Hip Hop Retrospective :: Pt 1 The Northern Touch

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by Harrison Samphir

Dear hip hop, I’ll love you ‘til I die

To taste the grace of your embrace, I will try

My mission is to utilize my skills on the mic

To rid you of the losers, abusers and stereotypes

– Dan-e-o, “Dear Hip Hop” (1996)

For many reading this, it might be difficult to imagine what Canadian hip hop looked and felt like in the mid- to late-1990s. Younger folks, for example, might remember Kardinal Offishall’s fourth record, or recognize Drake in a Sprite commercial – but could they identify the underground raps of Da Grassroots out of Jane & Finch in North Toronto? We’re not pointing fingers here, instead we are directing your attention toward Canada’s bygone “golden age” of hip hop music: that lost era of dub-influenced boom-bap drums and lyrics that combined East New York scheming with Caribbean flavour. Indeed, this nation’s pioneering rap stars are also a symbol of Canada’s multiculturalism. Our mosaic of ethnic groups and their associated cultures have largely determined the subculture. In this first installment of Stylus Magazine’s Hip Hop Retrospective, we feature some icons of this movement and the under appreciated records they importantly released.

Continue reading “Hip Hop Retrospective :: Pt 1 The Northern Touch”

Fear of Music – Jay Z, Jay G, and the New Génération Perdue

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by Devin King

There was probably no musician better suited to executive produce the soundtrack to the new Baz Luhrman version of The Great Gatsby than Jay-Z. Jay Z referred to Gatsby as a “classic American story of one’s introduction to extravagance, decadence and illusion.” In a departure from hip-hop’s origins, the brand of hip-hop popularized by Jay Z, not unlike the Jazz Age depicted by Fitzgerald, is obsessed with status and wealth. When he speaks of the extravagance and decadence it shows that his understanding of Jay-G(atsby) is pretty surface level, as he found Gatsby to be an aspirational figure. Like so many university students, Shawn Carter seems to have read the first part of Gatsby and improvised his understanding of the rest of the book. Don’t worry Jay, I won’t spoil it for you. Continue reading “Fear of Music – Jay Z, Jay G, and the New Génération Perdue”

Hillbilly Highway – Fred Eaglesmith roars on through town, heading East

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by Sheldon Birnie

What can I say about Fred J Eaglesmith that hasn’t already been said, by me or a hundred other writers into the grittiest and roughest roots music out there on the Highway? Not a whole dang lot, at least not in less than 800 words. To put it in terms that Fred himself might deal in, Eaglesmith is, quite simply, the Real Deal. Continue reading “Hillbilly Highway – Fred Eaglesmith roars on through town, heading East”

Hillbilly Highway – Deer Tick announce new album, Winnipeg stop in October

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by Sheldon Birnie

Deer Tick, the pride of Providence, Rhode Island, just announced a new album to hit the streets this fall. The band will also be hitting the Highway in support of Negativity, their aptly titled fifth studio full length. This tour includes a stop in Winnipeg on October 16 at the West End. I, for one, am pumped. Continue reading “Hillbilly Highway – Deer Tick announce new album, Winnipeg stop in October”

Hillbilly Highway – Mary Gauthier, Scott Nolan, Joanna Miller @ Park Theatre

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by Sheldon Birnie

Monday night’s packed show at the Park Theatre was one of those perfect stops along the Hillbilly Highway that at once make you feel so glad that you’re wherever you happen to be at, while at the same time igniting (or rekindling) an “aching wanderlust” to hit the road at once. Backed by Winnipeg’s own Scott Nolan and Joanna Miller (who also opened the night), the crowd at the Park was treated to a magnificent performance from one of the best songwriters (and a dang entertaining performer and storyteller, to boot) in the biz, Mary Gauthier. Continue reading “Hillbilly Highway – Mary Gauthier, Scott Nolan, Joanna Miller @ Park Theatre”