Wednesday, August 22, 2012

Meet PRICE


Take in Price's mixtape Light Work at:
http://indy.livemixtapes.com/mixtapes/15830/price_light_work.html


IndiginUS festival opening night

The third installment of the Planet IndigenUS festival, a nine-day multidisciplinary celebration of contemporary international indigenous culture kicked off last Friday night at Toronto’s Harbourfront Centre, which had once been the traditional beaver hunting grounds for the Six Nations.
Critically acclaimed hip-hop artist, Plex, who has previously performed at past Planet IndigenUS festivals, said he is honoured to be a part of the event that celebrates such a rich culture.
“Seeing so many different cultures coming from around the world – New Zealand, Australia, all over the world, they all meet here, so it’s great that we can network but at the same time it’s good to be surrounded by your people,” said Plex, who performed later in the evening.
“Toronto is basically the entertainment hub of Canada and if we didn’t include indigenous culture in that, then we’re excluding people that are very important to building this country. This country wouldn’t exist without the help of the native people,” said Plex.
Along with performances through the night, the international marketplace lined the side of Harbourfront.
The Opening Night Spectacle was hosted by CBC producer/host and hip-hop artist Wab Kinew, and actress Sarah Podemski, who both welcomed acts to the stage and joined in honouring and celebrating their culture and heritage.
Multi-award winning artist, Jennifer Kreisberg opened up the show with a powerful set. The singer was dressed in all blue, and accompanied her amazing voice with only a drum. She sang into the crowd with her eyes closed and it seemed as if her voice bounced off the moon and echoed off of Lake Ontario into the ears of the audience who seemed captivated by her performance.
Multi-talented host, Wab Kinew took to the stage next, drum in hand and sang and rapped for the audience who showed him much appreciation through their applause for his involvement in the night and the culture, before the three brilliant members of Pacific Curls used Maori language and fiddle, as well as their gifted voices, to amuse the crowd with their original music.
BC singer Fara Palmer only performed one song but the emotional message and powerful vocals of her performance left a lasting impression. With her daughter Willow sitting beside her, she belted out her single “To Bring Back Yesterday”, a song written for her mother on residential schooling.
Plex hit the stage bringing tons of energy while rocking a Manifesto fitted. The two hosts joined him on stage to perform their single, “The Way It Should Be”, while youth from the audience reached the front of the stage and began to jump on the chairs.
George Leach, the headlining performer of the evening, sang new tracks from his upcoming project Surrender, belting out the songs with his raspy rock and roll voice, accompanied by a band and his bright red twin guitar.
Gemini award winning actress Michelle Thrush empowered the audience in embracing themselves and artistic creativity, which was what the festival is all about.
“We are at a crossroads. We are at a precipice of change right now and of indigenous people of this land, we have always understood the power that is within us… The world is waiting to hear what we have to say,” she said.
“I am so proud to be an aboriginal woman,” she continued. “As we stand here today, not only are we celebrating artistic celebration [but also] we are celebrating the healing, the love, the unity and embracing our indigenous beautiful selves… We are in the middle of an artistic revolution and a renaissance.”
The event was an energetic night filled with immense talent and a great way to kick of the nine-day festival.

He(art) and Soul Pre-Caribana Cocktail Party

While clubs, fetes and parties all over the Greater Toronto Area were beginning to reach capacity with the thousands of people celebrating this year’s Caribana festival, North Soul Entertainment and PEACH (Promoting Education And Community Health) collaborated to host a different type of event, one for the heart and soul.
As opposed to hitting up nightlife and crowded events during Caribana time, a mature crowd made it out to Foundery on the eve of the grand parade to take in some art, music, food and drinks at the He(art) & Soul Pre-Caribana Cocktail Party, for a good cause. Part of the event’s proceeds went to PEACH to help fund its “School Away From School” program, which provides educational aid to youth in the Jane-Finch community through various initiatives.

