Author: Sandra Hercegova

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Music

#LECYPHER celebrates year two

Founder of Urban Science and #LECYPHER hosted two-year anniversary event

If you’ve ever wondered where to hear live hip-hop music in Montreal, #LECYPHER is your answer. Hosted by the collective Montreal hip-hop band Urban Science, #LECYPHER is a live hip-hop jam session that happens every Thursday night at Bleury Bar à Vinyle.

Musicians and emcee’s gather to play hip-hop as a collective. It is the first and only live hip-hop jam of its kind in Montreal. #LECYPHER celebrated its two-year anniversary on Oct. 6 by hosting a tribute to legendary live hip-hop group, The Roots. The event was hosted by #LECYPHER’s founder, Vincent Stephen-Ong, who is also the saxophone and keys player for Urban Science. Milla Thyme, a Concordia student majoring in music and one of the emcee’s of Urban Science, opened the event by performing songs from his new EP album, Eternally the Student. It’s the first time he has released material as a solo artist, and he wrote all the music on this album, he said. His hip-hop, jazz and funk vibe got the whole audience captivated from beginning to end. Mark the Magnanimous, one of the founders of ArtBeat Montreal was the DJ of the night. There were also delicious chinese BBQ wraps offered by Brothers Ku of Restaurant Dobe & Andy.

Urban Science began its journey when its founder, Stephen-Ong, visited New York City in 2013 for a gig with the hip-hop group Nomadic Massive. While there, Stephen-Ong, along with Nomadic Massive, went to see the former guitarist of Kalmunity, Jordan Peters, perform at a Thursday night jam session called The Lesson—where top musicians perform pure hip-hop every week. “A few months later, I went back to The Lesson and brought my horn,” said Stephen-Ong. “I got the chance to perform on stage and I jammed. There was nothing like that in Montreal.”

In June 2014, Stephen-Ong decided to bring the idea of a live hip-hop collective to Montreal. He had started to ask himself, “What if I got some people together and did a private jam session?” With ideas for a guided improvisation hip-hop band, he gathered a few musicians together, contacted some venues and eventually got a spot at Le Belmont—Urban Science was born.

Still, Stephen-Ong said he felt there was a lack of a regular hip-hop event in the city. “If you were a hip-hopper in Montreal, there wasn’t a jam session in town that happened regularly. If you were a instrumentalist that plays hip-hop, forget about it, there was nowhere to go. I created #LECYPHER nights because there was a void to fill,” said Stephen-Ong. Urban Science moved from Le Belmont to it’s current location, a smaller venue called Bleury Bar à Vinyle, where they started #LECYPHER nights.

The goal of the #LECYPHER is to specialize in hip-hop music professionally. People might mistake the event for a funky jam, but Stephen-Ong made it clear that it is purely hip-hop.”You can’t go up and play a random funky thing. There’s a language, a sound, an aesthetic to hip-hop that must be respected,” said Stephen-Ong. It’s a jam session, but Urban Science wants to keep the quality level of performances high.

#LECYPHER is not to be mistaken with an open mic event. “This is a collaborative jam session. You need to play along with the band and listen to what’s going on musically. It’s in the nature of the event to collaborate—it’s a hip-hop community,” said Stephen-Ong.

Milla Thyme performs his new album live for #LECYPHER’s two year anniversary. Photo by Frederic Muckle.

Urban Science rotates between 20 different members. On any given Thursday, there will be regulars and newcomers playing together. Sometimes there are guest hosts or well-known hip-hop artists. “I think Montreal has top-notch talent.That is why we have a 20 piece crew, so we can keep our local nights and do more projects as well,” said Stephen-Ong.

Urban Science has also played at The Montreal International Jazz Festival in 2015 and 2016. The band has even welcomed the reggae hip-hop group Les R’tardataires, from Belgium, to their #LECYPHER nights. “A lot of people from the local music scene know about us so, when international artists come to Montreal, they hear about #LECYPHER,” said Stephen-Ong.

Urban Science is also working on a new project, called Urban Science Brass Band, which will be a New Orleans-style marching band that will be jamming to Kanye West, Kendrick Lamar and Dr. Dre with trombones and tubas. “We have emcees on mega phones that are rapping while we walk. We did Montreal’s first ever hip-hop parade,” said Stephen-Ong. Urban Science is known for their live jam sessions but they want to be known for their original songs too. “We would like to make a document of our original music,” said Stephen-Ong. Urban Science will also continue to perform for The Rap Battles for Social Justice and have a few upcoming battles scheduled.

