 stopped by to talk to Carbon Sound’s host Sanni about the 2026 midterm elections and turning current political concerns into meaningful action.

 in today, a community organizer, creative, and co-founder of 

, and that's a youth-led movement working to transform Minnesota's political landscape by organizing, mobilizing, and developing the young folk. With the 2026 midterm elections approaching, 

 to explore why voting matters, what's at stake, how people can navigate political fatigue and uncertainty, and how individuals can turn their concerns about the current moment into meaningful action. Carbon Sound family, welcome, music class, Mamé Bioh. Welcome back, welcome back.

Thank you for having me back. I really appreciate it. It really touches my spirit. I really am happy.

I mean, straight to the point. We need you. We need people to talk to the young folks about the world that's around them, because I didn't know when I was in my younger 20s that you actually can do something about this. And it's good to remind folks because in between life insurance and college funds and books and rent, you get like, "Oh, now I gotta vote too.” So as I said earlier, we're approaching the midterms, and it's a time when a lot of people are feeling anxious, frustrated, disillusioned with politics. How would you describe the moment we're in right now, and what are you hearing from young people and the communities that you work with? What are they saying?

So I think right now, this year, specifically locally, this year has been absolutely hectic, absolutely chaotic. And I think there is a genuine, valid irritation with the political system that we exist in. There is a genuine frustration with the political system that we exist in. There is a genuine kind of anger and just confliction. I feel like a lot of young people now, specifically in Minnesota, are just as active as they were, but are also coming with a much more finer point on where their anger is towards. I think we are in a position where this current political landscape is not only polarizing, but very clear on who it's targeting. It's very clear on who it's targeting. It is very much clear on why they are targeting those people, and a lot of the target is to create a larger distraction from the longer plan that this political landscape has. And so I think young people are in this position where they are seeing not only some of their actions being thrown in their face but also seeing a lot of political conflict within the politicians themselves. Politicians backing their support on trans rights, politicians backing out on their support of data centers, and a lot of this finicky stuff, where it's like, "OK cool, where is the clear cut this is what you support, this who you support?" And I think one of the things that I'm seeing a lot of, is a lot of that dedication to the research, which I really appreciate. I think young people will show up this election year. I think it really is also just going to be, as a collective, what that's going to look like. Because I think there's also conversations around the safety now, of what it means to go to the polls. There is a clear understanding of being active, being politically active, comes with a level of danger now. And so I think it's also being honest about that and creating the support systems that are needed to be able to take that action and take it with a sense of conviction and agency.

I hear you say that young people are actually seeing that political leaders are finicky. I want to shout out to them for that because that, again, that was that wasn't something — my mom had to tell me politics makes strange bedfellows. And that didn't click until I got older and had to start paying taxes, so the fact that you're seeing young people kind of pick up on that — I just want to shout out the young folks for that. Because the way they make it seem like Gen Z is just out of touch, and from my perspective, that's not what I see, so I like to see the validation of "Nah, they watching."

I think it's also Gen Z has an access to information now, and also we're talking about a generation who has been through some of the most political, cultural moments throughout their generation. A lot of us came in the world around this 9/11 time. A lot of us saw the first Black president. A lot of us saw the impacts of what that first Black president did. A lot of us were in high school during the first Trump administration. A lot of us have been through very core political — rights being given, rights being taken away. A lot of young people have that relationship to politics that I feel like is much more clear, and is much more nuanced as well. So I think it's one of those things where it creates an array of emotions that I think Gen Z specifically is dealing with right now. Some young people, they're just like, "No, I'm not —." I think they've taken heed of even what some of their elders have told them about politics and a lot of the disillusionment that a lot of elders have around politics, and I feel like they've understood that, like, "I don't have time for that. I don't feel safe around that." And that's valid. And I think also there are active, and when I say active, I mean like you open your phone active, like active modes of mis- and disinformation being spewed at Gen Z all across the board. I think there is a very hyper fixation on young people because of the [malleability] of that, and that's why I think it's so important for young people to lead this conversation, especially in a position where you're seeing anything and everything on the internet these days. And so yeah, I think it's really important.

For the young people who feel like the political system isn't working for them, why does voting still matter? And for those who abstain from voting, what opportunities do they lose out on?

I'm gonna be honest. I am somebody who, very clearly, and I think even Believe In What's Possible as an organization, very much understands that voting, as it stands, is not like the one [action]. There's on the ground work that needs to be done. There is a lot of community care that needs to happen. There's a lot of coalition building that needs to grow, that will get us to where we want to go. There's a lot of strategy that needs to be had. We were just talking in the fellowship about strategy and how a lot of progressive strategy is always working against a system that is already built. It's already sustained itself. It already knows how to sustain itself. It already knows how to exist. It's done the ideological power. It's done the police power and the militant power. It has those barriers, and it has those kinds of foundations. And so I think one of the things that I tell a lot of my friends, a lot of the young people who I see and work with, is that voting is very much like a mic. If you don't use the mic, no one's gonna hear you. If you don't use the mic, no one's gonna hear you. If you use the mic, people will hear you. Now, what the point is, is to see if they'll listen or not. I think so much of politics has curated this relationship with, "Oh, if you vote, we'll listen." Not always. Not always. I think that is a point, but I think what voting does, especially once you know how to utilize it, and once you know how to utilize it as just a tool in the toolbox, not the entire one-for-all thing, you realize that it supports your voice to be able to take other actions.

That's kind of what you get. When I first started doing organizing for different nonprofits, I realized how, and I've talked about this before. The databases that politicians use highly rate communities and people, individuals, based off of their engagement with voting. And so, if you're a part of a community that has a low, let's be honest, let's use the Northside. Probably has a lower voter count of people who are eligible and go to the polls. What people don't understand about politicians is they love to take the easy way out, because again, they're on a time crunch. They need to get their voters. They need to go to the people who they know are going to be reliable. And so there's this relationship with reliability specifically, where young people, Queer people, Black and brown communities are seen as less reliable because they have less access to the polls. And so I think it's one of those conversations where the more we talk about young people voting, the more we talk about Black folks voting, that allows for there to be this understanding of "You can't say we're not reliable anymore. What you now have to say is you just don't care."

