WilsonBlock1000 Radio

Abstract Mindstate: Chicago’s Hip-Hop Torchbearers Still Dream, Still Inspire

by Mistah Wilson -

 

Follow Abstract Mindstate on Instagram


If you’re tapped into Chicago’s Hip-Hop roots, then you already know the name Abstract Mindstate rings with reverence. The dynamic duo—made up of South Side’s Olskool Ice-Gre and West Side’s E.P. Da Hellcat (a.k.a. Ebony Poetress)—made waves in the early 2000s with their signature blend of soul-soaked production, sharp lyricism, and raw, introspective storytelling. Together, they helped define what they now proudly call Adult Contemporary Hip-Hop (ACH), a term coined by Ice-Gre to describe their mature, message-driven approach to the genre.

The pair’s 2001 debut album We Paid, Let Us In! quickly became a cult favorite among Chicago Hip-Hop heads and underground tastemakers alike. With their golden-era sensibilities and authentic voices, Abstract Mindstate was poised to make a major mark with follow-up projects Still Paying and You Owe Us Change. That second album, Still Paying, was set to feature some of Chicago’s brightest stars at the time—Kanye West, Common, and John Legend among them. But when a key investment fell through and label support dried up, the duo’s rise was cut short. Despite efforts to stay in the game through their Chicago’s Hardest Working mixtape series, life circumstances eventually led them to take a break from music in 2008.

Fast forward more than a decade later, and Abstract Mindstate returned—wiser, more seasoned, and creatively recharged. Their comeback was nothing short of historic: Dreams Still Inspire, a full-length project produced entirely by Kanye West, marked the first (and only) official album released through Ye’s YZY SND imprint. The project reintroduced their socially conscious, thought-provoking bars to a new generation while paying homage to the sound that birthed them.

While the duo is no longer affiliated with the label, their momentum continues. Abstract Mindstate is now part of the extended Slum Village family, a lineage that runs deep through the Midwest’s soulful Hip-Hop legacy. As they push forward, their music remains rooted in experience, reflection, and a mission to inspire through grown-man and grown-woman rap.

With Chicago’s Hip-Hop scene experiencing a renaissance and the spotlight widening to embrace seasoned voices, Abstract Mindstate is proof that dreams never expire—they just evolve. Keep an ear out; these local legends are far from finished.

Comments

Post a Comment

The Street Sign Store

Streets

103rd street 108th Street 109th Street 111th Street 14th street 16th avenue 1st Street 1st avenue 216th Street 222th Street
23rd Avenue 23rd Avenue South 2nd avenue 4th avenue plaza 50th Street 5th Street Acacia Avenue Alhambra Road Alki Avenue Southwest Alondra Boulevard Alvarado Street Andover Street Andover Street & Rainier Avenue Antwerp Street Arizona Avenue Aurora Avenue Azusa Avenue Baldwin Avenue Baseline Road Bell Street Berkshire Avenue Blackstone Road Brand Boulevard Broadway Broadway & Harrison Street Broadway & Thomas Street Burbank Boulevard California Avenue California Avenue SW California Boulevard Carson Street Catalina Avenue Cedros Avenue Central Avenue Charles Street Charlestown Street Charleville Boulevard Chestnut Street Claremont Boulevard Cloverdale Street Crenshaw Boulevard Cypress Street Dakota Street Dearborn Street Del Amo Boulevard Denker Avenue Denver Avenue Devonshire Street Donna Marie Lane East Boulevard El Bonito Avenue El Molino Avenue El Sereno Avenue Elevado Avenue Elk Avenue Figueroa Street Florence Avenue Foothill Boulevard Fremont Avenue Gains Mill Street Gardena Avenue Gardena Boulevard Garey Avenue Garvey Avenue Genesee Street Glendale Boulevard Graham Street Grandee Avenue Green Lane Greenwood Avenue Harrison Street Harvard Street Helms Avenue Henderson Street Hollyglen Lane Holt Avenue Honolulu Avenue Hoover Street Indian Hill Boulevard Inglewood Boulevard Ivy Avenue John Street Juneau Street Kenwood Street La Cañada Boulevard Lake Avenue Lake Wash Boulevard Lavender Lane Lincoln Avenue Lodi Creek Road Lomita Boulevard Long Beach Boulevard Los Arboles Lane Los Robles Avenue Louise Street Lower Azusa Road Madison Street Magnolia Avenue Malachite Avenue Manhattan Beach Boulevard Marengo Avenue Mariposa Street Mission Street Monterey Road Mountain Street Myrtle Avenue Oakland Avenue Old Mill Road Orcas Street Parthenia Street Phinney Avenue Pine Street Rainier Avenue Redondo Beach Boulevard Reseda Boulevard Rev. Dr. S. McKinney Avenue Rio Hondo Avenue Rosecrans Avenue Rosemead Boulevard Roy Street & Broadway SW Alaska Street San Dimas Avenue San Dimas Canyon Road San Gabriel Boulevard Santa Monica Boulevard Seattle Boulevard Seattle Street Sepulveda Boulevard Seward Park Avenue Silverlake Boulevard Slauson Avenue Spring Street & Western Avenue Stanford Street Sunset Boulevard Temple City Boulevard Thistle Street Torrance Boulevard Tremont Street Tyler Avenue Valley Boulevard Vicksburg Avenue Vista Del Valle Road Wardlow Road Washington Boulevard Waverly Road Weller Street West Haven Road Wilson Avenue alameda street alamitos avenue alpine street anaheim street arden road arroyo parkway beacon avenue south belvidere street boren avenue broadway court cahuenga boulevard centinela avenue chester avenue claremont street coco avenue colorado boulevard colorado street bridge columbia street conceptual street sign photography cordova street euclid avenue fair oaks avenue foothill street garfield avenue green street herbert street holliston avenue holly street howard street hudson avenue iowa avenue jackson street jefferson street la brea avenue la rosa road lemon avenue linden boulevard locust street madison avenue malibu colony road mar vista avenue mentor avenue michigan avenue olvera street orange grove boulevard venice blvd ventura blvd virginia street
Show more