Eyedea & Abilities

Eyedea & Abilities

Eyedea & Abilities (often abbreviated as E&A) was an influential American indie rap duo from Saint Paul, Minnesota, consisting of DJ Abilities (Gregory Keltgen) and rapper Eyedea (Micheal Larsen). The group was founded in 1993 and became a prominent figure of the 90s underground hip hop scene, known for Larsen's philosophical and socially conscious lyrics, along with Keltgen's dynamic experimental fusion of stylistic elements from both rap and rock, as well as electronic music. The group was active until Larsen's death in October 2010.

Over the course of nearly two decades the duo collaborated with many well-known hip hop groups and artists such as Aesop Rock and Sage Francis, playing a preeminent role in the emerging underground rap movement. Larsen's highly successful background work in freestyle rap and rap battles, along with his greatly introspective, complex and poetic sense of lyrical integrity heavily influenced E&A's distinctive musical output and largely defined the group as a unique and stylistically independent presence within alternative hip hop.