Beyondbliss, an alternative hip-hop project by David Kittelson, released one of the most ambitious and well-polished local albums of 2023 with <i>Born Deaf</i>. The record features a guest turn from Slug of the legendary Twin Cities duo Atmosphere and adventurous collaborations with local standouts like country ace Breanne Tepler, punk rocker Lyla Abukhodair and members of his former band Kritical Kontact. <i>Born Deaf</i> delivers sweet, heartbreaking autobiographical rhymes with glistening beats while pushing old genres into entirely new shapes. Kittleson has been at the core of the Duluth hip-hop scene for two decades, but said <i>Born Deaf</i> is his final Beyondbliss release.