Eyedea

Eyedea, born Michael Larsen (1981–2010), was a rapper from Saint Paul, Minnesota, and a key member of the Rhymesayers Entertainment collective. He first gained national attention as a teenager by winning freestyle battle titles, before forming Eyedea & Abilities with turntablist DJ Abilities, a duo that became a cornerstone of underground Midwest hip-hop.

His music stood apart from mainstream rap through dense wordplay, abstract and often psychedelic imagery, and a willingness to write from perspectives other than his own, ranging over themes of mortality, identity and consciousness. Beyond Eyedea & Abilities, he explored other sides of his artistry through the rock-leaning project Carbon Carousel, recorded under the name Oliver Hart, showing a musical range unusual for his scene.

Eyedea's technical skill as a freestyler and his introspective, literary approach to writing made him one of the most respected figures in underground hip-hop before his early death in 2010. His influence within the Rhymesayers community and beyond was reflected in numerous tribute songs recorded by fellow artists in the years after his passing.