If I Ruled TO

“You guys need to remember to vote and not just to vote, but to run. So far, we’ve had up onstage for the politicians, Peggy and four white guys in suits. Does that represent who you are?”
“NOOO,” the full ballroom of over 1,000 children, youth and young adults hollers back to MP Michael Sullivan at the second annual If I Ruled TO Youth Summit at the luxurious Sheridan Centre last weekend.
From morning until night, Toronto Community Housing presented a full day of empowerment for youth throughout the Greater Toronto Area. The event offered youth speeches from members of parliament, performances from some of the best musical talent inside Canada, informative workshops and a promise of change in their communities. The day focused on urging every youth who attended to take control of their city.
“More extracurricular activities,” “more job opportunities,” and “police who serve and protect, not control,” were just some of the many answers the youth of Toronto answered back with when asked what they would do if they ruled Toronto.
Special guests such as Toronto Raptor, Terrence Ross, supermodel Stacey McKenzie and singers Jully Black and Karl Wolf, made the large-scale offer to change these infrastructures in the city all the more relatable for the youth who look up to them by using themselves as examples of how to make the impossible a reality. Black, who is from community housing herself, and Karl Wolf, who immigrated to Canada, are both no strangers to struggle and understand how important motivating the next generation is, because change is possible through the youth.
“If I can make it here, then anybody can and that’s a part of why I’m here today,” Karl Wolf explained.
After a day of speeches, panels, workshops and seminars, the youth were prepared for an evening of music from Jully Black, Karl Wolf, Glenn Lewis and many more with guest host, Mr. BET, Bow Wow. The children stood on tables, chairs and crowded around the stage, to get close to the host of “106 and Park”, snapping photos in disbelief. At one point, security lost control of the crowd, and the fans rushed the stage, before Bow Wow was escorted out of the building. But the day was not about the talent, entertainers or celebrities; the day was about the youth and lighting the spark within them to begin to believe that with enough passion and determination, no matter where they are from, they can rule TO.
We took the time out to ask a number of the people in attendance at If I Ruled TO, what does your Toronto look like in 10 to 20 years? Here’s what they had to say:
Shukri Dualeh: My Toronto in 10 to 20 years would look like a place where kids will be lining up to go get their book signed rather than collecting Jordans. I’m a promoter of literacy. I believe that through literacy, we begin to bridge some of the questions that are lingering in the back of our heads.
Dwayne Morgan: I would love to see a lot of the young people that are here across the street at city hall as the mayor, as councillors, and in positions to actually make effective change − so this is just a spark.
Glenn Lewis: The hope is that the young people that are here today understand that as a community, they need to support one another… They have to begin with supporting one another, empowering each other and showing that love to one another. In 10 to 20 years, I would love to see that kind of community and that kind of camaraderie. I think all other positive by-products of that would just naturally come from that kind of connection.
Jully Black: In 10 to 20 years, I would love to hear our Toronto, the way that we actually look. As diverse as we are in our communities, I would like to hear our music that way on a mainstream platform. I would also like to be sure that we take care of our elders, because the wisdom is preserved there and so, even though this summit is for the youth, we can’t forget about our elders.

My Toronto Sun Column: Week 7

Amazing Race: Embarrassment of riches
From Norway to Poland, the eight remaining 'Amazing Race' teams posed and polka danced their way through this week's episode. Leaving off from last week's cliff-hanger, each team reached the pit stop to find out that they would continue racing and no one was eliminated, which came as a huge relief to Nicky and Kim, who arrived last. Starting from scratch, the teams travelled together by boat and plane to Poland, where they faced one of the most humiliating Detours yet. Each pair had to choose between posing as the famous Statue of Neptune in a black spandex onesie to collect money or dress in traditional Polish clothing and learn the polka. The majority of the teams chose the latter, but some soon found out that involved not only an embarrassing jig, but also choosing to cross-dress, as the costumes provided were for a male and female couple. Country-boy Danny sure looked pretty in that dress. When the race continued, the teams were given an opportunity to U-turn a pair. Danny and Tim, obviously bitter about the cross-dressing incident, decide to U-turn Leo and Jamal, who then chose to U-turn the bearded-duo, Brandon and Adam, forcing them both to head back to the square and pose for money as the Statue of Neptune. Going from first to last, the pair must have wished they had accepted the Express pass offer from Marie and Tim last week. Unfortunately, the U-turn caused them to fall far behind the remaining teams and Brandon and Adam were eliminated.
The Biggest Loser: Run of the treadmill
You don't need fancy equipment to lose weight, 'The Biggest Loser' competitors proved. In the first-ever 'Biggest Loser' auction, teams were given a budget of 500 BL (Big Loser) bucks to purchase the equipment they would use to lose the weight they needed to keep them safe. The white team, as a collective, chose the treadmills, as the blue team used their bucks on skipping ropes, rowing machines and weights. The red team were stuck with bags of sugar and flour, after they lost their boxing equipment to the white team when a trading voucher was thrown into the mix. When work-out time came, Tonya wasn't giving it her all, so her trainer, Dolvett sat down to talk with her about why she was holding back. Tonya broke down, speaking about her mother's drug addiction, the abuse she endured growing up and how she continued the cycle with her own children through neglect. Later, each of the competitors were given the opportunity to video chat with their families and the five minutes of footage was non-stop tears from each of them. At the weigh in, the team with the lowest combined weight loss would eliminate the player who lost the least amount. Tonya was the last player to be weighed. She broke down on the scale and announced she's forgiven her mother and had also forgiven herself. But after the speech, the scale revealed she hadn't lost any weight at all and she would be sent home. Dolvett came through for her, once again and used his trainer save on her. Looks like Tonya has a third chance at life.
Survivor: Hello ladies
Last week on Survivor, Kat's disloyalty to her alliance sealed her fate as the newest castaway on Redemption Island and this week, she completely lost it. She sobbed uncontrollably, unsure of her position in the game, as well as her position with her boyfriend Hayden. Kat's head just wasn't in the game. She lost the Redemption Island duel and was sent home for good. In the immunity and reward challenge, the tribes were tied together to complete the task, and no surprise, Tadhana came out on top, winning themselves a picnic of all-you-can-eat fried chicken. Back at the Galang camp, Laura B thought it would be in her best interest to let Vytas know he would be the one going home, as he was not part of the female alliance. But her big mouth seemed to irritate the rest of the ladies. Did she not learn anything from Kat's demise? Seeing a chance to save himself, Vytas smooth-talked the remaining women into voting off Laura B.
Dancing with the Stars: Snooki's last dance
So long Snooki. The reality-TV star and her partner Sasha Farber hung up their dancing shoes on 'Dancing With the Stars' after a Halloween special featuring make-up, costumes and thrilling dances. Visibly upset, Nicole "Snooki" Polizzi, who last week was told she had improved the most, was shocked. How did Bill Engvall and Emma Slater beat out the meatball? Amber Riley and Derek Hough seem to be untouchable, as they continue to dominate the season.

