Danny Brown and Action Bronson in Toronto

When Danny Brown couldn’t get cross the Canadian border for his Calgary stop of the 2 High 2 Die tour with Action Bronson, many people gave up faith that the XXX artist would ever get in and the Canadian tour would be a bust. That isn’t to say that Action Bronson wouldn’t put on a good show, after all, the last time he was in Toronto, the nearly-300-pound rapper crowd surfed at the Hoxton, but Brown’s Canadian fans were tired of the dream-crushing border. When it came time for the Toronto stop, however, the unexpected happened, and Danny got in.
The anticipation to witness rap history, with Danny’s first Canadian show resonated through the packed Danforth Music Hall as the DJ warmed up the crowd. As Bronson’s DJ set up onstage, he could be heard shouting out profanities over the mic, signaling his fans into screams of applause as he casually walked out on stage to perform tracks such as, “Strictly 4 My Jeeps” and “Bird On A Wire”. Bronson even took the opportunity to premiere two tracks off of his upcoming project Blue Chips 2, which he recently announced would be out in November.
In an act that has created a lot of controversy, Bronson invited a female onstage, where he lifted her face forward over his shoulders before continuing on with his set. For anyone who listens to Bronson’s music and/or has seen his live show, this should come as no surprise, but reviews have stated otherwise, and Bronson was sure to share his responses to the matter over Twitter, following the show.
After Bronson, was the moment so many fans had been waiting for, as Danny Brown hopped onstage and began his insane set, as he performed bangers such as “Witit”, “Blunt After Blunt”, (while smoking with fans) and “Black Brad Pitt”. Danny, who is known for his interesting range in voices, executed them perfectly; as his highs and lows resonated through the crowd; fans moshed and danced and screamed along with him. For someone that is constantly looked at in the media as a gimmick and non conventional artist, Danny put on an intense show with just the music, and it couldn’t have been a better show. One thing is for certain though; it’s not possible to experience the true genius of Danny Brown until experiencing his live set.

Solange in Toronto

Music is good for a mourning soul. This became quite apparent last Saturday as Live Nation presented Solange at the Danforth Music Hall in a night mixed with bittersweet songs.

Captivating singer Kelela opened the show in the dark, her smooth, sultry voice echoing through the venue. The lights rose, displaying the petite talent as she began to belt over her electronic beats. Kelela gave a great performance through talent alone, as the singer was able to hold the audience’s attention for nearly an hour, with just her voice and a microphone, a task too rare.

After Kelela left the stage, the house DJ began to spin. While fans waited for Ms. Knowles to hit the stage, they pulled out their phones to check their social media accounts. Word quickly spread through the venue that George Zimmerman had just been announced as ‘Not Guilty’ in the Trayvon Martin case.

The energy in the building changed entirely. Complete strangers were discussing their shock and disgust with the verdict between the sets. In the packed venue, it was as if time stopped and those in the room were forced to face the reality of the case. Then the band hit the stage and the crowd celebrated, as the lovely Solange took to the stage, in a floral patterned skirt suit and knee-length single braids and began to sing. She began her performance with an emotional rendition of, “His Eye Is On The Sparrow” in Trayvon’s honour and transitioned into a cover of Mos Def’s “Umi Says”, which she dedicated to justice. The crowd screamed.

Even though the energy in the place was low, Solange did her best to ease the worries of those in attendance with her music, performing her hits such as “T.O.N.Y”, “Losing You” and “I Decided”. Her vocals were on point and her dance moves were engaging, but the spark that most often makes her such a captivating artist and performer was missing during her show. “My heart is broken. I’m doing my best up here,” she explained, apparently upset from the verdict. But her fans were forgiving, as they sang along with her for the rest of the performance.

Stylus Awards

The 7th annual Stylus Awards was presented at the Danforth Music Hall last Monday to a room full of DJs, artists, producers, industry heads and supports of the culture who came to Toronto from all over the country to celebrate the talent and accomplishments of the DJ through the premiere event recognizing the work of the DJ in Canada.

During an energetic night, hosted by comedian TRIXX, the talent of the Canadian music industry was undeniable with enthusiastic performances by The Airplane Boys, who opened up the show, and A-Game, as well as soulful pieces by singers Kreesha Turner and Dru.

Highlights of the night included a tribute to the late MCA from the Beastie Boys by Canada’s oldest b-boy crew, SUPERNATURALZ Crew, and a performance melody by the legend, Michee Mee, who was inducted into the Stylus Hall Of Fame.

The big winner of the night was The Weeknd who received awards such as Canadian R&B Single of the Year and Artist Mixtape of the Year. Breakthrough DJ of the Year was awarded to Toronto’s Charlie Brown, Keith Dean won the award for Montreal DJ of the year and Lissa Monet became the first-ever female to take home the award for Toronto DJ of the Year.

DJ James Redi, who five years ago was a volunteer at the Stylus Awards, was nominated for Breakthrough DJ of the Year at this year’s awards. Although he didn’t take home the award, Redi said what the nomination of a Stylus Award stands for is an even greater gift than winning the actual award. “Canada has the best DJs in the world and to be recognized among them is truly one of the greatest joys a DJ can ask for. It’s less about the actual award itself and more about the recognition among peers who are the greatest in the world,” he says.

Events like the Stylus Awards help make an imprint of the Canadian music industry on an international scale, says Redi. “Toronto and Canada is very much on the come-up right now and having things like Stylus it’s just [saying] hey, we are here and we recognize the people that are doing good and it builds that sense of community.”

This year, for the first time, Stylus showcased videotaped rap ciphers throughout the evening which involved emcees from Montreal, Vancouver and Toronto with artists such as Rich Kidd, Adam Bomb, Sese and Blake Carrington to further acknowledge Canadian talent and the relationship between the artist and the DJ.

Toronto rapper/producer Blake Carrington who presented the award for Breakthrough DJ of the Year and participated in the cipher series with a memorable verse, spitting while holding his baby daughter, says that artists such as himself must pay homage to the DJ for breaking records and getting music heard. He adds an opportunity such as the Stylus Awards for artists, producers and DJs to network is just a plus. “DJs break records and to have a DJ award show is genius, especially if you’re an artist that’s invited.”

Photos by Michelle Green