DJ TRAVIS GORMAN

Being the in-house producer for Devon Reason, Dwynell Roland, and Finding Novyon, some of the Twin Cities’ most talented rappers, is a tall order. But beatsmith Travis Gorman is up to the task, pacing each MC aboard his sample-driven beats. A clear throwback to Blockhead and early Def Jux production, Gorman chops up records into quirky boom-bap beats.

Though his best work is found on wax and onstage alongside his Rotation crew — see “This Year” by Dwynell Roland and “Pre-Heat” by Finding Novyon — Gorman’s partnerships with Rich Garvey and GainesFM demonstrate the versatility of his cuts. When you see the parenthetical “Prod. by Travis Gorman” on a SoundCloud track, you can trust it’s gonna be a quality song. [Best Hip-Hop Producer, City Pages 2017]