ThisIsWalder.com showcases TDot Spitters

Anyone can make a music blog nowadays. It takes no effort to sign into WordPress, post a video and rant about any topic under the sun, but it takes a nonstop grind and a serious passion to turn a blog into a household name and use that name to make a positive impact for the artists that blog covers. Toronto’s hip-hop blog ThisIsWalder.com attempted just that by supporting homegrown talent at its Showcasing Toronto event hosted at Revival last Sunday night.
Many of the city’s top spitters such as JD Era, Tommy Spitz, Raz Fresco and Peter Jackson hit the stage with that TDot flavour as Flow 93.5 FM’s Dames Nellas turned the night into a jam, spinning party tracks between sets.
Daniel Minichini, one of the organizer’s of the night’s events, said the motive of the showcase was to add exposure to Toronto talent and showcase buzzing acts, who play an influential role in the character of our Toronto hip-hop community.
From Juno award nominated emcee JD Era to the young Bakersclub rapper/producer Raz Fresco, each act was vastly different from the next and original in their own right, but together represented the identity of hip-hop in the north.
“[Hip-hop] is such a niche market and it’s so focused on the diversity of the scene. Starting from the roots, we have so many hip-hop artists that are coming from so many different places in Ontario and I think the root comes from the nature of our city. It is very musical and it’s very artistic,” Minichini says.
Mr. OneTwoooo, Tommy Spitz took a break from his musical hiatus, and proved that he hasn’t missed a beat during his time away and performed new, unreleased music for the audience. The self-proclaimed ‘Top 5 in Canada’ emcee chose the Walder showcase to return to the stage because of his respect for the blog and its contribution to Canadian hip-hop.
“[Thisiswalder] didn’t treat me like a promoter trying to make money off an artist or money off of a show. This is Walder is hip-hop,” Spitz says.
The support wasn’t fully there in numbers at the venue, but by eliminating the American headliner and turning the focus on local talent, Toronto is one step closer to recognizing the underappreciated skills we harbour. ThisIsWalder.com took the culture off the screen and onto the stage, where it belongs and no matter the turnout, demonstrated that the blog really does support Canadian hip-hop.

Gift Of Music at the Hard Rock cafe

Like any successful holiday gift exchange, ticketholders left Toronto’s Hard Rock Café with a lot more than a gift card or stocking stuffer at the third annual Gift Of Music.
The event, hosted by Kid Kut and Jully Black, was dedicated to raising money for MusiCounts, a charity-based organization that focuses on supporting music initiatives and programs in schools. Those who supported the fundraiser enjoyed music from the solid roster of Canadian talent such as Kim Davis, August, Trinity Chris and JD Era. The renowned venue was packed wall to wall with music lovers who came out to celebrate the season and give to a great cause.
Michael Hurley, manager of MusiCounts, thanked everyone in attendance for making a difference in children’s lives across Canada and shared that the foundation will donate over $600,000 to Canadian schools in order to build their music programs.

“At MusiCounts our mission is to make sure that every child in Canada, regardless of circumstances, has access to music programs in school,” he said, while addressing the crowd. “What this is doing is providing an opportunity to learn skills to help them improve with other subjects in school, it’s an opportunity to discover a class that actually makes them want to go to school every day. It’s an opportunity for them to discover their talent and an opportunity for them to build their self-confidence. These are skills that transfer far beyond a classroom, whether they want a career onstage or anywhere else. That is why music is so important and that’s why it needs to stay in our schools.”
Many desirable gifts, including House of Marley headphones and boom boxes were raffled off between sets. The music company has partnered with MusiCounts, donating funds from every set of headphones sold in Canada, which has been tallied at $70,000 to date.

