Home
  • January 1, 2009
    Best of....

    The year has wrapped up and that means we are in the season of "Best of" lists. ?uestlove of The Roots named Invincible #3 in his list of top ten favorite female emcees.

    Thanks to the magazines and blogs who included Invincible's debut ShapeShifters LP in their best of 2008 lists:

    Metro Times: ShapeShifters was recognized on three MT critics "best of" lists.

    San Fransisco Bay Guardian: ShapeShifters is #7 "best indie hip hop album of 2008."

    The Smoking Section: ShapeShifters amongst the Most Slept on Albums of the Year. "It’s some shameful shit when a pure Hip-Hop record comes down the pipeline and all anyone can talk about is what the artist looks like rather than what their music is about. Anyone who focused on Invincible as a female and not as an emcee, obviously snoozed through an hour of intricate lyricism served raw over head-banger beats."

    EYE Weekly: ShapeShifters amongst "Our Favorite Albums of 2008" list: "Invincible convincingly made the case that she deserves more attention, inventively welding her community activism to her music. Tackling gentrification, the war on terror and cultural intolerance may sound a tad didactic to some, but her unquestionable rhyme skills —anchored by inimitable gritty Midwestern production from the aforementioned Black Milk, among others — rendered her urgent and hard-hitting missives undeniable."

    Coke Machine Glow: ShapeShifters is #5 album of the year. "Invincible doesn’t make moralist judgments so much as invest her rich rhyming in trying to quickly sketch the relative connections out from the core issue as far as the track time will allow her, like the spiderweb of cracks that appears when rock hits glass. Her agenda focuses her words but does not override her artistry; integrity is what makes Invincible invincible."

    The Underground Come Up: ShapeShifters is #4 best album of the year. "Invincible is a true lyricist and activist, who has a real message that is evident in every one of her rhymes. Making a buzz in the underground and through the lyricist lounge since back in the 90s, its a real pleasure to see her finally get her well-deserved shine."

    Vapors Magazine: ShapeShifters is #40 best album of the year.

    Rober Awards: ShapeShifters amongst top 50 albums of the year.

    Backwords: ShapeShifters is the #1 hip hop album of the year. "Arguably the most slept on LP of 2008."

    The Echo Chamber Blog: ShapeShifters is #5 best album of 2008. "Ever since I heard this girl kick rhymes on Eddie Ill & DL, I’ve been a huge fan. I’m really in awe as to how Invincible put together such an incredible debut LP: her rhymes are always on point, and her production selection couldn’t have been much better. I’m anticipating a strong sophomore LP within the next couple years."

    Forest Gospel: ShapeShifters "is definitely the best hip hop album I have heard this year and worth a listen for anyone looking for substantial content in their hip hop rather than the standard bells, whistles and fluff."

    why is el guante so angry?: "An emcee with good politics, good production and a good flow? It ain’t really that much to ask, but it’s delivered so seldomly. Invincible’s got it."

    ahhh, fuck it: ShapeShifters is #13 best album of 2008.

    Evil Ed the Enthusiast: ShapeShifters amongst best 12"s of the year and best LPs of the year.

    and icarus dared: ShapeShifters is #4 best album of 2008.

    I Am Not My Hair: ShapeShifters is #5 best album of the year. "This release is essential."

    Wake Your Daughter Up: ShapeShifters is #25 album of the year.

    FLUCTUAT.NET: Invincible amongst top 10 female artists of the year.

    The New Decay: ShapeShifters is #10 best album of the year.

    TRGGR Radio Blog: ShapeShifters amongst top 25 albums of the year.

    Hi Stakes: ShapeShifters #6 Best Album You Might Have Missed in 2008. "All I got to say: ridiculous... Invincible is a ridiculously-talented young emcee from Detroit with a ridiculously-hot, ridiculously-successful first album on the independent label Emergence. Talib Kweli has described her as one 'of the most talented emcees I've ever heard black or white, male or female...' Nuff' said."

    How's The Pie?: ShapeShifters amongst top 50 albums of the year.

    London, On: Burgeoning Metropolis: ShapeShifters is #5 best album of year.

    Pop Syndicate: ShapeShifters is amongst top 10 albums of 2008. "Her skills are razor-sharp, and her subject matter is mature and thought-provoking, speaking on politics, the ills of society, and what ultimately needs to change for people to move forward."

    Hed Rush: ShapeShifters is #9 best album of the year. "Detroit is really on a come up these days. The scene is spawning some of the best rapper and producers doing it these days. Invincible is one of them, and is a somewhat unconventional rhyming hero: a Jewish female MC. You don’t see many of those everyday. But Invincible is skilled enough to be thought of as a dope MC, period. Though she made her name in the underground as a battle MC, she’s most adept on ShapeShifters creating thematic rhymes, such as commentary on the Israeli/Palestinians state of affairs (“People Not Places”), the beneath-the-surface racism that exists In liberal Ann Arbor (“Deuce/Ypsi”), and the slow and sad gentrification of urban Detroit (“The Locusts”). She even puts a little spin on the Patty Hearst kidnapping on “Ransom Note.” I hope to hear a lot more of Invincible in the future."

    Carry Like Mariah: Invincible's Sledgehammer is the #6 best hip hop video of 2008.

    The Lost Albatross: Invincible's "People Not Places (feat. Abeer)" is #5 best song of 2008

    Permanent Hiatus: ShapeShifters amongst best overlooked rap albums of the year.

    Subtract the Whack: Invincible's "Locusts (feat. Finale)" amongst "songs heard in 2008 that I will undoubtably force on my children."

    StatiK's Hip Hop Album Reviews: ShapeShifters makes StatiK's favorite album of the year honorable mention list.

