Winnipeg music & culture since 1989
Shane Bunting, aka Madchild, has been through some difficult times these past five years. The heavily autobiographical 16 track solo LP Dope Sick largely chronicles his battle with drug addiction. Continue reading “Madchild – Dopesick”
by Ryan Reyes
photos by Khammy Phanthavong
Relic aka Rel McCoy is touring the country in support of his album Miles To Go. He’s a talented jack-of-all-trades who raps, produces, engineers, DJ’s and sings. The man has won a Juno for producing songs for Canadian hip hop artist Shad. His Winnipeg stop at VP Nights included local openers Abstract Artform, M-Kaps and The Happy Unfortunate. Continue reading “Relic / Abstract Artform / M-Kaps / The Happy Unfortunate / VP Nights 09-20-12”
by Ryan Reyes
photos by Khammy Phanthavong
It’s 10pm and I find myself at The Garrick Centre shoe-less; security was performing a very thorough pat-down. I hope they noticed my tight sock-game. Local up and comers Goody, Rawg, Chris Bennett and Teddy T performed before main opener R.O.Z. of EMB. He started his set off with one of my favourite tracks off his Piff Music mixtape the super smooth “Rhythm of the Night.” A few tracks from his latest mixtape Piff Music 2 were performed; most notably “’97” which features D-Block’s Styles P. He ended off his strong set with the melodically hypnotic track “Rollin.’” Continue reading “Big Sean // R.O.Z. // Goody, Rawg, Chris Bennett & Teddy T // 09-19-12 // Live @ The Garrick”
Review by Ryan Reyes
Photos by Khammy Phanthavong
Rappers Tech N9ne and Mad Child recorded 7 EPs and albums between them since their last visits to Winnipeg. That amount of new material would justify a show. No justification needed. Their fans are some of the most loyal and passionate around. Continue reading “Tech N9ne // Mad Child // Winnipeg’s Most // Drezus // 09-16-12 // Live @ Park Theatre Café”
Review by Ryan Reyes
Photos by Khammy Phanthavong
Somehow, someway I find myself climbing the winding staircase of the Greenroom. Ah yes a rap show. An Action Bronson rap show. This mountain of a man with the best rap handle this side of Snoop Lion has been generating much buzz in the rap world as of late. Yes, he may often sound like that MC whose name rhymes with Fishface Trilla and yes, he was a respected gourmet chef before he became a rapper. Continue reading “Action Bronson // Live @ Greenroom 08/15”
By Sarah Petz
With a sound that is raw, honest and provocative, you wouldn’t expect that Pip Skid (a.k.a. Patrick Skene) grew up on the mean streets of the small prairie city of Brandon, Manitoba. Skene said growing up in Brandon was, like all small cities, challenging at times, but thinks that he and his other Brandon-raised friends DJ Hunnicutt and mcenroe ended up developing their music simply because of the lack of things to do.
“We also never had other rap groups to look up to in a close sense,” says Skene, “The only place we could see or hear rap was from rare little moments when it would get played on TV or the radio.” With only punk, jazz and metal bands around them, the group played any show they could get, even if it meant playing a 12-year-old’s birthday party.
“I do believe that coming from a place like Manitoba does effect your art. Our winters change your life which in turn influences the music,” says Skene. His latest album, Skid Row, is the first time he’s worked with DJ Kutdown on an entire project. Also collaborating with Magnum K.I., Skene is proud of the record they’ve produced. Continue reading “Pip Skid – Fake Blood, Real Beats”
By Sabrina Carnevale
Winnipeg’s hip-hop community has been a tight-knit one since the 1990s. Even today, local hip-hop acts turn out to play live every other week and usually to a packed house. So when the Lytics, made up of brothers Alex “B-Flat” Sannie, Andrew “A-Nice” Sannie, Anthony “Ashy” Sannie as well as their cousin Mungala “Munga” Londe, came on the scene in 2003, these sweet-faced 20-somethings were the new kids on the block.
“You have so many artists [in Winnipeg] who are able to make music inexpensively and as frequent as they want and, as a result, there are tons of hip hop shows,” says eldest brother B-Flat, 29. “Whether we feel totally a part of it, I don’t know.”
The Lytics make music on their own terms—no one tells them they have to sound a certain way. In that respect, they don’t necessarily feel they fit into just one of Winnipeg’s musical niches.
Continue reading “The Lytics – Ingredients for a New Recipe”
By Whitney Light
Elliott Walsh has carried a notebook every day since 2004, but today he isn’t. The Winnipeg wordsmith’s new album as Nestor Wynrush, Trinnipeg !78, is done, released and so he’s taking a break from saving notes for lyrics. “The writing feels agonizing,” Walsh says. “What feels agonizing is getting out that feeling exactly. It’s not just in your brain. It’s weighing on your heart.” Continue reading “Nestor Wynrush”