At the height of their collective power, Hurt Everybody was the most imaginative force in Chicago. Their initial two-year stint saw Mulatto Beats, Qari and Supa Bwe push the local music scene to very exciting places that garnered a near-fanatical following.

You’d think Qari’s laid back demeanor and Supa’s high energy bolts of raps would be like mixing water with oil, but in practice, the group harnessed its strengths from their differences, learned from each other and merged together to create supernatural, stoic and freeing music. 

Their debut project, the ‘Hurt Everybody EP’, was released on July 4th, 2014. With fully fleshed out ideas across 14 songs, a thoughtful sequencing and stellar guest-verses, it was an album in all but name. Employing the template of all great rap LPs —classic intros and outros, posse cuts, and vivid pictures—while switching it up with unique experimentations and influences, the project builds on the fabled Hurt Everybody universe.

For many people, like myself, this project is directly tied to moments of catharsis and growth. Supa’s vulnerable yet ferocious singing, Qari’s sage-inclined poetics and Mulatto’s guiding production welcomed self-reflection and empowerment. During this time of self-isolation and uncertainty, I’ve found special comfort in playing it front-to-back now that they’ve finally re-released it on streaming services. It feels like reconnecting with an old friend who brings warm memories and uplifting messages.

In honor of the re-release of this classic Chicago project, we felt compelled to go down memory lane and revisit our Hurt Everybody cover story with Supa, Qari and Mulatto. You can read our feature story “Hip-Hop’s Magical Realism: A Closer Look at DIY Band Hurt Everybody” and listen to their debut project on streaming services here.