Savannah Re, who opened the show with her signature soulful voice in a festive red dress, was blessed enough to go to arts school, but the young up-and-comer said that the support is not there for the majority of kids who have dreams of becoming an artist like herself.
“Even in our schools, music is looked at as something that is less than exemplary. MusiCounts is something that we need,” she said.
Besides raffle prizes, everyone in attendance was given the gift of music through some of the talent in Toronto and were able to give back just that through their support of the MusiCounts initiative. It was a night of great music, in support of the future of music in Canada.
Photos By: Kiah Walsh

Samo's 2012 Toronto Hip-Hop Yearbook



Album: The Closers - Rich Kidd & Son Real

Mixtape: Cakey Pocket$ - Raz Fresco, hosted by DJ Holiday

Single: Syke - Rich Kidd

Anthem: Money Made Me Do It - A-Game x Luu Breeze

Video: Angels - P.Reign

Feature: Mr. Parker - Kardinal Offishall feat. Shi Wisdom

Performer: JellyTooFly

Producer: T-Minus

DJ: Lissa Monet

Host: Trixx

Manager: Addy Papa

Concert: Juicy J @ Opera House

Radio Show: Royalty Radio

Venue: Opera House

Breakout Emcee: C-Flowz

Breakout Producer: Wondagurl

 

Top 10 Memorable Moments in Toronto Hip-Hop This Year (Good, Bad & Ugly)

10. Reema Major signs to Brick Squad Monopoly

9. Lauryn Hill performs intimate concert for OnexOne charity

8. Back to back shootings at Young Jeezy concerts in Toronto/London leave many injured
7. Blake Carrington wears daughter Story around his neck during City on my Back Stylus Cypher
6. Lamar Taylor & Hyghly Alleyne win MMVA’s best hip-hop video for “The Motto”
5. Drake graduates high school and attends Jarvis Collegiate Institute graduation
4. DJ Lissa Monet becomes first female to win Stylus’ Toronto DJ of the Year

3. Raekwon and Ghostface close off NXNE by performing at Dundas Square in front of 25,000 people

2. P Reign releases “Angels” single/video in memory of Shyann Charles & Joshua Yasay killed in the Danzig shooting

1. 15 year old Wondagurl wins Battle of the Beatmakers

Year after year we hear it: "It's MY year!" Get familiar with some of the artists that really put on in 2012.

 Rich Kidd - The OG

Rich Kidd is a staple in the Toronto hip-hop community, a face recognizable to everyone in the city’s music scene, but this year, Rich has definitely outdone himself. Not only has he performed at the majority of Toronto’s 2012 hip-hop shows, festivals and events, but he dropped a mixtape, a beat tape and a collaborative album with Son Real. Don’t let his comedic personality fool you, he is a force that owns the Toronto market right now and is not showing any signs of letting up any time soon.

                                                                       JellyTooFly - The King

This year Toronto emcee JellyTooFly made them respect the female shit after dropping her well-received King mixtape. Jelly is in her own category and cannot be compared to any artist that has ever done it - 100% original and 100% entertaining. She most definitely holds the crown as King of performing in this city as stage after stage, she captivates her audience with an electrifying energy and a demand for the spotlight. She is an undeniable talent that Toronto is blessed to have.
                                                                      Bakers Club - The Crew

 7 artists and 22 projects deep, The Bakers Club have proved that they are impossible to ignore and that the young artists won`t stop until they`re paid their dues. Four of the members, Raz Fresco, The 6^th Letter, BriskInTheHouse and Brandon Chey all hail from the GTA and are putting on big for the city. Right now, there is no young crew that can touch the Club in terms of flow, style and originality and they are consistent with their quality and quantity, bringing the old school vibe to the new school era. Each member brings something unique and special to the mix and no matter what you`re into, they have something for everyone.
                                                                  JD Era - The Golden Child

JD Era, the Prince of Raekwon’s label IceH2O proved he deserved that spot when he released his banging mixtape “No Handouts” earlier this year. The Sauga spitter travelled and performed all over North America with the Wu Tang legend this year but was shown love every time he returned to the T.dot stage when peforming at events such as NXNE and 106 & York. It is undeniable that this was a great year for the young emcee but also obvious that there is more great things to come from him.

