{"id":7935,"date":"2013-10-29T16:12:07","date_gmt":"2013-10-29T16:12:07","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/stylusmagazine.ca\/?p=7935"},"modified":"2013-10-29T16:12:07","modified_gmt":"2013-10-29T16:12:07","slug":"hip-hop-retrospective-pt-1-the-northern-touch","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ckuw.ca\/stylus\/2013\/10\/29\/hip-hop-retrospective-pt-1-the-northern-touch\/","title":{"rendered":"Hip Hop Retrospective :: Pt 1 The Northern Touch"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"rexdale_collegiate-e1298018578534\"<\/a><\/p>\n

by Harrison Samphir<\/strong><\/p>\n

Dear hip hop, I\u2019ll love you \u2018til I die<\/em><\/p>\n

To taste the grace of your embrace, I will try<\/em><\/p>\n

My mission is to utilize my skills on the mic<\/em><\/p>\n

To rid you of the losers, abusers and stereotypes<\/em><\/p>\n

– Dan-e-o, \u201cDear Hip Hop\u201d (1996)<\/em><\/p>\n

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\u2019s fourth record, or recognize Drake in a Sprite commercial<\/a> \u2013 but could they identify the underground raps of Da Grassroots out of Jane & Finch in North Toronto? We\u2019re not pointing fingers here, instead we are directing your attention toward Canada\u2019s bygone \u201cgolden age\u201d 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\u2019s pioneering rap stars are also a symbol of Canada\u2019s multiculturalism. Our mosaic of ethnic groups and their associated cultures have largely determined the subculture. In this first installment of Stylus<\/em> Magazine\u2019s Hip Hop Retrospective, we feature some icons of this movement and the under appreciated records they importantly\u00a0released.<\/p>\n

\u00a0\"220px-Rap_Essentials1\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Various Artists<\/strong><\/p>\n

Rap Essentials Volume One<\/strong><\/p>\n

1996<\/strong><\/p>\n

It seems fitting to begin with a Canadian compilation album released by a now-defunct urban music label that features three songs which earned nominations for Best Rap Recording at the 1997 Juno Awards. Kardinal Offishall\u2019s \u201cNaughty Dread,\u201d<\/a> Rascalz\u2019 \u201cFitnredi\u201d and the mellowed \u201cBright Lights, Big City\u201d by Toronto duo Scales Empire all received the accolade, but accompany other icons such as Ghetto Concept, Choclair and Citizen Kane on this disc. It\u2019s only a 12-track affair, but perhaps the most complete and panoptic collection of Canadian hip hop ever assembled.<\/p>\n

\u00a0\"Front<\/a><\/p>\n

Frankenstein<\/strong><\/p>\n

UV<\/strong><\/p>\n

1998<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cSmooth like an operator\/Warmer than an incubator\/Proven time again that [his] style\u2019s much greater,\u201d Frank Fallico is a rapper, producer and remixer from Toronto, Ontario. Having mastered 12\u201d VLS for T.O. icons like Choclair and Maestro Fresh Wes, Frankenstein dropped his debut full-length UV<\/em> to minor sales and glowing acclaim in 1998. Today, Frankie Ano\u2019s only complete release still shines with a jazz-hop aesthetic and laid-back yet incisive urban songwriting. Please, don\u2019t continue to sleep on this record!<\/p>\n

\u00a0\"Da<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

Da Grassroots<\/strong><\/p>\n

Passage Through Time<\/strong><\/p>\n

1999<\/strong><\/p>\n

If any record captures the cultural mosaic of Canada\u2019s largest city\u2013what with its disparate Caribbean and African populations\u2013it\u2019s Da Grassroots\u2019 debut LP Passage Through Time<\/em>. Influenced by dub, reggae and hip hop elements, the production trio consisting of Mr. Attic, Mr. Murray and Swiff brought much-needed light to the Canadian hip hop scene with this acclaimed release which also features a young k-os on the track \u201cEternal\u201d along with Toronto mainstays Saukrates, Thrust and Mr. Roam. Notable for its varied sampling and instrumental segments, Passage<\/em> is also a worthwhile listen for the many lyrical styles of its emcees who blend toasting with an east-coast rhyming fluidity.<\/p>\n

\u00a0\"MATH1\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Mathematik<\/strong><\/p>\n

Ecology<\/strong><\/p>\n

1999<\/strong><\/p>\n

During a recent trip to Toronto, I took a stroll down Queen Street West to the famous Cosmos Records where I (astonishingly) found an original pressing of Mathematik\u2019s double LP Ecology<\/em>, preserved in near-mint condition. While I wasn\u2019t able to foot the $200 price tag, I felt content holding a piece of Canadian rap history in my hands. For those who don\u2019t know, Ecology is a seminal showcase of lyrical talent, expansive vocabulary and on-point production (courtesy of the Down to Erf crew), brought together by Math-U\u2019s youthful voice and articulate reflections on life, b-boying and hip hop culture. Don\u2019t miss the tracks \u201cPlastic\u201d and \u201cRhyme Training;\u201d the latter features a sample from Bill Withers\u2019 smooth \u201972 jam \u201cKissing My Love.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u00a0\"GOODS1_hiphopbug_1349747213\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Cipher<\/strong><\/p>\n

360\u00b0<\/strong><\/p>\n

1998<\/strong><\/p>\n

After attending Boston\u2019s renowned Berklee College of Music in the early 1990s, producer\/engineer Clean and emcee G\u00b2 returned home to Vancouver to pen 360\u00b0<\/em> an overlooked paragon of the West Coast Canadian hip-hop scene. Characterized by shadowy, underground production and the sinuous rhyming of G\u00b2, the 16-track disc is an esoteric trip through back-alleys, b-boy huddles and late-night chronic sessions. Its standout single, \u201cPeeps,\u201d even received heavy radio-play and landed the number two position on MuchMusic\u2019s Rap City. While a vinyl copy is nearly impossible to track down, find Cipher on iTunes.<\/p>\n

\n

\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

by Harrison Samphir Dear hip hop, I\u2019ll love you \u2018til 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, \u201cDear Hip Hop\u201d (1996) For many reading this, it might be difficult […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":12,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[162,435],"class_list":["post-7935","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-columns","tag-canadian-hip-hop","tag-hip-hop-retrospective"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/ckuw.ca\/stylus\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7935","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/ckuw.ca\/stylus\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/ckuw.ca\/stylus\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ckuw.ca\/stylus\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/12"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ckuw.ca\/stylus\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=7935"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/ckuw.ca\/stylus\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7935\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/ckuw.ca\/stylus\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=7935"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ckuw.ca\/stylus\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=7935"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ckuw.ca\/stylus\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=7935"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}