Keep in touch with Urban Science on social media for details about their upcoming events.

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Music

Rap Battle for Climate Justice

Montreal’s hip-hop artists and activists combine music and social justice

Make some noise for the 6th edition of the Rap Battles for Social Justice series, which took place live from Reggies Bar on Sept. 28. During this edition, local hip-hop artists and activists took the stage to participate in a rap battle about climate justice.

Some big names in the Montreal hip-hop scene were present, including members of Montreal’s collective hip-hop band, Nomadic Massive. The group’s singer and emcee, Meryem Saci, co-hosted the event. Each artist was accompanied by the hip-hop and soul band Urban Science, hosts of the #LECYPHER hip-hop and soul jam sessions.

The goal of this rap battle was to raise awareness about pipelines, fossil fuels and the tar sand issues surrounding us. The event helped raise funds for Aamjiwnaang First Nation activist, Vanessa Gray, who needs support to fight her overbearing charges in court. Gray, along with two other activists, decided to shut down Enbridge’s Line 9 pipeline on Anishnaabe territory. The activists were charged with counts of mischief for over $5 000 and are currently facing the possibility of prison time. The previous Rap Battles for Social Justice have raised more than $3 000 so far and organizers hoped to raise more by collecting donations at the door—it’s a pay what you can event.

There were two sides to each battle—emcees that were advocating for environmental justice, and The Duke and Bruce Payne, who expressed counterarguments. The Duke and Bruce Payne were the oil lobbyists, dressed in suits, walking around throwing fake $100 bills in every direction.

“Billions of gallons of wasted water, contaminated water, fauna slaughtered, forests replaced by pools and chemicals, so how’s that ethical?” rapped Dan Parker in a battle against The Duke. Students and activists also rapped slam poetry and recited poems about environmental justice. Each artist prepared and crafted their own songs and lyrics for the rap battle. “No more, no more, no tar sands, protect quality of life to all lands, respect the planet, live hand in hand, leave behind a legacy, not just a beaten planet,” was the hook of the first live performance that night by Dan Parker.

Local emcees grabbing the mic rapping about Climate Justice. Photo by Ana Hernandez

Dan Parker, the founder, coordinator and co-host of Rap Battles for Social Justice, has been working to unite the local hip-hop scene on the topic of social justice. Parker embarked on this journey in September 2014, and said it took a lot of work for people to believe in his project. “I was always into hip-hop, but I never felt comfortable going into the hip-hop scene because I felt like an outsider,” said Parker.

All that changed when he met Vincent Stephen-Ong, band leader of Urban Science and organizer of freestyle hip-hop nights where anyone can join and grab the mic. Parker said he felt free to take on the mic, participate and freestyle at Urban Science events—he felt it was more open than other hip-hop jam sessions.

Stephen-Ong remembers when Parker first approached him with his idea of rap battles focusing on social justice: “I was like, ‘You want to do what?’ I was very skeptical at first.” Once Stephen-Ong started working with Parker, however, he realized how determined he was.  “Dan goes and he works, talks to people, he gets funding, he convinces various artists to be on board. I just keep seeing this event grow and grow, and it’s wonderful,” said Stephen-Ong.

“I asked Vincent [Stephen-Ong] about this project idea. He believed in it, and we’ve been doing these rap battles ever since,” said Parker. The very first rap battle happened in March 2015, and had a great turn out. “It was at Vitrola, a fairly large venue. Dan filled the venue—it was completely full,” said Stephen-Ong. Parker hosted the second rap battle at McGill University with Divest McGill, and a third with Divest Concordia last November. Success after success, Parker organized a rap battle against austerity with CUPFA, the Concordia University Part-Time Faculty Association, then another for gender freedom.

Activists rapping for climate justice. Photo by Ana Hernandez

Rap Battle for Climate Justice is the 6th event Parker has organized alongside Urban Science. “It’s a combination of the activist’s popular education meeting the cypher hip-hop freestyle community, and fundraising for a great cause,” said Parker. One of the emcees hitting the stage that night was Mutatayi Fuamba, a local artist currently working on an upcoming album. He has also participated in previous rap battles for social justice. “I think this event is an interesting way to approach the issue of solidarity of Native Americans. It’s fun and engaging. The energy is here. I want everyone to enjoy the show and fuck all systems of oppression,” said Fuamba. He said that, while the event is called a battle because people impersonate lobbyists on the other side of the argument, mostly, there is no debate. “We are all against fossil fuels—we are all for social justice and climate justice,” said Fuamba. He has been attending workshops at Concordia University to prepare for this event. “We usually have one-hour workshops with activists who talk us through the issues, and then we have a hip-hop workshop where emcee’s show us how to write rhymes and discuss the history of hip-hop,” said Fuamba.