And that's when the collective takes the votes and sends them elsewhere. That's where you're calling up your senator, your councilman, and you're saying, "Hey, I'm noticing that you're going against my wishes and what I voted for. Change that. Quickly."

What do midterm elections determine, and how do they affect people's everyday lives? Because I feel like midterm elections is kind of like a side dish. Everybody's focused on the main, and that's just as important.

And that's the problem. I think too many people look at the presidency as the main dish. If I'm gonna use dishes, it's like the yams and mac and cheese. It's like the part that most people go towards first, but the midterms is really like the turkey. It is about our policing. It is about our medical care.

You're specifically talking about this midterm?

This midterm specifically, we have policing on the ballot, we have our Medicare and our medical systems on the ballot, social safety nets on the ballot, like everything that has been tested within the past year, just in itself, is on this ballot. So I think we need to understand that when we talk about having an attorney general, we are talking about somebody who is actively going to speak on behalf of this state and of the people here. When we talk about senators, these are representatives of our existence. We cannot be in these rooms, so we have to find somebody who's going to speak for us in the closest and best way possible. I think about it in this way. Let's say you have some really important information that you can get to one of your friends. Are you gonna go to the friend that you know is gonna absolutely butcher it? You going to the person who you know is like, "OK, cool. We've talked enough. I know that you'll be able to get this message and relay this." I think it's one of those things where, like, just as much as politics is looking for us to be reliable, we have to start looking at it to be reliable as well, and not disengage when it's not, but actually be more serious about "OK cool, you're not reliable, and that's actually a fact." And I actually really love Minnesota politics, to be honest, compared to a lot of other states and cities, because I think there is a basis of Minnesota does care. Specifically Minneapolis, like the Twin Cities, cares. I don't come from an environment where I knew about door knocking until I moved here. And again, not to say Chicago, Ohio didn't have these initiatives, but there's a culture around these things in Minnesota that I think becomes much more accessible. And so I do have to give props because I think right after college I started door knocking, and then even in the ways that I met a lot of the co-founders of Believe, it was through different campaigns, and then we started collaborating on getting people, driving people to the polls. "Oh, I'll find the people who need to go to the polls. I'll call you. You drive them to the polls." That was the setup that we had when we first met. And so I think it's one of those things where I think it's really just getting tapped into that culture. Tapped into the understanding that the same ways that we will go into the streets and fight is the same way we should go to the polls and speak up.

Last question. How can we keep up with you and Believe In What's Possible? Because it sounds like you're gonna be busy.

Believe In What's Possible currently has a fellowship going on. It's 

, right before the election. So it's that Monday, that first Monday. I would say if you can make it to the residency in Minneapolis by Modern Day Me, that's where it'll be held. Please follow us on Instagram 

, but it is going to be a beautiful activation of young people speaking about these issues, speaking about the current times, and then also sending people out to feel activated to go vote. If you want to be inspired by some amazing, amazing young creatives and young thinkers, please come to the People's Studio. The showcase is going to be absolutely amazing. We're gonna have some really cool music acts, visual art. Some really amazing projects. I'm excited.

. I'm hosting a couple parties this month, so it's gonna be cute. I'm hosting 

Thank you, Mamé for coming in, and thank you for what you're doing. It's ushering in the next generation of voters, and to anybody that's been working with you in there, they stepping out into the limelight. I want to thank them too.

Imana-Mamé Bioh stopped by to talk to Carbon Sound’s host Sanni about the 2026 midterm elections and turning current political concerns into meaningful action.


The Message - Imana-Mamé Bioh

Mamé Bioh posing in a polaroid photo in the carbon sound studio

John Kueppers | MPR

Interview: Imana-Mamé Bioh

Lemony is a Minneapolis DJ, community builder, vinyl lover, graphic tee connoisseur, and more. Playing music and bringing people together is at the center of his practice, whether that’s through his BYOV (Bring Your Own Vinyl) Nights or lending a hand in creating unforgettable sonic experiences with GREYPHORIA SOUND. 

Over the course of the last four years, Lemony has gone from DJing on his phone in his home to gigging all over the Twin Cities on any given week. Speaking of which, Lemony will be double-booked this Halloween — catch him opening things up at InMotion: Circus at Icehouse and shutting it down at Samambo: Dusk till Dawn at Green Room. 

In his mix for Carbon Sound, Lemony curates, in his words, “a very Lemony set.” If you have half as much fun listening as he did making this in our studio, you’re in for a great time. 

We chatted with Lemony about his background and intentions for the mix. Read a transcript of the interview edited for length and clarity below: 

I'm a Native American Black man from Minneapolis, Minnesota. A metaphysical being, a figment of your imagination, and I go by DJ Lemony.

Four years ago, off my cell phone in my home.

I used to write. I used to do a lot of writing, and I made an album with a bunch of different other local artists. I fell out of love with writing, but not out of love with music, and so it just kind of transferred passions — storytelling — from writing lyrics to creating sets.

When did vinyl enter the equation? Or was that always there?

That was always there. That was first. Vinyl was first; vinyl was A1. Listening to hip-hop off vinyl and learning how to scratch, that was first. And then digital came second.

The need for community, the want to bring people together. Like I said, vinyl was first for me, and I was introduced to MF DOOM off of vinyl after he passed away, and that was one of the biggest connectors that I had with my friend group at the time, was us sharing records together. So when I was asked to do my own show, off vinyl, I wanted to create that same feeling for other people. It’s like, how can I allow someone to flex their collection in a space that's as cool as this, and kind of grant them the same rush that I get on that stage? Shout out BYOV. That's what's up. Thank you for that.

