Closing out this very special weekend, veteran Sean Price made his way to London on Sunday, April 21st as part of his Mic Tyson tour, as well to celebrate The Come Up Shows 6th anniversary. From the days of Heltah Skeltah’s 97’ Nocturnal release to all three of Bootcamp Clik’s albums and even as a solo artist with releases like Monkey Barz all the way to his present material Mic Tyson; Sean Price has been a topic of discussion amongst the hip-hop heads daily. Right after performing in St.Catharines the previous night, P took the stage at Rumrunners Music Hall fulfilling a lot of long awaited dreams of going to see Sean P live in the flesh. Check out the full review by hitting the jump!

This past Friday on April 19th, marked the sixth year since The Come Up Show’s humble beginnings on 94.9 CHRW Radio. In celebration, an amazing line-up of artists took the stage at the Black Shire Pub and threw down what was no doubt an unforgettable night. As the doors opened for the upstairs section, the guests all hovered by the bar quickly grabbed their drinks and started crowding the stage as the final touches were done for the setup. With friends, fans and staff all in attendance, it already felt like a “get-together like” party and the night hadn’t even really begun yet. HIT THE JUMP to read the full article and see all the amazing pictures!

On Friday March 22, 2013 the multi-talented Ryan Leslie returned to Toronto as part of Canadian Music Week in support of his forthcoming album, Black Mozart. Presented by Union Events, the evening also featured special guest and Juno Nominated rapper JD Era with music supplied by D’enforcas from the Heavy Hitters. Since his last return to Toronto, R. Les has dropped his third full-length album “Les Is More,” and most recently made headlines when he was ordered to pay a one million dollar reward that was offered for the return of his stolen laptop. However, that was put aside as the night was devoted to true talent and great music from each artist that took the stage.

Click the post to read the full review!

On January 10, 2013, Five & Dime in partnership with Union Events presented LEGENDS: Method Man, live at The Sound Academy. This was Meth’s first visit back since his last appearance in Toronto in 2011. Attracting a crowd of various individuals, younger and older, male and female, the extensive lineup stretched entirely down Polson Street. With over 5,000,000 albums sold worldwide and 20+ years in the rap game, it was inevitable that fans were more than eager to see a true legend perform as they patiently waited to get inside.

Click the post to read the full review!

If you have not been following the buzz through most social media outlets this has been creating the past month or so, may you be formally informed; none other than D Block general Mr. Jadakiss himself has been taking the stage at numerous venues across Canada for the first time ever! Starting in Montreal , he set off through Ontario beginning in Peterborough, stopping in London last Thursday where he put on a crazy performance; which for everybody there I can say it was an honor to attend. Ending his Ontario segment of the tour in Barrie/Newmarket at the New Market centre Saturday before heading to major cities due west, wrapping up his long overdue visit to Canada in Vancouver at Fortune Sound Club.

Click on the link to read the entire review

Dope production, lyricism, story-telling, thought-provoking subject matter, cohesiveness and overall substance are qualities that any hip-hop head would tell you encompasses “real hip-hop.” I could go on a personal diatribe on the term “real hip-hop”, but that’s not why I’m here typing this. What I am here to do is tell you about the night that was November 17, 2012 and the man that exhibited these hip-hop qualities on stage at the El Mocambo. Phonte Coleman, one-third of Little Brother and one-half of The Foreign Exchange, headlined a return concert in Toronto after fronting the Manifesto Festival bill last summer. Check out the full review by hitting the jump!

When you think of Wiz Khalifa, what is the first thing that comes to your mind?  Hit songs aside, the most immediate thoughts of most are a lot of “medicinal” references and partying.  Hailing from Pittsburgh, PA, as he rarely does not go without saying.  The “2012 Billboard Music Awards Best New Artist”, five platinum selling singles in more than one country, numerous platinum downloaded mixtapes, an album that went gold in a time where record sales are few and far between from what they used to be, and one album expected to be due December 4th titled O.N.I.F.C. Clearly he is making his lane, and proving to be worthy of moving up towards hip hop’s upper echelon, if not already there. Check out the full post for the review and photos!

Waka Flocka Flame has “it” factor. Whether you consider that a good “it” or a bad “it” depends on which side of the rap ideological spectrum you fall on. Fan and critical opinions aside, there’s one thing all rap followers can agree on: his 2010 major-label debut, Flockaveli, completely altered the contemporary rap landscape. Buoyed by Lex Luger’s, apocalyptic 808s and slasher film synths, Flockaveli was a relentless assault, 17 songs of boisterous ad-libs, machine gun sound effects and post-crunk rage MCing – the rap equivalent of a Red Bull IV drip. The aggressive “trap” sound that it spawned quickly became monolithic in street rap. Two years after Flockaveli, Flocka is enjoying the spoils of a rapper in the midst of a full-on crossover marketing blitz – cover stories for traditional rock publications, endorsements with left-leaning interest groups, posing for hipster-baiting celebrity photographers. Whether or not these new comforts and an expanded audience will cause Waka to lose the primal urgency that made Flockaveli a gangsta rap epoch remains to be seen, but Waka’s career has certainly taken a turn towards corporate synergy that’s impossible to ignore.

Click on the link to read the entire review

On September 26, 2012, Canadian rappers Rich Kidd and SonReal held a listening party at the Proper Reserve Store in Toronto for their collaborative 10-track LP “The Closers”, set to be released on October 16, 2012. Those who had the privilege of attending this event were given a sneak peak of the album, while enjoying food and refreshments as we stood for photos and conversed amongst one another throughout the evening.

Click the post to read the full review and check out the great photots!

On September 24th, 2012 Mississippi native Big K.R.I.T. made his way to Toronto’s Phoenix Concert Theatre as part of his Live From The Underground Tour. Special guests included: Big Sant, Tito Lopez, and Slim Thug. K.R.I.T. has opened for major artists such as Wiz Khalifa, while being recognized as one of XXL’s Top Eleven Freshmen of 2011. He also contributed by co-headlining last year’s “The Smokers Club Tour” alongside Method Man and Curren$Y. With Big K.R.I.T. on the rise, it was apparent that this event was going to be that of something special.

Click the post to read the full review!