Minneapolis, MN
The history of the 'Minneapolis Sound' pioneered by Prince
The Minneapolis Sound is a music genre popularized by Prince and his many side bands, including Morris Day and The Time, the Family, Vanity 6 and Apollonia 6, as well as Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis (working most notably with Janet Jackson) and the Jets. The Minneapolis Sound defined the sonic landscape of the 1980s and 1990s with its heavy punk- and rock-guitar solos, hard-driving, funky bass lines, and synth-forward, new-wave pop sensibilities. In the twenty-first century, it continues to influence artists like Janelle Monáe, Lizzo, Bruno Mars and Brittany Howard.
The unique blending of musical styles that became the Minneapolis Sound has its foundations in the geography, demography, and culture of its namesake city. Racial housing covenants concentrated African Americans into the Northside and Southside neighborhoods, where the artists associated with it grew up; the white rock music dominating the radio airwaves influenced their sound aesthetic; and the strong Minneapolis school-music programs taught by Jimmy Hamilton educating them in the business of music and music theory. But perhaps the most crucial ingredient in the development of the Minneapolis Sound was the community center The Way. Created after the civil unrest in the Near North neighborhood in 1966 and 1967, The Way was the cornerstone of local arts and music. Musically inclined kids from the Northside such as Prince, Terry Lewis, Morris Day, and André Cymone hung out with local musicians like Pierre Lewis and Sonny Thompson. They absorbed the rhythm and blues, soul, and funk grooves of the house band the Family, while playing on instruments The Way provided. They then took their skills to the street, playing in Battles of the Bands throughout the city.
While these young artists were honing their musical skills, another key ingredient of the genre’s unique sounds developed. In the 1970s, the LinnDrum machine and Polymoog synthesizers revolutionized the sonic landscape of popular music. Even folk singer Cat Stevens experimented with these instruments on his pioneering pop-synth album “Izitso” (1977), partially recorded at Minneapolis’s premier recording studio, Sound 80. At the same time, a young, local musical prodigy named Prince Rogers Nelson was also recording in the studio, “got hip to Polymoogs,” and became a master of the drum machine. Prince, and then, later, James “Jimmy Jam” Harris III and Terry Lewis, infused these emerging technologies into their funk, rock, soul, punk, and new wave sensibilities to create a layered, complex synthesis of music never heard before.
The 1980s were the heyday of the Minneapolis Sound. Prince’s popularity grew with each album he released that decade — “Dirty Mind” (1980), “Controversy” (1981), and “1999” (1982) — and his striking looks, fashion, and dancing spurred MTV to play his videos in heavy rotation. He was such a prolific artist that he wrote more songs that his record label allowed him to release, so he created numerous side projects with artists like Morris Day and the Time (which included Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis), Jill Jones and Sheila E. With no Number One hits and only one Top Ten album (“1999”), Prince pitched the idea of a major motion picture to accompany his fifth album to his label, Warner Bros. The movie and album “Purple Rain” were released in 1984 and were instant hits, making Prince an international superstar and putting Minneapolis on the musical map. During the last half of the 1980s and throughout the rest of his life, Prince continued to explore new musical styles, and to evolve the Minneapolis Sound.
After being fired by Prince in 1983, Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis started Flyte Tyme Productions and opened a recording studio in South Minneapolis. The songwriting and producing duo had success with the Human League and S.O.S., but it was their work with Janet Jackson in the mid-1980s that catapulted them and their version of the Minneapolis Sound into worldwide fame. Infusing their New Jack Swing with Jackson’s neo-soul innovations, the trio went on to create numerous hit albums throughout the early 2000s. Jam and Lewis are among the most successful songwriting and producing duos of all time.
Another popular Minneapolis Sound band was The Jets — eight Tongan American siblings who had attended Robbinsdale Cooper High School together. Having started out as a family band in 1977, they released the hit “Crush On You” in 1986 and performed on three subsequent world tours.
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MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) – A Minneapolis salon is turning heads by mixing rock and roll with haircuts, creating a one-of-a-kind experience for music lovers.
