Paper Tiger | |
---|---|
Background information | |
Birth name | John Samels |
Origin | Minneapolis, MN, United States |
Genres | |
Occupations | |
Instruments | |
Years active | 2001–present |
Labels | Doomtree Records |
Website | pprtgr |
John Samels, better known by his stage name Paper Tiger, is a hip hop producer and DJ from Minneapolis, Minnesota, who is currently based in Brooklyn, New York. [1] He is a founding member of the indie hip hop collective Doomtree. [2]
Paper Tiger released the 7-inch vinyl single, Cloquet, in December 2009. [3]
His first solo album, Made Like Us, was released in July 2010. [4] It features vocal contributions from Dessa of Doomtree and Maggie Morrison of Digitata. [5] Chris Riemenschneider of Star Tribune described the album as "a moody, sometimes dark but also surprisingly elegant and cinematic collection, recalling DJ Shadow's best stuff." [6]
He released Summer EP in August 2012 and Beat Tape the next month. [7] Prefix premiered the track "Gold Pass" [8] and 89.3 The Current premiered a video for the track "The Fortunate Wayfarer." [9]
In 2016, Paper Tiger released In Other Words Part One in April and In Other Words Part Two in July, with each containing four songs. It features vocals from Dessa and Aby Wolf. [10]
In 2024, Paper Tiger released All Over The Place.
Samels is also a founding member of the Doomtree project SHREDDERS, as well as Cloquet, an indie electronic music project with J.Gundersen.
In addition to artistic music output Samels creates the original music score for film and television including the HBO documentary Rock and a Hard Place.
Besides producing, Samels also works as a Designer / Art Director in Brooklyn, New York. [11]
Stefon Leron Alexander, better known by his stage name P.O.S, is an American hip hop artist from Minneapolis. He has been a member of groups such as Doomtree, Building Better Bombs, Gayngs, Marijuana Deathsquads, Cenospecies, Four Fists, and Shredders.
Margret Wander, better known by her stage name Dessa, is an American singer, rapper, musician, writer, and former record executive. She is a member of the indie hip hop collective Doomtree.
Doomtree is an American hip hop collective and record label based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The collective has seven members: Dessa, Cecil Otter, P.O.S, Sims, Mike Mictlan, Paper Tiger, and Lazerbeak. The collective is known for incorporating a wide range of musical influences into their work with lyrical complexity and wordplay, and their annual "Doomtree Blowout" events held in Minneapolis venues to showcase their group performances and the Twin Cities music scene.
Hopkins High School is a public high school located in Minnetonka, Minnesota, United States. Hopkins High School is part of the Hopkins School District 270.
Andrew Sims, better known mononymously as Sims, is an American rapper from Minneapolis. He has been a member of Doomtree and Shredders.
Aaron Mader, better known by his stage name Lazerbeak, is an American record producer, singer, and guitarist from Minneapolis, Minnesota. He has been a member of Doomtree, The Plastic Constellations, Mixed Blood Majority, Shredders, and Night Stone.
Michael Thomas Marquez, better known by his stage name Mike Mictlan, is a rapper from Los Angeles, California, who is currently based in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
Twin Cities hip hop, also referred to as Minneapolis hip hop, is sub-genre of rap music that originates from the Minneapolis–Saint Paul metropolitan area in the U.S. state of Minnesota.
Never Better is the third solo studio album by American rapper P.O.S. It was released on Rhymesayers Entertainment in the year 2009. It peaked at number 106 on the Billboard 200 chart.
Gayngs is a Midwest indie band with a 1980s soft rock-inspired sound. Founded by Ryan Olson, the group consists of 22 musicians, including Justin Vernon of Bon Iver, Dessa and P.O.S of Doomtree, Har Mar Superstar and members of Poliça, Megafaun, Roma di Luna, Solid Gold, Digitata, and The Rosebuds.
Kyle Smith, better known by his stage name Cecil Otter, is a rapper and producer based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. He is a founding member of the indie hip hop collective Doomtree.
Joe Mabbott is an American record producer and studio audio engineer who has worked with many independent and mainstream artists of the 1990s 2000s and 2010s including Atmosphere, Snoop Dogg, Brother Ali, Cloud Cult and The Matches.
Castor, the Twin is the second studio album by Dessa, a member of Minneapolis indie hip hop collective Doomtree. It was released by Doomtree Records in 2011.
Toki Wright is an American rapper and music educator from Minneapolis. His debut solo studio album, A Different Mirror, was released on Rhymesayers Entertainment in 2009.
Lights Out Paris is the first studio album by American hip hop artist Sims, a member of Minneapolis indie hip hop collective Doomtree. It was released July 28, 2005 on Doomtree Records and includes guest appearances from P.O.S, Crescent Moon, and Toki Wright, among others. The album was re-released with four remixes and five songs from Sims' False Hopes Four on vinyl in June 2015.
Affiliyated is a remix EP of Gayngs' 2010 debut studio album, Relayted, by Doomtree. It premiered on Stereogum on March 4, 2011. The EP was produced by Cecil Otter, Paper Tiger, P.O.S, and Lazerbeak, among others. The producers were handed 10 random stems from Relayted to build a new song out of them. The EP's release show was held at First Avenue on March 6, 2011.
Parts of Speech is the third studio album by Dessa, a member of Minneapolis indie hip hop collective Doomtree. It was released by Doomtree Records on June 25, 2013. An EP of remixes entitled Parts of Speech, Re-Edited was released on June 17, 2014.
"Bangarang" is a song by Minneapolis indie hip hop collective Doomtree. It was released as a single from their 2011 second album No Kings on May 28, 2012.
Soundset Music Festival was a hip-hop music festival held yearly in the Minneapolis-Saint Paul area over Memorial Day weekend. Since Soundset began in the Metrodome parking lot in 2008, attendance has grown from 12,000 to over 30,000 consistently since 2014. Over 280,000 fans have traveled from fifty U.S. states, Canada, Mexico, Puerto Rico, Costa Rica, Africa, Europe, Asia, South America, Australia and New Zealand to experience Soundset in Minnesota.
Shredders is an American hip hop group from Minneapolis, Minnesota. It consists of rappers P.O.S and Sims and producers Lazerbeak and Paper Tiger. The four are part of the Doomtree collective. The group's debut studio album, Dangerous Jumps, peaked at number 43 on Billboard's Independent Albums chart.