Junkyard Empire

Junkyard Empire is an American political music and action group based out of Saint Paul, MN. The group has been actively calling for the awakening and collective rebellion against the tyranny of oligopolistic corporate capitalism - of which America is the world's hegemonic purveyor. Their style is unique, in that it conforms to no already nailed-down categorical standard, but the wild mix of hip-hop, rock, jazz, and dark electronics, underlying the deep political revolution-focused lyrics of rapper Brihanu.

The band accomplished an astounding amount of recorded material, and historic live performances all while being virtually shunned from the mainstream press in the Twin Cities. That all changed when they played a show at the "No Peace for the War Makers" rally on a huge stage at the Minnesota State Capital during the now infamous 2008 Republican National Convention protests. Witnessing riot cops on horseback, led by huge bullhorn speakers blaring authoritarian messages, charge the 2000+ crowd members in the middle of their song "Rise of the Wretched" was a real turning point, not just for the band, but for the whole movement that ultimately lead to supporting and performing for nationally coordinated occupation protests of New York City and Washington D.C. leading up to the global Occupy Movement.

From that point on, Junkyard Empire became a much deeper force for political organizing and civil resistance.