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