Northern Hussle chops it up with Septo.

Previously: NEW ALBUM: SepTo “Almost NevR”

Dope!

One of the best writers in hip-hop, Shad, visited KUBE 93’s Sunday Night Sound Session in Seattle on 6/11/14 to speak with DJ Hyphen and J. Moore. They discussed a variety of topics, exploring what it’s like coming up in Canada making his style of music, winning the Rap Juno Award (Canadian Grammy) over his countryman Drake, and how he chooses to promote himself in the US market. He also spoke about his last album, “Flying Colours,” and his plans to take the follow up project in a new direction, before running through a lightning round of questions covering 90’s sit-coms, left handed basketball players, his favorite sneakers, and more.

For more information on Sound Session, go here:
http://www.kube93.com/onair/sunday-ni…

For all things dope, check Hyphen’s blog:
http://www.theaudacityofdope.com

———
Shot & Edited by The First Ladies

Previously: NEW MUSIC: Def3 feat. Shad & Skratch Bastid “The Truth” (Prod. Factor)

Nice one!

Hailing from the very #outchea suburb known as Mississauga, Ontario, Junia-T has been a mainstay in the pre-Drake Toronto hip-hop scene as a rapper and producer. Sonically, this mad scientist uses his wits to carve a lane that’s more of a riff on Toronto’s past rather than conforming to the turnt-up anthems of his contemporaries. Having recently collaborated with artists across the pond like Little Simz, Junia-T is becoming an international name while still staying close to his roots by working with Toronto pioneers Rich Kidd and Slakah the Beatchild. Without a doubt, Junia-T is working 24/7 to keep the soul in the Six. We caught up with him at Toronto’s infamous Yonge-Dundas Square for a blunt and a history lesson.

IX: Alright man, let’s start this up! What is the first album [of somebody else’s music] that changed your life? What did it do to change you?

I would say it was the first Black Star album. Like at the time, I was still young, just writing about whatever, you know what I mean? ‘Cus I just liked to rap, I didn’t really put two and two together as far as like expressing my life into music, you know what I mean? So I was rapping a whole bunch of shit I wasn’t living until I heard that album. And that album kind of gave me the confidence to rap about my life ‘cus I was younger at the time, I was in high school. And at my school, we had like a big cypher all the time, you know what I mean? And I was like one of the LONE dudes that’s bumping like J-Live, Cannibal Ox, like Def Jux and all that stuff, you know what I mean? And everybody else is bumping like the brand new [DJ] Kay Slay mixtape, Fabolous, like Red Cafe, you know what I mean? So it was good, that was the album that allowed me to be that underground rapper and still feel superior to whatever their opinions were, you know what I mean? [sparks blunt]

IX: As a producer and a beatmaker, what is your process…

Security guard: You can’t smoke that here, man.

Ahh really?! Let’s go for a walk.

Security guard: Yea, you guys can go for a walk, go across the street, come back, no problem. You just can’t smoke on the Square. Thanks guys!

IX: Thank you! Thank you for not being the cops!

I don’t even sweat it, I smoke always. Smoking that loud! 

IX: So as a producer, beatmaker, do you try to use more like hardware or software, like what’s your shit? What kind of programs do you use?

I’d say it starts with software. I started with Fruity Loops back in my high school days. That was the first thing that we could get our hands on so I rocked with that for a couple of years. Then I just felt the importance of needing to learn how to use gear, you know what I mean? So I bought an [Akai] MPC1000 so I ran with that for a bit, it was cool, but I still prefer software. Fruity Loops, Ableton, my laptop and a controller, you know what I mean? Like it’s all in my bag right now, I travel with all that shit. [I make a lot of] sample-based stuff, I play a lot of stuff plus I got like musicians at my access so whenever I have a sample of some sort that I want redone…

Check the full interview @ http://www.ixdaily.com/the-buzz/ixclusive-interview-junia-t-talks-beats-kung-fu-and-pizza-0

Previously: NEW VIDEO: Junia-T feat. KemiKAL “Sky Is Falling” (Directed by Renegade Films)

Thump chops it up with KNK.

There’s a long history of organically-driven bands incorporating electronic elements into their songwriting and performances. From Depeche Mode to Radiohead, a little bleepy-bloopy has often found a place amidst the guitars. But what’s made Toronto three-piece Keys N Krates stand out in the electronic music world is that they’ve so seamlessly incorporated dance music and hip hop, traditionally sample and DJ based genres, into a live setting. They’re switching up convention as they approach the organic from the electronic and their freshly released Every Nite EP brings a hip hop laden bassweight to a live setting like no one has before.