Q&A with Scotty ATL

Atlanta up-and-comer, Scotty ATL, was all over the map at A3C this month, hitting up the BET Music Matters, Leaders Of The New Cool showcase and Five Points showcase to perform, along with shooting some hoops at the A3C celebrity basketball game. This Southern spitter has grown a lot in the past year, and says that he has seen his hometown hip-hop festival do the same.
HOW DOES IT FEEL TO BE SO INVOLVED IN THIS YEAR’S A3C FESTIVAL? It feels great. I’ve been working hard this year. Last year, I really wasn’t as involved; I was just here and there. But this year, it’s good to feel like you’re recognized in your own city.
WHAT IS IT LIKE FOR YOU AS AN ARTIST TO HAVE SO MUCH LOVE FROM YOUR OWN CITY? It’s dope. That’s one of my goals and that’s why, when I dropped the project, FAITH, forever Atlanta in the heart, the whole concept behind it was, ‘I want to have my city behind me before I go anywhere else.’ In Atlanta sometimes, we are known for gimmicks and that type of music, so people that have lyrics go out and get other cities behind them before they conquer their own home or before the city behind them. So for me, it means everything to have your city. When you go out and you’re a star, and you come home, you want to be able to perform and have everybody come out.
SINCE YOU’RE FROM ATLANTA, HAVE YOU SEEN THE FESTIVAL GROW WITH YOUR CAREER? My first time going to A3C, was in 2011 and I was in a cypher. And since then, I’ve seen it go from the Masquerade to a little bit bigger and now we are all over the city of Atlanta. It’s definitely a good change. I was talking to one of the guys from A3C and asking him about it and he said it was really just about them trying to give people who come to the city more of the city so they can see the different clubs and venues and make you feel like you are a part of Atlanta, instead of just being in one location. So, that’s dope.
WE’RE AT BET MUSIC MATTERS, WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO HAVE SOMETHING LIKE BET POWER A SHOWCASE AT A3C? This is powerful. A lot of artists strive to be on a level of BET or MTV and this is a platform that is one of the biggest in the world. To have them staff an event like this, just makes it all the way official.
WHAT IS NEXT FOR YOU? I’m about to drop a project with DJ BurnOne called Spaghetti Junction, so it’s been a lot of craziness and business since my last project and this is like a representation of that. Spaghetti Junction is a spot in Atlanta, it’s a highway, it’s crazy. When you get through it, you’re on your way to where you want to go and that’s what this project represents for me. I’ve got that coming. I just dropped a video with Lecrae earlier this week called “Fuss N’ Fight” so we’re working.

Ab-Soul in Toronto for the Smokers Club Tour

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.

