In October of 2010 Hip Hop lost one of its most unique voices when St. Paul native Eyedea accidentally overdoses on opiates. The Rhymesayers emcee released several acclaimed solo albums as well as collaborations with Slug of Atmosphere, Aesop Rock, and Sage Francis, among others. Eyedea also built up an impressive reputation as one of the fiercest freestylers in the nation.
All of this work earned the man plenty of respect during his lifetime and now that he has tragically passed people are expressing even more reverence. At the recent Twin Cities Hip Hop Awards the rapper was honored posthumously by the community that he called home. Eyedea’s mother was on hand to accept her son’s Twin Cities Legend Award.
The award ceremony, held last Friday, also featured performances from I Self Divine, Maria Isa, and No Bird Sing. Tribute was also paid to Quincy “Q the Blacksmith” Smith, the late KMOJ radio personality who died two years ago.
