Last year’s Manifesto was a terrific showcase of local talent and this weekend’s festivities promise to be even better. It kicks off tonight with Shad at the Mod Club, and Dope-A-Lot will most likely have coverage of the main event, this Sunday at Nathan Phillips Square. BlogTO has posted a very thorough outline of what the show is all about, so check it out and be sure to check out the (mostly) free parties this weekend.
Written by Noah Goodbaum | Photography by Philip Litevsky
As far as I understand, Toronto isn’t exactly a favourite spot for rap acts. We’re included as a stop on almost every major tour, but mostly in a token, perfunctory kind of way, and many artists seem to treat us as an interim stop in between more exciting cities and venues. We almost never get the special guests or events. Some artists, especially those from the West Coast and the Dirty South (and even some East Coast hardcore guys), skip us entirely, while showing mad love to places like Austria or Serbia. In songs, skits, lists, and liner notes, shoutouts reveal that most rappers have much tighter links to the UK, Australia, Japan, and most of continental Europe than they do to Canada, and our city’s legendary “screwface” attitude of sullen apathy at hip-hop shows often means they prefer Montreal, where the crowds will more dependably give them the reaction they deserve. Even smaller cities like London and Hamilton have been known to give rap legends more props than Toronto does. But for a small minority of artists, Toronto seems to be a special place; these few palpably look forward to coming here, and go out of their way to show us a good time.
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Written by Crisitna Allen | Photography by Philip Litevsky & Cristina Allen
To celebrate the 10th year anniversary of the independent hip-hop label Hieroglyphics Imperium, Hieroglyphics set out on their North American tour with Blue Scholars, which hit Toronto. This Oakland-based collective of members, each with their own separate careers, includes Casual, Souls of Mischief, Del tha Funkee Homosapien, and Pep Love, amongst others, brought on the meaning of their name and three eye-ed logo to a fan-packed Mod Club on August 6th: Though Del wasn’t part of the tour, Souls of Mischief, Casual, and Pep Love made their appearances.
Written by Sean Ward | Photography by Philip Litevsky
Toronto loves to shout. Toronto doesn’t like to sing along, and it doesn’t like to shout gibberish. But if you’re an MC and you want to perform for a crowd that loves to say “Ho”, say “Ho Ho”, and then scream, you couldn’t have dreamed of a more agreeable audience than the one who attended the Rock the Bells festival, 2008 edition, at Arrow Hall in Mississauga.
Review and Photography by Cristina Allen
In comparison to Roger’s Picnic in 2007, this years festival was looking like a step back in almost every way. Looking back on last years’ fabulous weather and lineup consisting of legendary acts such as the Roots and Bad Brains, as well as locals Bedouin Soundclash and weighing it against this years’ acts, clouded over and poured down upon, things were looking pretty grim.
Even between the line-up on the main stage and the DJ tent, the latter seemed more promising with Jeremy of the Junior Boys, Team Canada, and a surprise performance, but was kept so low key that it was questionable whether anyone in attendance even gave a shit. Unfortunately for the tent as well, it was poorly placed facing the main stage – acting more as hiding grounds for groups avoiding the rain but with the perfect view to know when the next act was on. I can honestly say that the 20 minute DJ sets during set change were the highlights of the entire day, but also distressing, as there were a total of two people who actually paid any attention to them. That is, until the surprise act came on: Dave 1 of Chromeo.
Written by Noah Goodbaum | Photography by Philip Litevsky
When Below The Heavens saw release late last year, it caused a storm. Tastemakers fell all over themselves to rep for a theretofore unknown talent out of L.A.– a fella named Blu who combined sterling party-rocking bravado with some of the most thoughtful and introspective ruminations we’ve heard on a rap record since Resurrection.
Written by Sean Ward | Photography by Philip Litevsky
After getting home from REMG’s presentation of Nas at the Kool Haus in Toronto, I got to wondering what it is that sets him so far apart from the competition. Other acts with a catalogue stretching as far back as his are often working within their niche, catering to a stable fan base but mostly running off of the fumes of past glories. But going to see Nas, even fifteen years into his performing career, does not feel like going to see a nostalgia act. And it’s not just that Nas is one of a small handful of hip hop artists who are able to stay relevant over a long career. There’s something else going on, something very special that makes Nas one of the most important and vital presences in the world of hip hop. And this magical factor was on full display for this performance.
Written by Cristina Allen | Photography by Philip Litevsky
The Roots have had the reputation of being one of the best live bands and on March 30th at the Kool Haus, they lived up to their standing. As one of the few hip-hop acts that use live instruments in recording and concert, a factor that has had a substantial influence in their distinction. Their last show in Toronto at the Rogers Picnic in the absence of ?uestlove was somewhat disappointing, though redeemed with guest appearances from members of De La Soul and Lupe Fiasco. The show was nevertheless entertaining but their recent concert was a cut above.
The Academy debuts a new, semi-regular concert series entitled Hometown Heroes this Friday, May 2nd at the El Mocambo in Toronto. This series is all about showcasing Toronto’s finest, and the lineup looks positively Heroic.
“The performers for the first concert are HERO (official Toronto launch performance for their debut album), Masia One (fresh of an Asia tour), Marvel, Anonymous Twist, and Focus. The deejays will be DJ Mensa and Rod Skimmins and the host for the evening will be Wan Luv.”
I strongly encourage everyone to come and show some love to our homegrown talent. We’ve covered Hero recently on Dope-A-Lot when they opened for Zaki Ibrahim and this NYC / Toronto duo are about to blow up!
The Academy has been kind enough to extend two complimentary tickets to Dope-A-Lot readers, so send a quick note to contest@dopealot.com with your name and e-mail address. We will pick a random winner and notify them at 12:00pm on Thursday. Click contest@dopealot.com with your name and e-mail address. We will pick a random winner and notify them at 12:00pm on Thursday. Click here to check out Cyberkrib United’s blog entry on the concert including tracks you can download to get a taste of what to expect.
See you Friday!
Written by Noah Goodbaum | Photography by Philip Litevsky
I wasn’t really looking forward to The RZA’s show at the Phoenix last night. It was gonna be freezing cold out there and I didn’t want to have to traipse all the way down to the Phoenix Concert Theatre and deal with its martinet security guards and its wack-ass sound system if my only reward was gonna be the Wu-Tang mastermind dicking around. Not to suggest that I don’t love and venerate The RZA; he’s crafted some of the most delicate and artful beats in hip-hop. But his emceeing style is bizarre — he’s 100% gung-ho about being completely demented, taking the themes that Wu-Tang’s hyper-esoteric rap style introduced and mixing them all in a blender that whirs at 100 mph.
