He Has Risen tour

 Nothing could stop the wave of the He Has Risen tour, headlined by Smoke DZA and Flatbush Zombies that hit up Toronto’s Wrongbar earlier this month.
Smashmouth Entertainment lined up a bill stacked with creative artists, who each brought a whole other level of hype to the amped audience. Toronto’s own Jimmy B set the night off right by proving himself as a performer as he connected with the crowd by using his charm, before The Antiheroes hit the stage, bringing lyricism and their underground vibe to an already energetic night of hype hip-hop.
“These guys really know how to perform and put on a show for Toronto so it was really dope to see,” said Sha Prince of The Antiheroes about Flatbush Zombies & Smoke DZA. The Toronto hip-hop duo opened the show at both the Ottawa and Toronto stops of the He Has Risen tour and enjoyed learning from the other artists on the bill.

“You can learn a lot from watching other people rock a stage. Flatbush really knows what they’re doing and they really had control over the crowd.”
Cashius Green brought a different element and energy to the stage, wearing a one-piece ski suit hanging around his waist and rocking the crowd in a wolf mask at one point, as the venue soaked in his unique energy.
The Brooklyn badasses, Flatbush Zombies, performed tracks off of their D.R.U.G.S mixtape, such as “Thug Waffle”, but started off their set by paying dues to Canada by playing the country’s national anthem. Their set was on a next level of intense as the crowd went insane after the group members admitted they were on acid.

Smoke DZA took over the stage and gave Toronto an unforgettable performance while rocking an old-school Blue Jays jacket. DZA’s grind has been on point this year. The KushedGod, who recently toured North America all summer on the Smoker’s Club One Hazy Summer tour, also put out three projects in one year, Cuz I Felt Like It, Rugby Thompson and K.O.N.Y, before headlining his first-ever tour. He says he was more than happy to hit up Toronto, as it’s one of his favourite cities to perform. “I love performing in Toronto, they always give me un-human-like energy,” he said.

It may be hard to top a year of two tours and three projects, but DZA promises his fans can expect much more from him. “I’m right at the door for doing what I’ve always wanted to do and that is being a star and producing quality projects and material for the world. I think I’m right there,” he said.
It is surprising that Wrongbar is still standing after such an interesting and creative night of high-energy artists. Each artist held his own as it was clear that this new age, rock star lifestyle of hip-hop is here and the artists are taking no prisoners.

Smoker's Club: One Hazy Summer Tour

It really was one hazy Sunday night as hundreds of marijuana and music enthusiasts hit up the Phoenix Concert Theatre for the Toronto stop of the Smokers Club: One Hazy Summer tour. Stoners, hippies and hip-hop heads alike, crowded the venue to take in some of hip-hop’s most notorious weed connoisseurs.
The vibe was chill and the beats were banging from 9:30 p.m. sharp, until early on Monday morning as the thick smoke billowed in the venue. Security allowed the audience, as the intentions of the night were obvious, to get trippy.
Toronto artist C-Flowz, the only local artist on the bill, opened the show. He spit tracks from his latest mixtape, Found My Lane, including his track “Going In”, which features Juicy J, headliner of the night’s event. C-Flowz is a charismatic performer, who proves that he loves what he does every show by spitting his flow with a constant smile, while his DJ, Ms. DJ Ohso spins the set. The Smokers Club tour was no exception and it was obvious the young Toronto emcee was in his element.
Brooklyn’s 17-year-old emcee, Joey Bada$$ who is making waves in hip-hop with his latest mixtape 1999, hit the stage with his Pro Era crew, who tore it up with a youthful energy and intelligent rhymes. The crowd was feeling every bit of Joey’s set, spitting along with his tracks, as the young artist showed love back by reaching into the audience to shake his fans’ hands. Joey and the Pro Era crew ended their hype set with a freestyle, which the crowd soaked up.

The Kush God, Smoke DZA took to the stage in head to toe camo, with his booming voice and performed banger after banger such as, “Burn It Down” and “Christmas In The Trap”. The crowd was surprisingly chill for such a high-energy set, but it was obvious that was due to the lack of oxygen in the air. DZA ended his set with an a capella version of “The World”, as he asked for every light in the building to be turned off. Hundreds of lighters were held up, and only the flames illuminated him as he spit; smoke whirled through the air.
The audience, who expected either Chip Tha Ripper or Fat Trel to hit the stage next was surprised when Juicy J appeared, performing his hit “A Zip and A Double Cup” as fans rushed to the front to vibe with the king of trippy. Juicy J, who already performed in Toronto earlier this year, came out with insane energy and a giant bottle of Bombay, pouring gin into the audience members’ cups. The same crowd, who stood there in a weed coma previously, jumped, danced and screamed as Uncle Juice showed them how to get trippy.

While performing his verse from Mac Miller’s, “Lucky Ass Bitch”, Juicy J brought female audience members onstage to dance with him, and they were anything but shy, twerking for the crowd, who cheered on in amusement. After performing his bangers such as “Who Da Neighbours” and “Countin’ Faces”, as well as Three 6 Mafia hits such as “Stay Fly” and “Poppin My Collar”, he took requests from the audience and ended the eventful night with “Riley”.

Photos by: Carlo Cruz