How would you compare and contrast that with using your digital decks today?

For BYOV and for vinyl, I really like to hear the whole song. I love hearing the whole song play out. I think that DJing can get really ADD-ridden, and every 30 seconds is a new thing. But I really like a long transition. I really like to hear the whole thing play out. And for BYOV, you're respecting that other person's song. And so it's like, "All right, let's hear this whole song." And today — gonna be a very similar thing where I want to play the whole song for y'all.

Going back to community, what can you tell us about GREYPHORIA SOUND?

Going back to community, what can you tell us about 

GREYPHORIA SOUND is community. It is one of the many pillars of the Minneapolis sound systems in the underground scene — not even underground; we do sound for Soul of the Southside Festival, for all different types of things. We're a all-Black sound crew, ran by a group of queer people, straight people, and we do our very best to try to remind people that when you come to a party, it's not about the promoter, it's not about the DJ, it's about you. It's about the dance floor, it's about how you're able to connect with someone that you've never connected with, without words, on a very primal level. And I think that we are the front runners at that. We do a lot of very drastic things to create that. Whether you've been at a party under the bridge and we put tarps up so that you can't see the DJ, same for Mortimer's. That's our biggest thing: how can we hide the DJ and create the best sound, so that people can't help but dance with each other and connect with each other and look at each other. GREYPHORIA is community.

https://www.gofundme.com/f/helping-greyphoria-replace-stolen-gear?attribution_id=sl:0ef644f6-8f59-443e-b148-720a1dbd8701&ts=1791132966&utm_campaign=natman_today_topbar_ios&utm_medium=customer&utm_source=copy_link&video_sharing=enabled

There have been some benefit shows recently for GREYPHORIA; are you still 

Absolutely, always in need of funds. Always in need of shows. Yeah, we had some really unfortunate shit happen. A bunch of our equipment got stolen out of our truck. We have a 

 on Instagram. I'm sure you can look that up on 

 as well under the GREYPHORIA banner. We're always taking donations; we have 

, and all those proceeds are gonna go to us. It's gonna be at Red Sea. Red Sea is like the best venue because they give the artists 100% of the proceeds, like 100% of the door. Come to that, and that would be a great way to help us reinvest all of the money that you spend on us. We reinvest into the sound culture. It's never going towards our pockets to spend on some bullshit. It's always to the sound system.

Would you say creating community is the most gratifying part of DJing?

Totally. I think that it is one of the most gratifying aspects. It definitely has its ups and downs when you're creating community. I love listening to my sister Yasmeenah when she says, "There's no such thing as a safe space." And so it's hard to know that I really want to create a community but also recognize people's needs and people's boundaries that they have, and how I might want to be nurtured, and how I nurture might not be for somebody. And so, I really do love and find a lot of validation from seeking out community and figuring out how to build a community together. But it's also exhausting. It's definitely exhausting. I think the most rewarding part of it is just playing music, period. I love listening to music, and I love playing music, so that's A1. And then the community aspect is just gorgeous for sure.

A bit of a left turn: a love for music, also a love for graphic tees?

Andre 3000 did a tour run with Outkast; I think it was their last world tour that they did. And throughout the whole tour, he wore these jumpsuits with remarks on them, and he had a wig, and I always love seeing those images. And I feel like I see a lot of people use AI and like CGI and whatever to make their own thing, so I wanted to be a part of that, but have my images. 

So yeah, I had a few homies gift me graphic tees over the years, that I was able to kind of sift through and decide what I want. Right now, I'm wearing a "delulu" graphic tee. I think the one that blew up the most is "

?" That was a lot of fun. And I think the most impactful one, and what really tied with the Andre 3000 thing, was the "JACOB FREY IS A BAD PERSON AND A WORSE MAYOR." That's just a true statement. I don't know, I think that is beautiful that everybody agrees with that. I just want to be able to say stuff without saying stuff. Because music is fun, but it also is political.

What can Carbon Sound listeners expect from your set today?

You can expect a lot. I'm gonna be playing disco. I'm gonna be playing Brazilian funk. I'm gonna be playing techno. It's gonna be a very Lemony set.

Disco, funk, techno, and more from a booked and busy Minneapolis star.


Lemony (10/28/26)

Tim Mosenfelder

Jandeltha Rae stopped by to talk to Carbon Sound’s host Sanni about her new EP, Exhibit No. 33.


Jandeltha Rae stopped by to talk to Carbon Sound’s host Sanni about her new EP, 'Exhibit No. 33.'

The Message - Jandeltha Rae

Interview: Jandeltha Rae

Miss Shannan Paul stopped by to talk with Carbon Sound host Sanni about Twin Cities Film Fest, running Thursday, Oct. 15 through Saturday, Oct. 24.

Wow, this is a dope full circle moment for me. This is so dope. I'm a fan from way back when I first moved to Minnesota. I used to listen to this woman all the time. She inspired my radio journey. You have been a big sis inside my personal radio journey. So now that we got that out the way, Shannan Paul is a comedian, radio personality, and professional event host. She serves as the diversity and community relations director for the 

, which runs this year from October 15 through the 24th, featuring more than 110 films. Carbon Sound will sponsor the Black on Screen series centered on Black storytelling and conduct a red carpet interview during this year's festival. Carbon Sound family, just go ahead and show some love to my big sis, 

Thank you. And I always have say I'm that Miss Shannan because people will talk to me for a while, and then the voice will kick in, and then they'll go, "Are you the one that was on the radio back when I was —" and I said, "Thank you, yes." Because it's funny, because there's a bunch of people that are in your general bucket. One, I think I'm well preserved for my age, so I will give myself that much. I hydrate well, I take my collagen, and I do my creatine. But it's funny to have people say that they were listening to me when they were a high schooler, when their parents were driving them to school way back in the day, and that was four radio stations ago, and it doesn't exist. But it was good times. It was good times, and so I am always so proud of you, Sanni. I love watching you from both near and far, and how much you have grown. For everybody that's listening, for a while, Sanni was my producer, and so it was always great to be able to see her every week and be able to hear about her life and her performances and what was going on. So I'm very proud, and I love that you are here, and you have been here for a nice stretch, and I'm glad that you're comfortable. I think I was one of the people that, when you said you wanted to take this job, you asked me for a reference, and I was like, "I'm so proud of you. I'm happy to give you a reference." So, absolutely, Sanni, congratulations.

