has It. It was at a Doomtree show that he would join another member of Background Noise, Analyrical, in forming the duo C.A.S.E.
With his talent, he is currently in the works recording a debut album, after making a strong name for himself with Azrael's Youth, and developing his presence with such stellar cuts as "Wizard Of Laws," and "Quiet Music." His debut album, titled "Brutally Honest," runs the gamut of all styles of Hip-Hop from club styled dance tracks, to just your everyday fierce MC using his his Mic as his sword and slaying his notebooks with a deep, rich voice and ever-changing styles that are sure to make unaware people fans and fans devoted.