Q&A with Jimmy B

On one of the first very cool fall days of 2013, rapper Jimmy B sits at the basketball court he grew up playing at in Toronto’s Scarborough community, the day before he and his SmashMouth homies will head out on the Canadian leg of the Smokers Club Tour alongside Ab-Soul and Joey Bada$$. The grind is real for the young up-and-comer. He just finished his tour stops with Flatbush Zombies and is now heading out on the road again. He juggles this while preparing to put out his new project, L.O.R.D.S. Here, the young emcee with a laid-back sound, shares insight on the upcoming project and what life is really like as an opening act on tour.
WE’RE HERE AT THE BASKETBALL COURT YOU GREW UP PLAYING AT, HOW HAS YOUR NEIGHBOURHOOD INFLUENCED YOUR MUSIC? It had everything to do with it. If you listen to the music, there are people’s names in there that I grew up with, there are certain situations that we’ve been through in this area that happened and transferred over to the music. We’ve seen a lot of things here, seen people get locked up, we’ve been through things of our own so that all just translated to the music and it is the environment that has everything to do with the music.
YOU ARE GETTING READY TO PUT OUR YOUR NEW PROJECT, CAN YOU TALK ABOUT THE PROJECT AND WHAT IT REPRESENTS FOR YOU AS AN ARTIST? The project just represents everything that I’ve been up to up to this point as far as life goes and as far as music goes. It’s called L.O.R.D.S. and I use it as an acronym that stands for “life only respects the successful,” because me and my whole team are trying to be lords and whenever people think of lords, they think of gods, so we are just trying to be that in our own society. You only get respect in this life when you are successful. The whole project is just me trying to be successful when I’m still stuck in a place where I’m not.
WHERE DO YOU THINK THAT YOU FIT IN, IN THE TORONTO AND CANADIAN HIP-HOP SCENE? I just feel there are a lot of Toronto artists and everyone is doing their thing and shit, but I don’t feel like anyone is really telling the story of everyday life in Toronto. In Toronto, I feel like you’re either doing gangster rap or you took the Drake route, where you are making that singing/rapping music. There are not a lot of artists that are on a middle ground and if there are, they only appeal to a certain amount of people. I just want to broaden that horizon and appeal to everyone and the everyday person. You don’t have to be a gangster to know what a gangster’s mentality is. You don’t have to be a prep to know what a prep’s mentality is.
YOU OPEN FOR QUITE A NUMBER OF SHOWS, SUCH AS THE FLATBUSH ZOMBIES AND THE SMOKER’S CLUB TOUR RECENTLY, WHAT IS LIFE LIKE FOR AN OPENING ACT ON TOUR? Honestly, it is a bit of what it’s cracked up to be, but it is also smoke and mirrors. You’ve got to deal with janky promoters, when you are an opening act, no one really knows who you are, you showing up at these venues, you’ve got to explain to them who we are. The dope part of it is the performance part and chilling backstage and meeting people, but the smoke and mirrors part are long ass rides, you’re exhausted by the time you even get to the show and it takes an hour and a half to get settled in. It is an excruciating process, but it’s dope as hell, because you are on the road with people you work with, friends and shit and you know you get to party here and then.
DO YOU EAT FROM IT OR IS IT AN INVESTMENT? Right now, it’s an investment, because I believe if the music is good enough and if the person works hard enough, then all of that will come in time. A lot of people in my position would be out here trying to get a cheque off of everything, but me, I’m not doing this to be famous or to get money, but I’m doing this, because I actually love to make music.
WHEN IT COMES TO PERFORMING AND MUSIC, WHAT IS YOUR END GOAL? The end goal is to be the best at what I do, build a business and make sure everyone around me eats.

My Toronto Sun Column: Week 6

Heart smart
Emotions ran high on The Biggest Loser as the reasons why some of the contestants are here were underscored.
After trainer Jillian saved Craig from elimination last week, she sat down to talk to him about his inspiration for changing his life: His children and the fact that his father had passed away at age 32. Then the Velvet Teddy-Bear, Ruben, visited the doctor and was told that he has diabetes. He responded with three words: "I am afraid." Also, Hap met his newborn son for the first time over FaceTime. How's that for motivation?
At the first team challenge of the season, the blue, red and white teams were shocked as host Alison Sweeney announced at this week's weigh-in: Only one person's weight would count for each team and they wouldn't know who it is until the weigh-in itself. With a roll of the dice at this week's weigh-in, Hap was chosen for the blue team, Tanya was chosen for the red team and Fernanda was chosen for the white team to represent the rest of the competitors with their weight. Hap, who had pushed hard after meeting his son, lost 13 pounds, Tanya lost four pounds and Fernanda became the first competitor eliminated this week after she had only lost two pounds.
Shifting tides
The game just changed again on Survivor.
Laura M. dominated on Redemption Island at this week's duel, sending Brad Culpepper home. Then Survivor host Jeff Probst announced another shocker. After 14 days of playing against their loved ones, they were going to switch things up by drawing for new tribes. Tyson, Gervase and Aras moved to Tadhana and Vytas and Katie moved over to Galang. Katie is now playing alongside her mother Tina, and Vytas is now the only male on the team, while Ciera is the only female. The re-shuffled tribes got to know one another, but it was obvious that alliances and dynamics were in flux. Case in point: Tyson and Gervas seemed to be turning on Aras.
At the immunity/reward challenge, attention to detail was not a strength. Galang's Tina and Laura B. forgot a large part of the immunity challenge, swimming back to shore without their fishing net. That ensured they would be facing tribal council. Ultimately Kat showed she couldn't be trusted when she suggested voting out "over-strategizer" Monica, despite their alliance. That disloyalty spooked her tribe members, who in turn, voted her off the island.
Cold comfort
From Portugal to Norway, the eight remaining Amazing Race teams were forced to take the same flight to the Arctic Circle.
In a nasty detour, the teams had the choice to hang fish heads or make fish jerky before jumping off a bridge into the Arctic water during this week's road block. At least they got the chance to wash off the smell. Teams like the bearded gang, Brandon and Adam, had little trouble with the challenges, while baseball wives Nicky and Kim struggled to keep up with the rest of the pack.
In the last part of the challenge, teams had to use a Ford pick-up to move a giant boulder in order to grab coins and the whereabouts of the pit-stop. But by rushing her ex, Marie left the clue and they headed out with no idea where they were going. They ran into married ER doctors Travis and Nicole on the way, who offered to help them out if the team agreed to hand over their express pass. But the pair of exes declined. Stubbornness is not a good quality to have in this game. The bearded team was the first to reach Viking Longhouse, winning them a head start and $5,000 each. The fate of the remaining teams were left to be shown next week when the race continues.
Glitches and missteps
Technical difficulties proved good news for the weaker performers on this week's Dancing with the Stars, as voting glitches meant no teams were eliminated.
Among those struggling: Bill Engvall and Emma Slater, whose "redneck tango" earned them the lowest score. Most teams fared better. Highlights included Elizabeth Berkley Lauren and Val Chmerkovskiy's empowering cha-cha, which was given the first perfect score of the season.
In a new twist, improvised dances were introduced, meaning the performers were able to show what they had learned. Lastly, Ariana Grande and Mika joined the cast this week to perform their hit song, Popular.

