GET CRYPHY THREE YEAR ANNIVERSARY
GET CRYPHY
In five years, Get Cryphy has grown from a 300-person Record Room experience to a full-fledged Mainroom extravaganza at First Avenue, and for good reason. The famous local foursome composed of Plain Ole Bill, Jimmy 2 Times, Fundo, and LAST WORD are not only slick DJs and producers, they're also all best friends, and it comes across behind the booth. On the first Friday of every month, the storied checkered dance floor fills to its edges with kids looking for a hyped-up rap party, and that's exactly what Cryphy delivers. No drama, no fuss, no pretense — just a fun atmosphere to get wild for a night.
[Best Dance Night 2012 & 2010, City Pages]
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JIMMY 2 TIMES
Jimmy 2 Times really knows how to rock a party rock a party—and if you think that last part was a typo, it's a crying shame you haven't seen Goodfellas. The lingo behind Jimmy's "Get Cryphy" party might need some explaining, too: "Cryphy" is the wild-child offspring of "Crunk" and "Hyphy," regional hip-hop styles that encourage getting raw and rowdy on the dance floor, and the super-hype soiree has been a huge success in First Avenue's VIP Room for more than a year.
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While Cryphy is Jimmy's bread-and-butter residency (the first Friday of every month), the city's number-one party DJ guests at other dance nights, too: BOMP! at the Bedlam (last Friday of every month), King and I Thai (funky Wednesdays), and Señor Wong (first and third Saturdays of every month). A typical J2T set puts up tunes by everyone from Naughty by Nature to MSTRKRFT, throwing in his own productions and blends (he just redid Motown legend Edwin Star's "Twenty Five Miles"). His favorite, though? "Next time someone plays 'Hypnotize' at a crazy party, look at the crowd and tell me that those first two bars isn't epic." Spoken like a true DJ. [City Pages, Best Club DJ 2009]
PLAIN OLE BILL
Known in the Twin Cities as co-founder of Get Cryphy, the city's top hip-hop night, Plain Ole Bill stands apart from others behind the booth when it comes to his skill, genial attitude, and résumé. He gained recognition outside Minneapolis as P.O.S.'s touring DJ throughout most of 2009, but this year has been especially busy for Bill. He opened for Atmosphere with his Cryphy crew on the Denver stop, remixed supergroup Gayngs, released his first production ("Let 'Em Through" featuring Tomorrow Genius and Brother Ali), and is set to join up with Ali on a European tour after this spring's Soundset festival.
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His unmatched scratching abilities are featured on I Self Devine's latest mixtape and on Lazerbeak's debut album, where he's listed as executive producer. "I brought the idea to Beak that he should do an instrumental album of unreleased songs with myself doing the transitions," Bill explains, adding that he still can't wrap his head around many of his most recent successes. He's a fun DJ to watch perform because he isn't afraid to mix genres and lets the crowd know when he's really feeling it, which for Bill is usually when he's in the thick of a supremely grimy rap track. If you still need convincing, check out the dance floor at any Cryphy night — if you can find a spot — and you'll see that his style is anything but plain. [City Pages, Best Club DJ 2012]
LAST WORD
DJ LAST WORD may not be a household name, but he’s earned respect for his work producing and live mixing for local rappers like Dialogue Elevators, Ernie Rhodes, and more. He's been spinning since 2000, getting his start at former Dinkytown sandwich shop/music venue Bon Appetit.
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Decider: What was the first record you bought?
Last Word: Soul Sides’ record with DJ Shadow, I think.
D: What’s the best thing you’ve ever mixed?
LW: For a couple years I’ve been doing this mix of Punjabi MC’s “Beware Of The Boys” into TI’s “Bring Em Out.” I’ll do a long mix with the instrumental version of the Punjabi MC track. The first 32 bars are just a loop of the sample they use, and then when it breaks down the bass line, it sounds like the Knight Rider theme song. And when it breaks down, I drop the TI. It always works really well.
D: Is there anything you won’t ever play?
LW: I don’t think so, necessarily. I think it comes down to the show that you’re playing—low-key night or a party. If it’s a low-key night and someone requests a weird party song, I’ll probably say, “Sorry, not tonight.” I would never say no, but I’m sure there’s records I’ve heard that I’m like, “nah, I’ll never play that.” It happens more than you think, but I don’t think I’d ever say no. More often someone will request something I’ve never even heard of. [AV Club, January 2009]
PROF
Party, booze, girls, party, fun, booze, drunk, fight, party, party; a day in the life of Prof’s raps. A 25-year-old who loves to have a good time, Prof thinks his music should reflect exactly that. “Everyone’s trying to be a preacher or a politician— telling you how to live your life,” he says. “I’m not running for Senate. I’m doing this for fun and I don’t watch my mouth.”
