Ms. Fiona chats with MadameNoireTV about her Caribbean heritage, Drake’s success, and her plans between now and the release of her sophomore album.
Previously: VIDEO: Melanie Fiona “I’ll Be There” (Live MJ Tribute on The Early Show)
Seen on TOFLO!
Drizzy’s hilarious interview with Jimmy Kimmel. More of the interview plus the performances after the jump!
Previously: VIDEO: Drake Live On The Jay Leno Show
Via HHC!
Enfield, NS – I’ve interviewed Classified many times over the past few years and for various different mediums including my radio show and my DVD series. His hard work and dedication has been evident since day 1 and his success is nothing close to an overnight feat. It’s the fact that he continued to develop and dedicate himself to self-improvement and because has the drive to get himself out there. He has been a constant icon in Canada for fans of hip-hop music and an artist that sets the bar higher every time he releases a project. With that being said, another interview was bound to happen and it’s been in the making since the first time we linked in Halifax for Hold It Down DVD Volume 2 [Editor’s note: Shameless plug].
Since then, and by then I mean back in 2005, I have watched Classified constantly tour Canada while maintaining the ability to release new material without too much time passing in between projects. He maintains his relevance in the scene and his tours seem to get bigger and further reaching with each project that passes, this time releasing through Sony. He handles his business, handles his own production and has great support through his HalfLife team. His accolades, discography and overall contributions to the scene already puts him up there with the most notable names in Canadian hip-hop history… and he still has a lot left to offer.
From MelanieFionaTV!
Amaru from EveryUrbanThing.com chops it up with Ms. Fiona about artist sexuality, artist recognition and artistic collaboration. Nice interview (and that clip of her covering “Black & Gold” sounded pretty dope!).
Hit the jump for video of her soldiering it in the rain on tour in Italy with Alicia Keys and performing “Bang Bang” @ Luminato 2010!
Seen on ATF!
Drake linked with GreenTheBlock.net during his “Away Tour” to promote the benefits of going green. Peep a short interview above and the actual promo vid after the jump!
TML drops this Tuesday!
iHustleDaily.com chops it up with one of T.O.’s finest about, well…his hustle.
What’s your daily Hustle? What do you do to survive?
What’s good my name’s Rich Kidd, I’m a Producer, I make beats and i also rap. This is my daily hustle, it’s what i do to survive, eat and put food on the plate.
What makes you stand out from the rest of the competition? What makes your hustle unique?
My hustle and my grind is a testament to what i’ve been through. It’s my experience and everybody’s experience is unique and different in its own way. My unique experience started out from spitting freestyles outside my school and then the beats just came as a natural progression, cause i wanted to make my own music. I didn’t want to use anyone’s music to push my shit out there so i guess taking on my own initiative to do the shit and make my own beats and rap on my own shit and try and do my own videos i guess that puts me in a unique prospective of a hustler.
Seen on TOFLO!
The LIFE Files chops it up with Drizzy about the album leak and more.
Personally I think it sucks to be an artists in 2010. You’re damned if you flat out say you’re disappointed that your project got leaked (cuz it’s perceived as a sign of weakness) and damned if you don’t because now you gotta lie to yourself and act like all that work you put in meant nothing to you.
The truth is: no artist with a sense of pride and integrity can invest the time, heart and passion it takes to make a great album without caring that it was released without their approval. It just doesn’t correlate with the basic human idea of putting sincere effort into something you believe in and naturally wanting that thing to be put out on your own terms. I mean if that was the case, an artist would simply say ‘fuck an album’ and release random dope songs and free mixtapes online.
On one side we want artists to musically give us everything they have; but on the flip side we don’t want them to care that, after giving us all they had, some idiot decided to capitalize on their hard work for his or her’s own selfish moment of gratification.
It’s not just about the money lost; and it’s not about the reality of the free digital world; it’s about some irrelevant nobody coming along and undermining all that hard work and effort.
Leakers are bottom-feeders; straight-up.
And anyone that doesn’t see that has never worked an honest day in their life.
OK, time for a shameless plug alert. Shad’s new album TSOL dropped earlier this week and the London, ON MC is on the cover of the June issue of Exclaim! where I am the hip-hop editor. If you are looking for any specific insight into what TSOL stands for in this article written by Ryan B. Patrick, well, keep looking, as Shad’s playing his cards close to his chest.
“TSOL doesn’t stand for any one thing,” Shad says. “I just liked the sound of it. It represents the insufficiency of language to express feeling and ideas, which is why we have art.”
Read the article here
You can pick up the issue on the streets across the country or read it online at exclaim.ca. The issue also features interviews with B.O.B., Janelle Monae and Toronto R&B vocalist Tanika Charles.
Fresh off the success of his Stylus nominated single “Money In My Pocket” and follow-up single “In My Hood” (which you can vote for now on The Megacity Countdown) P. Reign chops it up with Bizz for HipHopCanada.com about Page, his video + mixtape plans and more.
Toronto, ON – There is something intrinsic that separates a star from every other artist able to skilfully put words together. There’s an inherent quality that can’t be taught or learned, a certain charisma that creates interest and demands attention. And for all of the talented artists that have come out of Toronto and continue to come out of this newly spotlighted city, there have been very few stars.
In steps P. Reign, confident in his craft with brashness reflective of his Galloway upbringing. And despite his at times confrontational behaviour, he seems to have found the balance between making dynamic music suitable for radio play while maintaining a strong street presence.
“I’m the voice for a lot of people so I have to stay true in my music,” says P. Reign. “I don’t just talk, I create a visual. I want my music to show you everything I’m talking about.”
HipHopCanada chops it up with The Write Brothers right in time to promo their latest release.
Click here for the full interview.
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