Hefna Qwap interview on shrooms

If you plan on hitting up The Smoker’s Club Tour, get ready for one of the most hectic years yet, as the lineup proves that it’s bound to be one heck of a show. While in Atlanta for A3C, Urbanology Magazine linked up with one of the up-coming acts, who promises to show each city how he gets down and rather than tell us, he showed us. Hefna Gwap and his mob, along with Elegant Caviar’s Sleepy Jeanson and DyMe-A-DuZin were found taking over the fourth floor pool and cabana of the Meliá Hotel while on shrooms on the third day of the five-day hip-hop festival.
HOW DOES IT FEEL TO BE IN ATLANTA FOR A3C? We feel good, if they could see me right now, they would see me in my drawers on the fourth floor, swimming, smoking weed and doing shrooms and that’s how it feels.
WHAT CAN PEOPLE EXPECT FROM YOUR LIVE SHOW? A lot of gymnastics, but I can’t right now, because my foot is sprained.
HOW DID YOU MANAGE THAT? Actually, with DyMe-A-DuZin himself at Rap Genius. I was playing basketball without a basketball, because I was so drunk. I went up for a layup and I came down and I was in the middle of Brooklyn on the ground screaming…
OUCH… SOO… WHAT INSPIRES YOUR MUSIC AND WHAT DO YOU WANT PEOPLE TO TAKE AWAY FROM IT? Life really, and everybody around me. Life is beautiful so you should enjoy it. I want everybody to take that away from me. I come from the streets so I just want people to find the best in their life and try and do whatever you need to do, no matter who is talking down on you.
WHAT DOES A DAY IN THE LIFE OF HEFNA GWAP CONSIST OF? A day in the life of me is… At the [Meliá] Hotel in Atlanta with a sprained ankle on shrooms with Spaceman, Jona Grizz and Vinny Cha$e over there. We’re doing backflips in the pool with Roleys on. And DyMe-A-DuZin in the background screaming that we’re going to do a music video for “Lick”.

Q&A with Cortez

“Besides the fact that we get paid, it’s fun again. I’m taking it all on,” Brooklyn battle rapper Cortez from Murder Ave. says before his match-up against John John Da Don in Atlanta, at the A3C hip-hop festival’s first ever battle rap event, presented by URL.
HOW DOES IT FEEL TO BE A PART OF A3C’S FIRST EVER BATTLE EVENT? I feel honoured by it. They picked certain artists, because they see what we’re doing beyond the battles. Beasely called me and said, ‘I see what you’re doing. I like what you’re doing. You need to be here and I’ll set you up with a battle here too.’ And when I realized how big A3C was, I was like, ‘I gotta be here.’ I’m appreciative and I’m not a greedy person. I’m happy.
DID YOU TAKE A DIFFERENT APPROACH PREPARING FOR THE BATTLE SINCE IT IS AT A FESTIVAL? Nah, because it is URL. At the end of the day, URL is the top of the line. You’ve got to come with your bars there and respect the rap league for a reason so I couldn’t play with him. I came here really focused.
WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT THE MATH HOFFA/SERIOUS JONES INCIDENT AT THE PREVIOUS URL EVENT? Everybody knows Math is my boy, like my right hand man. You see the footage; I was there with him. I’m holding him down. It was an unfortunate incident, but like I tell people, I don’t think the punch was a serious thing, because Serious Jones and Math are from the street corner era, where a lot worse things can happen. It was just the fact of where it happened and the timing. There were investors in the building, but at the end of the day, Math knew he was wrong and it was unfortunate, but it is what it is.
DO YOU THINK IT WAS A STEP BACK FOR BATTLE RAP? I think it could have been, but I don’t think it has. It came and it went.
WHAT DOES IT MEAN FOR THE SCENE TO NOW HAVE EVENTS AT FESTIVALS SUCH AS A3C? The crazy thing about battle rap is, it came from nothing and I think that we created our own lane of hip-hop, we generate our own revenue, we sell out our own crowds; we’re like an independent movement and we’re cashing out. So, for us to get selected for venues and events like this, it just [shows] that people are taking notes, not just the fans, even the execs now, are taking notes and the people that are in power and make changes are realizing that this is here to stay. I’m just glad to be a part of it.

