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

Raz Fresco Stylus Spotlight Series

Toronto’s own artist/producer and founder of the Bakers Club, Raz Fresco is only 17 and has already been nominated for a Stylus award (Artist Mixtape of the Year) at this year’s show. He will also be performing at tonight’s nominee party at The Mod Club along with artists such as JRDN and Shaun Boothe. The young artist sat down with Urbanology Magazine to discuss why he is looking forward to the experience, which will be his first time attending the DJ Stylus Awards, and the role of DJs in supporting artists like himself.
WHAT DOES STYLUS MEAN TO YOU? I’m just starting to really understand it. It’s a symbol in the Canadian hip-hop scene right now, because it’s independent and it shows where the city’s at and it shows what is going on. It’s like a time capsule.
WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING FORWARD TO MOST AT THIS YEAR’S AWARDS? It’s dope that I’m nominated for [MCMXCV]… and just going [to the awards]. I’ve never been there before, so I’m just trying to take everything in and that’s what I’m looking forward to, just to soak everything in.
HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT THE OPPORTUNITY TO PERFORM AT THE NOMINEE PARTY? That’s going to be dope. The people who are there that don’t know about my music are going to be introduced to it, because I know I’m going to do a dope set and have the joints off my new project and some of the big joints from before and just getting new fans. I’m always looking forward to new people starting to eff with the [Bakers] Club.
WHAT DOES THE DJ MEAN TO YOU? Breaking records and just being a bridge. The DJ can be mainstream and have that direct link to the underground as well by doing the mixtapes. An artist can do that, but a DJ is more solid. It’s meant to be like that. It’s a direct correlation between the mainstream and the underground. DJs bridge that gap, break a lot of records and push a lot of projects. They co-sign artists and give artists a lot of spotlight.
WHO IS YOUR FAVOURITE CANADIAN DJ? DJ Starting From Scratch, just because I met him at FLOW and he was cool; he showed me love. He seemed like a cool guy and he has clout. I just have love for all the DJs.

DJ Wristpect on the Stylus Awards

Five-time Stylus DJ Award Winner DJ Wristpect is once again nominated at this year’s Stylus Awards, which will take place at the Danforth Music Hall next Monday night. The Toronto DJ spoke with Urbanology Magazine about the close-knit Canadian DJ community, the importance of the Stylus Awards and the art of DJing.
WHAT DO THE STYLUS AWARDS MEAN TO YOU? [It means] validation of DJ culture in the country and appreciation for the culture on a mass level and I think it’s really dope that it started and is still going on and has grown every year, because we all put a lot of time, effort and blood, sweat and tears into this music thing, so the fact that there is now a forum for that to be recognized, that’s the most important thing; it’s shining a light on DJ culture… It’s a really good way of knowing what this is all about. It’s really great to have everyone to get together. It’s really rare to get that many DJs from across the country together at one place at one time.
WHAT IS YOUR MOST MEMORABLE STYLUS MOMENT TO DATE? Apart from winning awards, which is great, I just like getting a chance to just hang out and kick it with all the other DJs from around the country, because when I go to someone else’s city, it’s usually in and out and you don’t really get a chance to hang out and relax and get to catch up with DJs in other cities that are your friends or your peers, so the fact that everyone is at the awards, you can just chill out with people. That’s always good, because apart from forming your relationships, you actually get to hang out as friends, which you don’t really get to do when you’re working.
WHAT DOES BEING A DJ MEAN TO YOU? Being a DJ in this day and age to me means, really being on top of, not only music, but culture and trends. You really have to be versatile as a DJ these days, just because technology has really changed things. It’s tough to be a “one-genre-specific” DJ. Obviously, there are a lot of DJs that focus on one genre and do really well at it, but I think overall, as a music lover and as a DJ, you just have to be really in-tune with what’s going on in different genres. You have to be really adaptable to different crowds and in travelling especially. The biggest records that work in Toronto, or in North America, will get no reaction in a place like Hong Kong or France, so you really have to be able to think on your toes and adapt to situations very quickly… It’s a balancing act. It’s changed a lot from 10 years ago. I think the entire platform has changed. A DJ today has to wear many hats. It’s a very multifaceted role. It’s much more than simply playing music. I don’t think a lot of people realize that… It’s a great opportunity that DJs have today in 2012, because the art form is more popular than ever, with that being said, the playing field is also as crowded as ever, so you really have to be on top of your game.
WHAT ARE YOU MOST LOOKING FORWARD TO AT THIS YEAR’S AWARDS? I keep saying this but really just getting to just hang out and shooting the shit with DJ friends from across the country that I don’t really get to, because when I’m in their town, or they’re in my city, it’s hard to make time to get together. People have been hitting me up from Vancouver and Newfoundland asking, “Hey, are you going to be in town?” It’s great that everyone is coming… The awards are always entertaining, Trixx is a great host.

