canadian 80s hip hop
kilogram
152 Posts
can anyone think of anything?of course there's maestro and dream warriors and stuff, the main source connection, aki had 12" a long time ago that was from like 80 with a picture cover but i can't rembember what it was. definitely heard some stuff on the radio back then. there's gotta be some malton equivalent of pelon or something. or maybe not. no kish jokes.
Comments
Early 80s:
Barry & Demo - Another One Bites Rap
Mr. Q - Party Rapp
Horace "Ace" Davis - Funkadelic Funk
Late 80s:
The Get Funky Crew - Pullit All The Way Down
Cold Front compilation (Attic, 1991)
Side 1
Maestro Fresh Wes - Black Tie Affair
Base Poet - When I Went To Buy Milk
Sweet Ebony - With This
Dream Warriors - 12 Sided Dice
Main Source - Atom
Sonyalive - I'm Coming Into Conciousness
Side 2
Kish - Jim Class
R+R - Having A Good Day
New Black Nation - Soul Vibration
KGB (Kool, Black and Gifted) - Letters Of Three
Top Secret - Stupid
Fresh B - This Is For The Record
liner notes follows:
"Although rap music has existed in Toronto since the late 70's under the influence of N.Y.C. and brought to the people via mobile sound crews like Sunshine, Maceo, City Crew and Ebony All-Star, the Toronto rap music community has had to share the beat with Funk, R&B, and Reggae almost pushing rap into an obscure underground until the mid-eighties. It wasn't until CKLN radio DJ Ron Nelson dedicated his three hour funk/hip hop show "The Fantastic Voyage" solely to rap music and began promoting concerts that new life was breathed into a community saturated by Roxanne Roxanne answer records and Egyptian lover beats.
"From the mid to late eighties, no Canadian artist had rapped on vinyl until Ivan Berry, Rupert Gayle and Richard Rodwell (AKA Maximum 60) formed Beat Factory Productions. In 1987 Beat Factory met Scott La Rock and KRS 1 during a BDP show. The result of that meeting was the Beat Factory EP featuring Michee Mee & L.A. Luv, and Rumble & Strong, which was co-produced by BDP and released on Beat Factory Records.
"Still, many Canadian labels weren't paying attention to the program. It wasn't until December of 1989 that Attic Records broke things wide open when they released Symphony In Effect, the debut album from Maestro Fresh Wes. Maestro and his manager Farley Flex had a chance meeting with Stevie B during a performance on the local television dance show The Electric Circus which led to an American deal with LMR Records. The album was released in Canada on Attic and quickly proved rap's commercial power to the industry by sailing past the platinum sales plateau and making Wes the first Canadian artist in any genre to score two Top 5 singles from a debut album -- thus forever changing the way the Canadian record industry viewed rap music.
"Meanwhile, Beat Factory had relative success with the signing of Michee Mee to First Priority and the release of HDV's debut LP, Sex, Drugs And Violence on ISBA (CBS) Canada. But, it wasn't until Island Records released the Dream Warriors LP, And Now The Legacy Begins, that Canadian hip-hop was finally recognized world-wide.
"Finally, A&M Records became the first major label to sign a Canadian rap artist when they picked up Kish from the Full Flex Management stable. Kish's debut Order To Chaos shows the new funky direction taken on by the Canadian hip hop nation.
"The Cold Front LP is not all that makes Toronto strong, but it's a taste of a rap community that has been stewing for over a decade."
--John Bronski
Hopefully the info provided helps in any way.
Orips, would you happen to have the 'Cold Front' comp on mp3? My copy was stolen years ago, and would love to just listen to some of those tracks again.
I have the comp on LP and cassette, but am not set up to digitize (wack computer at home). If you would like a copy on tape just to listen, I could make one for you.
Get Loose Crew - EP (1985)
"rap vigilante" is a bomb!
Great post orips. Made me remember some stuff. Many people say that B-boy Destruction was the first. But I'd like to ask Ron (Ronnie O) if he also did that bootleg that had another one of his tracks (I believe it was called Breakdown) on one side and rapper's delight on the other side. And if he pressed that before BBoy Destruction. Which I believe it came out 4 or 5 years before BBoy Destruction.