A captivating gallery of photographs by portrait painter and all-around artist Ilene Sova, hangs on the walls of the venue that includes historical documents such as a slave registry with one of her family member’s signature, photos dating back generations and art pieces which are meaningful and mesmerizing. DJ LaZe spins the tracks as guests mingle and enjoy a jerk or stew chicken meal, while testing drinks off the cocktail menu, including Bahama Mamas and Cuba Libre.
Mikhe’al Ben-Moodie, a tutor/mentor of the “School Away From School” PEACH program says that an event like He(art) & Soul is important to bridge the gap between communities to work together for an important purpose, especially around a time like Caribana, an event the mainstream media seems to give such negative exposure to, often associating it with a potential link to violence. As different as art and social work are, he explains, combined, they can impact a greater amount of people.
“[The motive of the night is] to get people from one community, like people who are in the art scene, and people who work in a priority neighbourhood and say, ‘Hey, [we’re] both trying to address needs, this would be a unique marriage, a beautiful partnership for this,’ and we should get to know one another, so we’re not just working individually, that we’re working collectively,” says Ben-Moodie.
Byron Armstrong, promoter for North Soul Entertainment, is also unhappy with the negative stereotypes of Caribana and the fear that the media instills into the public about violence at the festival, so hosting an event which contrasts this negativity is indeed giving back to the Caribbean community, as well as the communities that PEACH provides resources for, he explains.
“I’m just a guy who said that I would like to give back to my community,” says Armstrong. “And if I can support this organization and the people behind it, then that’s great.”

Rich Kidd's City On My Back Mixtape Release Party

The Great Hall was packed with Toronto’s hip-hop elite last Thursday and the motive was clear – to celebrate the sixth installment of emcee/producer Rich Kidd’s We On Some Rich Kidd Shit series. Fans, artists and supporters most definitely were on some Rich Kidd shit.
Rich Kidd describes his mixtapes as his children and says that he has grown throughout the projects to be where he is today. “I’m ecstatic with what I have compiled and the artists that are on it. They are definitely some of my favourite artists to listen to today,” he says.
“It shows a lot of growth on my part with the production and the artists that I’m working with and how I can diversify from Van city to T.O., Montreal to the States, LA, Japan and the UK, so it feels good.”

The event, hosted by Sir Lancelot and Lowkey, featured DJs Wristpect, Nana, Mensa and Meka, who all took a turn to spin throughout the night. The inside of The Great Hall was almost as hot as the music itself, as the air conditioner broke down earlier in the day, but nothing stopped the crowd from celebrating. Giant freezies were provided to everyone who came out to cool off and enjoy the evening.
On top of celebrating the project, the list of performers was a menu of the hottest in Toronto hip-hop, with sets from JD Era, JellyTooFly, Adam Bomb, Tona, Maestro and Crooklin, who all had positive words for their friend and peer.
“I don’t think you can define Rich Kidd as an artist. He’s an all-around type of dude… I’m proud to say I got a beat from Rich,” JellyTooFly says, before jumping onstage to wow the crowd with a hype acapella verse.

Junia T, one half of the Smash Brovaz came out to bask in Rich Kidd’s success, calling him his younger brother. “He’s an extra-terrestrial; he’s not natural… He’s determined and he really believes in plan A. He made it all the way to Volume six,” Junia says.
Rich Kidd reached the stage to a loud applause and delivered a set with the stage presence that cannot be compared to any other artist out. He ended with an insanely hype performance of his single, “Syke”, which the audience moshed and danced to.

Toronto comedian, Big Norm, a close friend of Rich Kidd, who also came through to celebrate the milestone in his life, praises the artist for all he has accomplished. “As an emcee, there is nobody in the city better than him right now… As a producer, he is nonstop. He just keeps on going… This guy is a modern day Renaissance man,” he shares.
With the support of his peers and a growing fan base, it is safe to say that the young jack-of-all-trades most definitely has the city on his back.