C - Flowz - The Grinder

C-Flowz wasn’t boosting when he named his latest mixtape, `Found My Lane`. The young emcee has done just that this past year as he opened up for artists such as Juicy J, Styles P, Jadakiss, Machine Gun Kelly and Smokers Club Tour. C-Flowz isn’t afraid to put in the promotional work himself as he and his Highway Gang make sure they are out at events personally handing out flyers and selling tickets to his shows. And the young emcee is quite the entertainer, who has his signature bounce and smirk while he performs, obviously happy to be in the moment. Him and his team know what they are doing and are making all the right moves.

                                                            Blake Carrington - The Personality

This was a great year for Blake Carrington and he hasn’t even released his Failure album yet. Carrington garnered attention from his `Colour Her 2` video and tour with Sneaker Pimps this year but it is the little details that make him forever relevant. In this year`s City on my Back Stylus Award cypher, he wore his young daughter Story to his chest while spitting his verse and received positive feedback for the bold move. When asked about it though, Carrington humbly stated that he did it for no other reason than the fact that he had his daughter that day. Also this summer, Rich Kidd`s NXNE was cancelled by the Toronto Police and Blake invited Rich to join him at this showcase. It is moves like this that make Carrington such a respected artist in the city.

Smash Brovaz

It was another live year for Toronto's most esteemed hip-hop duo as the Smash Brovaz released their digital debut album, Think It's A Game? with singles such as "The Kitchen" and "Paper Planes". Junia-T and Crooklin are staples in the Toronto hip-hop community, bringing us refreshing smooth and lyrical hits. They didn't stop all year, with constant traveling, collaborating and video shoots, but always made time to come out and support their local peers, proving that they truly are the brothers of our hip-hop community.

Click Photo For Highlights

Thank you to everyone interested in pushing our culture forward. It was a proper 2012 and I'm anticipating what is to come for the Toronto hip-hop community.

106 & York 2012

There was no greater way to spend the kick off to Labor Day weekend than to take in great music, art, and dance with some of Toronto’s most talented artists at the 5th annual 106 & York Festival presented by UrbanArts, Highclass, N.I.S.E and Manifesto.
Talented artists of many different genres and art forms such as rap, R&B, spoken word, beat boxing, dance and theatre all showcased their craft to a great turnout of people at the York Woods Theatre.

Comedian Femi Lawson, who entertained the crowd with his hilarious antics and skits throughout the night, hosted this year’s event. “One thing that differentiates 106 from other events in the summer is that it is a youth-led event. It unites different talent from different parts of the city – from the east to the west, from the north to the south. 106 started as a festival that would celebrate diversity and it continues to do that,” he said.


Incredible beat boxer Faz opened up the show and introduced the crowd to, what he calls, his “many personalities” through his music, surprising the audience by beat boxing into a harmonica. Talented singer Obidiah followed, speaking to the crowd with his powerful track “Immigrant Song”.
Supreme Swiss, Freeway Freddy and Jaek Delarge amped up the audience with their tracks and spoken word artist Yusra Khogali impacted the audience with her piece on video vixens. Amazing dance crews The League and Sweetie Pies stole the show with their charismatic choreography before emcee C-Flowz spit his tracks for the crowd, while Nomanzland presented a moving skit on gun violence.

Jelly Too Fly, who also performed last year, said it was her pleasure to come back and rip the stage again. Performing tracks off her latest project, King, Jelly entered from the back of the theatre and had the crowd on its feet. “[The energy is] very supportive. It’s all love… You feel the acceptance that you feel is more so like a family,” she said, following her hype set.

