Northern State is Spero, Hesta Prynn, and Sprout. We grew up together in deep suburban Long Island and we’ve been friends forever. We found ourselves living in NYC after college, hanging out and listening to hip hop off of Hesta Prynn’s computer (pre-ipod).

In the fall of 2000, at a party at Hesta Prynn’s apartment, we had the idea to start a rap group. So we did.

We have now been a band for seven years. “Can I Keep This Pen?” is our third proper album, following “All City” (Columbia Records, 2004), “Dying in Stereo” (Northern State Records/Startime/Wichita UK, 2003), and our 2002 independent EP “Hip Hop You Haven’t Heard”, which was supposed to be our demo. We got our start playing gigs all over NYC, and we have had the good fortune of sharing the stage in the US and Europe with the Roots, Le Tigre, Talib Kweli, De La Soul, The Gossip, Gym Class Heroes, Tegan and Sara, and Cake.

from their website