    Kenny Fresh for Local Cut: Portland's Music Journal: ShapeShifters is best album of 2008.

    Tiny Mix Tapes

    Paris, LA

    Plug One

    After the Jump

    Purchase Invincible's ShapeShifters LP.

  • December 11, 2008
    Locusts "defines the city and has the chance of truly standing the test of time"

    It has been an extraordinary year in Detroit hip hop and the Hairdryer Treatment brings us a retrospective compilation "to celebrate the bittersweet victory of detroit hip-hop in 08’ and the perseverance of the city despite all odds." Go here to download.

    Hairdryer Treatment has this to say about Invincible & Finale's notorious docu-music video, Locusts, featured on the ShapeShifters LP:

    "if any song dropped in 08’ defines the city and has the chance of truly standing the test of time, it’s ‘locusts’ by invincible and finale. i am confident that this track, in 100 years, will be a primary source in the history of detroit. the melancholy houseshoes beat haunts this five-minute cut and frames its lyrical brilliance, striking an emotional chord with anyone who has seen the city change in the last 5, 10, 20 years."

    And some reflections on the state of Detroit hip hop:

    "lyrically astute with swagger to match and riding the lineage of a rich musical history, the city of detroit may have had its best single year in hip-hop output to date. excellent albums, not only critically acclaimed but also boasting national (and international) distribution, have helped redefine the detroit hip-hop sound in the post-dilla, post-proof, post-em, and post-big 3 auto era. leading the way are albums from elzhi, black milk, invincible, guilty simpson, postmortem dilla, and buff 1, as well as de facto album-mixtapes from royce da 5’9”, danny brown, nametag, and big sean. going against the grain of today’s hip-pop popularity, in the d lyricism, songwriting, and gritty soulful beats take precedence over played-out dance routines, auto-tune, lazy bars, and t-wayne collabos."

  • November 17, 2008
    Invincible performing "No Easy Answers" in Switzerland

    Check out Invincible performing "No Easy Answers" (produced by 14kt of LABTECHS) in Basel, Switzerland. This clip is from the We B Girlz tour, which featured Invincible opening for Bahamadia and Roxanne Shante. In this clip, DJ Shortee is holding down the decks, and tourmate Stacy Epps is filming. The tour also featured Eternia, Shania D, and Chela Simone, along with dozens more skilled female hip hop artists representing all the elements. Emergence is producing a documentary about the tour, scheduled for release this winter.

  • November 4, 2008
    Don't Sleep

    Preview Invincible & Finale's Don't Sleep digital-only single at Fresh Selects.

  • October 30, 2008
    6-State Tour Uses Hip-Hop and Creative Action to Engage Youth


    ###

    For Immediate Release

    Nov. 1, 2008

    Contact Information: Liza Smith, cell: 720-296-7429, liza@igc.org

    Drop Beats Not Bombs

    6-State Tour Uses Hip-Hop and Creative Action to Engage Youth

    On November 5th, Detroit-based hip-hop MC and community activist Invincible, Colombian conscientious objector Paula Galeano, U.S. counter-recruitment organizer Isaac Martin, and FOR artist/activists will launch a six-state music and organizing tour. The events on university campuses will train and empower youth to resist militarism through creative action, and will work to build the international conscientious objector’s movement. Their 13-city caravan-style journey begins in Minnesota and will end in New York City.

    The innovative tour, a collaboration of the Fellowship of Reconciliation and the Not Your Soldier Project, brings together young activists from Colombia and the United States committed to resisting militarism collectively and creatively. Through powerful personal narrative, insightful political music, and interactive workshops, the group will work to connect with young people who face militarism on a daily basis.

    Invincible - who has been described by Talib Kweli as "one of the most talented emcees I've ever heard, black or white, male or female..." – said, "I joined this tour because it illuminates the connections between violence against marginalized communities in the U.S. with our government's oppressive foreign policies abroad. Through hip-hop, community media, and creative expression we can show how injustice - in the form of police brutality, the prison system, the military poverty draft, etc. - can be resisted, and create alternatives to these limited options."

    Hip-hop concerts will be offered alongside presentations and classroom visits with Paula Galeano, who joins the tour directly from war-torn Colombia. Galeano serves as director of the Medellin-based conscientious objector organization La Red Juvenil, which uses arts-based organizing to educate youth about alternatives to the military in the face of extreme daily violence.

    Across the world, young people are standing up and saying “no” to military recruiters and refusing to fight what they deem as unjust and unnecessary wars. Hundreds of U.S. soldiers have applied for Conscientious Objector status since the beginning of the Iraq war in 2003. The Drop Beats Not Bombs tour will support youth and communities that are mobilizing to find positive opportunities outside of the military.

    ###

  • September 15, 2008
    spit that shit

    Here's a nice clip from Invincible's performance at the Ann Arbor release party for Buff1's There's Only One LP.

  • August 23, 2008
    Locusts @ Scribe

    Thanks to the Scribe Video Center for hosting a screening of Locusts as a part of the Street Movies event.

  • August 11, 2008
    Sledgehammer!

    Directed by Kareem Edouard. Song produced by 14KT & Haircut of the Lab Techs.

    This is the second video from Invincible's debut album, ShapeShifters. "You want good music? You gotta support it!" Buy the album direct from the Emergence store. Or buy and review the album on iTunes & Amazon.com, and spread the word!!

  • August 10, 2008
    Hardcore Detroit
  • August 6, 2008
    "Locusts" is CNET's Download of the Day

    Certainly you already have the whole record, but if not, here's your free download Invincible & Finale's "Locusts."