This is big sis, y'all. This is a real big sis in real life. So now that we got that out the way, I need other people to know about you. If they don't know, because I'd be kind of shocked if they didn't. But you serve as the 

Twin Cities Film Festival's Diversity and Community Relations Director

. Can you tell us a little bit about your journey into media and entertainment and how it led to your involvement with the Twin Cities Film Fest?

Well sure. I mean, a lot of things end up overlapping, and so the way that I got involved with the Twin Cities Film Fest — this is our 17th year. I've known our executive director, Jatin Setia, since college. And so way back in the day, when I was working at a different radio station in town, I ended up getting a job, and I moved out of town. And when I came back, I saw this dude that seemed to have the job I used to have at the radio station. And so I'm like, "Who's that brown kid across the street?" And so we would just nod, because that was when I was at the station called B96. He was at a station called KDWB, and we would just kind of nod, and then back to small world for the performers here in the Twin Cities. He and I ended up on an overnight shoot for an industrial video together, just randomly. And so we had time to just vibe and get to know each other. And we just ended up being friends. And so a few years after that, he came over, and we're talking, and he's like, "Yeah, I'm gonna start a film fest." And I'm like, and what I want to tell to everybody who's listening who does not hang out with performers and creatives, they have a lot of ideas that do not come to fruition. There are a lot of "Hey, this is it." And then something shiny happened, and then you're like, "What happened to that other idea?" But when Jatin told me that he was gonna start a film festival, I looked at him, and I said, "I bet you are." And I had no doubt. And so now we're 17 years in, and so I just, over time, because I was friends with him and supported the mission of what the Twin Cities Film Fest does, slowly just got more and more involved into the thing. So it's been a great journey, and I'm glad that the film festival has continued to grow over the years. And so we're encouraging everybody to come out and see us.

I love that. I love that you're in here talking about how you influenced my career and how you hooked up with the creator of the Twin Cities Film Fest, and I really hope young people are understanding how important it is to network, how important it is to show up. Because I hear a lot of people talk about community, and you are community in action.

And that's a lot of what the Twin Cities Film Fest does by mission, is to provide ways that stories can be told and stories can be absorbed. Especially right now, with the way that our media is being created, it's very difficult for people who are making this kind of content to get screens. So if you're not a remake, a second, a third, or a reboot, it's difficult to get a big screen, and so that's why film festivals in general are so important. Is that that's a way for people who are making shorts to get themselves out there. That's a way for newer filmmakers to get this one, or people who are evolving from "I was making shorts,” or “I was doing series, and now I'm doing something different." That's a way for you to be able to see them. So anytime you see "something something film fest,” I encourage people to go. For sure come to the Twin Cities Film Fest, but anytime you see that, because you're gonna see something a little different than that normal big-budget, big-box consolidation of media that's happening.

I'm glad you said that, because I constantly hear about the Twin Cities Film Festival. I'm like, "What do they do? Do they talk about OG movies?" So to know that it's basically where all the new talent for the most part, or undiscovered talent —

Right. One of the things I think is great about the number of films that we have. So this year we have over 110 films, as you said. There's going to be something you love and something you hate, and that's what's great about these things, because it'll be documentaries; it'll be short films. They also have billed themselves out so that we have series involved there, so you can see not only some series, but now you can actually see — short plug for me, as part of the Black on Screen and all this other stuff, and part of the series, I have a series. And so it's interesting for me and my evolution that not only am I one of the people that works with the red carpet and does the Q&A, I have a series that's in here called "

." So it'll be another place for people to see that, to get eyes on it, to really get that feedback of what it's like. And that's one of the best things about — anybody, if you're going, "Why would I go see a bunch of movies I've never heard of?" This is a great opportunity for you to just disrupt your algorithm because those algorithms are always gonna funnel you the same thing. So you can go on our website, 

, pick something, and then go, "OK, what's next for today?" Just pick something based upon your schedule and do something new.

Twin Cities Film Festival has a Black on Screen series, dedicated to films by Black filmmakers and stories centered on Black lives, culture, and identity. Why is it important for a festival like this to intentionally create space for stories like that?

I think often you end up back in that for us by us mentality, and so there's a lot of things. And I work with a variety of different organizations that really hyper-focus on making sure that we have content for us by us and making sure that that is available and that it's access to capital and those things. When you work with something like the Twin Cities Film Fest, I think it's important for them to also do that because it broadens the audience, it broadens the amount of eyes that can be on it, and it gives it a bigger megaphone. Because it's great to be able to say, "Sanni, I appreciate you as a Black woman, and you and I have this different commonality in our language and what we'll do." But to be in front of a bigger audience, to be in some place where they would not organically just stumble into our community, it's important for other platforms to do that, and I'm glad that the Twin Cities Film Fest does that. People like to have things mirrored to them organically. Some people wouldn't seek it out. Every year at the Twin Cities Film Fest, we have a wonderful collection of movies that end up Oscar candidates. So if you're that bougie person, the Twin Cities Film Fest is for you. So it's good to have those bougie people that like to go "Oh, I'm here because I want to know what's going to be next. What won at the Sundance Film Festival." To be able to have that pedigree, but then also go, "And then I saw this other film." Anytime you see a film festival, you know what it is? It's your Costco. And so you just need sometimes a giant place where everything's there, and then you found your new favorite brand because it was at the Costco. And that's why you're like, that's what you do, because otherwise you'll just pick the same thing you always picked.

