By Jonathon “Bizz” Brown

For those of you who aren’t in the loop, I’m currently touring with Peter Jackson, 9-0 Nickel, Belly, Busta Rhymes and Spliffstar writing, sponsoring and building my brand of t-shirts across Canada. I’ve been traveling in an incredibly courageous Ford Windstar with five other grown men a few hundred mixtapes, 200 t-shirts plus luggage. Needless to say it has been anything but luxurious. But that’s ok, I came to grind, not lounge and that’s exactly what I told Peter Jackson three months ago when we started discussing this opportunity. This is his third tour across Canada this year so he knew the lay of the land, the temptations, the distractions and the tests that are inherent in a journey like this.

We left on Sunday August 9th and drove twenty two hours to Winnipeg, where we spent the afternoon before taking off to Calgary overnight. After a few days cooped up we got a chance to get out and ended up at a club sharing a booth with NHL goalie Ray Emery. Next day was the first show, next day was a drive and the Edmonton show, the next day was a drive and lil ol’ Regina. The Drink – a small bar, opposite train tracks and a trucker yard, with a punch-your-lights-out arcade game and a sound guy with a bad attitude. Sounds like a recipe for another grind-or-go-home night for Bizz doesn’t it?

Fast forward to myself and 9-0 Nickel locking down a crucial space just right of the stage, opposite the bar, beside the door to the smoking patio. Along with a few eager t-shirt bearers and random interested people, we made the merchandise table the most active, alive spot aside from the front row. So much so that I felt like I partied that night, but still came home with record sales of both my Hip Hop Ain’t Dead It Lives In The North t-shirts and the assorted mixtapes from Zaze, K-Stu, Flex, DJ Dames Nellas and Peter Jackson. The drinks flowed, the positive energy and honest, down home sentiments permeated the atmosphere and new friends were made with every new chest reading Hip Hop Ain’t Dead It Lives In The North.

The whole 9-0 Nickel and DJ Dames Nellas camped out at the merch table after their set as we watched Busta and Spliff absolutely tear apart the hungry crowd of eager beavers, hardcore heads, floating females and stans. Busta made the obligatory joke concerning the word that rhymes with Regina before asking the crowd “How many of yall are f*#@ing tonight?” And then came the crowd interaction that I realize makes Busta one of the best. He pointed out a young lady who didn’t raise her hand and informed her that after the coming song she’d be “creamy.” Boom – “Baby if you give it to me, I’ll give it to you, I know what you want.” And while unconfirmed, I believe the crowd did in fact get creamy.

Another memorable night on the Back On My B.S. Tour. See me in ya city! Saskatoon next.