The workshops are hosted by Rap Battles for Social Justice along with different faculties from Concordia. “For the rap battle against austerity we worked with SAF, Sustainability Action Fund and we worked with the Centre for Gender Advocacy for the rap battle on gender freedom. These workshops are open to everyone” said Fuamba.“It’s a cool way to get together as a community, have fun and talk about things that matter and jam,” said Fuamba.

For more information, check out The Rap Battles for Social Justice Facebook page.

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Music Quickspins

The Growlers – City Club

The Growlers – City Club (Cult Records, 2016)

The Growlers have typically been a time machine back to the heyday of 60s and 70s psychedelic rock. That is until City Club, which was not at all what I expected to hear. I anticipated they would continue to pursue the unique psychedelic sounds and lyrics featured in their previous album,  Chinese Fountain (2014). Instead, City Club has a distinct retro, rock vibe— which makes The Growlers sound like many other bands out there right now. The change left me disappointed— City Club sounds like an album from another band entirely. Some of the songs are a good listen, but fans of Chinese Fountain will definitely notice a big change. City Club is missing the edginess and uniqueness the band is known for. If you’re new to The Growlers, however, you’ll probably appreciate this new album more than I did.

Trial Track: “City Club”

5/10

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Music Quickspins

Devendra Banhart – Ape in Pink Marble

Devendra Banhart – Ape in Pink Marble (Nonesuch Records, 2016)

On this album, you will travel from one song to the next, in time and genre. Devendra Banhart combines sounds from different styles and eras, but most of the songs still feature his signature psychedelic 60s guitar riffs. “Fig in Leather” has a distinct 70s vibe which is reminiscent of the 70s band Boniem. The lyrics are very imaginative and, overall, Ape in Pink Marble is a creative work of art that makes you wonder what inspired these sound mixtures and lyrics. The songs are very slow, suited for a rainy Sunday afternoon. They almost sound like lullabies, and are overall very romantic. In “Saturday Night,” Banhart used the japanese guitar, the shamisen, to add discrete traditional Asian sounds. Each song on this album has something unique — you never know what to expect from one song to the next.

Trial Track: “Fig in Leather”

6.5/10

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Music

Motherhood saves the best for last

The New Brunswick band ends their Canadian tour at POP Montreal

Motherhood: a soft, nurturing and beautiful word. It is also the name of a gritty, dark, industrial rock band. From New Brunswick, Motherhood has been touring across Canada since the end of August to promote their most recent album Baby Teeth, which was released this past summer. They performed in Montreal on Sept. 23 for POP Montreal’s music festival.

Brydon Crain, is the lead singer, guitarist and vox player; Adam Sipkema sings backup vocals, plays the percussions and vox; Penelope Stevens sings, plays the bass, organ, synthesizer and vox. The bandmates go way back. Crain and Sipkema went to high school together, then moved to Fredericton where they met Stevens. The band formed in 2010.“Fredericton influenced us in a major way lyrically. We write as if no one pays attention to it. There are no expectations of what a band should sound like from Fredericton,” said Crain. The lack of expectations has led them to bend the rules and become a more experimental band.“We’re more about the concept behind the music and not the genre. We mess around with ideas. If they sound cool, we use it,” said Crain. Motherhood is a mixture of punk, blues and country sounds. They are also influenced by bands from various genres. “We all like Dear Rouge, Captain Beefheart and Death Grips,” said Crain.

Their recent album, Baby Teeth, expresses their anger and emotions towards various issues. Their song “Greed” is about the negative impacts of consumerism. Even though a lot of the lyrical content isn’t very happy, Crain’s goal is for people to think their music is interesting.“The lyrics are stories from the different universe that I write in. For this album, we practiced twice a week and came up with ideas. We basically banged our heads against the wall until we found something we all liked,” said Crain.Overall, Baby Teeth is about being from New Brunswick. “It’s a mix about being happy about New Brunswick but also being frustrated because there’s a lot of shitty stuff going on there which is affecting being there right now,” said Crain.