DJ Starting From Scratch Spotlight Series

DJ legend Starting From Scratch is a staple in the Canadian urban music scene and has been involved with the Stylus Awards since it began in 2006. After winning three awards during the first year, Scratch took himself out of the runnings to join the corporate side of the show. This year, he looks forward to co-hosting the event and taking in the new generation of DJs that he has helped pave the way for.
HOW HAVE YOU SEEN THE STYLUS AWARDS EVOLVE SINCE ITS BEGINNING? Production-wise, it’s gotten to a whole new level. It’s up there with all the other award shows, especially “urban shows”; to me, it blows them away just by the screen values and the guests and artists and everyone they’ve been getting to come through. Crowd-wise, that’s the thing that needs to be worked on. Numbers are there, but I don’t think it’s the ideal crowd. It’s still a little bit of a ghetto feel to it, which I guess, over time, they hope will turn into more of a mainstream crowd, but for now, I don’t think the production value meets the crowd value and I don’t think it’s appreciated by the crowd that’s showing up.
WHAT IS YOUR MOST MEMORABLE STYLUS AWARDS MOMENT? The first one; when I won. I won three [awards] in the first Stylus Awards, so to me, that was amazing, because it was essentially the first DJ show of its kind, so to be honoured like that and to be voted, especially by other DJs and all the record people — that will always stand out to me. After that, I kind of jumped to the other side and got on the corporate side of it, so that was my first and only experience with it, so I will always hold that very dear.
WHY ARE YOU NO LONGER BEING NOMINATED? I made that conscious choice awhile back to jump on the other side and stay out of the rat race, because even as you win, you still get tons of hate and negativity from all the other guys, so I just took myself out of it and decided to become a part of the show so I’ll always stay relevant and I’ll be where I need to be. I’ll still be represented at the show; I just don’t need to be in the rat race… It’s still tough. There’s still the fighter in me that sees things happening and it’s like, “I could have taken that” or “I could do this,” or “I know I’m better than this,” but I’m actually glad I am where I am. I have more fun with it, there’s no pressure on me and it’s a totally different view, being on the side that I am on.
WHAT DO THE STYLUS AWARDS MEAN TO YOU? To me as a DJ, I wouldn’t say it’s the be all, end all, because to me, the be all, end all is the crowd coming to support you in the clubs. This is more of an industry event, so just to be represented and shown respect within your industry is a huge step. I don’t think the general public understands the awards and doesn’t really attend the awards, because they don’t understand them. In the Canadian music scene itself, I still don’t think it’s respected as it should be… They have the Junos and these “DJs” are winning these Grammys, but the guys that are doing the footwork and the roadwork aren’t really getting recognized. It’ll get there over time, as long as they keep pushing it in the right direction.
WHAT ARE YOU MOST LOOKING FORWARD TO AT THIS YEAR’S AWARDS? As usual, to see who the underdogs are, who the upsetters are, the performances and so forth; I know production-wise, it’s going to be raised to a whole new level again. I just like to see the underdogs take it. I know a couple guys that have been retired so it’ll be interesting to see what the new generation is going to come take these awards now.