Bronski also notes Beat Factory. Ivan Berry, Who should get alot of shine, along with Ron Nelson for Hip Hop moves in Canada back in the day. A fav quote of mine from Ivan.
"If you followed my career, I was doing Michie Mee before there was anything called reggae rap. I was doing Dream Warriors before there was anything called jazz rap and I was doing HDV before there was the west coast doing the pimp of the microphone way before there was Snoop Doggy Dogg and NWA."
I love the fact that Bronski gave a shout to Maceo in that insert. Who's a really great friend of mine.
Some other 80's canadian rap.
Rumble & Strong's - (I would die if PEK from here could get me his tape of early recordings from them).
HDV - Pimp of the microphone & Keep it a Secret
Michie Mee
Split Personality
Not sure if you could find much in vinyl. Since anything I ever got was on tapes. But there's
Krush and Skad
RazorBlayd
Top Secret
Slinky Dee
Self-Defence
K-4ce (K-Force).
Now, how about Canadian Hip Video's? Was this the first?
HAHAHAHA
>>Stop the Violence?
Totally forgot about that 12"
Mr. Colin sir...
first off, i owe you a email or something like that...so sorry for not getting at you.
second, i have Cold Front burned into my itunes, but have no idea how to send MP3's. If you want a copy I'll happily burn one for you.
third.... as we Canadians know the scene was more a live than recorded thing in the 80's. Really takes flight in the 90's. Bit of a drag when you consider the talent that was around.
Yes, Aaron! No worries on the email front. We all get busy. I would defnitely love to get a copy of Cold Front (Thanks for the offer Orips, but to be honest, at the moment, I don't even have a working tape deck... weird, I know).
Liek Aaron said, the Toronto scene in the 80's was pretty much a live scene, with a few records here and there. I do now that there are an abundence of tapes floating around. Every section of the city had it's crews, so there are a lot of limited run stuff kicking around (maxi-singles, mixtapes, live party tapes). To find any that are not burnt out is a feat unto itself. Like it was mentioned, things more or less took off in the early 90's. Until then, the only Black music that really got funded/produced here was reggae and calypso (and some rnb), due to the amount of West Indie transplants that had an established income to release music. Rap was more or less strictly handled by a younger generation that were scrounging to put out a simple indie release for there boys to hear. I mean, in the 80's most people still thought rap was a fad, and especially in Canada where there was next to no mainstream support for it, until 'Let Your Backbone Slide' blew up. People treated Maestro as the first Canadian rapper (obviously not the case). And even still, the support took a long time to build.
Anyways, just my two cents. Sorry for the long quasi-rant.
Oh man, these are all essential. I would love to have that Rumble and Strong. mp3's are a must. I mean, I would love the vinyl, but the mp3's would suit me fine.
Honestly, I'm not exactly sure. I haven't heard it in ages, and actually it's a friend of mine that has it. Mr. Tuneup might know off the top of his head.
What are some of the first records in other areas of Canada? Montreal? Halifax? Vancouver?
Some of the earlier records that I remember from MTL are by groups like M.R.F, a francophone group that had a single which sampled "Funky Drummer". I think language politics hampered the development of Hip Hop in MTL in the early years. The divide was greater back then. There was some other stuff in the '90's but nothing really worth mentioning.
peace
h
just stuff that was good. preferably 80s.
thanks. lots of stuff i either never heard or forgot about.
shame.
yeah, part of my asking was wondering why there was so few toronto releases compared to other cities.
I might be able to PM you over the Cold Front Comp in a day or two also.
I love talkin' 80's & early 90's Canadian Rap. Not many people remember those days. Anyone else here ever at the concert hall US VS Canada battle? That might have been the most exciting day of my childhood.
PEK Where r ya???
Was that on MuchMusic? And was KRS there & did he & Scott diss the crowd?
Some Rumble & Strong for ya.
http://s11.quicksharing.com/v/812938/Rumble_And_Strong_Crazy_Jam.mp3.html
http://s11.quicksharing.com/v/2730303/Rumble_and_Strong_Crazy_Jam_Instrumental_.mp3.html
http://s2.quicksharing.com/v/2022738/Rumble_Strong_Strong_Will_Survive.mp3.html
http://s2.quicksharing.com/v/4139946/Rumble_Strong_What_Other_DJs_Sound_Like.mp3.html
Some of the cuts sound pretty dated (Mid 80's), but DJ Jam on Strong was crazy back in the day. I wish I still had my CKLN tape from when he won the Canadian DMC's in 89 and was on Ron's show cuttin' it up.