Wow, that's a great example. I am super excited to go to this. Because I think the average person goes to streaming and go, "What can I find?" And it is, for the most part, the same stuff over and over. So this idea that you can go in real life, and people are always encouraging us to go in real life, to go learn about all these new movies that we wouldn't normally — that's really exciting.

We'll go back to the Costco analysis. When you go there on the weekends and somebody's giving you a sample. And so this is your opportunity to sit there and go, "Oh, you know what? I wouldn't necessarily, on my own, want a taste of that." And now you get a taste of it.

So where can we go to learn more about the Twin Cities Film Festival, explore the lineup, and get involved?

, and so not only do we have everything going on during the festival itself, so there's all the films. You can also get a streaming pass. So if you're not able to attend everything, they're streaming. A lot of the films are available for streaming. So if you go to 

 you can do that. Also, what's great is we are continually looking for people to get involved. If you want to be one of the people that learns how to do ticket taking, if you have a kid that's interested in filmmaking, then we have different programs with a lot of the universities and the colleges in town, and even some of the high school programs that can sit there and put them with mentors, and we could talk about it. So there's content going on year-round. There's programs going on year-round, and you can get all that information by going to 

For those who want to keep up with Miss Shannan, how do we follow you?

Thank you so much, Miss Shannan. I really enjoyed this interview. I feel like you just know the interview flow.

We needed to catch up. We needed to catch up anyway, sis. I got you.

Miss Shannan Paul stopped by to talk with Carbon Sound host Sanni about Twin Cities Film Fest, running Thursday, Oct. 15 through Saturday, Oct. 24.


Miss Shannan Paul stopped by to talk with Carbon Sound host Sanni about Twin Cities Film Fest.

The Message - Miss Shannan Paul from Twin Cities Film Fest

a woman posing in a polaroid photo in the carbon sound studio

two women posing for a photo in the carbon sound studio

Interview: Miss Shannan from Twin Cities Film Fest

Mati stopped by to talk to Carbon Sound’s host Sanni about his recent singles “baggu” and “summers don’t last,” his upcoming show at 

Oh my God, y'all! This is one of the reasons I love the Minnesota music scene so much. It's so dope to see y'all drop, and then y'all grow, and then the people is feeling what I'm feeling. And this artist that we have in here today, I was able to interview them when we first started Carbon Sound. It was at the Minnesota State Fair, and now he's back with new music. He grown now. Minneapolis-based artist whose music blends different genres with melody, thoughtful lyricism, and vulnerable writing. He recently just dropped two songs, 

 at the end of August. The songs were met with a strong response from listeners and have continued to build momentum since their release. I just want to go ahead and welcome the Carbon Sound family to Mati. Yay!

Yay, I'm so happy you're here. First of all, from a fan point of view, it's been really dope to be able to have interviewed you at the State Fair and then to watch you drop all these songs, and I'm feeling them because I be playing them, but to know that the people is feeling it too. So how does that feel?

Feels good. First of all, I do like to say I got supporters, not fans. That's something I stand on because I feel like sometimes that word can get misconstrued. I don't like looking down on people. I may be overthinking it, but yeah.

No, I think the music consumer appreciates a artist who don't treat them like they the help. I think that's fair.

I'm grateful for every listener, you know?

So for those who may not know who you are, let us know: who is Mati? How do we understand you as an artist?

Always been a goal of mine to just be a better human, and then an artist. And I'm still striving to be a better artist and human. But that's who I would say represents me as an artist more. It's like I'm working on the human aspect of myself to show that growth in my music. You know?

Well, I can hear it. We talk a lot about diversity within the diaspora, but your story is rooted in both Ethiopia and South Minneapolis. How have those two places shaped you and the way you approach music?

That's a good question. I would say it's important to walk in a path where you just remember where you come from, because that shapes who you are. So I try to bring the listener or the viewer into my world like that, because it did shape who I am as an individual and as an artist. And people want to know who the artist is when they listening, because that's what creates the authenticity aspect of it. Nobody just wants to listen to artists they don't feel connected to. Sometimes you watch your favorite artists grow through projects or albums and stuff, and you feel like you know who they are because they tell — they give you bits and pieces through their music. So I think it's important for me to have people recognize who I am.

So you just dropped two tracks at the end of August, and it's going crazy. We got 

 Where were you at mentally, spiritually, physically when you created these tracks?

I want to say both of them was around the same time. The "summers don't last" it was last summer, this time of the year, and it was kind of just going through the emotion of understanding we got, you know, beautiful summers here in Minnesota, and then you realize it's coming to an end.

I try to be very much in the moment with the music. That was what I was feeling in that moment; I was like, "Damn, these summers don't last too long." And then I've been playing around with my voice a little bit, with some vocal pictures and whatnot. So that's kind of where that inspiration came from.

That's cool. I like that. I'm actually in class to learn how to produce music, and I just learned that producers aren't just making a sound. You're creating, you're using your voice to create your sound. Did you do that at the beginning of your career? Or this is something just, like you said just last summer, and how has that affected the response to your music?

It's been good. I feel like anytime you try something different from what people are used to hearing from you, I wouldn't say it's different in the musical world because I pull inspiration, we've heard it before. But when you do something different, and then it turns out well, like it sticks to the drawing board, like people are like, "Oh, I never heard this from you. I like this." But at the same time, that sound, it's not always who I am or the type of music I like to make, but I also enjoy doing it. I like the way we rolled these two songs out, where it was like a little two-pack of something similar. And then we give you some more seasoning on another two-pack, maybe a couple months from now, and it's like a little story behind it, instead of always rolling out an album or a project.

That's interesting. Where are you at creatively right now, though? And where do you plan on going creatively?