Freddie Mcgregor headlines CanJam festival

It was a landmark for Jamaican culture and Toronto’s reggae scene last Saturday night as a packed Sound Academy celebrated 50 years of JA independence at the first ever CanJam festival. The night consisted of live performances of some of the biggest names in conscious reggae such as Freddie McGregor, Anthony B, Etana and Khago, a fashion show, drinks, laughs and a delicious Caribbean meal provided by The Art Of Catering.
G98.7 FM’s Jemeni, who helped sponsor the event, kicked off the night by introducing the Canadian beauty Belinda Brady, who shimmered in a coloured sequin top, belting her vocals to the venue, which began to fill up quickly.
Hosts Terri Salmon and Jay Martin won over the crowd’s hearts with their comedic personalities. Salmon sported a silk dress in Jamaican colours and told jokes in her booming voice, and Martin came onstage sporting a dread wig, which had the guests roaring with laughter, before he led the crowd in singing the Jamaican national anthem.
In between sets, DJ DOC spun the hottest reggae tunes as the crowd danced and sang along. It was a liberating and peaceful vibe, which was comforting to the crowd given the recent wave of violence that has taken place in the city this summer.
Iley Dread and Leroy Gibbons, who were both dressed in all white, hit the stage to perform their tracks, as the crowd continued to celebrate and dance non-stop. Etana sang a soulful set, performing her tracks like “People Talk” and “I Am Not Afraid”, which the Sound Academy crowd sang along with. Khago, came out with a contagious energy, jumping up and down to his hit “Nah Sell Out” in a denim outfit, and a red bandana around his locks. The guests did not want his set to end as they screamed, “more Khago,” as he left the stage.
The energy of the night was at a full-time high by the point Anthony B, the reggae revolutionary, began to sing “Redemption Song”, before entering the stage, dancing around to songs such as “Raid The Barn”, “Free Up The General” and “Police”.
The headlining legend, Freddie McGregor suavely sang his reggae hits such as “I Was Born A Winner” and “Sweet Lady” to the crowd and who danced into the early morning. He brought it back to the old school drum and bass reggae.
Puggysimeon, from CHRY 105.5 FM says that the celebration of Jamaican culture in Canada is a positive thing and should continue to be celebrated throughout the world. He said that the conscious reggae and artists such as Anthony B, Etana and Freddie McGregor could spread positive vibes and directly impact communities. “When the music is conscious, it’s a different thing within the society. We’re talking in Bob Marley’s time, there was more of a balance in the society. There wasn’t so much violence,” he says. “Music affects what happens in society.”
Before the night wrapped up, hosts Salmon and Martin thanked the audience for a peaceful, celebratory night, and announced that the CanJam Festival will be an annual event.

Smoker's Club: One Hazy Summer Tour

It really was one hazy Sunday night as hundreds of marijuana and music enthusiasts hit up the Phoenix Concert Theatre for the Toronto stop of the Smokers Club: One Hazy Summer tour. Stoners, hippies and hip-hop heads alike, crowded the venue to take in some of hip-hop’s most notorious weed connoisseurs.
The vibe was chill and the beats were banging from 9:30 p.m. sharp, until early on Monday morning as the thick smoke billowed in the venue. Security allowed the audience, as the intentions of the night were obvious, to get trippy.
Toronto artist C-Flowz, the only local artist on the bill, opened the show. He spit tracks from his latest mixtape, Found My Lane, including his track “Going In”, which features Juicy J, headliner of the night’s event. C-Flowz is a charismatic performer, who proves that he loves what he does every show by spitting his flow with a constant smile, while his DJ, Ms. DJ Ohso spins the set. The Smokers Club tour was no exception and it was obvious the young Toronto emcee was in his element.
Brooklyn’s 17-year-old emcee, Joey Bada$$ who is making waves in hip-hop with his latest mixtape 1999, hit the stage with his Pro Era crew, who tore it up with a youthful energy and intelligent rhymes. The crowd was feeling every bit of Joey’s set, spitting along with his tracks, as the young artist showed love back by reaching into the audience to shake his fans’ hands. Joey and the Pro Era crew ended their hype set with a freestyle, which the crowd soaked up.
The Kush God, Smoke DZA took to the stage in head to toe camo, with his booming voice and performed banger after banger such as, “Burn It Down” and “Christmas In The Trap”. The crowd was surprisingly chill for such a high-energy set, but it was obvious that was due to the lack of oxygen in the air. DZA ended his set with an a capella version of “The World”, as he asked for every light in the building to be turned off. Hundreds of lighters were held up, and only the flames illuminated him as he spit; smoke whirled through the air.
The audience, who expected either Chip Tha Ripper or Fat Trel to hit the stage next was surprised when Juicy J appeared, performing his hit “A Zip and A Double Cup” as fans rushed to the front to vibe with the king of trippy. Juicy J, who already performed in Toronto earlier this year, came out with insane energy and a giant bottle of Bombay, pouring gin into the audience members’ cups. The same crowd, who stood there in a weed coma previously, jumped, danced and screamed as Uncle Juice showed them how to get trippy.
While performing his verse from Mac Miller’s, “Lucky Ass Bitch”, Juicy J brought female audience members onstage to dance with him, and they were anything but shy, twerking for the crowd, who cheered on in amusement. After performing his bangers such as “Who Da Neighbours” and “Countin’ Faces”, as well as Three 6 Mafia hits such as “Stay Fly” and “Poppin My Collar”, he took requests from the audience and ended the eventful night with “Riley”.