It hasn’t always been that way, though: “We’ve been a band for seven or so years. We started off doing live hip hop covers, re-interpretations,” explains Adam Tune, the band’s drummer. “It was kind of like The Roots with a turntablist. We used to have a bass player and Matisse played just one physical keyboard and I played drums. It really evolved gradually into what it is now, which is completely different. The only similarity is that we’re still a band and we’ll still take other people’s samples and flip them live in our show.”

Pick up their “Every Night” project @ https://itunes.apple.com/ca/album/id914165739

Get the full interview @ http://thump.vice.com/en_ca/words/keys-n-krates-from-cover-band-to-game-changers

http://soundcloud.com/keysnkrates
http://twitter.com/keysnkrates
http://www.facebook.com/keysnkrates
http://www.instagram.com/keysnkrates
http://www.keysnkrates.com

Previously: NEW MUSIC: Keys N Krates “Are We Faded”

Nice!

Rkulture.com sat down with SMMG artist Jimmy B to discuss life in Scarborough, the Toronto music scene, the making of LORDS & what fans can expect next from his latest project.
Be sure to follow Jimmy B on Twitter @IamJimmyB & check out his all of his material via http://jimmybsbe.bandcamp.com/
#LORDS is out now #POTB on the way

Previously: NEW VIDEO: Jimmy B “Warning Shot” (Directed by Keaton TF Evans)

Nice.

As long time readers know, I’m a big fan of Montreal rapper, Jai Nitai Lotus and his Something You Feel album from last year was certainly that! Enough for me to lend my endorsement to it for nomination consideration for Canada’s Polaris Music Prize last year. That didn’t happen but I stayed cool with Jai and when it cam time to start putting the THIS ONE GOES TO ELEVEN… album together, he was one of the first artists to commit a track to the project. Not only that, it also allowed us to have a full length video attached to the album too.

Jai is not only a talented artist & producer, he is a spiritual & thoughtful person and that essence is infused in the music he makes. It was again an honor to have him be part of the #DK11 project and a pleasure to get to chat with him and get some insights into his music and the world view that informs it. Check it out here:

DK: I think I discovered your Something You Feel album totally by accident while randomly surfing the mostly-Toronto focused cityonmyback site one day. Despite wanting to support as much good domestic hip hop as I can I find it hard to find out about much outside of Toronto where I live. What challenges have you found getting your music out as a Montreal-based rapper?

Jai: Everything is so saturated. It’s hard to get your music heard period. So I really feel like it’s about time, place and circumstance… and being different, by being yourself. Who you know can really play a huge part of it too. We tend to know more people and outlets within our own cities, so I feel my reach is sometimes hindered by not knowing the right people elsewhere. That being said, Toronto has actually showed me some love and I appreciate it.

DK: What’s your thoughts on the controversy around fellow MTL rappers, Dead Obies being attacked for rapping in French and English?

Jai: It’s silly.

DK: OK. Most outsiders probably share your sentiment that it’s silly to attack the Dead Obies on that basis but obviously the issue is quite serious for some in Quebec. I’m wondering if you have any additional thoughts on the matter? Is this, from a language pov, a source of concern for Francophones who’ve made it an issue analogous to how the rise of Macklemore or Iggy Azalea is for those who see their success as diminishing the role of Black culture or artists in hip-hop?

Read the full interview @ http://different-kitchen.com/2014/08/news-dk11-project-interview-with-jai-nitai-lotus/

Previously: NEW ALBUM: Different Kitchen presents “This One Goes To Eleven….”

XXL does a nice get-to-know feature on Raz!

Meet the producer/rapper from Toronto who is putting a new flavor to golden age hip-hop.

At 19, Toronto’s Raz Fresco could be the youngest veteran in hip-hop. Having already released six projects and produced for some of the industry’s biggest names including Wale, B.o.B, Tyga and Mac Miller, Raz gathered a cult following in both Canada and the States over the last few years.

Building a relationship with DJ Holiday when he was only 15 years old brought young Raz from Toronto to Atlanta, swimming through some of the city’s biggest nightclubs and observing how the industry works at a very young age. And it shows in how he releases his music. Perhaps what makes Raz Fresco most intriguing is his zeal for golden era hip-hop. After all, he was born a year after Illmatic came out.