I don't know if my manager will like this response, but sometimes I be ready to just release music, obviously in communication, and he help me out and stuff with that. But then at some point, I just like to kind of just go ghost a little bit for a second, you know, reset. I love what I do, and I feel like it's my purpose, but I also like to move in a way where it can come off rebellious in a sense, where I'm not really looking to move in a path that's like "You have to do this to get to this place." I'ma do it comfortably, and if it don't happen the way someone else might imagine it, I'm just glad that I made that decision because that's where I felt comfortable in that moment. So I plan on releasing for sure soon. But at some point, I need that mental reset where I'm like, I just want to go be a human off social media and still create music because I'm always create music.

, and as an artist, there's a lot of output, but you have to separate time for yourself for the input. And that's just been sticking with me. So to hear you say this after she said that — I hope y'all picking up the gems; I'm gonna just say that. So you are returning to the 

7th St. Entry for a Carbon Sound sponsored show on October 22

. Can you tell us about the way you approach live performances and what you hope people walk away with?

That's a good question. It's a great question. I'm thinking about it right now. But I think definitely, like I have so much respect for First Avenue and 7th Street, and I've played that room a couple times, and —

I played it a couple times. They look out for the little small artists. They do.

I just like the intimate setting, because it's a lower stage, and I like to be with the community, everybody together. I just like cultivating the audience where it's like I'm bringing people together from maybe different aspects of my life, or just listeners that haven't met yet, and I just want people to walk away just feeling positive, really, and just knowing that if you're having a bad day, you can pull up to a show like this and just a reminder that life is beautiful.

I like that you said that because whenever I go see a live show, messages are always coming to me. "Look at how they're up there, just being, just confident, living in they dream," like that. I'm always getting messages when I go to the show, so it's really wild to me to hear that that's a part of your intentions.

Yeah, cause like I go into complete autopilot once that first 30 seconds of the song. And I want people to be on autopilot with me.

So let's say we want to help you grab some more supporters. Supporters want to support Mati. How do we find you? How do we locate you? How do we support?

You can pull up to the show on October 22, if you local. Otherwise, my Instagram is 

Well, thank you, Mati. I appreciate you. You so chill. Thank you, Mati.

Thank you so much. I'm so grateful to be here, and Carbon Sound, obviously, us artists, especially in this community, we need more representation from the media, and what y'all are doing is amazing. So I'm grateful.

Well, good I'm glad. Y'all keep making music like this, baby, we gonna continue creating platforms like this.

Mati stopped by to talk to Carbon Sound’s host Sanni about his recent singles “baggu” and “summers don’t last,” his upcoming show at 7th St. Entry, and more.



The Message - Mati

a man posing in a polaroid photo in the carbon sound studio

a woman and a man posing for a photo in the carbon sound studio

Mati - Carbon Sound Session LIVE at Minnesota State Fair

Interview: Mati

 stopped by to talk to Carbon Sound’s host Sanni about world-building as an artist and community member.

This is gonna be a really exciting class for me, y'all. I have been a fan of this woman for at least eight years. I remember the first time I heard your name; I was like, "I gotta find out more." I need to understand how we can mix up Afrocentric and Ratchet in the same mix, and you do it so effortlessly. So for those of you who don't know, because I had a fan out a little bit. is a Twin Cities-based MC, an artist whose work celebrates Black culture, confidence, creativity, and community. She got a single; it's called "

," and it's a Chicago dance-inspired track that's been making noise across the Twin Cities. After the single's release, Essjay brought together five women MCs from across the Twin Cities for a 

 that celebrates Black women in the local scene while creating space for more collaboration, connection, and community. Y'all give it up, Carbon Sound Family. Give it up for 

. Welcome. I'm so glad you had time to come in here.

I'm glad to be here. I've been excited to come up here and talk to you for a minute.

So for those who don't know, because I know everything, but for those who don't know, let's go ahead and get the elevator pitch for Miss Essjay TheAfrocentricRatchet. Who are you? Talk about yourself, a little bit about yourself.

I am a Chicago-born, Minneapolis transplant, rapper, singer, writer, world-builder, mother, wife, all-around thinker, mover, shaker. My focus has always been expressing myself through my art, using art as a form of healing and therapy, and it's just grown into me kicking in doors all around the city for eight years.

You got it, man. You released an album called 

 in September of last year. Can you tell us a little bit about the process of creating that project and what conversations you wanted to have through it?

It was five years in the making. You know what? It wasn't even an intentional five years. In 2020, right after the pandemic hit, I'm like, I feel like I've done enough work where I could try to throw my hat in the ring as a real artist and make an album. And then the pandemic happened, and I was forced to kind of sit in that. It was perfect timing, so we really worked on, me, Zakariya Khan, Kwey, Ben Yoshihara. Those were my producers and homies at the time, and we just made a ton of stuff, over like 50 some songs I think at a point, and maybe at the end of like two years, I was ready to really hone in on what's going to be the finished product. And everybody was in different places at that time. Things had changed so much post-pandemic. And it took three years just to find an engineer, a team, a support system that would help me get that project out. And I found it last year, or like last maybe two, three years. But last year is when we finally were able to push it out. And the conversation is just like the fullness of what I am and who I am, and how that aligns with the fullness of Black women, of Blackness. We are dichotomous. We are not monolithic. We are Afrocentric, and we are ratchet, and we are educated, and we are striving, and we are struggling. We are doing all those things while still being magnificent, and that is the masterpiece of our existence.

You a year removed from dropping this. So where's your head at creatively now?

I heard you say world-building when you introduced yourself. What do you mean world-building?

