DVS Mindz: The Twenty-Year Saga of the Greatest Rap Group To Almost Make It Outta Kansas

A little-known 1990s hip-hop group from Topeka, KS, is the subject in this love letter to concerts and DIY music careers. Harkness (Chicago Hustle and Flow) was a young music journalist in 1999 when he came across DVS Mindz, a quartet composed of Stu, Barry, Daymond, and De’Juan, the youngest member who started as part of the group’s entourage. Their energetic live performances and rapid-fire rhymes made DVS Mindz local celebrities, and they even opened for Wu-Tang Clan, Run-DMC, and De La Soul. Financial problems, bruised egos, and excessive drinking on stage led to their downfall. Harkness uses past and recent interviews with the members and those who knew them, as well as old concert footage to tell the group’s story. Descriptions of performances make readers feel like they are there—cheering or cringing depending on the show. Photos in the middle of the book provide additional visuals. The reading experience may work best if readers hear a few of the group’s songs first. These readers should start at the book’s beginner’s guide section, which includes a YouTube link to some of the group’s concert performances and music videos.