Sa-Roc releases the video for “Talk To Me Nice” ahead of her August tour. The emcee’s longtime partner Sol Messiah produced the unexpected single which is the first from her forthcoming album. She relentlessly delivers verse after verse explaining her fierce individualism in the face of a conformist music industry.  The track is a personal manifesto and an etiquette warning for other rappers who may want to engage with her. She flows with her usual lyrical savvy over Messiah’s soundscape of moody bass and radio static. David Maxwell directed the clip that has appearances from dancer Storyboard P and members of the Art Comes First collective. The Talk To Me Nice tour kicks off on August 4th in Washington, D.C. Sa-Roc has also launched her Talk To Me Nice merchandise. Tickets for the tour are available now.

Sa-Roc delivers her Rhymesayer’s Entertainment debut The Sharecropper’s Daughter and it’s an introspective trip through her politics and pride in her craft. Sol Messiah handled most of the production on the album that has moments with Ledisi, Black Thought, Saul Williams, Chronixx and Styles P. Guest producers Evidence and Al B. Smoov also added their touch to the music. Sa-Roc mused about TSD in a statement: 

“I’m excited about the content of it. It’s especially timely because it talks about the cycle of injustice we experience in this country. The cycle of emotional baggage in genetic transfer of that emotion… how it frames our perspective and what we can do to reshape a legacy and future for ourselves outside of that trauma and pain we inherit from history, our ancestors, our elders.”

Sa-Roc was still able to create a level of festivity despite the seriousness of the topics. Her pro-Black ideas and self-admitted love of emceeing co-exist in a space that feels more like pleasure than preaching. The Sharecropper’s Daughter is available along with merchandise at her website. 

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Grieves and Budo from the Rhymesayers crew speak on camera about their music, the music business and touring.

Atmosphere will go on a Second Annual “Welcome To Minnesota Tour in February. He will be joined by Kill The Vultures, Big Quarters, MaLLy and DJ sets from BK-One. The tour will start in Mankato on February 20th and make stops in Bemidji, Minneapolis, Duluth, Rochester & St. Cloud. Tickets for the “Welcome To Minnesota Tour” go on sale Friday, December 16th at 11:00AM CST and are available through Ticketmaster. Tickets for the Minneapolis, Duluth and St. Cloud shows are also available at Fifth Element (2411 Hennepin Ave S, Mpls, MN | 612.377.0044) in Uptown.

WELCOME TO MINNESOTA TOUR
Atmosphere
Kill The Vultures
Big Quarters
MaLLy
BK-One

2.20 – Mankato, MN – Verizon Wireless Center Ballroom
2.21 – Bemidji, MN – Sanford Center Ballroom
2.22 – Minneapolis, MN – First Avenue
2.23 – Duluth, MN – Clyde Iron Works
2.25 – Rochester, MN – Mayo Civic Center Auditorium
2.26 – St. Cloud, MN – Atwood Center Ballroom @ SCSU