Hip Hop Karaoke, Round 31 – Revival
Now with 30-plus editions under its belt, Toronto’s Hip Hop Karaoke has long affirmed itself as a legitimate staple in the city’s urban nightscape, giving would-be stage-stalking MCs a chance to live out their wildest mic-wielding dreams with safe backing of their favorite instrumental and a handy lyric sheet. The fact that the night’s participants have access to actual instrumentals and not just canned backing tracks places HHK a step above most karaoke nights, and when combined with a completely unpretentious and inviting environment – something apparently locked up in coat check at most hip hop events – solidifies much of its appeal.
Born from an event launched in NYC back in ’04, the hip hop karaoke concept has now taken root in a handful of countries around the world, with the Toronto edition serving as Canada’s lone representative. Capable hosts More Or Les and Abdominal serve as both lyrically encyclopedic masters of ceremonies and supportive hype men, sure up the work of the night’s main attraction – the participant amateurs and their audience – with assists from event promoters/DJs Numeric, Dalia, and Ted Dancin’, who combine to make what plays out as a collective trip down memory lane possible.
Of course, Hip Hop Karaoke is not for everyone, and one of the biggest hurdles you’ll find in completely submitting to the madness will be your personal taste (or tolerance) for karaoke in general – something that having of some of your all-time favorite rap tracks as the event’s setlist may or may not be enough to sway. However, this clearly has not been a problem for HHK Toronto, where arriving early to the regularly packed monthly is a must if you hope to see any stage time. But whatever your opinions and preconceptions, what you can definitely count on is being caught out by surprise tastes of the people in the room, and the chance to rock out to cuts you’ll likely never hear at a local hip hop jam (“Bitties At The BK Lounge” on the night that I went!), even with the city’s current addiction to everything pre-’96.
HHK Toronto runs the 3rd Friday of every month at Revival. Check the website for upcoming event listings, photos, videos, etc.
dope!! was a really fun night 🙂
Comment by Moni Love — August 25, 2009 @ 11:19 am