Live from O Patro Vys, Motherhood was rocking it on stage. Photo by Ana Hernandez

Everyone contributes the same amount of work to the band’s creative process. This is something that Crain said he loves most about Motherhood. “Both my bandmates have musical brains,” he said. “They are always ready to hear my floppy ideas. Adam plays drums unlike any other. Penny is good with harmonies and has more of a technical background, which is very helpful to the songwriting process.”

Motherhood has performed in Montreal a few times before with local band Smokes. They also brought a music festival from Fredericton to Montreal called the Shifty Bits Cult. They called the Montreal version of the festival the Shifty Bits Circus.“We chose Montreal because of the city’s hard-working people in the music scene. It was a good mix of New Brunswick and Montreal bands,” said Crain.

The band’s performance at POP Montreal took place at O Patro Vys bar. Catriona Sturton, an indie-rock and blues singer-songwriter from Ottawa, opened for Motherhood. Her deep bluesy voice, along with her harmonica playing, gave the performance a folk-rockish feel. She also mixed in her sense of humour, throwing in jokes between her songs that got the whole audience chuckling. Her charisma on stage was undeniable. When Motherhood took center stage, Sturton joined in for their two first songs and rocked it.

Penelope Stevens of Motherhood on bass guitar live at POP Montreal’s music festival. Photo by Ana Hernandez

Motherhood’s music sounds all the better live. Their rough guitar riffs, industrial sounds and screeching voices are greatly intensified when they hit the stage. Their song “Twosies” is meant to be heard at maximum volume. The trio gave it their all on POP Montreal’s stage.“I love to perform live. It’s a chance to act crazy, scream, do things that I’m not aloud to do in normal life. When the show is good, I’ll come off stage not remembering what happened. I’d just be like, wow, that was so much fun,” said Crain. The band has been touring with Little You, Little Me, who also played later that night. “Little You, Little Me are more rock and roll, and heavier than us. Their influences come from a lot of different places in rock,” said Crain.

Motherhood had a piece of advice for any musicians planning on touring across Canada: “Bring a good book—Canada is huge.”   

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Music Quickspins

Keaton Henson – Kindly Now

Keaton Henson – Kindly Now (Play It Again Sam, 2016)

The album opens with “March,” a track with slow vocals that then escalates. As the song continues, it adds on beautiful violin riffs. It definitely makes a strong impression as the first song on the album. “Alright” features smooth piano playing that is soft and sad. Meanwhile, the song’s lyrics have emotions coming out of every syllable. It is quite a tearjerker. This album will remind listeners of James Blunt’s music—it’s soulfully sad, yet beautiful at the same time. The album places great emphasis on instrumentation. A lot of violins are featured in “No Witnesses,” which has a classical music feel to it. Kindly Now is the album you listen to when you need to cry and get emotions out of your system. It is a heartbreak album. But no matter what mood you’re in, you can’t deny Keaton Henson’s passionate voice.

Trial Track: “No Witnesses”

7.5/10

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Music Quickspins

Aluna George – I Remember

Aluna George – I Remember (Island Records, 2016)

Aluna George’s latest release, I Remember, brings out her soothing, soft, sweet voice which serenades your ear, and complements the album’s pop-electro sounds. I Remember features pop-electro and lounge melodies as well as smooth R&B rhythms, both of which she blends together beautifully. George opens with the track “Full Swing” which has a strong pop-electrified beat and baseline. “My Blood” follows, with a smooth R&B rhythmic sound. It’s wonderful to hear rhythm and blues being combined with soft electro beats. “Not Above Love” brings you back to the early 2000s when pop music was at its peak. “Mean What I Mean” will surely be playing in lounges and clubs in no time—it’s very modern and has electro-pop with rap verses by featured artists Leikeli47 and Dreezy. Its metallic sounds will be sure to grab your attention—The brassy sound is unlike anything I’ve ever heard before. Overall, the album is a beautiful blend of R&B and pop-electro, and George’s voice is the cherry on top.

Trial track: “Not Above Love”

7.5/10

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Music

POP Montreal turns 15

Interview with co-founder and creative director of POP Montreal, Dan Seligman

An underground music event that brings together over 400 local and international musicians and hosts four days worth of events and performances all across town—is this too good to be true? In Montreal, it isn’t, because it’s happening. The annual music festival POP Montreal is back and celebrating its 15-year anniversary between Sept. 21 to 25.

