Midwest stand up! Thestand4rd, St. Paul's most talented hip-hop/RnB collective has finally released their debut album, a self-titled project called "thestand4rd Album." The group consists of four St. Paul, Minnesota natives, including Allan Kingdom, Bobby Raps, Psymun, and Spooky Black.

Spooky established himself on YouTube in February with the release of "Without You," a low, trance-inducing love ballad that earned him over a million views. But Spooky Black is definitely not the main attraction to the group. Allan Kingdom and Bobby Raps prove to be major factors in the group's overall sound, contributing with heavily produced harmonic vocals and heavy rhymes that go IN. But let us not forget Psymun, the group's beat-smith who delivers with very consistent production on the album. The group also collaborated on the album with Canadian producer Doc Mckinney, known best for his work with fellow Toronto artists, The Weeknd and Drake.

This 11 track debut deserves a thorough listen, especially after the lofty cosign from Spooky's father (kind of), DJ Khaled. It follows that same low, airy, funk and synth-accented groove that has become the classic thestand4rd sound (and it's only their first album!). You can download the album for free through a link on the group's SoundCloud page. I know I can't wait to finally see these young bulls in concert. Be on the look out for potential tour dates. If every show is like their first (below), then these guys have a successful future ahead of them. Support good music!