So I've recognized that in building myself up, I put myself in a position that I can now lead, and I can now project a bigger vision that maybe other folks haven't been able to see. Being a transplant coming here, I was always able to peep the disconnect, like the "why." Like, "Why is Minnesota not on," or "Why is no one—" or "There's no sound" or "No connectivity." I could always see the why, and it was just a lack of hometown pride. People aren't proud enough to say that they're from here, and I could get it. There's not enough connection between the things that you represent and the things that represent you. Even from our sports teams to our community leaders, like they're not — everyone's not in alignment. They don't even know each other exists. And so, as a person who's looking inward on this experience in world-building, I'm trying to connect the dots with the people who are already, you know, the dot. They are the thing. They are creating the systems in their communities. They just need more support, and that's more support is gonna come from across other lines of people working, and so that's where I'm at, connecting those dots.

That's incredible insight to know that — because I kind of felt like that when I moved here. Unless you've already made it. That was the people that I saw people being proud of, if they had already made it. I feel like there was hometown love. I don't want nobody to get mad at me. I also feel like in terms of the artist community and musicians, I heard it from people who grew up here; they got friends here. But in the artist creative community, and I do see that more now. I remember being in radio, being like "Why ain't nobody making no noise about these artists?" And then the more I saw, the more I saw.

It's also not a part of the culture. Expression, although we are extremely artistic here, people just being expressive about what they actually feel and want to say is not super common. Like that "Minnesota nice" slash passive aggression, where it's like you're in a show and you're seeing something amazing, and everyone's just quiet and staring.

Oh my god! Thank you for saying that. That is a crazy phenomenon.

That doesn't happen in other places. And that's just because there's a lack of connected identity. No one knows how to react because they don't know how a person should react. Whereas I'm from Chicago, you just react, you just feel, it is what it is. But here, people are trying to figure out who they are because there's no big uniform identity.

That said, "Single 4 The Summer" and the remix. What inspired "Single 4 The Summer?"

Becoming single for the summer. A relationship ending and coming to a close. And it was like, "Yeah, you thought you was gonna have me down bad. I assure you, you will not." And funny enough, that song just started buzzing the moment I previewed it, just a preview, and I had to put it out. I was just kind of testing the waters to see, like, "Could I get this off? How y'all feel about it?" And everybody started going crazy, so I'm like, let me actually dig into it. Because that's how I really felt at the time.

And the remix, you know, like I said, me wanting to build the community and the systems. I realize that somebody's got to lead the charge, and I'm like, "Why not women?" We are the most talented, the most progressive, the most community-based usually, and so even despite the little issues and catty stuff we got going on, I feel like they'd be the easiest group to align.

Man, if we can just get that catty stuff out the way, man.

Oh, I'm sorry, and that's why we have Big Vinaa, Karson Blu, Quita Lashae, Vicky V, and Lettrish Betrish. I love that name, Trish.

Yeah, I reached out to a lot of those young ladies because I wanted to put them in a room to do this thing, and I knew there was a lot of mess and conflict that was going on.

So you're having these thoughts like, "Somebody has to be the leader here." Did you have any reservations, any nervousness about getting these ladies together? Because sometimes when ladies get together —

." I created a space that would be so positive and so neutral and so loving, like through that networking event and putting all those creative women in one space. How you gonna be on some Love & Hip Hop drink-throwing energy when everybody in here showing love and respect?

And if you do, you gonna stand out like a sore thumb, for sure.

You're gonna feel silly. And so that alone, through also on the back end, having conversations like, "Hey, baby girl, bigger picture. You want to work?" And they all was like, "I want to work more than I want to beef." It's that simple. That simple of a conversation. It takes accountability. It takes some desire to lead. I don't necessarily desire to lead, but I understand the power in leading when you got some sense. And so, if I gotta do it until I can find a couple other folks that got the sense, and I can step back and do more support, then I'll take that lead for right now.

You also have a leader vibe. You got a real cool, calm aura. You got a "Let's do this. Don't be dumb."

Yeah, get down and lay down. It's very simple because I don't think it's gotta be complex.

What do you think the Twin Cities music scene does really well? Because we talked about where some places that need help, but what do you think the Twin Cities music scene does really well? And what are some lessons that you've learned as an artist here?

It does really well at continuation. I mean, we've seen big systems fall, big names, big entities.

And every time they fall, people go, "Well, I think we could do it again." The resiliency, like nobody ever has quit in terms of like, Minnesota may not be in the public conversation all the time, but somebody's always got it in their heart to make it a part of the conversation. So the resiliency alone, I think that shows in the way we show up in community, the way we react to community tragedy. We need to react that same way in community success, but that's the thing right there. The fact that we not quitters here. That I do appreciate about Minnesotans. They will go there with you. They will keep going and get back up. And then musically, I would say specifically, we create from scratch. People say, "What's the Minnesota sound?" It's instrumentation. It's the fact that people are making music for real. It's not just computers and NPCs and samples. We do have that production, but people is really skilled in their crafts. My boy 

 make guitars from scratch. Like what? Who taught you how to make guitars from scratch? He invented new guitars. Who inventing new guitars? It's 2026. How many more guitars could there be? Zak said "A couple." So I think innovation is another thing. This is a breeding ground because there is no overall theme where people have to be one thing. People get to imagine anything, and I think that's limitless.

So what are you most excited about building next? Both as an artist and as a part of the community, of the Twin Cities music scene?

As an artist, I'm most excited about the next album pursuit. I'm ready to try again, and I have so much more knowledge and wisdom, and just resource to do it this time. I know what I want, so I'm excited to create new music from an intentional space. The summer stuff just be like microwave food, you know? A banquet meal, just something in between. But the album stuff is really when I get to sit down and dig into the meat and potatoes of what I've learned since I've last done a thing. So I'm really excited about that. In terms of community, Girl, Link. Girl, Link. every day, all day, like bringing all the women creatives in the cities and then eventually in the country and the world together, to be our own resource, to be our own systems, to build a gate around the gate. I'm not trying to abolish gatekeeping, because you need gates.

You do need a little bit of gatekeeping in some of these spaces, for sure.

