In support of his latest mixtape No Handouts, JD era held a invite only listening session for members of the press and radio at the Ice H20 offices in Toronto on May 1st 2012. For the lucky few in attendance the night included Horderves, drinks and a sampling of music from Era”s latest mixtape No Handouts.
Since it was announced that Raekwon would be starting a label in Toronto with JD Era being the first act signed under the imprint, expectations have been high. Having the burden of proving that Canadian talent can be successful without crossing the border has been a tall order for many artists to prove. However, with quality music like the well crafted No Handouts, Era is well on his way to proving that it can be done. With solid production from 9th wonder, Lex Luger, Burd X Keyz and amazing features on standout tracks like Mount Olympus with Shi Wisdom and The Greatest featuring Raekwon, No Handouts sets the stage for Era to become a household name without having to leave the great white north.
We spoke with Era about the making of No Handouts, who his favourite Wu -Tang artist was growing up, and why he feels Canadian MC’s can compete with the best of them.
Click on the link to check out the entire interview on what he has to say plus plenty more.
G-Two is one of the rap games best kept secrets and I think it’s time for people to get familiar. The Maryland native is 23 years old and has a passion for hip-hop music that is special to see in someone of his age. His most recent and well received project entitled, One Man Army Vol. 2: Warpaint, is a 13-track mixtape that delivers quality lyrics, beats, hooks and stories from start to finish. G-Two’s infectious flow and incredible lyricism are bound to grab an audience’ attention and have them bumping their heads and quoting lines in no time. As a fan I reached out to G-Two letting him know how surprising it is for me to see his name lacking from the limelight and that I think an interview with The Come Up Show would be a great way to get his name out there and more importantly to have his music heard. G graciously accepted and I got the chance to discuss these matters with him a long with a bunch of other topics as well. G-Two speaks on what inspires him as an artist, his recent trip to SXSW, his upcoming project Trillmatic, his love for reading and more. Click on the link to check out the full interview.
Shi-Wisdom has a voice one instantly remembers; an old soul voice that complements any classic production, what purists complain is missing from today’s music. Not only does she captivate with her voice but she writes music for some of the today’s most popular artists as well. Known for ripping every stage she touches with her live performance there is no reason to question why she is on everyone’s radar. With collaborations with JD Era, Kardinal Offishall, and a co-writing credit with Drake the songstress is poised to be the next big thing out of Toronto, but is that something she even cares about? One might be surprised to hear her answer. Check out our interview to see what she has to say about being considered “next”, her love with the city of Toronto, who in Hip Hop she grew up listening to and what she thinks about being signed to a major label.
Click on the link to read the interview.
Be on the lookout for SonReal this year. With the recent release of his highly-anticipated Words I Said mixtape, and the upcoming release of his full-length album Good News, the Vancouver artist is making a strong case as to why 2012 could very well be his year. As he tells us, “I feel like I’ve got the skills to be at the top, I feel like I’ve got the mind-state.” The Come Up Show caught up with SonReal the day after Words I Said dropped to talk about his mixtape, his recent comparisons to Canada’s major hip-hop export, and his mom’s rapping skills, among other things.
Hit the skip to check out the interview.
If you haven’t checked out Quake Matthews’ album The Book of Matthew yet, do yourself a favour and download it right now. The Fairview, Nova Scotia artist is responsible for my personal favourite album of 2012 so far. After making a name in the rap battle circuit and getting a lot of attention from The Search last year with Kayo, Quake Matthews is on the cusp of becoming a dominant voice in Canadian hip-hop, having worked with Royce Da 5’9″, Freeway, and Termanology already. The Come Up Show caught up with Quake Matthews last week to talk about The Book of Matthew, working with Freeway, and how he got his name, among other things.
Hit the skip to check out the interview.
Iron Solomon is on a roll right now. After just releasing his debut album, Monster, and receiving a shout out from Drake, the Manhattan battle rapper turned emcee appears poised to establish himself as a strong presence in hip-hop. All this after having already cemented his legacy as a legend in the rap battle circuit, taking out Immortal Technique in his teens and later battling the likes of Jin, Math Hoffa (in a classic Smack DVD battle), 106 & Park champion Avalanche, and E. Ness. The Come Up Show caught up with Iron last week while he was on tour in Seattle with Boot Camp Clik, and discussed his debut album, his transition from battle rapper to rap artist, the current state of hip-hop, his love for New York City, and his comedic side, among other things.
Hit the skip to read the full interview.
On Friday March 16th 2012, Queens borough MC Noreaga was in town to perform at the Opera House in Toronto. The MC has been in Canada before, however this was his first time ever performing in city. Before the show, I had the opportunity to sit down with Noreaga and discuss a variety of topics. We touched on married life, his distinct slang vocabulary, and the famous politician that follows him on twitter. Noreaga did not hold back on anything making for a great chat and interview.