A salon where music and haircuts go hand in hand
What we know:
HiFi Hair and Records sits on the edge of downtown Minneapolis, marked by a leopard print awning and a vibe that’s all about community through music.
“I tried to model it after a barbershop,” said Jonny Clifford, owner of the salon.
Clifford opened the shop in 2011, inspired by his father who introduced him to music and was battling terminal cancer at the time.
The salon brings together the hum of blow dryers and the sounds of rock and roll, with Clifford saying, “Music is the uniter. Most everyone who is alive today grew up on rock and roll.”
He added a record store the following year, letting customers browse new and used vinyl and CDs while waiting for their appointment.
“I jokingly refer to it as the coolest waiting room in the city,” said Clifford.
The shop is filled with memorabilia from music legends like Elvis, David Bowie and The Monkees. There’s even a wall dedicated to Minnesota’s local music scene.
Clifford said, “We’ve got Bobby V who I think never gets enough credit for his contributions to music in Minnesota.”
Clifford’s journey from punk haircuts to community hub
Why you should care:
Clifford started cutting hair in the early 1980s because he and his friends in southwest Minneapolis couldn’t afford the punk haircuts they wanted.
Now, he not only looks the part—”Ronny Wood, Jeff Beck, Keith Richards, I’m always like old Keith Richards or young Keith Richards”—but he helps others feel like rock stars too.
“People are like make me look like a rock star and that is sort of a universal term right. Everyone wants to look like a rock star,” said Clifford.
His goal is simple:
“If I can make a living and raise my family, pay my bills, have a business and be a part of a community, that is important to me. I win. That’s everything,” said Clifford.
He is passionate about giving a boost to local musicians, saying, “I think they need it more. I love Lady Gaga and The Rolling Stones, but they are doing fine. Our local people haven’t made it national yet. They could use a voice. They could use a boost, and they need to be heard.”
The salon’s rhythm is all about joy, music and community, and Clifford plans to keep it going.
“Til I kick over. I’ll probably be back standing behind the chair. And someone will complain I didn’t finish their haircut,” said Clifford.
HiFi Hair and Records continues to be a place where music and style meet, giving Minnesota’s music scene a little extra volume.
EDINA, Minn. (FOX 9) – A deadly shooting in Edina sparked a massive police response and forced a lockdown at nearby businesses at Southdale Mall on Wednesday as police are searching for the suspects.
Deadly Edina shooting
What we know:
Edina police responded around 12:30 p.m. to the report of a shooting along West 66th Street near Southdale Mall.
At the scene, officers found one victim with a gunshot wound. Officers tried to revive the victim but say they ultimately died from their wounds.
Local perspective:
Police say the suspects ran from the scene. As a precaution, they advised nearby businesses to go into lockdown. FOX 9 learned that MHealth Fairview also went into lockdown procedures as a precaution.
Aerial video from the scene showed the investigation appeared to be focused around an apartment building across from the mall. Police say the apartment building is described as a transitional housing.
Avoid the area
Big picture view:
Police are asking the public to avoid the area as the investigation is underway. Officers have blocked off West 66th for the time being.
Police say they are looking for more than one suspect involved in the shooting.
What we don’t know:
Police say some people were taken into custody at the scene but it’s unclear what their role was in relation to the shooting.
Law enforcement near the 3300 block of W. 66th Street in Edina. (FOX 9)
Minneapolis, MN
Ellison, Minneapolis, St. Paul update lawsuit against Operation Metro Surge with new data
(ABC 6 News) – Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison and Minneapolis and Saint Paul updated their lawsuit over Operation Metro Surge with new survey data on economic harm.
Researchers at the University of California San Diego conducted two surveys tied to the amended lawsuit. The lawsuit says the federal operation violated the Constitution and caused lasting economic damage.
The first survey was done between February and March and included nearly 1,400 residents. It found workers lost more than $240 million in wages during the operation.
A separate newly released survey of about 900 businesses found more than $600 million in lost revenue. The updated lawsuit from Keith Ellison and the cities of Minneapolis and Saint Paul adds that new data to its claims.
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