Headlining artists Shi Wisdom, JD Era and Rich Kidd all performed amazing sets. Shi even invited JD Era onstage to perform their hit “Mount Olympus” before an intense Hot 16s cypher, which included emcees Kemikal, Lola Bunz, Church Chizzle, and Gramz G, ended off the show.
Every single artist brought something unique and entertaining to the night with his or her crafts.
Singer Thea Monroe who performed a cover of Beyonce’s “I Miss You” says she was humbled to perform alongside some of Toronto’s most talented.
“It’s great… because with all the violence that has happened, it’s just great to have the youth come together,” she said. “It shows that regardless of what end of the city you’re from, we are all united.”

Photos by: Martika Gregory

Battle Of The Beatmakers 2012

The Battle of the BeatMakers has been supporting talented Canadian producers for years and is considered the ultimate launching pad for producers in the country. This year, the event was hosted by Trixx, at The Opera House, where the 32 qualifying producers, guest judges JD Era, Statik Selektah and Skyzoo, and a packed house of supporters met to crown this year’s beat battle champion.
Guest judge and IceH20 emcee JD Era, who has witnessed the growth of the event since the beginning, said that it was an honour to be a part of this year’s battle.
“It gives up and coming producers some hope and gives them the opportunity to play their stuff for guys that are more established. To hear what’s coming up out of the city is always a pleasure,” he said.

DJs Mensa and P-Plus warmed up the crowd, before the first round, which featured the 32 chosen producers going beat for beat with their opponent, who had been randomly selected at the Beatz-Meets-Rhymes producer lottery the previous day.
Each battle started with both artists meeting on stage to partake in a coin toss, which would determine whose beat would bang first for the 45-second time allotted. Tension was dissolved with Trixx’s comedic antics and it was obvious the crowd just came to support. There was no room for egos on the stage as the beats spoke for themselves. With every beat banging, every head in the venue bobbed while each ear took in the track before the three guest judges held up their votes, determining who would move on to the next round. Some decisions were based on tiebreakers and even double tiebreakers, because the judges wanted to be sure that the best producers moved forward.
Between rounds, emcees Raz Fresco, Rich Kidd and Skyzoo each took a turn to perform for the audience, which was a mix of industry faces and hip-hop heads alike.

Producer Metcalfe, who was eliminated in the second round by Super Smash Bros., made a lasting impression on the audience. The new producer entered the event as his first ever battle and walked away with a lot, despite it not being the title. “I’ve never really played my stuff for a crowd and to see everyone loving it was the best feeling I’ve ever had,” he said.
One by one, round after round, two producers, Mr. Magic, last year’s Battle of the BeatMakers champion and 15-year-old WondaGurl eliminated all 30 producers to face each other in the finals.
In the three round finals, Magic released some heavy beats and showcased them with his animated style on stage, while quiet WondaGurl stood still and straight-faced while her beats played. The crowd went crazy, screaming out their favourite producer.

As the judges deliberated, they each took a turn to choose whom they thought deserved to win. JD Era chose Mr. Magic, while Skyzoo evened it out by choosing WondaGurl.
With a tied score, the decision belonged to Statik Selektah who titled WondaGurl the 2012 Battle of the BeatMakers champion, making her the youngest producer and second female to ever win the prize, the first being 2010’s champion Amsterdam-native Neenah.
After winning thousands of dollars in cash and prizes, which included a synthesizer signed by Just Blaze and the title of champion of this year’s Battle of the BeatMakers competition, the soft-spoken producer queen only had one thing to say about how she felt. “One word: great,” she said.

Photos By: Martika Gregory

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.

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

Action Bronson, Killer Mike, Raekwon and Ghostface Killah at Dundas Sq For NXNE

An estimated 25,000 people reached Dundas Square for the NXNE main event, which this year featured hip-hop acts Tasha The Amazon, Tre Mission, Action Bronson, Killer Mike and Wu-Tang legends Raekwon and Ghostface Killah. The forecast, which continuously teased the audience with spits of rain, couldn’t stop the high energy and good vibes of the entire evening.