Chali 2na Q&A

Chali 2na, a hip-hop renaissance man, who wears the hats of an artist, photographer, actor and of course, founding member of the legendary hip-hop groups Jurassic 5 and Ozomatli, took a tour across Canada this fall to show his fans that, somewhere between his old-school style and new-school industry mentality, that he’s still got it. With a new EP series and plenty of artwork, the hip-hop legend is giving back to the fans that have been rocking with him for decades.
HOW DO YOU ENJOY PERFORMING SOLO AS OPPOSED TO A GROUP DYNAMIC? To be honest, I just enjoy performing. It’s not really a ‘I’ll take it or leave it’ in any way. It is more so, if I can get a chance to do it, I’m down. It’s an honour to say that I love my job. I’m satisfied being this old still doing this shit.
HOW HAS THE RESPONSE BEEN TO YOUR LATEST PROJECT, AGAINST THE CURRENT? Against The Current is basically a series of EPs that I’m going to try and put out. The first one, I put out earlier this year, the next one I’m trying to put out in November. The response from it has been phenomenal from the way that I put it out. This is some new stuff for me. I’m an older guy part of the old school way of the music business, which is, being attached to a label, having them dudes take all of your money, and all of that stuff. We were definitely slaves to Interscope and Universal Records for nine or 10 years for sure, but that’s what you were supposed to do back then if you wanted to get your stuff heard. Now, the internet has infiltrated and it not only wrecked the music business from what it used to be, but it created an avenue so that artists had to become business men and had to take responsibility for their own shit.
Because of that, a lot of us have learned and a lot of us have fell off, but a lot of us have prospered beyond our dreams. All I did was sit back and go, ‘Okay, there are no more record labels, there are no more record stores, the record store now is iTunes, Amazon, Spotify and Soundcloud, so the way that people consume music is not the same.’ It is not an album worth of material. People are going to iTunes, looking at your album, and picking four or five songs. I thought it would be dope to give them a series of EPs based on that principle, five or six songs of my best material.
YOU’VE BEEN DOING YOUR THING FOR A MINUTE, WHAT STORY DO YOU HAVE LEFT TO TELL ON YOUR NEXT PROJECTS? Some of these dudes get caught in the romanticized aspect of entertaining and being a celebrity and me personally, I’m more in love with being a regular dude and displaying that regularness to people in a celebrity fashion. My motto is not star to fan, but rather man to man. I think that just keeps me more grounded than anything.
IN YOUR OWN WORDS, HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE THE LEGACY THAT YOU HAVE LEFT IN HIP-HOP? I’m hoping that my legacy is based on honest, positive, conscious vibes; something that makes people think about something that is able to help them change. The media toys around with the word ‘jihad’, but that word actually means ‘war with the self.’ It’s all about cleaning house and that’s my own personal jihad is just trying to keep this thing clean and hopefully when I’m gone, that my son and his friends and when he’s gone, his son and his friends will be able to reach back. I want to leave something that is undeniable when my name comes up.

My Toronto Sun Column: Week 5

Cher finds her Voice: With the blind auditions over, The Voice's fifth season battle has begun. Cher, Ed Sheeran, Ryan Tedder and Miguel joined the four coaches as vocal mentors as Team Blake, Team Cee Lo, Team Christina and Team Adam were placed in pairs in order to perform dueling duets; only one of the two singers would be saved. If eliminated, however, they still had the opportunity to be stolen by another coach. This week, it looked like not only were some of the singers fighting against their competition, but also their mentors. Cher especially seemed to take her advisor role to the next level. The pop superstar gave quite the scolding to some of the contestants she was mentoring, including single dad Ray Boudreaux and stubborn singer, Monika Leigh. The diva stole the show without even taking the stage.
Wedded bliss? The honeymoon was over for Survivor's married couple Candice and John, who were separated after their arch-enemy Brad wound up on Redemption Island. In an intense puzzle challenge, Brad beat out Candice in order to stay alive in the game. Tadhana became a whole new tribe without their fallen leader. Along with injuries, bug bites and missing toenails, a shift in power began to take place with Caleb at the top, which had a major impact at the immunity and reward challenge, when the tribe won for this first time all season. Galang faced tribal council for the first time and rather than taking an easy vote with Rupert's wife, Laura B, they voted out a great competitor, Laura M in order to make Redemption Island a little more interesting. This season has been nothing but surprises.
Weight and see: It was not apparent in this week's ratings, but The Biggest Loser is back with it biggest season yet as 15 new contestants, including American Idol winner Ruben Studdard, take advantage of their "second chance at life." Trainers Bob, Jillian and Dolvett all helped in hand-picking the contestants, who started off the season weighing in on their past and jumped right into the game with a lot of sweat and tears. When it came time to check to contestants' progress, Dolvett's team weighed in with the Biggest Loser male and female as Rachel had lost 21 lbs. and David losing 38 lbs. That is a lot of extra baggage. Craig, who had lost the least amount of weight was told that he would be the first contestant eliminated, but not before Jillian jumped in and saved him as she didn't yet believe that it was his time to go.
Blades runners: Scratch Oksana Kazakova and Vladimir Malakhov, who were iced from the competition this week. The two, who were the second pair eliminated this season, blamed the judges, including Kurt Browning, PJ Stock and Jamie Sale. Way to be good sports about it. Unfortunately, the ones missing out are iOrphan Canada, the duo's charity, who lost out on a $25,000 prize.
The finished line: From first place to eliminated, former NFL teammates Chester and Ephraim ran into trouble after trouble on this week's Amazing Race. The football friends, the third team eliminated this season, seemed cursed by the airlines, as each flight they attempted to take in order to reach the remaining teams in Portugal from Chile was delayed. There was nothing they could do but accept their fate in the game. Married ER doctors, Travis and Nicole were the first team to reach the pit stop, winning them a trip to Costa Rica. Eight teams remain.
REALITY WRAP:
Biggest Winner:
Dom Streater was named the Season 12 winner of Project Runway.
Biggest Shocker:
Mike Fortunato from this season's Catfish died from a pulmonary embolism.
What the heck moment:
Tadhana's tribe is falling apart with Ciera's bugbites and Katie's missing toenails. We could have done without the close-up.
Quote of the week:
"People think this is a TV show, but it's not. It's a life-or-death intervention. You're checking into rehab." - The Biggest Loser coach Jillian Michaels