Continue reading to check out the full interview.
by Geoffrey Granka
Noel Cadastre gets happier the harder he works. He crossed paths with Aubrey Graham and Noah Shebib while working at a recording studio in Mississauga. He was the only one willing to work an awkwardly scheduled late shift. Nobody who knew Noel would be surprised he was willing to work a last minute shift. Just as nobody can be all that surprised that he was then asked to go on the road with Drake and 40 to help finish what would become Thank Me Later. A couple million international sales later, he’s very happy these days.
Noel sat down with The Come Up Show to geek about studio gear, the upcoming Take Care, and offer insight to working with one of the biggest artists of the decade so far.
Click below to check out the full interview.
by Kara-Lis Coverdale
Looking back over my original interview transcription, Dan Shore (Toronto/London/Port Perry producer dBiscuits) and I killed nearly 40 minutes bantering back and forth about cross-dressing, the existence of Kalamazoo, and Master P after we finally sorted out Dan’s overt — and painfully hilarious – demonstration of g-chat illiteracy. It’s pretty fair to say that modern lap-top oriented producers are pretty technologically savvy and spend a lot of time in the digital realm, so I couldn’t contain myself when he kept writing stuff like “This is weirding me out hard — I don’t know if my mic is activated or what the hell is going on…” and “How do i get my webcam kicking, like can you see me on your webcam right now???” and “Can you hear me??” while we were being hosted by what is, like, the most simple chat room in existence these days.
Conversation is never boring when Dan is around. He’s full of questions, random facts, stories, unique and esoteric observations, and is also probably one of the plain jolliest people you will ever meet. Yet while you should maybe know this in and of itself — I mention his character here distinctly because I think Dan Shore, as a personality, shines through everything he does musically as dBiscuits. The two — Dan and dBiscuits — are actually inextricable entities, and I can’t help but find it fascinating how I actually hear Dan in the music he makes.
If you keep up with The Come Up Show, I’ve mentioned this transparency in a couple reviews I’ve written of his work, mainly for his first album Biscuits & Logistics Vol. 0: The Medulla Oblongata, a sample-based collage project that oozes humor and surfs juxtaposition in funky ways. Yet figuring character into his music is seemingly a natural affect of learning the craft and techniques of production first. Dan just wrapped up a two year masters degree at UWO, and The Medulla Oblongata is sort-of the equivalent of this program’s thesis. To compliment the record, he wrote a huge-ass paper about the dynamics processing techniques he used to acquire the sounds you hear.
Neat, huh? Read the interview below to read what this always-already student of music had to say about his background, creative process, and hip-hop academia.
by Kara-Lis Coverdale
He’s no spring chicken in the Canadian hip-hop scene, but T.O. based producer Fresh Kils hasn’t really spent much time dancing in the spotlight, and it’s not because he was born with a hideous gnome face or because he’s an ardent agoraphobic or something. No, along with his mountains of production gear, Fresh Kils has simply been dwelling in his studio, grinding hard and banging out beats for artists like D-Sisive and Ghettosocks like he’s the Christmas elf of Northern hip-hop.
But all that is changing. Or, at least the behind-the-scenes part. As a solo act and as 1/2 of the production duo The Extremities, Kils is stepping up his stage game, and he’s doing it by coming hard as one of the most kick ass MPC performers out there right now.
In between Easter egg hunts this past holy Sunday, we sat down to chat with Kils to talk about sampling, the state of “live” hip-hop, and how the MPC has not only brought him from the studio to stage, but has changed the way he makes beats altogether.
Click below to read the entire interview. It’s long, but she’s a goodie.
(Photos: Alex Kamino)
by Harina Mokanan
Performing in Toronto for the second time in less than a year, UK electronic duo Mount Kimbie – made up of Kai Campos and Dominic Maker – recently stopped by popular Queen West haunt Wrongbar to perform a short setlist of tracks from their debut album Crooks and Lovers and 2009′s Maybes EP.
On a weekend when the city was gearing up to celebrate the best in Canadian music for Canadian Music Week, an impressively large crowd packed into the venue and were treated to the sounds of artists ranging in genre and in country of origin. Opening up for the boys on their latest stop were Indie band Meet the Blue. The electronic/rock sound the Limerick band brought onstage was in stark contrast to the music Mount Kimbie unleashed unto the audience. Aside from some sound issues and a late start time, Mount Kimbie kept in line with the musical assortment theme of the night. From the ambient sounds of William to the body moving beats of Carbonated, Kai and Dominic remained deeply focused throughout their set, ensuring the crowd walked away with a favourable experience. Evident by the unanimous cheers from the audience when the first few notes of “Before I Move Off” began, the boys achieved just that.
The Come Up Show had the chance to sit down with Mount Kimbie before the show to hear about their experiences on the road and their musical process from inception to performance.
Click below to read the full interview.
