El Tarli Karnwie-Tuah has been creating waves in the Minnesota hip-hop scene for more than a decade, originally as EL.i.BE. For the past year he’s been performing under his middle name, Tarli, an homage to his native country of Liberia. The name originates from his mother’s tribe and means “successful journey.” Tarli’s powerful lyrical journey encompasses the beauty and challenges of being a first-generation refugee in America. His 2017 full-length album Liberation has received airplay in a variety of mediums and the accompanying tour led to an offer of a publishing deal. Tarli is no stranger to Duluth stages, having shared bills with Willie Diction, NonFic and C-Silence. Last summer he was handpicked to open for Mac Lethal at Pizza Lucé. DJ MidiEvil will provide the beats, and Graydon Francis and IamKaye, both of Sounds of Blackness, will accompany Tarli with soulful vocals.