Dan Seligman, POP Montreal’s co-founder and creative director, is responsible for the festival’s musical programming. He launched the festival as a McGill graduate back in 2002, along with co-founders Noelle Sorbara and Peter Rowan.“I was pretty young—just graduated from McGill, majoring in comparative religion. A friend of mine approached me with the idea of getting involved in creating a musical festival,” said Seligman. At the time, he was doing some work in music, managing his brother’s band, Stars. “For the first edition of POP Montreal, it took us six months to make it happen,” Seligman said. “We made contacts, sponsorships and we invited a few international bands.”

The event was a success and the trio decided to make it an annual festival. “Every next edition has been a continuation,” said Seligman. “It’s a lot of fun and it’s always challenging to manage a festival.” As they grew and developed their brand, the trio realized that Montreal has a huge music scene with lots of opportunities in the industry.

Bringing in countless music legends every year, POP Montreal’s 2016 lineup is no exception. John Cale, the founder of the rock-and-roll group Velvet Underground, will be flying in to perform as a headliner at the Rialto Theatre. He will also host an “artist talk” at the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts.“I’m really looking forward to John Cale—he’s a musical legend,” said Seligman. “This is an exclusive show. He isn’t doing any other shows in North America. He’s flying to Montreal specifically for us.”

POP Montreal will also be hosting a series of late-night shows at the Rialto Theatre. The band 69 Boyz will be playing their 90s top hit “Tootsee Roll” and young hip-hop artist Princess Vitarah will also be performing. Besides showing performances in the main theatre hall, there will be special shows on the rooftop. The first floor area is their club house lounge, where different chefs will be there every night. It’s free and open to the public. “It’s a hangout area in between shows,” said Seligman.

Come celebrate POP Montreal’s 15-year anniversary. Graphic by Florence Yee

POP Montreal brings together a variety of music, art and people from all over the world to participate in the festival. “We have industry people coming from all over the world to check out local acts—local emerging artists can help develop their career and territories across the world,” said Seligman. Every year, local artists are invited to submit samples of their music to POP Montreal for a chance to perform at the festival. They can submit their music through POP Montreal’s website. “Certain artists, such as the headliners, we solicit and ask them to perform and some of the up-and-coming artists go through our submission process, where you can apply to perform at the festival,” said Seligman. Over 1,000 artists submitted their music this year, but only 100 made the cut. “We listen to all the music we receive with our committee. We invite journalists [and] artists to come and listen to it all. We work with the programming team to select artists and put it all together,” said Seligman. As the festival’s creative director, Seligman is constantly meeting new artists. “People are always sending me new music,” he said. “I really enjoy programming and bringing different artists together.”

POP Montreal also launched a new monthly video series called “POP Shots” which aims to give visibility to local artists. “It’s an initiative we did this past year,” said Seligman. “It was cool to work with local artists.” Espace POP, which is a space built for artists to perform throughout the year, is where these artists perform while our team films them and post the videos online. “It’s a showcase of local artists all year round. We’re always doing stuff throughout the year,” said Seligman.

POP Montreal “adds a nice flavour to the city,” Seligman said. “I think it’s a special event. I hope that people love it, support [it] and buy tickets and have a good time.” A word of advice from Seligman to all bands interested in trying out for the festival next year: “Try to make really good music that stands out and that isn’t boring. Keep practicing, keep playing shows and keep doing your music if you love it.”

For more information about tickets and the lineup, visit the festival’s website: www.popmontreal.com.

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Music

Women in old-school hip-hop

Some of the first female hip-hop artists to influence a whole generation

These influential women made it in the game and left more than just their mark behind—they left a hip-hop legacy. Their determination, confidence and raw talent have influenced both male and female artists to this day.

The Fugees- The Score

The Fugees, comprised of Lauryn Hill, Pras Michel and Wyclef Jean, were active in the 90s, and blew fans away with their 1996 album, The Score.  The hip-hop album, Timeless and enchantingly cool, is listed on the Rolling Stone’s “500 Best Albums of all Time” list.  The group’s reggae vibe, as well as the presence of Hill’s enchanting R&B voice distinguishes this group from any other alternative hip-hop trio of the 90s. The album includes Hill’s infamous cover of Roberta Flack’s “Killing Me Softly,” and even an effortlessly cool cover of Bob Marley’s “No Woman, No Cry.” The trio is one-of-a-kind in the way that they fused soul, reggae and hip-hop, all while maintaining flawless rapping and powerful lyrics.  Hill would go on to have an equally successful solo career after The Fugees split in 1997.  Thankfully, Hill is still active—you might even have seen her at the Montreal Jazz Festival this summer. Both The Fugees, and 90s hip-hop, would have been lost without Hill.