Photos by: Carlo Cruz

Elzhi hits the Harbourfront Soundclash Stage

On one of the hottest days of summer, Toronto’s Harbourfront Centre was one of the only places in the city that was cool enough to be outside. With the breeze blowing off Lake Ontario, hundreds of people came out to enjoy the music and festivities of Harbourfront’s SoundClash Festival earlier this month.
The event’s bill was filled with hip-hop acts and activities. Film screenings of documentaries about Young Jeezy and Big Daddy Kane took place in the Harbourfront Centre, while families outside danced and vibed to Stylus Award winner, Tasha Rozez, who spun reggae and dancehall tunes to hype the crowd up for Rich Kidd. Tents lined the walkway, where festival goers enjoyed corn on the cob and coconut water and could purchase handcrafted jewelry and art.
Tika Simone introduced Rich Kidd to the round stage in the middle of the Harbourfront. Rich Kidd, who said he has never performed on a circular stage before, worked it to his advantage, drawing in people from every direction to take in his witty lines and entertaining stage presence. The emcee/producer jumped off the stage and made his way through the crowd, which made it a very personable set.
Freedom Writers, who kicked off the performances on the WestJet stage, which overlooks the water, hit the stage with immense strength and energy, spitting heavy content, which energized the crowd. The hip-hop collective has an undeniable force, fighting for freedom and change through its music. The beautiful setting and powerful words from the five emcees in Freedom Writers made the evening seem like a hip-hop revolution rather than a music festival.
“Real music resides in Toronto, a lot of real music is born in Toronto and we’re not going to conform,” said Frankie Payne, Freedom Writers emcee.
IceH20 Records prince, JD Era, spit his “Mercy” freestyle and tracks off his No Handouts mixtape, handing out free hard copies to the crowd who welcomed him with nothing but positive vibes.
Detroit emcee and the “syllable sensei”, Elzhi, headlined the event. He spit his new track “Blue Widow”, songs from his Slum Villiage days and ended with his ELmatic hits, “It Ain’t Hard To Tell” and “Detroit State Of Mind” as the crowd tried to keep up with rapping along the words of the lyrical artist. The sea of hip-hop heads blended in with the waves from Lake Ontario, creating a view and a vibe that was truly unforgettable.
“I’m happy every time there is a venue for hip-hop, because it’s so easy to shut it down,” said Freedom Writers’ emcee Adam Bomb. “… SoundClash is wicked, because, not only does it incorporate American artists and Canadian artists, but I’ve seen a lot of stuff for the DJs out here, which a lot of people forget about… I like that they incorporated documentaries. SoundClash did a great job.”

Photos By. Fitzroy Facey

Flow 93.5 Summer Jam


The second annual FLOW 93-5 Bacardi Summer Jam, which took place at The Masonic Temple last Friday night, was definitely Toronto’s party of the summer.
Tickets, which were sold out in one day, could only be won on-air, drawing in a diverse crowd of radio listeners, rather than genre-specific fans. The night was jam-packed with Canadian talent as DJ Starting From Scratch spun the ones and twos before performances by The Airplane Boys, Dru, Shawn Desman, Melanie Fiona and host, Kardinal Offishall.
“It’s a real nice party atmosphere and the people that came out to see everybody, they’re not the sometimes ‘typical’ Toronto mood, everybody is really enjoying themselves, which is always a good surprise, so it’s dope,” said Kardi, who hyped up the audience with his comedic personality and spirited stage presence.
The Airplane Boys began the show with a bang, performing tracks such as “Born To Be” and “Beau Monde” with the unique sound, swag and stage presence the group is known for. The hip-hop duo even cooled the audience down by pouring two bottles of water into the crowd.
Shawn Desman, who is a performing veteran, sang hits such as “Shiver” and “Electric” with two backup dancers, showcasing why he has continued to stay relevant after over a decade in the game with hit after hit.

