Jermaine Dupri DJ Set

Some legendary concerts and panels went down at this year’s Canadian Music Week, but the festivities also spilled over to the club, as hip-hop legend Jermaine Dupri hit up Cinema as a guest DJ last Saturday night.
Walking into the relatively new club located in Toronto’s upscale Liberty Village, it would have been hard to believe that the renowned JD would be in the building as the first few hours, the warm-up DJ spun electronic and top 40 tracks. It seemed to be a high class, high-heeled affair, where private bottle popping celebrations were happening in all the small booths around the parameter of the dark club. One group went as big as to pop the top on a Texas Mickey of Grey Goose, quite evidentially enjoying itself.
By 1 a.m., the venue was packed and the dance floor was full of intoxicated patrons waving neon flashing glow sticks, having the time of their lives. Just then, a bald shiny head that could barely be seen over the top of the DJ booth appeared, which one could only assume was Mr. Dupri.
He threw on Rihanna’s “Pour It Up” and stood up with his arms in the air as the crowd screamed. Cinema became a zoo as the females made their way close to the DJ stand, the camera flashes adding to the light show from the electric neon booth. It was so crowded that it was hard to even dance to the bangers the ATL CEO spun. Not that the tracks were anything spectacular, as JD played the same recent club hits that can be heard during any local clubbing night out such as, Juicy J’s “Bandz A Make Her Dance” and Chief Keef’s “I Don’t Like”. For such a legend, it would have been nice to hear the classic hits from his glory days in addition to the one or two Hov tracks he actually did spin.
Those in attendance didn’t seem to mind at all though, as they danced into the early morning.

Action Bronson in TO for CMW

Toronto was in dire need of a raw, grimy, underground type show and no one was more qualified than Queens’ rapper Action Bronson, who hit up The Hoxton as a part of Canadian Music Week.
The show started promptly at 9:30 p.m. with opening acts. Hip-hop/rock band Anami Vice hit the stage to perform its unique music before Toronto rapper TF House performed an energetic set with tracks from his Young Desperado project, accompanied by DJ Yobi, as the venue began to fill up with enthusiastic concertgoers.
The lights dimmed as the crowd chanted “Bronson”, anxious for the Queens’ rapper to come out, but first Australian rap artist 360 hit the stage. The lanky tatted emcee, with a thick accent, spit over filthy electronic beats that rattled the venue, which became wall-to-wall, shoulder-to-shoulder rammed, making it hard to even dance to the hypnotizing music.
DJ Fathom spun records, as the crowd began to get impatient for Action Bronson and began chanting, some people even throwing water bottles. The show was completely sold out and the venue was at capacity making it next to impossible to even move. Audience members were stuck in limbo, anticipating the Albanian spitter to finally appear, only able to bob their heads to the DJ who spun records from Jay-Z, DMX, Biggie and Busta in hopes of keeping the crowd calm.
Just when it seemed like a riot was about to break out, the 310 pound, bearded emcee reached the stage in shorts and a grey toque with a drink, and sparked a blunt as the crowd did the same. He began spitting acclaimed tracks such as, “Strictly 4 My Jeeps” and “Gateway To Wizardry” as the crowd rapped along. After making the fans that angry, it was unreal how quickly Bronson made them forget, giving them the show they paid to see.
To make up to his dedicated fans for waiting so long, Bronson pulled out a giant bag and began throwing dime sacks of weed into the crowd, which he said that he bagged himself in his hotel room. As he continued spitting tracks off his newest mixtape, Rare Chandeliers, Bronson did the unthinkable and dove off the stage into the crowd, which unbelievably caught him as he crowd surfed. If the venue wasn’t so packed, it could have ended badly for the fans and the overweight emcee, but it made for a shocking moment in show history.
For fans craving a raw, no-filler show, Bronson came through and gave them their fix.