Schoolboy Q Panel at A3C

The BQE 718’s Jayson Rodriguez and Shaheem Reid presented a Q&A panel with Schoolboy Q at Atlanta’s Melia Hotel during A3C, the day of the Black Hippy’s headlining Revolt TV performance. The ballroom filled up quickly with fans and upcoming artists interested in hearing about the intriguing rapper, who always has a lot to say. The “Yay Yay” rapper spoke candidly regarding his upcoming album, his TDE comrades, especially regarding the BET cyphers and of course, the infamous “Control” verse.
After stating that his upcoming freshman album, Oxymoron, is officially completed and that he was able to work with many people that were on his bucket list, such as Pharrell, who reached out to him, Schoolboy dove headfirst into the topics on everyone’s minds – Kendrick and “Control”.
“Kendrick is my competition. I don’t go out and f*ck with somebody just because they’re hot right now. You’ve never heard Q put out a song with somebody just because of who they are. I’m focused on music. My homies are my competition. I’m trying to be better than Ab Soul, Kendrick and Jay Rock. I tell them that all the time. They’re my favourite artists, but at the same time, I’m trying to take pride in my shit,” he says.
When asked about where he found out about the infamous “Control” verse for the first time, Q admitted that it was on Twitter like everyone else and how exactly he reacted.
“I don’t really tweet so much anymore, I just scroll and see what’s up. And that was all I saw, people talking about, “are you mad that he didn’t say you name” and shit like that, but whatever, I don’t care about that verse. F*ck that verse, I’m hating. F*ck Kendrick Lamar,” Schoolboy joked. The ballroom laughed along, eating up every word of the comedic emcee.
After talking sports with the two radio broadcasters, Q wrapped up the interview and took a moment to take photos with fans, before exiting the room.

A3C's First Ever Rap Battle

A3C brought URL to ATL last week and created history. The battle rap league, URL, presented two anticipated battles at the five-day festival, which included Rich Dolarz vs. JC and Cortez vs. John John Da Don. Rap fans packed themselves into Atlanta’s Quad, anticipating a body bag match, and that’s exactly what they got.
After some lighting issues, the event began as Rich Dolarz faced JC, in what was one of the biggest chokes many have seen in the battle rap world. After choking in the first two rounds, Rich couldn’t take the “boos” and took his mic off, before there could be a third round. JC, who had taken a loss at World Domination 4 in Toronto against 100 Bulletz, came back with a vengeance at A3C and made the win look simple.
“I’m not going to lie, that was probably the easiest battle I’ve ever done in my life. He didn’t have anything and he didn’t bring anything,” JC says, following the battle. Rich has been known for choking, but he brought it to a whole new level by refusing to continue until the end.
Up next, Brooklyn’s Cortez faced the hometown hero John John Da Don. The two friends only had a week and a half to prepare, but brought an entertaining and intricate battle that ended with no real concrete winner. They each brought stage presence, serious bars and personal information that could only be provided by real comrades, but they made sure not to get too personal or to overstep their boundaries, which some rappers choose to ignore just for a win.
“I respect all these battle rappers for what they do. Especially if I’m willing to battle you, I already respect your craft; no matter how much shit I may talk. I respect everybody, but Cortez, he always shows love and has always been real honest, so you’ve got to respect that,” John John Da Don says after all three rounds, which both rappers had delivered perfectly.
In the end, fans were happy, witnessing a body bag first hand, as well as a competitive battle between friends at A3C’s first ever battle rap event. The event taking place shows how much the movement has grown and that battle rap is now gaining the respect it deserves.
According to John John, he and the other battle rappers are just happy to be a part of the history. “Battle rap is the purest form of hip-hop. You’ve got to appreciate battle rap if you appreciate hip-hop,” he says.

A3C Press Junket

The ballroom of Atlanta’s Melia Hotel looked like the behind-the-scenes of a rap show during most days of the A3C hip-hop festival, but the floor was a platform for industry knowledge and networking as the panels, interviews and press junkets went down all week long. Fans were given an opportunity to learn about their favourite artists, artists were able to network with industry professionals and gain the right contacts with the right people, and members of the press were able to grab those interviews that they needed, all under one roof. Talk about a hip-hop one-stop shop.
Artists like Atlanta’s Forte Bowie, Heltah Skeltah’s Rock-Ness Monster and Da Coroner all took a turn on the mic to share their thoughts on A3C and what they’ve got in the works musically during the press junket, where media crowded around the table during the live stream.
Lyrical legend R.A The Rugged Man took a minute out of his day, the afternoon of his headlining A3C show to speak about the festival. Although, in his words, he thought the festival itself was unorganized, he was still looking forward to performing and sharing his craft.
“I come from that era where, f*ck just making a record, you got to obliterate the stage, so my stage show, like my flows are like my ego,” he says, chuckling into the microphone.
Up-and-coming stars, such as Ken Rebel, had a turn to talk to press as well. The upcoming Brooklyn emcee, who shared the stage with A$AP Ferg the previous night for his first ever A3C experience, was also featured on the official A3C Volume 3 mixtape. For upcoming rappers like himself, festivals such A3C are an important part in gaining a fan base, and he most certainly took advantage of the opportunity.
“Due to various artists all under one bill, different fan bases come out and support each artist so there’s a lot of new faces that you get to see and you can reach out to a new crowd that you don’t have. It’s like, I’ve never been in front of a crowd like this, so let me try and bring them in and make some new fans,” he says.
After five days of knowledge and networking for fans, artists, producers, DJs, managers and press, everyone won.

