Toronto, ON – Huge congrats are in order for MC and King of the Dot founder Organik and LA-based MC Dumbfoundead for making their acting debuts in the new movie Detention. Based on the reviews already published, the Joseph Kahn-directed comedy/horror could possibly reach cult classic status. It was also a SXSW 2011 Accepted Film Here’s the basics of the plot: a killer named Cinderhella stalks the students at a high school in Grizzly lake and the kids serving detention decide to band together to survive. Organik’s character is named Gord and Dumbfoundead goes by Toshiba. The cast also includes Josh Hutcherson, Shanley Caswell, Spencer Locke, Dane Cook and many more.
The movie is currently showing in 10 American locations and 2 Canadian spots. You can catch Detention in Toronto at Empire Empress Walk 10 Cinemas located at 5095 Yonge Street in North York (M2N 6Z4). If you’re in Halifax, you can find the movie at Empire Theatres Bayers Lake which is located at 190 Chain Lake Drive (B3S 1C5). Click the jump to see the movie poster and trailer.
Saint John, NB – Coming in support of their new collaborative album, 2 Bad Dudes, Fortunato and DJ IV have released their new “Built For This” video. The video was directed by Patrick Younger and the song is available for download via Bandcamp (along with a dope looking cassette copy to give you that nostalgic feel).
Along with the new video, we’ve also just published a new story about the 2 Bad Dudes which has some insight from DJ IV on how things came together, and a Q&A with Fortunato detailing other new developments including a European tour in the works.
Check out the video after the jump or click here to take in the album and interview now.
Canadian hip-hop artists like Tory Lanez need support, not tokenism
Why our country can't afford to wait for the industry to catch up
Amanda Parris · CBC Arts ·
Canadian rapper Tory Lanez surfs the crowd at the East Village Block Party during Calgary's Sled Island festival. The east Village neighbourhood will soon be home to Canada's National Music Centre. (Michael Tan)
On Tuesday, I, like much of the world, spent hours combing the net, immersed in music, photos and videos of the late David Bowie. I stumbled upon a 1983 interview with MTV where during a typical press junket Bowie brilliantly subjected Mark Goodman to an interrogation of his own, asking the VJ why the new channel featured so few black artists. The response?
Popularity is encouraged and invested in; it doesn't simply happen.- Toronto artist Ian Kamau
"We have to try and do what we think not only New York or Los Angeles would appreciate but also what Poughkeepsie or some town in the Midwest that would be scared to death by Prince, which we're playing, or a string of other black faces and black music. You know, we have to play the music we think an entire country is gonna like."
I've heard that reasoning before, I thought — not in the '80s or even the '90s, but in the past year, each time I questioned someone in a relative position of power on why so little room is given to hip-hop music in the Canadian music industry. The specific excuses change somewhat over time but nearly a quarter-century later the rationale remains just as weak and flimsy as Goodman's.
Complaining about the lack of Canadian industry support for hip-hop is a tradition almost as old as the art form itself. However with the history of Canadian hip-hop now divided into the BD and AD eras — Before and After Drake — the protest is getting louder.
Disclaimer: I am not a hip-hop artist and I don't work in the music business. I'm simply a frustrated fan of the art form witnessing an industry make sporadic, tokenistic overtures while keeping the real doors closed. In the worlds of commercial radio and awards shows — two key measurements of the music industry's priorities — hip-hop is treated like a second-class citizen.
Commercial radio
One day in December I was driving home from work and turned the radio to CBC Radio One. My mouth dropped open when I heard what was playing. It was Toronto born and Brampton raised singer/rapper/producer Tory Lanez belting out his hit single "Say It." I had recently been introduced to his catalogue and he was my musical obsession of the moment. When I heard the song, I began yelling in my car, singing along (slightly off-key) and dancing without caring about the stares from other drivers at the red light. When I came down from my high, I started to wonder, how is it possible that although I live in the same city as this upcoming artist, I'm learning about him at the same time as (or even later than) hip-hop fans south of the border?
Tory Lanez is not an overnight success. He's been recording music for the past six years but it was in 2015, after years of selling mixtapes on street corners and in malls across the GTA, that the wider world learned about Lanez when he signed with Interscope and provided the hook for the hit Meek Mill single "Lord Knows" (which was also featured on the soundtrack for the movie Creed).
