Seen on HHC!

Hosted by MMVAs and Juno nominated singer Elise Estrada, MuchOriginal series LOVE COURT is a Much-ified version of the dating game.

Rapper R-Tripz lays it all on the line tonight (Friday November 27th) on MuchMusic’s “Love Court”.

Episode airs @ 6pm.

You have The Bridge yet? From Miss Fiona herself:

In honour of Motowon celebrating its 50th year anniversary, and being signed to Universal Motown, I will be performing today at the Detroit Lions vs Green Bay Packers football game HALF TIME SHOW!!! Along with other artists on the label, I will be a part of a live medley that will tribute the greats of Motown… I will be singing “I’ll be there” by The Jackson 5.

I will also be singing the National Anthem at the start of the game… 1230pm EST.

TODAY, I give thanks for all my blessings… My Family, My Friends, and the support and love I have that has helped me get this far in my career and life.

Here’s the jist of it: If you feel like there are too many billboards in the city and and not enough art then you can actually do something to help change that. Help pass a new tax on billboard advertisers to fund enforcement and arts initiatives across the city. Shouts to Che from The Manifesto family for always keeping us in the loop of important initiatives in the community. The time to make your vote and presence felt is now! All the info is below and pop the hood for some more visuals supporting the initiative:

Background

After seven years of work, the tax on billboards for art is close to becoming a reality! Toronto City Council will be voting on the new billboard enforcement bylaw and tax for art on November 30th OR December 1st, 2009. We don’t have much time – and we need your help!

Advertising is increasingly infringing on our public spaces, and the privilege of leveraging our city for commercial ends should come with a responsibility to keep them healthy. Almost all other forms of advertising subsidize content in exchange for your attention. The billboard tax is a fair and just means for private advertisers to take responsibility for their impact on the city.

What it will mean?

What’s at stake is a revolutionary new approach that will help bring balance in our communities. The billboard tax will provide the funds for proper enforcement of the new billboard bylaw as well as generate new funds for art in the public sphere – including murals, sculptures, festivals, accessible arts programming, outdoor performances and more.

This is not just about increasing funding to arts in Toronto (which lags behind most other cities in cultural spending) this is an opportunity to start building the beautiful and creative city we all know is possible: to nourish communities; to reclaim and rehabilitate our public spaces, and to build our city’s economic potential. For every dollar of public arts funding in a regional economy, eight dollars are generated (McKinsey Co.) Investment in arts and culture is proven to be effective in cultivating healthy and prosperous communities — don’t miss this opportunity to be a part of transforming our city!

Implementation of the bylaw and tax would dramatically increase arts funding in Toronto while democratizing access to expression public space. At the target of 18 million in revenue it would create the opportunity for:

– An historic increase to Toronto’s arts and culture budget, potentially doubling the number of artists and projects receiving grants.

– Providing approx. $100,000 annually to each Toronto ward for urban beautification, streetscape improvement, and green initiatives

– Provide approx. $300,000 annually to each of Toronto’s 13 priority neighbourhoods to support accessible youth arts programming.

– Creation of a well-supported bylaw enforcement team to keep pervasive illegal advertising in check and an arms-length variance system.

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Toronto! Take Action Today:

1 – Call and write your councillor. Let them know that the revenue should not be hijacked or pushed down to nothing. Click here for info and key asks:http://tinyurl.com/yj9cn5f

2 – Show your support at City Hall on Nov 30th / Dec 1^st RSVP here: 

http://tinyurl.com/y9x4xyt

3 – Spread the word.

Go to http://www.beautifulcity.ca to find your councillor, scripts, updates, links and facts.

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Don’t know what to say other than our thoughts and prayers are with the family. Haydain made great contributions to our R&B/Soul scene and he will not be soon forgotten. R.I.P.

One of the all-time greatest soul songs to come out of this city after the jump.