The show began at 5 p.m. as Toronto artist Tasha The Amazon held it down for the local acts in a pair of high-waisted white shorts, and a black top, her trademark long braids swinging, as she spit her bangers such as “Scallywags” and “Let It Go”. The femcee graciously brought Rich Kidd to the stage to perform his single, “Back In The Day” since his NXNE showcase was cancelled earlier that week. (Many fans believe this was the work of the Toronto Police, although the organization denies being involved in the cancellation.)

Queens’ rapper Action Bronson followed group Tre Mission, and came out in a black tee, drinking who-knows-what from a red cup and immediately sparked up a giant spliff as the audience welcomed him with their screams and followed suit, by lighting their own. While rapping, Bronson jumped into the media pit, grabbing a camera from a videographer nearby and filmed himself as he rapped to the crowd with intensity in his voice. As the 320 pound man took a breather, he told the crowd to keep lighting up. “If they take you, I’m going with you,” he said. After performing songs from his Blue Chips mixtape, Bronson spit a freestyle for the crowd, who responded to his energy with applause.

Killer Mike jumped to the stage with immense force, spitting his verses of Bonecrusher’s “Never Scared” and OutKast’s “Kryptonite (I’m On It)”. The crowd actually began a mosh pit, which is a rarity at hip-hop shows, but Mike’s energy was contagious. After hyping up the crowd, Mike, who is the son of a police officer, got political, asking everyone to raise their middle fingers to Ronald Reagan as he spoke about issues with government.

The energy was electric at 9 p.m. as thousands of people shouted “Wu-Tang” before the two legends Raekwon and Ghostface hit the stage. Raekwon sported a IceH20 tee with a giant red maple leaf on the front, while Ghostface wore a white tee, towel around his neck and a blue Denver Nuggets fitted. Dripping in sweat, The Chef and Tony Starks performed classic hits such as “Ice Cream”, “Scarfaces”, “Da Mystery of Chessboxin” and “Incarcerated” as the crowd rapped along with the icons, with their Ws in the air. Raekwon continuously spoke on how much pride he has for the city and stated that not even New York shows them this much love, changing our name from T-Dot to Wu-Dot.
Halfway through their set, they brought out hometown IceH20 prince, JD Era who performed “Hate Me Later” and “Mount Olympus” from his recent mixtape No Handouts. The crowd showed nothing but love to the hometown hero.

The energy hit a new peak when the legends announced that they were about to perform the first song they ever released, “Protect Ya Neck”, and asked for two audience members to come on stage to perform Ol’ Dirty Bastard and Method Man’s part. They could not have chosen two more energetic people, as the two men took over the stage, jumping around and spitting the renowned verses with everything they had. After that, they had another surprise for the audience, bringing out Ol’ Dirty Bastard’s son, to rap along with “Shimmy Shimmy Ya” as a tribute to the late great and it could not have been more fitting, as it was Father’s Day. Just when the crowd thought it couldn’t get any better, the stars performed “C.R.E.A.M” and “Wu-Tang Clan Ain’t Nuthin’ Ta F*ck Wit”, as a sea of fans chanted along.
Raekwon then got serious with the crowd and addressed the Eaton Centre shooting and said that us as a nation needs to come together and ask ourselves if it is really worth it. “All we got is each other,” he said, before they performed the fitting track “Triumph”, as thousands of peace signs were raised in the air by the energetic fans.

“The show was amazing, the energy was really high. They have some crazy fans, some really amazing fans and everybody enjoyed it, the crowd was going wild,” said Dynasti, immediately after the show.
“They made it perfectly clear that they didn’t want any violence during the show. They just wanted us to represent for Toronto and the hip-hop scene in Toronto and to show that we are just here to enjoy hip-hop and celebrate the culture.”
It is safe to say that Wu-Tang has as much love for Toronto as the city has for them, and the peaceful show proved to non-supporters and doubters of the culture that, even with 25,000 people crowded together listening to hip-hop, the music can unite us.

Photos By: Nic Denny