Trial track: “Ready or Not”

 

Roxanne Shanté- The Bitch is Back

Roxanne Shanté’s 1992 album, The Bitch is Back, is your typical record-scratching, beat-mixing, drum machining, emceeing, hip-hop album. It will remind you of the music of Spike Lee’s Do the Right Thing. It’s the essence of the early 90s— a time when clothing and music were as colourful as Shanté’s style. Shanté’s career was short, but far from tranquil.  The Queensbridge, N.Y. native became known thanks to the Roxanne Wars—a series of rap rivalries during the mid-80s between Shanté and another Roxanne. The rivalry began with a dispute over a cancelled show. The disses began  with Shanté’s track “Roxanne’s Revenge,” produced with the help of New York record producer Marley Marl.  Diss tracks and rap battles have always been an important part of hip-hop culture—a culture where pride and egos are important. “On stage tryin’ to recite like me, but what I really see is Creepshow 3.  I size em’ up to die and pulverize em, so bad her own mother won’t recognize em,’” raps Shanté in her first track off The Bitch is Back, “Deadly Rhymes.”  The Bitch is Back was Shanté’s second and final album.

Trial track- “Big Mama”

Salt-N-Pepa – Hot, Cool & Vicious

If you mess with them, they’ll take your man. They made that damn straight with their very first album, Hot, Cool & Vicious. The album was launched in 1986, making Salt-N-Pepa one of the first all-female groups out there. From Queens, N.Y., the ladies formed a trio with confident and feisty raps. They were the hip-hop feminists of the 80s. If you think you’ve never heard any of their songs, think again. Does this ring a bell: “Push it. Push it real good?” Ooh baby, baby, their hit “Push It” has played in one too many commercials. Salt-N-Pepa’s overall energy during stage performances is remarkable. Their jams from Hot, Cool & Vicious were also great hits in clubs that still play on the dancefloors of today. “Shoop” is a perfect example, as it still plays in dance clubs and is frequently used in hip-hop choreographies in dance studios. These ladies were way ahead of their time in terms of musicality. Hot, Cool & Vicious will definitely get you hooked on the groups vivaciousness. A definite must for all who appreciate the classic hip-hop genre.

Trial Track: “I’ll Take Your Man”

Da Brat – Funkdafied

Da Brat knows how to let the funk flow. If this album doesn’t convince you that she is the badass queen of rap, then you’ll have to listen to her track “Funkdafied” one more time. This was her very first solo album, launched back in 1994, back when the female rap game was still very fresh. Her style is known for mixing R&B rhythms with smooth rap prose. She demonstrates strength and confidence in her verses. Da Brat is 90s hip-hop from head to toe. She brought the funk, and a sleek smooth tone of voice, with lyrically genius content. Not to mention, her 90s house party music videos were the bomb. Her jam “Fa All Y’All” is super funky and cool. The hella cool music video for the song demonstrates her class and poise. She is an inspiration to all female rappers out there. If her jam “Sittin’ On Top of the World” doesn’t inspire confidence, then I don’t know what does.

Trial track: “Funkdafied”

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Music

An intro to old-school, U.S hip-hop

Some essentials from the genre that won over the 90s

Digable Planets- Reachin’ (A New Refutation of Time and Space)

Three distinct voices—one distinct funky sound. This 90s alternative American hip-hop group was composed of Ishmael “Butterfly” Butler, Mary Ann “Ladybug Mecca” Vieira and Craig “Doodlebug” Irving.  Their 1993 debut album, Reachin’ (A New Refutation of Time and Space), is the album that, to many, best captures the band’s infamous smooth and cool sound. The band’s debut album contains catchier beats than later albums, simple rhymes and unique lyrics that perfectly convey the trio’s love of funk.  The album’s biggest hit, “Rebirth of Slick (Cool Like Dat),” is a simple and lyrically groovy ode to their sound. “Just sendin’ chunky rhythms right down ya block. We be to rap what key be to lock,” they rap in the song.  Yes they are hip-hop like that and yes you need to listen to this jam. The group’s albums, although different, were all about simplicity, without compromising originality and lyrical depth.