Meek Mill at BET Music Matters

There were levels to this show, as A3C and BET brought the Music Matters showcase to Atlanta featuring an all-star line up and headliner Meek Mill at Terminal West on day two of the hip-hop festival.
Buttah Man, the host of BET Music Matters, introduced the talented line-up to the Terminal West stage, which included artists like Problem, Lecrae, Young Dro, Scotty ATL and of course, Meek Mill.
“This line up is hot, I think it’s a good combination of new artists, people who are on the verge and then you have somebody like Meek Mill who is on top of the game right now so we also have representation from all over the country so it really represents what A3C is all about. It’s a lot going on,” Buttah says, taking a break between sets backstage. He was an entertaining host that involved the crowd by letting a few artists near the front spit a verse into the mic and made fun of some of their favourite artists, joking that Kanye needs a hug and Drake needs to stop crying, which made the wait between sets less painful.
Bennie Bates, a young artist who recently signed to MA$E took the opportunity to attend the event in order to network and check out the artists on the bill. “A lot of artists popped off from BET Music Matters so it’s a real event where you can get your shine on,” he says.
Highlights of the night included a surprise performance of “F.D.B,” by Young Dro, wild sets from Lecrae, female emcee Rapsody, who brought out Scotty ATL, and a hype set by Problem, who performed his verse of “Function”. The venue was completely full with festivalgoers, who wanted a part in the iconic event series and cheered on each act.
Meek Mill, who headlined the event, came out dressed in black with his chains glimmering off the stage lights as a sea of camera phones snapped the Philly rapper spitting “I’m A Boss”, “House Party” and ending off with “Lil N*gga Snupe” before he left the stage. The house DJ began to play “Levels” when Meek turned around and came right back on stage saying, “How could I forget this one?” The crowd screamed along and artists like Problem and Young Dro were spotted in the crowd getting just as turnt as the fans. Meek’s set was very short, but the talented bill from top to bottom made the A3C BET Music Matters event a smash.

My Toronto Sun Column: Week 4

Spousal support?
On Survivor, it was husband vs. wife on Redemption Island as John faced his wife Candice as well as Marissa to stay alive in the game after Tadhana voted him of the island last week. Brad was to blame and the two were not scared to vocalize what they thought of him at the Redemption Island challenge. Luckily, in the puzzle challenge, both husband and wife made it through the task the quickest, sending Marissa home for good. The two spent time fishing and relaxing on the beach, where it looked more like honeymoon island, rather than a game of Survivor. In the immunity and reward challenge, Tadhana and Galang were head to head competing for tea and biscuits and the opportunity to remain safe in the game, but Galang pulled through in the end, winning immunity and remaining undefeated. At the tribal council meeting, Caleb, who had felt a target on his back, announced that he was voting for Brad, the team leader responsible for each player being sent off the island. The other players looked shocked, but in the end, they followed suit and Brad went to join the happy couple on Redemption Island in one of the most surprising tribal councils to date.
Gracious exit
Two-time Dancing with the Stars winner Julianne Hough took a seat on the judging panel as a guest and dished out tough critiques. Valerie Harper and Tristan MacManus waltzed out of the competition this week, as they were the third couple eliminated from the show. The 74-year-old actress, who was diagnosed with terminal cancer, left graciously. Three couples earned high scores of 27, which included Corbin Bleu, Amber Riley and Elizabeth Berkley proving that the dancers are only getting better as the competition heats up.
Almost out of Runway
In the first part of Project Runway's Season 12 finale, Heidi and Tim announced the designers must complete at 10-look collection for Spring in only six weeks. The five remaining competitors were sent to their hometowns and given the time to complete each look. From LA to Philadelphia, Tim did his rounds to check on how each of them were doing and to add his two cents, of course. Back in NY, after completing their garments, the designers were surprised with the announcement that in addition to their collections, they must make an additional piece that can be washed, inspired by Tide detergent's new "Washable Fashions." This show is always thinking about pleasing their sponsors. In the end, Helen's collecting did not have the 'wow' factor necessary to make it to fashion week and he was eliminated. Next week the winner of season 12 is revealed.
Wow. Just wow.
If you met someone online and they told you they were the famous rapper Bow Wow, would you believe them? Likely not. But what if they sent you $10,000? Nineteen-year-old Keyonnah could only call Nev and Max of Catfish to help her figure out the mystery on this week's episode of Catfish. Although it seemed too good to be true, many signs showed the person on the other end of the line speaking to Keyonnah for the past few months may just be Bow Wow, especially the fact that they had send her $10,000. After driving to Atlanta and showing up at his door, the 'he' became a 'she' as a young woman by the name of Dee walked out, claiming her love for Keyonnah. In shock, Keyonnah was unable to forgive Dee for her lies and embarrassment and the two went their separate ways. When something seems too good to be true, it usually is.
SIDE:
Quote Of The Week: "It was an opportunity for me to carry a message to folks, not just with cancer, but with whatever challenge, like our song tonight -- carry on, carry on," Valerie said following her DWTS elimination.
Fearless Prediction: With such strong, innovated pieces the entire season, we are sure the new Project Runway winner will be Dom.
Biggest Surprise: NBC changed the premiere date of The Biggest Loser to a week later and it will now air Oct. 15.
What the heck moment: In one of the most surprising tribal councils to date, Tadhana turned on their leader and sent Brad to Redemption Island.