But we gonna build a gate around the gate, so you got to come through us to get whatever you're trying to go.

? Because my thought process, you already went with you starting out small with just the creatives, then you're expanding. But what are you expanding? Give us a good picture with that.

So one of our big driving focuses is artist development, taking women to the next level in their creative processes, bringing women together to see what tools and resources they have that can be built upon. If women are already doing events or organizations or just different work in community, how can Girl, Link. support you to make that thing bigger so that it has the power that it deserves? Right now, it's hard for a woman to go into a venue and book a space, but if 100 women can make a call and have a conversation, it ain't hard no more. And so it's really just about steel sharpening steel, and getting everybody to a point where we're now operating on a national level in terms of how we're competing, sound, look, sales, algorithm. Like we're in the big conversation, and I think that's due to systemizing and collectivizing how we get there and making it easier.

So first of all, thank you for pulling up today and letting us know, and building Girl, Link. and y'all don't know it, but 

 is here. Tai Way is here. And apparently, you and Essjay TheAfrocentricRatchet, y'all got some music y'all working on.

Tai got an album that she's working on. I got a mixtape I'm dropping pretty soon, and we got joint stuff. Me and Tai are like — this my right hand. We are literally always together. We're always working on things. Yeah, work wife for sure. Music twin. We are always just on that. So from music to Girl, Link. to just world-building, we're always in that space together.

I like that, because I got scared when you said Girl, Link. All women have a traumatic story of working with women, and I love that not only are you creating Girl, Link., but you're exemplifying it by working with other artists and your remixes and the work that y'all doing. So, I want to say thank you because working with women, I feel like not all of us have the tools to understand how to effectively work with women, and I can see that you got that. And so that's exciting to me, because I love working with women. How can we keep up with you?

 on everything. We got a couple shows coming up. We at 

 at The Cabooze. Stay tuned, we about to have another show coming up. We got some special releases, so just tap in. You know, follow Girl, Link. on everything, 

 coming up. That's a series Tai's starting with 

Hey y'all. So it's an all-female DJ set, and it's a DJ series where four DJs will spin for four hours, one hour each, and it's basically to exemplify or expand or get the music of the local artist out. So a local artist will host every time, and it's just geared and centered towards that artist and their music and what they have, and it's just an activation, a part of a bigger rollout.

All right, ladies. Thank you, thank y'all for doing what you're doing for the ladies. I'm sure the ladies appreciate it, and I need Tai Way to come back. And Afrocentric, I need you to come back too.

Essjay TheAfrocentricRatchet stopped by to talk to Carbon Sound’s host Sanni about world-building as an artist and community member.



The Message - Essjay TheAfrocentricRatchet

Interview: Essjay TheAfrocentricRatchet

 stopped by to talk to Carbon Sound’s host Sanni about his new single “Go To Hell” and more upcoming music and performances.

All right, y'all. I'm having a fangirl moment. Y'all know I be fanning out about some people. So, our next guest is a Minnesota-based rapper, performer, and community-minded artist known for their energetic music, humor, storytelling, and commitment to creating spaces where people can connect. 

 will be performing at Urban Lights Record Store during the 

 in St. Paul on October 3 and will appear at the 

 on September 30. Carbon Sound family, welcome, Nur-D in the studio!

So, for those who are new to you and they haven't had a chance to really get to know you and learn about you, tell us about yourself.

Well, I'm a bit of a nerd. If you didn't catch by the name. I've been doing music now for about eight years as Nur-D. I just love doing hip-hop. I love hip hop, I love pop, I love R&B. I love a little glam rock, you know? My favorite song for the longest time was "Sister Christian" by Night Ranger. So I like a little bit of everything, and you find that in my music.

I can hear that. So you have built a career around music that can be fun and energetic, while still speaking on social issues and having an active presence in the community. I do remember when you dropped the track about George Floyd. I remember being in the studio like, "OK, Nur-D's gonna go there." How do you go about that, and why is that important to you?

Well, I think the Venn diagram of my nerd self and my activist mindset, it finds itself right in the middle of Spider-Man: Amazing Fantasy issue one. Uncle Ben says, "With great power comes great responsibility." And I feel like as an artist with the ability to reach so many people, I have a responsibility to make sure that when I talk, when I'm making music, when I'm making art, that you know where I stand on issues that are important to all of us. It is the driving force of almost everything I do.

I feel like that's why you stick out, because I feel like, as an artist, it is challenging because you may have developed your fan base. And I feel like your music's fun and comforting. So then when you're serious, Nur-D, I was like, "Is this it for Nur-D?" And no, people embraced you.

It was so such a blessing. So in 2020, I put out two records back-to-back, 

 after the murder of George Floyd. And I was really struggling with that. I tell people all the time, like my first part of my career, everybody wants to love themselves. Everybody wants to talk about loving your body, loving yourself. It's real easy to do that. It's important, but it's easier to talk about that than talk about dismantling systematic oppression. And so I was like, I don't know if I'm gonna be able to make that work. And I struggled with it. I don't want anyone to think that it was a decision that I made; I didn't even think about it, I just walked into it. Some people are like that. I literally had to think about it because this is my career. What do I want to do? But I said, "This is more important than anything that I could put on a record." And I was at a Kmart parking lot with the Minneapolis Police Department bearing down on all of us, and I got hit.

And you were out there. You was out there.

I was out there. I got hit with a non-lethal round right to my hip. At the time, we didn't know that was what they were shooting at us. They were, yeah, yeah. And I remember getting hit. I remember feeling the pain, and I asked myself, "If I die right here in this Kmart parking lot, does Nur-D have the discography that lets people know why I was here today?" And the answer was no at the time. The answer was no, and I said I gotta rectify that, and so 

Nur-D stopped by to talk to Carbon Sound’s host Sanni about his new single “Go To Hell” and more upcoming music and performances.



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