hyperadmin | The Fine Print | Tuesday, January 11th, 2011
By: Jonathon “Bizz” Brown
“There’s always somebody or some team that runs the airways,” said Angie Martinez in a discussion with Drake on HOT97. “There was a time when it was nothing but Bad Boy. And there was a time it was nothing but Roca-fella. And now there’s a time where you’re on every two songs. Either you or Nicki.”
Most of us have witnessed one crew or another dominate popular sensibilities over the years. When the crew’s brand is hot, it seems like everything they touch is becomes popular. The radio flurries listeners with their singles, club DJs lean on their hits to incite crowds and their reign seems like it will last forever. But history shows us, it rarely does. And The Fine Print shows there is a pattern with every rap crew’s rise and fall. (more…)
hyperadmin | Music,News | Tuesday, January 11th, 2011
Long time coming but finally Rapcity gets the attention it deserves. Huge congrats to 1LoveTO’sT-RexXx!
Here’s a bit of the press release:
RAPCITY
Premieres Thursday, Jan. 20 at 10 p.m. ET/PT (60 min.) Revamped in a live one-time-only format, the new one-hour RAPCITY returns. Hosted by1 Love T.O.’s Tyrone Edwards (a.k.a T-RexXx) RAPCITY features the hip-hop community in music videos, performances, interviews, and rare, classic moments from Much’s bottomless vault. The show represents the life of a genre under constant evolution and redefinition. RAPCITY kicks-off with a one-on-one interview with Drake in the hip-hop phenom’s studio, where the Canadian superstar talks about his music, getting his start on CTV and his upcoming JUNO AWARDS hosting duties.
hyperadmin | OTA Live | Monday, January 10th, 2011
Really dope show last week on OTA Live. Thanks to Lola, T-RexXx, P and Manifest for coming through! Here’s the audio (video on the way…):
Part 01:http://usershare.net/c6nya566kgos
We welcome our panel to the show and hop right into the discussion with everyone’s choice for 2010 Song of the Year as well as Worst Song of the Year (That Got A Lot of Love).
Part 02:http://usershare.net/fl6sx8f0dd0m
Worst Song of the Year talks continue and we transition into talking about the general state of the music in 2010 as well as the difference between Art vs. Entertainment vs. Education and all that good stuff…
Part 03:http://usershare.net/9elkcchajccr
In this clip, Antoine Dodson had to get the OTA Talk treatment and we continue the categories and get everyone’s thoughts on Video of the Year.
Part 04:http://usershare.net/9ak7iho7fsc8 Music video talk continues in clip 04 and we compare and contrast the idea of traditional music videos vs. viral videos. We also get the panel’s thoughts on Album of the Year.
Part 05:http://usershare.net/loaz24icb4hp
The panel unanimously chooses Drake as artist of the year which transitions beautifully into our convo about the local scene in 2010. We cover everyone’s choices for Local R&B Song of the Year, Local Hip-Hop Song of the Year, Local Video of the Year and Local Album of the Year!
Part 06:http://usershare.net/ozlsulg969w5
We wrap up the show with the panel’s choices for Local Artist to Look for in 2011, Local Producer of the Year, Local Mixtape of the Year and Local Artist of the Year. We also get everyone’s pet peeves when it comes to dealing with artists which leads to some great advice for upcoming artists.
Whether by circumstance, fate or some other cosmic coincidence, Toronto Hip Hop heavyweight Theo3 and much sought after producer Phat Tony created the eclectic and richly textured “2 Week EP” during a time usually reserved for increased hibernation and inactivity. For 14 days in December, Phat Tony constructed a living, breathing musical landscape while Emcee Theo3 slid in the upstairs studio everyday after work as Coordinator of the newly opened Parkdale Youth Space in downtown west Toronto. The result is a descriptive and genre blending menu of social awareness, tongue in cheek braggadocio and topical rhymes laid out over an eye popping array of soulful musical productions.
All about the music, this concerted effort to create a time tested classic came with a renewed sense of community awareness and activism sandwiched in between healthy doses of Montreal smoked meat sandwiches from Schwartz’s deli and Tweezy’s infamous Wild Turkey spiked egg nog. So naturally, when the question was raised about what to do with the release, Tweeze, fresh off watching the latest episode of Sons of Anarchy, cigarette in hand, dropped this gem “Let’s give it to charity b.”
And there you have it, 2 weeks to create, 2 weeks to mix and 2 weeks from the Beatz to the Streetz graduate showcase on January 25th 2011, Phat Tony & Theo3 will release “the 2 week EP” with the goal of raising $1500 for Toronto youth program Beatz to da Streetz.
hyperadmin | Audio,Music | Monday, January 10th, 2011
Shad & Dallas Green kick off the new year with the very limited edition vinyl release of a project called “Two Songs” – featuring “Live Forever” and a remix for “Listen”. Proceeds from the sale of the single will go to Skate4Cancer.
It’s undoubtedly clear that 2010 was a very good year for Shad. The 28-year-old London, Ontario-based rapper released his best album yet – TSOL – and even went on tour with fellow Canadian, k-os. While his first shows of the New Year find him on the road with none other than Freddie Gibbs, we’re more excited about being able to premiere a track from Shad’s collaboration with another resident of London Town.
Below is a sneak peek of “Live Forever”, which is the first track from Shad and Dallas Green’s “Two Songs” 12-inch vinyl. Sales from the single (via Dine Alone Records) will benefit Skate4Cancer, and the cut finds Green – who is the mastermind behind City and Colour – soulfully delivering the song’s chorus before the next few bars feature Shad skillfully doing what he’s come to be known for.
His style is simultaneously throwback and super-fresh and he showcases his ability jam a slew of words into just a few beats when he rapidly delivers the line, “all my single ladies/ here’s a couple lines/love takes two/ people love one mind/ here’s one year/ if you’re given six months/ you only live once/ this is double time.” The flow has come to be unmistakable, and even though listening to it pour over the production’s quiet keyboard chords is awesome, what’s better is the lyrics themselves.
“A real king doesn’t have to rule with a weapon,” Shad raps at the end of the nearly four-minute track, “what if we went to school for possession/instead of jail…I guess I still believe that love can never fail.” Pretty heavy, huh?
The b-side is a remix of Shad’s “Listen”. Pre-orders for the vinyl (which is limited to just 556 copies) ship on January 11th.
Jeremih takes lead on Drizzy & 40’s homage to TLC’s “Fanmail Intro” which last I heard was to appear on that R&B mixtape Drake was supposed to put out.
IMO – Sometimes homage is meant to be left in the hands of the original homagers.