Raz’s affinity for the hustle has recently created opportunities for himself as he signed to Duckdown Records though a distribution deal in May of this year. Raekwon has also show him love and is scheduled to make an appearance on his upcoming debut album, Pablo Frescobar.

Raz Fresco’s music doesn’t sound forced. Think of Joey Bada$$ before there was even such a thing. The raw, up-tempo drums and funky synths laid out behind Raz’ young, semi high-pitched voice in 2012’s Cakey Pocket$ is a prime example of what he offers. On the song “Motive$,” Raz describes the temptations of premature opportunities ruining his chances for long-run success–something he’s always analyzed. And it has always helped him see the bigger picture.

Raz Fresco was featured in XXL’s The Break last year, but the anticipation for his forthcoming LP is too big to ignore. We caught up with Raz to speak about being affiliated with Duck Down, life in Toronto,  old school New York rap and more. Get to know Raz Fresco in The Come Up.—Paul Meara

Read the full article @ http://www.xxlmag.com/rap-music/2014/08/the-come-up-raz-fresco/

Previously: NEW MUSIC: BUCKSHOT & P-MONEY FEAT. RAZ FRESCO “JUST BEGUN”

Chocs talks “Northern Touch”, the possibility of a sequel, Toronto hip-hop and more with ExclusivesTV.

Previously: NEW VIDEO: Choclair – All Night Long feat. Classified & Karl Wolf

Dope look for Sway Clarke II! Now is probably the best time for you to jump on the bandwagon.

Who on earth would blend a “Bennie and the Jets” groove, trilling harpsichords evoking the Beatles’ “In My Life” and a dance-floor-quaking bass into an exuberant paean to infidelity? Answer: Sway Clarke II. The song, “Secret Garden, ” is one of several by the Berlin-by-way-of-Toronto singer-songwriter that have taken off on the Internet (another is a moody cover of Kendrick Lamar’s “Swimming Pools”) and propelled the singer (who plays his first American show this evening at Bardot’s School Night in Los Angeles) to next-big-thing status. His combination of storytelling and hooks has earned comparisons to the hitmaking likes of Lorde and Frank Ocean, but a streak of naughty humor, often at the singer’s own expense, is uniquely his own. “That comes out of being Canadian,” he laughs. “There’s a reason why great comedians like Jim Carrey and Mike Myers came from Canada. It’s in our DNA to be self-deprecating and funny.”

That tendency was evident in the first song that got Clarke attention, “I Don’t Need Much.” In it, he says that all he needs is “Some cigarettes and alcohol/iPhone for a few calls/A crew, and a main broad” via a wistful melody that’s as indebted to Coldplay as to new-school R&B. The approach reflects Clarke’s own personal evolution. Ten years ago, he had grown disenchanted with hip-hop’s worldview and began to focus more, he says, on music that valued “songwriting, musicianship and telling a story. OutKast’s ‘Speakerboxxx/The Love Below’ was my saving grace: it was so adventurous, it became a reference point proving I could do something different. And then I started digging into the renaissance of Brit rock. Radiohead, Pulp and Blur changed my life, and made me need to learn guitar. During that period, I wanted to be Liam Gallagher: I was attracted to him because he was gangster, like a rapper.”

READ FULL ARTICLE HERE

Previous: NEW MUSIC: SWAY CLARKE II – SECRET GARDEN (PROD. NIKOLAI POTTHOFF)

Toronto grime rapper/producer and AUX favourite Tre Mission is already a rising star in the U.K., and with his debut full-length Stigmata set for release on August 11, he’s set to make waves in North America too. Find out how Bob Marley, No Doubt, and Imogen Heap have all influenced him and watch a live performance from downtown Toronto on this week’s episode of Influenced.

Influenced focuses on the fascinating stories of emerging artists in different musical genres and takes a look at the biggest influences in their musical careers. Blending documentary and video flow, each episode follows a different artist or band culminating with a live exclusive performance.

Check out the teaser above, and tune into AUX TV Thursday, July 24 at 8:00 p.m. EST for the full episode.

Previously: NEW VIDEO: AUX TV PRESENTS “INFLUENCED – EPISODE 2: SHAD” (PREVIEW)