Where was Abstract Mindstate all these years? That’s a question that Chicago has had as long as “What if Bartman never tried to catch the ball from Alou?” – and to find the answer, you’ll have to take it back to the early 2000s. Abstract Mindstate was a key part of the buzzing Chicago rap scene back then, the best-kept secret in a city that was starting to get more national attention. As a rare male-female duo, Olskool Ice-Gre and E. P. da Hellcat combined inspirational, soulful rap with the urgent pacing of a Run the Jewels song. They were poised for mainstream success, but their short and influential career was over by 2005. Now, they’re back, working together with a certain mega-famous producer who grew up listening to their music. Dreams Still Inspire, the first Abstract Mindstate album in more than a decade, will arrive August 6th on YZY SND, the new label run by Kanye West, who also produced the full LP. It’s been a long time coming, and Abstrac