Slakah the Beatchild Announces Spring Tour featuring Tingsek and Ebrahim

JUNO Award winning performing producer Slakah the Beatchild embarks on 4-city tour featuring singer/songwriters Tingsek from Sweden and Ebrahim from Vancouver.

Toronto, ON — On the heels of the release of his electrifying video “Enjoy ya Self v2” featuring Canadian Hip Hop sensation Drake, currently seen on Much Music, VH1, Tempo, Centric TV, as well as hundreds of websites and blogs, Slakah the Beatchild has announced his upcoming tour dates for Spring 2010. The tour will visit select cities in Ontario, Quebec and the U.S. from May 26 – 30 and features JUNO nominated singer/songwriter Ebrahim from Vancouver and, for the first time in Canada, Swedish singer/songwriter Tingsek. This will be the Beatchild’s first opportunity to showcase music from his alter ego, The Slakadeliqs, a live, multi-genre group with sounds fueled by artists including Andre 3000, Neil Young, Lenny Kravitz, the Zombies, k-os and The B-52’s.

Kicking off on May 26 at Movement 2010 in Detroit, the 4-city tour will visit Montreal, Toronto and the small city of Sarnia, Ontario where Slakah was raised.  The full tour schedule is as follows:

May 26   Detroit, MI (Movement 2010)
May 27   Sarnia, ON (Coffee Lounge (Exmouth))
May 28   Toronto, ON (LuLa Lounge)
May 29   Montreal, QC (La Sala Rossa)

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Here’s the official press release. More + tracklist under the cut!

Marco Polo – The Stupendous Adventures of Marco Polo

New Album in Stores June 29th on Duck Down Music

Lacing the world with hard-hitting bangers that maintain the head-nodding traditions of that raw East Coast boom bap, Toronto’s Marco Polo is back with another classic release through Duck Down Music. Since dropping Pumpkinhead’s Orange Moon Over Brooklyn in 2003 on Soulspazm Records — Marco’s first full-length production — until his latest 2010 Duck Down release with fire spitter Ruste Juxx, The eXXecution, Marco Polo has collected a catalog of records that would make any new jack producer second guess his career path.

Throughout his eight-years of relentless recording on critically acclaimed albums Port Authority, Double Barrel and The eXXecution, the numerous unreleased tracks, b-sides and remixes that are as ill as the rest, but never found a home, have been collected and compiled by MP to create The Stupendous Adventures of Marco Polo. “My crew and I, which includes Shylow and DJ Linx, put a lot of work into this music and just because something is older and has never been released doesn’t mean it’s scrap — we put a lot of work into it and we want people to hear it,” explains MP. Marco further laments, “there are a lot of tracks on here that were never available on CD before, or even iTunes.”

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MAY IS…
MONTH OF THE DJ SERIES

Each and every Monday throughout the month of May, CHRY 105.5FM will celebrate Canada’s nightlife culture and the art of DJ’ing. Expanding the formula of their 2nd Annual Pre-Stylus Awards Radio Broadcast Series CHRY’s flagship morning show TORONTO MORNING LIVE will invite a number of Canada’s foremost DJ’s and club lifestyle personalities in-studio to showcase their talents and discuss the burgeoning culture of DJing in Canada. Toronto Morning Live is pleased to present the following weekly roster of stellar in-studio guests who will set the table for the Stylus Pre-Award Show Broadcast scheduled for Monday, May 31, 2010:

Monday May 3rd (7-10AM)
Guest DJ – DJ SPOONZ (Toronto), nominated RATED NEXT DJ of the YEAR (2010)
Guest Alt. – MIKE ZAFARIS, Founder and Director of STYLUS GROUP

Monday, May 10th (7-10AM)
Guest DJ – DJ WRISTPECT (Toronto), CLUB DJ of the YEAR 2009 (multi-nominations 2010)
Guest Alt. – RICH KIDD (Ridgeway), nominated 2010 CANADIAN PRODUCER of the YEAR
Guest Alt. – TRIXX (Comedian), 2010 HOST MARK ECKO STYLUS DJ AWARDS

Monday, May 17th (7-10AM)
Guest DJ – DJ JESTER (Toronto), SOCA DJ of the YEAR 2009 (multi-nominations 2010)
Guest Alt. – KID KUT (Toronto), CLUB MC of the YEAR 2009 (nominated 2010)
Guest Alt. – SIMONE HOLNESS, Director of Events & Administration STYLUS GROUP

Monday, May 24th (7-10AM)
Guest DJ – DJ WHITEGOLD (Kitchener), nominated CENTRAL DJ of the YEAR (2010)
Guest Alt. – DAVID ‘CLICK’ COX, STYLUS SPINFEST DJ AWARDS (DJ Liaison)

Interview/Set will take place each Monday in May beginning at 8:15AM. Toronto Morning Live broadcasts from 7-10am Monday(s).

Shouts to TML for a dope month long initiative to take us into the Stylus Award Weekend. Expect a lot of good discussion on these panels.