Trial track: “Time & Space (A Refutation Of)”

 

N.W.A– Straight Outta Compton

These guys are sure to ring a bell. They are one of the most popular, important and influential old-school hip-hop groups, and the main force behind the “gangsta rap” sub-genre.  The original crew formed in 1986, and was comprised of Arabian Prince, Dr. Dre, Eazy-E and Ice Cube. DJ Yella and MC Ren joined on shortly thereafter. Arabian Prince left the group before the release of their first and most renowned album, Straight Outta Compton. N.W.A brought “reality rap” to hip-hop. Their lyrics weren’t about expensive cars and money—they wanted to sharing their reality through their music. Compton’s reality in the 80s and 90s was poverty, police brutality, drug trafficking and racial divide. The group’s music fused anger, a call for social justice and hip-hop in a way that revolutionized the genre and is remembered decades later. The group’s sound is aggressive, up-beat and bass-driven. One of the best parts of this album comes from listening to the different and distinct voices of each member come together.

Trial track: “Fuck Tha Police”

A Tribe Called Quest– Midnight Marauders

This classic hip-hop band, formed in 1985, was composed of Q-Tip, Phife Dawg and Ali Shaheed Muhammed. Midnight Marauders, the group’s third album, released in 1993, is one of the most beloved, acclaimed and commercially successful albums the crew produced.  The album unfolds like a melodious and jazzy story, complete with smooth instrumentals, heavy bass lines and politically-charged lyrics complemented by some groove.

Trial track: “Award Tour”

 

 

Nas –  Illmatic

Listen to “NY State of Mind” attentively. Feel the lyrics as he rhymes along this obscure beat that takes you into the projects of Queensbridge, N.Y. This song is so powerful—it will leave you feeling scared. That’s what real hip-hop is supposed to make you feel: deep emotions. This song leaves you motivated, because in his voice, he is yearning for a way out—rapping his way out of hell. This album gives you the ambition to get through whatever problems you think you may have. New to hip-hop? This is the go-to album to get familiar with strong lyrical prose and the aggressiveness that lies behind it. Illmatic is a landmark album for east coast hip-hop. Make sure to listen to all of Nas’ albums while you’re at it—he is a lyrical genius.

Trial Track: “NY State of Mind”

 

2Pac – All Eyez on Me

All Eyez on Me, one of the last albums 2Pac recorded before his death, is one of the best selling albums in America. 2Pac was a gangster rapper, with a great lyrical style with raw energy. He rapped about the struggles of black men and women in poor neighbourhoods and their struggles, violence in the streets and many other social issues. His songs opened a door to the world of drugs and gang violence. He spoke the truth about what happens on the streets: “Give the crack to the kids, who the hell cares, one less hungry mouth on the welfare. First ship ‘em dope and let ‘em deal the brothers, give ‘em guns, step back, watch ‘em kill each other.” Those are lyrics from his song “Changes.”

Trial track: “All Eyez on Me”

 

Wu-Tang Clan – Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers)

“Dolla dolla bill y’all!” This rap group is composed of many big-name artists in the hip-hop scene such as: Method Man, Raekwon, Ghostface Killah, Inspectah Deck, U-God, Masta Killa, Ol’ Dirty Bastard and Cappadonna. Representing Staten Island, New York City, they are definitely one of the most influential groups in hard-core hip-hop. Wu-Tang Clan stood out as soon as the album was released—no one sounded like them then, nor does anyone sound like them today. Their distinctive beats and lyrical style are hard to mimic. That’s what happens when so many talented rappers come together in the same group. To get the right feel of what underground rap is all about, listen to their song “C.R.E.A.M”.

Trial track: “C.R.E.A.M”

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Music

From Montreal to Groenland

Local band launches new album, A Wider Space

Groenland, French for Greenland, is a cold, far-away arctic island that remains mysterious to most of us. It’s also a fairly new indie-pop band based in Montreal. Their 2013 debut album, The Chase, was nominated for best album of the year at ‘L’Autre Gala de l’ADISQ’. Which is the award show of the music industry association of Quebec. The band’s newest release, A Wider Space, is coming out on Sept. 16.

The band initially started with Sabrina Halde and Jean Viver Lévesque. Halde is the lead vocalist—she also plays the ukulele, keyboard and percussions. Lévesque is in charge of programming, keyboards, electronic sounds and percussions. Today, there are six band members: Jonathan Charette on drums, cellist Marianne Bertrand, Ariane Grut-Pelchat on the violin and Simon Gosselin, who plays bass and of course, Halde and Lévesque.

Coincidentally, all members of the band attended Cégep Saint-Laurent, which is where Halde and Lévesque first met. “If we didn’t meet our bandmates while we were studying there, we met them afterwards,” said Lévesque.”Afterwards” turned out to be at a party a few years after graduation—that’s when Groenland made its debut. “Sabrina and I were [at the party] and we decided to start jamming on a staircase together, singing and having fun,” said Lévesque. “Only 6 years later, we bumped into each other again and said, ‘Hey! Didn’t we jam at that party together?”

