This is his third full-length release (an amazing feate in these times) and maaan it is pretty sick!
Beginning to end – great songs with well-executed concepts, commentary and story lines over a perfect production sound scape from Rich Kidd, Ric Notes, Classified, Relic, TLO and Kondrat & La Manga; along with solid features from Ian Kamau, Justin Nozuka and Broken Social Scene’s Brendan Canning & Lisa Lobsinger (what a lineup!).
For any emcee looking for that ground-zero Canadian hip-hop market model that balances commercial viability with true b-boy artistry – this guy is your inspiration (shouts to G and the entire team!).
Bottom line: If you’ve been a fan from the very beginning (When This Is Over); got into him on the second album (The Old Prince); or’ve never (ever) taken in a Shad K album (or seen him live) – this is that moment where it simply won’t be possible to plead honest ignorance while keeping your credibility as a contemporary hip-hop fan intact.
Final tracklist & production credits for TML which hits June 15th.
1. Fireworks (Feat. Alicia Keys) (Produced by Noah “40″ Shebib)
2. Karaoke (Produced by Francis & The Lights)
3. The Resistance (Produced by Noah “40″ Shebib)
4. Over (Produced by Boi-1da)
5. Show Me A Good Time (Produced by Kanye West)
6. Up All Night (Feat. Nicki Minaj) (Produced by Boi-1da)
7. Fancy (Feat. TI and Swizz Beatz) (Produced by Swizz Beatz)
8. Shut It Down (Feat. The Dream) (Produced by Noah “40″ Shebib and Omen)
9. Unforgettable (Feat. Young Jeezy) (Produced by Noah “40″ Shebib and Boi-1da)
10. Light Up (Feat. Jay-Z) (Produced by Noah “40″ Shebib and Tone Mason)
11. Miss Me (Feat. Lil Wayne) (Produced by Boi-1da and Noah “40″ Shebib)
12. Cece’s Interlude (Produced by Noah “40″ Shebib)
13. Find Your Love (Produced by Kanye West)
14. Thank Me Now (Produced by Timbaland)
Hopefully anyone that was griping about the lack of homegrown assists on the album notices that more than half of TML is produced by 40, Boi-1da and Tone Mason.
Only an artist as adventurous and prolific as D-Sisive could create an album as exciting as Vaudeville. And only an album like Vaudeville could attract an internationally celebrated troubadour like Ron Sexsmith to make his first appearance on a hip-hop album.
Step right up ladies and gentlemen… and welcome to the crazy world of D-Sisive’sVaudeville.
D-Sisive is a one man music machine cruising to the hum of his own engine. After last year’s triumphant return to the hip-hop limelight with both his Polaris Prize nominated gem Let The Children Die, and his second classic full length of 2009, the acclaimed Jonestown, one would think the accomplished Toronto MC would be content to rest on his ever-expanding laurels. Not D-Sisive. The enigmatic one is back – and this time taking things to an entirely new level with the epic Vaudeville.
Produced in tandem with Andrew ‘Fresh Kils’ Kilgour and featuring a surprise cameo from legendary Canadian songsmith, Ron Sexsmith, Vaudeville is filled with incredible hip hop tracks, and slight of hand tricks. Smoke and mirror gags mixed with punch lines, and intense stories. An album that showcases the wide variety of influences and themes which only an enigmatic master of ceremonies (or possibly snake oil salesman?) like D-Sisive could pull off.
“Vaudeville is definitely new territory for me,” D-Sisive says. “It was extremely challenging. The last thing I wanted to create was a replica of my previous releases. My mind doesn’t operate the same anymore. I’m happier, older and have tapped into my inner love for the music of Michael Buble. You can’t listen to ‘Haven’t Met You Yet’ then write songs for the end credits of Celebrity Rehab.”
A happy D-Sisive? Well, as happy as song titles like “Percocet” “The Night My Baby Died” and “The Riot Song” allow him to be. It’s no secret that D-Sisve has long looked outside of the confines of traditional hip-hop to find inspiration and this go-round is no different. But D-Sisive and Ron Sexsmith? Together on the same track? No one saw that coming. “Working with Ron Sexsmith was incredible,” D-Sisive explains. “Very surreal. I’ve been harassing him for years to get on a song with me. Thank god restraining orders expire.”
And despite his prolific nature, it seems unlikely we’ll ever know everything that motivates D-Sisive. Still through all the smoke and mirrors, the tricks and the treats, it’s a love of rocking the microphone unlike few others today that sustains D-Sisive’s enduring appeal.
Vaudeville. The name itself conjures up images of past glories, shiny suits and fast talk, half-remembered from days long gone by. Sometimes it seems hip hop may go the way of Vaudeville, a fallen empire rendered irrelevant by the cruelties of time. MC D-Sisive however, b-boy to the bone, refuses to go down without a fight. Streets, backstage, city parks, it doesn’t matter…
Circle Research are launching their new album “Gardiner Express” with a release show at The Rivoli on April 22.
Unknown Funk Hero Presents: BEAT LOUNGE: The CIRCLE RESEARCH ‘Gardiner Express’ Album Release Party. BEAT LOUNGE veterans CIRCLE RESEARCH take over Unknown Funk Hero’s BEAT LOUNGE to present the release of their new album ‘Gardiner Express’ Special LIVE! Beat Performance by dynamic production duo CIRCLE RESEARCH Round robin BEAT LOUNGE producer showcase featuring special guests.
Catch up on why these guys have been an important fixture in the city’s local hip-hop expansionist movement after the jump!
On February 15, 2000, I released my debut album “The Book of Daniel” on One Rock Records – a label I co-founded with my crew, Monolith. As announced on the 10 year anniversary of this album’s release, I would be commemorating this landmark occasion with the release of a brand new mixtape.
Still regarded (in mine and Rez’s opinion) as the most slept on album to come out of this city, “Heaven’s Caught On Fire” is now available for free (courtesy of @BiggSoxx).
Honestly it hurts me to put this up cuz there’s no reason why anyone living in Toronto, that claims to ‘love’ this city and its hip-hop movement, should not already own this album (if there was any type of criteria to claim ‘love’ for Toronto’s hip-hop movement, BUYING this album would be one of them).
Indifferent cynics unable to separate hip-hop love from our local hip-hop accomplishments, can point to whatever rationale they want to undermine the importance of this release but given the turn music took around the time this dropped, I can safely say that if this was the last album I bought before ‘intangible love’ became the norm for music lovers/consumers, it was a worthy note to end on.
Fresh off of his tour with Swollen Members and planning his upcoming tour with JEDI MIND TRICKS (roughly set for May 2010) – JUNO nominated UNKNOWN MIZERY dropped his retail release “GODzillionaire STATUS” unofficially on Jan 9th 2010 during his performance with R.A. The Rugged Man.
Available in Underground shops in Canada, The US and Europe. Also Available on Itunes worldwide Feb 23rd 2010!
The album is featuring Ali The Son Of Abdul and Shyheim aka The Rugged Child, with production from DYNAMO, RIC NOTES(Produced for Choclair, Kardinal Offishall and more Canadian Legends), D VEGA of SOUL BEATS(Producer of AL BE BACK’S single “ALL 4 One”), FRESH KILS and Turntable Champion DJ KUTDOWN.
