Photo by Jerry Holt Hip-hop fans outside the Metrodome at last year's Soundset. For fans of underground hip-hop, Soundset '09 can best be described as one giant buffet: Very filling. For the second-annual one-day hip-hop fest, which lands at Canterbury Park in Shakopee on Sunday, more than 30 rappers and DJs will crank out eight hours of entertainment.

The whole thing is put together by Rhymesayers Entertainment, the hometown label behind Atmosphere, P.O.S. and Brother Ali. With acts coming in from all over the country, you'll need a scorecard to keep track. To help out, we've put together our list of 10 performers to watch out for. We were hoping to get an interview with our No. 1 pick , the mysterious rapper MF Doom (now known simply as DOOM, all caps).

The grimy MC is famous for always wearing a metal mask and fashioning himself after the Marvel Comics supervillain Dr. Doom. And it appears he's taken this villain persona to heart. DOOM came under fire in 2007 when he sent an impostor to lip-sync several of his shows. So we shouldn't have been surprised when he set up an interview for Mother's Day -- Mother's Day! -- and then didn't call. Mom was, to say the least, very disappointed. Our follow-up efforts proved futile, leading us to believe DOOM really is a supervillain.

Anyhow, Soundset approaches. Here are 10 acts you don't want to miss.

P.O.S., DOOM and Atmosphere 1. DOOM

  • Why: We're excited just to see if he shows up (and if it's really him behind the mask).
  • The music: For his new album, "Born Like This," DOOM found a peculiar muse in pulp poet Charles Bukowski. The gritty record features guest appearances by Slug and Ghostface Killah and beats by the late, great J Dilla.
  • Listen: www.myspace.com/mfdoom

2. ATMOSPHERE

  • Why: It's their festival. Slug & Co. are treating it as a homecoming performance after another whirlwind tour.
  • The music: In 2008, Slug and producer Ant released maybe their best album yet with "When Life Gives You Lemons, You Paint That Shit Gold."
  • Listen: www.myspace.com/atmosphere

3. IMMORTAL TECHNIQUE

  • Why: Because he raps like his life depends on it. The self-proclaimed revolutionary walks the walk, too. He recently returned from a humanitarian aid mission in Afghanistan. He'll now finish work on his long-awaited next album, "The Middle Passage."
  • The music: "Revolutionary Vol. 2" and last year's "The 3rd World" are filled with enough political venom to give Dick Cheney a heart attack.
  • Listen: www.myspace.com/immortaltechnique

4. BROTHER ALI

  • Why: Few rappers can match the intensity of the local hero's live shows.
  • The music: He recently released "The Truth Is Here EP" to hold fans over until this fall's full-length, "Street Preacher."
  • Listen: www.myspace.com/brotherali

5. P.O.S.

  • Why: The Minneapolis rapper -- who effortlessly mixes punk and hip-hop -- excels at festival shows. He likes to stand out.
  • The music: His latest Rhymesayers release, "Never Better," lived up to its name.
  • Listen: www.myspace.com/pos

6. FREEWAY AND JAKE ONE

  • Why: Freeway's snarling voice made him a standout on Jay-Z's Roc-A-Fella label. Now he's going underground with producer Jake One. Rhymesayers will release an album by the duo called "The Stimulus Package."
  • The music: Jake One's 2008 compilation album, "White Van Music" (also from Rhymesayers), featured a host of indie and mainstream rappers. The album's best song ("The Truth") brought together Freeway and Brother Ali.
  • Listen: www.myspace.com/freeway and www.myspace.com/jakeone

7. BLUE SCHOLARS

  • Why: Often overlooked, this Seattle duo (rapper Geologic and producer Sabzi) picked a good name -- they specialize in everyman lyrics spiked with politics.
  • The music: On the group's 2007 album, "Bayani," Geo's thoughtful rhymes are accompanied by Sabzi's melodic, chest-thumping beats.
  • Listen: www.myspace.com/bluescholars

8. EL-P

  • Why: The head of New York indie label Definitive Jux is a one-man wrecking crew -- dense rhymes over space-age beats.
  • The music: Getting through his solo albums, "Fantastic Damage" and "I'll Sleep When You're Dead," can feel like a lot of work. But they're worth the energy.
  • Listen: www.myspace.com/elproducto

9. THE PHARCYDE

  • Why: Remember these guys? They were doing alternative hip-hop when most of Soundset's rappers were still popping pimples. The reunited foursome co-headlines the festival.
  • The music: The group's 1992 album, "Bizarre Ride II the Pharcyde," is a classic.
  • Listen: www.myspace.com/thepharcyde

10. HAIKU D'ETAT

  • Why: If the Native Tongues movement were still alive today, this West Coast supergroup (Abstract Rude, Aceyalone and Mikah 9) would fit right in.
  • The music: Abstract Rude's hazy Rhymesayers debut, "Rejuvenation," came out this month.
  • Listen: www.myspace.com/haikudetat

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