Melanie Fiona, who also performed last year at the first Summer Jam, headlined this year’s event, and proved why she is Canada’s R&B princess by belting out her hits such as “Change The Record”, “4 AM” and “Give It To Me Right” in a pair of killer red heels. She held it down as the only female on the bill, while the crowd sang along with her every word.
“It’s fun being able to be home and being able to do a show with this cool vibe and everyone is a little nice off the Bacardi and it’s beautiful,” said Fiona. “FLOW is doing its thing for the city and I appreciate it. Sharing the stage with fellow Torontonians and artists, it’s the best shows you can do.”
The Summer Jam’s party vibe and all homegrown talent on the bill made it a unique showcase. Only two years in, it is safe to say that the jam will only get bigger but many of the artists say that it is important to keep the event Canadian based.
“The beauty of FLOW Summer Jam is that it’s Toronto’s urban station and a lot of artists look at this as their haven, their environment, it’s our own – it’s Toronto. When you say FLOW – that’s us, that’s this city, so it should stay this city,” said Beck Motley of The Airplane Boys.

Each artist shared that they only have hopes for the Summer Jam to grow in the future, but an all-Canadian cast will only flourish with the help of more media outlets such as FLOW 93.5 FM.
“As the radio stations and media outlets continue to support our own talent, it’s going to be a bigger bill and more of a demand to see Toronto artists,” explained Fiona. “I think it’s just going to get bigger and better.”

Photos by: Fitzroy Facey

Kardinal Offishal helps kick off Pan Am Games


Toronto residents, government officials, athletes and over 1,600 summer camp children made it out to Nathan Phillips Square last Tuesday to celebrate the three-year countdown to the Pan Am/Parapan Am Games that will be taking place in Toronto in 2015, an event which will involve over 41 countries in a multi-sport competition.
As part of the flag-raising ceremony, Mayor Rob Ford pronounced July 10, 2012 as the official Pan Am/Parapan Am Day. “Toronto is proud to host the games and today’s event that is just the beginning to what we have to display to the rest of the world of our culture, talents and passion for sports that the rest of the world will enjoy. As the host city, the games will leave Toronto with a lasting legacy that residences and businesses will be able to enjoy for years to come,” he said.

YTV’s Carlos Bustamante and Melissa Hetu hosted the afternoon of entertainment by Canadian talent, which included performances by Andrew Forde, Eliana Cuevas and Aline Morales. Workout team Socacize provided the crowd with an opportunity to participate in a cardio dance exercise to soca, reggae and dancehall, which the children took advantage of, despite the sweltering heat. Dance crews Northbuck and Supernaturalz Crew wowed the square with their energetic choreography before the youth program Just BGRAPHIC took over the stage displaying young, enthusiastic dance and lyricism.
Basketball freestyler Q-Mack and beatboxer Scott Jackson who run a bullying campaign together, joined the stage to provide a comedic and entertaining performance, which the crowd was enthusiastic about. “I think it’s going to be an exciting time for Toronto,” said Jackson on the upcoming games. Jackson used his skills to provide the square with dancehall, electro and R&B with just his mouth and a mic.

Besides an afternoon of performances, those who made it out had the opportunity to take part in many athletic activities provided by KidSport Sport Alliance, as well as face-painting, an obstacle course and jumping castles, as well as received a lot of free swag.
The afternoon of sports and entertainment in the sun ended with an anticipated set by Toronto’s own Kardinal Offishall, who performed his hits “Dangerous”, “The Anthem” and “Numba 1”, which had the whole crowd singing along. After tossing free T-shirts into the crowd, Kardi saw two children arguing over a T-shirt. He stopped the music and underlined that the day was about peace and unity. To prove his point, he took off his Blue Jays jersey and gave it to a child in the audience before continuing his set.
Even though the games are still three years away, the excitement filled the square as everyone enjoyed the activities and the anticipation of what is to come.

Photos by: Michelle Green