I argue that one reason Tory Lanez needed the U.S. to get attention in his home city is that for almost five years, Toronto has not had a commercial urban music radio station that would provide the platform for listeners to be introduced to a new artist like him. Back in 2001, hip-hop was granted a platform after years of being played only on volunteer-led community stations. Flow 93.5FM was Toronto's first black-owned and operated commercial radio station, and boasted well-rated shows including O.T.A. (On the Air) Live!, a key showcase for emerging local talent. When the station was sold in 2011 to CTVglobemedia (now Bell Media), O.T.A. and other similarly popular shows were soon cancelled. The void they left has yet to be filled.
It is so unfamiliar to have anything other than Top 40 hip-hop represented on radio in Toronto anymore, so when I hear the music of a young dude on the come-up from my hometown, like Tory Lanez, I have to double-check my radio dial.
The culture cannot grow if it is not given platforms for artists to have their music heard and for audiences to be introduced to them.In a recent op-ed Noisey titled "An insider's look in: Examining the real value of Toronto's rap scene," Toronto MC Ian Kamau writes, "Investment is no accident: I would argue that rock and pop have been consistently invested in and became more popular because they are genres that are more economically or culturally valued by the industry decision-makers, programmers, and tastemakers with the most power. But popularity is encouraged and invested in; it doesn't simply happen."
Members of Rascalz show off their Juno award for Best Rap Recording at the Juno Awards in Hamilton, Ontario Sunday March 7,1999. (Frank Gunn/The Canadian Press)
In this June 27, 2015 photo, Drake performs on the main stage at Wireless festival in Finsbury Park, London. (Jonathan Short/Invision/Associated Press)
Beyond the Junos, there's also the Polaris Music Prize, a music award annually given to the best full-length Canadian album based on artistic merit, regardless of genre, sales or record label The jury list for the Polaris Music Prize is comprised of more than 200 Canadian music journalists, bloggers and broadcasters. Hip-hop artists ranging from megastars like Drake and The Weeknd to independent acts such as Cadence Weapon, Zaki Ibrahim and Shad have made it onto the shortlist. But in its 10-year history, it has never been won by a rap or R&B artist.
Over the Christmas holidays I spent hours watching the annual countdown of best music videos of the year on Much. I was stunned by how many of the videos I had never seen. I realized how much I missed the days of curated programming, where the onus was on a trusted presenter to introduce me to the music. Kudos goes to the music writers and critics who through print, blogs and podcasts have attempted to fill the void.
The open access of platforms such as SoundCloud and YouTube has democratized the process artists go through to have their music heard, but it has also led to an overwhelming array of content that never reaches most peoples' ears. Most emerging and mid-tier artists do not have a clear next level to work towards, at least not in this country.
Meanwhile, awards and commercial radio painfully illustrate that the traditional bastions of the Canadian music industry have remained stagnant since the Rascalz protest of 1998 and the massive Drake diss of 2011. Tokenistic overtures lead to a performance here, an added nomination there, but no substantial attempt has been made to create space within the infrastructure.
This frustrated fan is joining the growing swell of protest demanding that the Canadian music industry let go of weak excuses and begin making fundamental changes. Here's hoping that this moment is similar to MTV's 1983. Open the doors and culture will inevitably grow.
Corrections
A previously published version of this article stated that the award for the Rap Recording of the Year category at the Juno Awards was only presented once on the telecast. In fact it appeared on the telecast in 2002, 2005 and 2010. The CBC regrets the error.
Vancouver, BC – Brainfeeder’s own Thundercat made a stop in Vancouver last week as part of his World Tour. The sold-out crowd at the Rickshaw Theatre saw a whole-hearted performance from the virtuoso singer / bassist. Jamies Sands caught a gallery of the performance put on by Timbre Concerts.
Toronto, ON – As the “So Gone” challenge continues to spread across social media, Canadian artists are starting to get in on the fun. Scarborough actor-MC Bishop Brigante has never been one to turn down a challenge and it appears the #SoGoneChallenge caught his attention.
Word from the Section 6 camp is the KOTD co-host has been working diligently in the studio recently and some new tunes from Bish could be on the way. For now, check out his entry in the #SoGoneChallenge and let us know what you think.
The “So Gone” challenge involves MCs rapping over the instrumental to R&B singer Monica’s 2003 hit “So Gone.” Artists like Chance the Rapper, Missy Elliott and even Monica herself have gotten in on it, and the challenge has also extended past hip-hop. Damian Lillard of the Portland Trailblazers shared his submission to Instagram and actor Kevin Hart (aka Droppa) posted a hilarious verse on his IG while on his honeymoon.