Wolf J McFarlane in Toronto

The Toronto Sun Column: Week 3

Gotta dance: It was Hollywood Night on DWTS, which came as nothing new to the contestants. The routines themselves, however, were another matter. Bill Nye, who suffered from a torn ligament last week, was eliminated in what was the worst jazz routine that the competition may have ever seen. And after a horrible week for Pretty Little Liars star Brant Daugherty, who suffered from an injury, lost cellphone and being robbed at gunpoint, he and partner Peta Murgatroyd, wowed the judges with their quickstep to Crazy In Love, earning them this week's highest score. Talk about a turnaround.
Finding a Voice: No one deserves to win more than the person that fails and doesn't give up and James Irwin got his karma this week. The 31-year old from St. Louis, who tried out last year and didn't make the cut, prompted all four judges on The Voice to push their button to choose the talented young man this time around. After praise from the others coaches and constructive criticism from Adam Levine, Irwin chose to join Levine's team. Smart move if we do say so. After the second last blind audition episode of the season, Cee Lo Green has three spots left on his team of 12, Adam Levine and Blake Shelton have two each, and Christina Aguilera has just one heading into next week, which wrap up the blind auditions.
Tribal counseling: No one likes a quitter, not even Survivor Blood vs. Water host Jeff Probst, who lost his cool on Galang's Colton Cumbie, after he quit the show last Friday night when he decided he didn't want to be there. And Probst, who is usually calm and collected, wasn't afraid to let the drama queen know how selfish he was being. Two reality TV no-nos - being a crybaby and a quitter, and Colton took the title of both.
Keeping up: After returning from their three-week TV hiatus, the Kardashians returned in time to showcase the lavish KimYe baby shower on Keeping Up With The Kardashians. While Kourtney and Khloe planned the details, which included all white decorations and a copy of Yeezus as a party favor, Kim was not set on the idea of having a shower due to all the negative attention she had been getting over her pregnancy. In an attempt to change her mind, Kris showed her a video of her own shower, which of course brought the tears with footage from the late Robert Kardashian. In the end, it worked and the reality queen caved on the idea. In the garden-themed shower, celebrities such as Kelly Osbourne and Kanye's family arrived, before Yeezus himself made his appearance.
Not so nice: The theory nice guys finish last proved true once again on Catfish as the MTV matchmakers Nev and Max travelled to Detroit to help a veteran named Derek. He'd been cheated on by both mothers of his children while he was serving in the military. Ouch! Derek was sure he had found love with Kristen who had added him on Facebook, but his happy ever after fell short when the three travelled to her home to find out that Kristen was really a mother of two named Chastity who had only created the Facebook account to spy on the father of her children. Talk about drama. Unfortunately for Derek, third time wasn't a charm and his search for love continues.
Extra from this week in reality:
Quote of the Week: "To say that all of this scrutiny doesn't get to you, I would be lying," admitted Kim. "But listening to my family, really does make me realize that I want to have this special moment for my daughter." - Kim Kardashian on her baby shower
Fearless Prediction: With drama queen Colton gone from Survivor Blood vs. Water, we have no doubt that the Galang tribe will run a lot smoother without him.
Biggest Surprise: After 31-year-old singer James Irwin was criticized by Adam Levine for his rendition of Losing My Religion, the singer chose Levine over the other coaches to join his team.
What the heck moment: Bill Nye would have been better off to drop out the competition than subject us to the sight of that horrible jazz number.

John River at Manifesto

 

Manifesto Producer Showcase

In this game, it’s the one with the mic that has the spotlight. But it is the ones behind the beats of the emcees that deserve just as much shine. And by the looks of it, Manifesto and the city of Toronto agree. It was all about the producer as the 7th annual Manifesto Festival of Community and Culture, along with Foundry, hosted The Beat: Producer Showcase at Adelaide Music Hall.
The sounds from acclaimed producers such as Oddisee, Elaquent, Sunclef, Rich Kidd and Lancecape billowed up and around the two-story venue, where silhouettes of bobbing heads could be seen throughout the darkly lit building. In three rounds, which consisted of introductory beats, Canadian rap remixes and finally, R&B collaborations, the producers showed off their skills, gaining feedback from the body language and applause from the audience.
Sango was the obvious crowd-favourite. The Michigan producer, who has only performed his beats at the Coachella festival, says that the experience differs completely from his process of creating the music. “When I’m on stage, it feels more like a lecture… at home, it’s more of a development. When I’m on stage presenting my craft, it’s polished.” He had the crowd dancing during all three rounds, especially during the night’s Canadian remix round when he remixed Drake’s new single, “Hold On, We’re Going Home”.
DC Diamond District producer, Oddisee said he was excited about taking part in the Manifesto festival and pleased at the newfound spotlight that producers are now given through more interest in producer showcase events.
“I think it’s cool that they’re starting to have more producer showcases at festivals and a part of hip-hop events in general. The producer has always been kind of the backbone of the hip-hop world in the first place, so for us to be put in the foreground is kind of a good thing,” he says.” The multi-talented artist also surprised the crowd by coming out and spitting as well, later on in the night, alongside Canadian emcee Shad K.
With powerful beats and a packed venue, The Beat was a success, and by putting a face to the music, the producers got the nods they deserved.