Shortly thereafter, Halde and Lévesque began working at a coffee shop together and realized they shared similar tastes in music, admiring artists such as Feist and Thom Yorke. “We started to jam and practice more often and it really clicked,” said Lévesque. Halde said that was when they both realized they were ready to start a band together. Halde and Lévesque initially wanted to be a duo at first, but it eventually changed. “We were like, ‘It’s boring only being two, should we get another person to join?’ Then, when our third person joined, we were like: ‘It’s boring being three, let’s be four,” said Lévesque.“Now at six people, we are complete,” said Halde. “We don’t want to change this.”

Groenland is instrumentally diverse, which differentiates them from other indie-pop bands. “We play the violin, the cello, along with the ukulele, the bass, a lot of piano, keyboards, percussions, drum machines and steel drums for that smooth Caribbean sound. We also combine that with brass instruments,” said Halde. They recently returned from a concert in Lavaltrie, Quebec and the FME Music festival in Rouyn-Noranda. “We were playing our new songs—the audience was open and attentive. So far, it’s been going smooth,” said Halde.

Groenland will be performing for POP Montreal at Club Soda on Sept. 22. Photo by Jerry Pigeon

Since the release of their first album The Chase, both Halde and Lévesque have devoted all of their time to Groenland. Their first album sold over 32 000 copies in Canada. In 2013, they performed at Osheaga, and during spring and summer of 2015, they toured Europe, performing in Germany, the Netherlands, France and England. “In Germany, the public was quiet and attentive during the whole show but as soon as we would finish playing our last note, bang, they would start to clap and scream,” said Halde.

They also performed with Mac Demarco and Half Moon Run in Trois-Riviere during the “FestiVoix” music festival in summer of 2014. “The concert was like a dream. We were hanging out with Mac Demarco and the guys from Half Moon Run by the river,” said Halde. Lévesque said it was the best festival they have ever played at. “That weekend we did three incredible shows. We went to Quebec, Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu and then at Metropolis here in Montreal to perform with St. Vincent,” said Lévesque.

Groenland is now on their way to play a few shows in Vancouver. “We are less stressed to perform there because not many people know about our music in the west coast. They will be discovering something new by listening to us. We feel more relaxed about this,” said Lévesque.

When it comes to their writing sessions, the bands works together, trying out different riffs. They compose as if they’re putting together a puzzle—combining different sounds together. The instrumentals are usually developed before the lyrics. “I am crazy about creating melodies and instrumentals,” said Halde. Lévesque said keeping a positive group energy is the most important thing during practices and writing sessions. “If you are not exactly sure of what you want to create, the others will feel the doubt. Discouraging practices can really affect your creation process negatively,” said Lévesque.

Halde’s dream would be to collaborate with Thom Yorke. “I know it’s cliché, but that would be crazy. He’s my long-term inspiration. We would love to collaborate with Beck and James Blake.” Final word of advice from Halde for all aspiring musicians: “Just be open-minded and listen to yourself and others. You have to battle your fears. To create something is to jump into the unknown. It’s risky. You have to accept the fact that it might not work out.”

Groenland will be performing tunes from A Wider Space at Club Soda on Sept 22. for POP Montreal.  The show starts at 8:00pm and tickets are $32.25 at the door.

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Music Quickspins

PartyNextDoor – PartyNextDoor 3

PartyNextDoor – PartyNextDoor 3 (OVO Sounds/Warner Bros, 2016)

PartyNextDoor 3 combines mellow trap music with a dance hall, reggae vibe. If you like The Weeknd, Drake or Tory Lanez, you’ll like this album. His song “Not Nice” will get stuck in your head after just the first listen. It’s a soft dancehall jam that will instantly make you slow whine to the rhythm—an excellent choice for a house party. “Only You” is a romantic reggae tune that is very easy to like. Then he jumps into deeper trap music with a heavy bass lines with “Don’t Know How” and “Problems & Selfless.” Party Next Door’s trap music has soft, slow rhythms—mixed with his dreamy voice, it’s the type of music you’ll listen to when you just want to chill out or when you’re late night driving after a long work shift. His hit from the album is “Come and See Me” featuring Drake. It has a flowy R&B feel, tells a story, and will surely get stuck in your head for weeks. His songs are guaranteed to relax you.

Trial Track: “Come and See Me”

7.5/10

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