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Shouts to The 411 Initiative For Change for the continued great work! From their latest press release:

Female Rappers Discuss Girls Rights and Self Esteem With 10,000 Students Across Ontario

Nov. 20, 2009. Toronto –Youth-led organization The 411 Initiative For Change (411), is teaming up with Plan Canada to present 411 TV: Because I Am A Girl, — a girls’ rights themed education program for schools across Ontario — in the format of a mock live-to-air TV Talk Show.

Canadian hip-hop artists Eternia and Masia One use their music and personal experiences to generate discussions on issues affecting girls in Canada and around the world. The show is hosted by journalist Nana Aba Duncan. MTV Canada hosts Nicole Holness and Aliya-Jasmine Sovani, along with Diane Salema join the conversation through pre-taped segments to discuss their trips to visit girls in Haiti, Colombia and Sudan. This highly entertaining and candid program will reach 10,000 female students in Brampton, Mississauga, Brechin, Sudbury, Sault St. Marie, Thunder Bay, Dryden, Sioux Lookout, St. Thomas, Waterdown, Hamilton, Beamsville, St. Catharines, Sarnia, Windsor, Bowmanville, Oshawa, Toronto and Richmond Hill.

411 TV: Because I Am A Girl uses video, music and theatre to hear first-hand stories from young girls around the world about access to education, forced early marriage, violence against girls and women and self esteem.

This project is committed to portraying positive imagines of girls, to providing engaging stories and to offering real–life testimonies from girls around the world. Internationally, girls are making their voices heard, empowering themselves and inspiring others – one community at a time. The show airs stories of local heroes by highlighting both their struggles and successes in improving their lives and their communities.

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Jully Black’s back at it with her third album “Black Book” which drops this Tuesday (November 23rd).

Easily one of the hardest working artists in this city and a shining example of how to properly diversify your brand while still staying true to who you are as a singer.

Black Book’s being capped off with a listening/release shindig Monday at Atelier; peep the evite HERE!

For a nice timeline and video discography courtesy of Ian Andre Espinet’s RTN, click HERE!

(Watching the Rallyn video again just reinforces how far she’s come and how nuts it was when it dropped; got damn that video brings back memories!)

And check www.jullyblack.com’s new look and features.

Congratulations Jully on the new album and once again doing the city proud!

FINALLY!!! Wristpect is set to drop volume 4 of his groundbreaking mixtape series Bridging The Gap. In this edition he links up with Clipse for a Toronto to Virginia theme. Past editions have included Little Brother (T.O. to N.C.), Naledge (T.O. to Chi) and Grafh (T.O. to N.Y.). Check out the catalogue here.

Shouts to be on the artwork and check out Wristpect live this weekend at Guys & Dolls on Friday and The Big Ticket on Saturday! Oh, and here’s a leak from the new tape courtesy of JD Era! Via NR!

DOWNLOAD: JD Era – Primetime

Check out Famous featured on HipHopDX.com. If you haven’t been following his Goddess Girl project simply visit www.goddessgirlmovie.com. To check out the HHDX feature just click here.

Previous: NEW VIDEO: Famous – Goddess Girl: The Movie SCENE 7 (Intermission)

Young Money album coming December 15th. Peep NR for more visuals from the Bedrock video shoot.

Previous: NEW MUSIC: Birdman – 4 My Town (Play Ball) feat. Drake & Lil’ Wayne (Final Version)

Seen on 2DB!

From GQ Magazine’s December Issue.

Apparently these guys killed Gangsta Rap. Mmm I’d say (to be a bit more precise) that these guys (and of course Kanye & Pharrell) heavily deflated and redefined the previous standards of hip-hop machismo which in turn has given us this transitional era where some artists feel uncomfortable wearing the pants that actually fit them (… literally and figuratively).

Sidebar: In case you didn’t know, K’naan’s got a nice feature on the Wale album. Track’s called “TV In The Radio”.

Previously: New Music – Drake “Scriptures”, “Hurt”, “Runaway Girl”