The Original
And while you really should be familiar with this single already, here’s the original song and inspiration for the challenge:
The Challenge
Some notable submissions from the #SoGoneChallenge:
Calgary, AB – On Sunday July 10, Classified came through Calgary to perform on the Coca-Cola Stage at the Calgary Stampede rodeo and exhibition.
Classified is almost a regular at the Stampede by now. He’s performed the Coca-Cola stage several times over and he’s usually THE only hip-hop artist to grace the Coke stage for the entire duration of the Stampede. That, and he’s Classified. He defies all stereotypes of the Calgary Stampede.
First of all, Classified is an East Coast artist. Stampede is a full-blown Western Canadian affair. Second of all, the guy is a rapper. But he always packs in a crowd. There were fans waiting at the front of the stage almost three hours before show-time. Classified even brought a few fans backstage before the show started for a little meet-and-greet. It’s cute to see grown-ass adult men get just as geeked to meet Class as their sons and daughters.
Classified’s shows are always a family affair. Class’ brother Mike Boyd always performs on stage as a hype-man and back-up vocalist, while Jake Boyd (also Class’ brother) plays guitar and sings. DJ IV is always up there, too.
Classified ran through his discography of hits including “That Ain’t Classy,” “Inner Ninja,” “3 Foot Tall,” and more. He diverted into full-blown East Coast mode a few songs in with a performance of “The Maritimes.”
At one point Class brought a fan named Nathaniel from Quebec up on stage. Class spotted Nathaniel in the crowd with a sign asking if he could “kick it” with Classified. Classified has this schtick where he loves to get people to crowd dive off the stage. He does it at every show I’ve attended. HE LIVES FOR GETTING PEOPLE TO DIVE OFF THE STAGE. So of course he egged Nathaniel on into diving into the crowd. And even though it bombed after a few seconds, like four guys in the crowd hoisted Nathaniel back up so he could continue crowd surfing.
The show also included a lot of Class’ newer material off the January-released Greatful album. Class performed his Saukrates-assisted “Noah’s Arc” just after the Stampede grounds had undergone a small bout of rain and the weather was still teasing a potential downpour: “I’m pray prayin’ for the rain to wash away/ Hoping that the rain will wash away.”
One of the more sobering performances of the night was Class’ performance of “Work Away,” an ode to the importance of work and a song that has become incredibly significant to Albertans. When Northern Alberta was overtook with wildfires earlier on this year, Classified made the decision to donate all proceeds from the sale of “Work Away” to the Canadian Red Cross to help with relief efforts.
And seeing as the show was an all-ages affair, of course Classified performed his dad rap “Having Kids Is Easy.” He made a shout-out to all the parents in the audience and made everyone take a minute to cheer for their parents. He also took a minute to talk about his own three daughters.
As the night came to a close, the audience stayed at the front of the stage cheering for an encore. So Classified came back on stage with Mike to perform an encore of older material. He did this all wearing his newly acquired white cowboy hat.
For those who aren’t familiar, we do this thing in Calgary where we give people white cowboy hats as a gesture of hospitality. It’s basically like, ‘We like you. You’re an unofficial honorary Calgarian now. Here, wear this white cowboy hat.’ That’s love.
Oshawa, ON – Classified will be at The Music Hall (39 King Street East) in Oshawa this evening for the latest leg of his Beautiful Escape Tour 2016.
Brought to you by 9-0 Nickel Entertainment and Highlife Naturals, the event features additional performances by special guests Robbie G, Raw Dog ENT, Ethic, and Grim Logik. Hosting duties are being handled by Stacee Brizzle and music will be provided by DJ Tyco. Tickets are still available so act now to avoid disappointment. General admission tickets are still available though TicketScene.ca. Click here to view the Facebook event listing.
If you can’t make it to The Muisc Hall tonight, Class has a ton of other dates booked for September including Fredericton on Sept. 15, Victoria, BC on Sept. 17, Wolfville, Nova Scotia on Sept. 22 and Toronto on Sept. 24. Visit his official site for more details.
Toronto, ON – Toronto veterans Gee Wunder and Set2 drop new visual heat in support of their collaborative LP, Livication. The video for the DJ Die Radio-produced “Sicker Than Your Average” was self-directed by Gee Wunder along with Cee Ristopher for Flash Media Studios. Check out the video below and make sure you grab Livication on iTunes.