Previously: AUDIO: Canada’s Getting Colder: A Joint Perspective On Canada’s Hip-Hop Culture!

From Path Mark Media:

Toronto, ON (Canada) April 30, 2010 – After an illustrious fifteen years of amazing and entertaining broadcasts, the dynamic on-air duo of DJ Chief and Jester closed the final curtain on Canada’s beloved Worldwide Wake Up Show. Last Thursday at 8:05am, Jester and Chief were informed that last week’s broadcast would be the show’s final airing on CIUT 89.5 FM.

Boasting what was undeniably one of the most polished on-air productions in Canada, The Worldwide Wake Up Show is a two-time award-winning institution in college radio broadcasting. Worldwide beat out shows across the country in 2008 and 2009 consecutively to claim the title of College Radio Show Of The Year at Canada’s esteemed Stylus DJ Awards, and fans across the country voted to nominate the show again this year (2010). The Worldwide Wake Up Show now stands ready to potentially three-peat at the Stylus Awards this year – a feat which would place Jester, Chief and Worldwide in the history books for this particular highly-coveted Stylus Award category.

To say this is a pretty big blow to the city’s already shaky urban infrastructure is an understatement and points to the sobering reality that we cannot afford to take our local urban media for granted. It also points to the importance of all our local media outlets to stop acting like omnipotent, autonomous islands. Our strength is in our understanding that we are still in an era of building, not competing. If there was more synergy between ALL local radio shows, deejays, blogs and associated media claiming to have the city’s best interests at heart, there’d be less of a chance of something like this happening on our collective watch.

Respect to Jester & Chief for doing what they’ve done for so long (with little in the way of tangible reciprocated returns).

The bottom-line is if we continue to think intangible, self-serving gestures of ‘love’ for our local urban scene are gonna cut it then we’re all in for a pretty big surprise.

Full press release after the jump!

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From Urbnet Records:

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’s Vaudeville.

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…

http://www.urbnet.com/artist-dsisive.asp

Read on after the jump!

Previously: NEW MUSIC: D-Sisive – Every Rose Has Its Thorn

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Canada’s premiere full-service hip-hop website re-launched today with a brand new look. Congrats to the whole HHC team who I know have been putting in a lot of work to get this new site up and running. For long-time HHC heads, don’t worry, the message board is still alive and well and if you’re just learning about the site for the first time (smh), there’s no better time to get introduced! Visit www.hiphopcanada.com to check it out.

I know we’ve said it a million times but honestly this record is SO HUGE that K’naan (and his team) really needs to be commended once again for doing such incredible work. Of course, it all starts with the magic of a great song but to be able to take that song and turn it into the monster that it is, is truly remarkable. Here’s the official press release announcing the remix single’s passing of $1 Million for Haiti relief!!! More after the jump.

Young Artists for Haiti’s “Wavin’ Flag”

Raises Over $1 Million and Remains the #1 Song in Canada for a 7th Consecutive Week
– Single Reaches Quadruple Platinum Status and Secures Top Position –

April 28, 2010 – Toronto: Orchestrated in nine days, Canadian artist collective Young Artists for Haiti has achieved unprecedented success with the release of “Wavin’ Flag”. Since launching at midnight on Friday, March 12, the star-studded single has:

-maintained the #1 position at radio all formats
-remained #1 on iTunes for digital downloads, selling more than 160,000 copies so far …
-received over 4.5 million video views
-amassed nearly 100,000 Facebook fans
-raised over $1 million for the children and families affected by the earthquake in Haiti.

All proceeds from the sale of the single and exclusive t-shirts will equally benefit Free the Children, War Child Canada and World Vision in support of their individual on-the-ground efforts in Haiti. In addition, until Friday, April 30, fans can make a $5 SMS mobile donation to Young Artists for Haiti by texting AID to 45678 (Terms at ZipGive.com).

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Sux that I was out of town and had to miss this. Definitely would have loved to congratulate the fam in person but I guess some blog love will have to do. Peep 1 Love T.O. for all the pics from their 1st anniversary celebration. Lots more to come amigos!

Seen on 1LoveTO!

Sooo dope!

Big It Up hooks up with K’naan to create his own fedora just in time for The World Cup. I don’t even wear fedoras but I’m getting mine the minute it drops. And if you think Dusty Foot fever is peaking now, wait till soccer season really hits.

(Buy this hat and you’ll instantly be granted the power to penetrate the international market while maintaining your cultural identity :-))

Also peep K’naan’s interview on CBC’s Q with Jian Ghomeshi

Digression: Given all the “Wavin Flag” remixes out there I’m really surprised there haven’t been any soca or dancehall rubs yet..

Jay, Spexx, Lindissimo whatup?!!

Previously: NEW MUSIC: K’naan – Wavin’ Flag (rmx) feat. will i. am & David Guetta

Cityonmybackpackers, I’m off to La La Land for a few days. Will try to keep the posts frequent from out there (I think they have Internet there?) but with or without me I know Ty will hold it down lovely. I now owe him two trips. Hope you appreciate my elementary Photoshop skills above.