If someone post some more stuff, I'd be willing to post somemore tracks of canadian shit.
OH and cholera. PM Sent.
Oh man, thanks dude! I'm at work right now, but I will be downloading these joints when I get home tonight.
I also love to talk early Canadian rap. I sometimes feel like it's something we take for granted... when everthing was really going off for the first time, it was all so normal. I can't really remember anyone saying 'damn, we're really doing something big'.
I was too young to go to the Concert Hall for the Toronto VS. NY battles/shows, but I remember watching them on MuchMusic. Things that stick out in my memory from that show...
- Scott La Rock and Biz dissing Beastie Boys who just dropped 'LTI'
- Scott La Rock flashing his rope chains to some kid in the crowd, saying 'you wish you could rock like this', and then giving five to the guy beside the same guy getting dissed
I wonder if there is anyone in Toronto that has kept an archive of every Toronto rap record released? I mean, I know there are some cats that have tonnes of records (anyone that played on any of the radio shows), but I'm wondering if there was someone who said 'I'm going to keep track off all of these records'.
I would love to see a full discography of Toronto hiphop...
You tube is our friend... The Concert Hall Dayz
As far as the early Toronto Hip Hop scene goes. The fact is, nobody has kept any type of archives. No pics, no tapes. Nothing! The best bet we have is if someone can somehow get access to the video vaults at CityTV. Since they covered alot of events back in the day, they would have some great stuff. I knew quite a few dudes from back in the day and they pretty much don't have anything. It's sad really. I really wish that back then I would have been taking pics or something. I mean, I had tons of access with stuff through StarSound and StreetSound Mag. And I never kept anything. And now, most of it seems like a blur from memory.
I've thought many times that I should try to put some shit together, either by hitting up old headz and seeing what I could find. But just knowing that major dudes from that day didn't keep shit, makes it seem like it can't happen.
OH Well.
Someone post some more tracks PLZ!
It ended up with gunshots and a few people getting trampled to death. Wild shit. Toronto was so strong back then. That record that was a Stop The Violence record was a response after Christmas Eve. The battle between CKLN and CHRY Sundays was nuts also. Dopest hiphop radio shows I have ever heard to date.
The one dood I always wished came with an LP was K-Force. He was a sick rapper with a really dope voice ( we was indeed on the cold front comp, but as I remember it was kinda soft on that LP). Product KVA was also really dope (especially when they were making music as Plains of Fascination). Talis made really good beats, and their DJ (son of soul?) was sick as fuck.
Anyways, I have a bit of nostalgia bout this whole time, and it most certainly shaped a lot of my ideas about hiphop (even though I was more interested in all the reggae nights that were popping back then). I cannot belive that someone doesn't have this stuff on tape. Anyone that was at all them Red Flame nights might recognize me as the 3rd white dood in Toronto (SNOW and CHEEKS fron NY being the other). Hahaha. Yeah man old days.
I was kind involved in the first wave of tape releases (aside from Product KVA and Modern World Thang), but as far as I know, there were no hiphop records from out there before we started doing it. I am the kid rapping too loud with no breath control. Say word. Jo Run was an old school Dj/DIgger (I am sure some folks on here have sold or traded record with him, I know Soulman can vouch for doods depth on a lot of levels) who basically produced everyone. That first wave of Halifax recordings was really fun, and I know there were some groups out there in the 8's but highly doubt if anyone has recordings.
Early to mid 90s Halifax.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=148F41ey3jI&eurl=
As far as any shit to remember those dayz. Has anyone talked to Bronski? I'm hoping he does a book one day. But as for DJ's go. I know alot of big names like X, Mastermind & Maceo, ETC... Have sold anything relating to those dayz as far as records go. I'm suppose to call Adrien and go for dinner one day. Maybe I should press him for anything he has (Pics, tapes,etc) or Paul's Bday is in less than a month. I always give him a call each year. I should hit him up also.
It's crazy to think about the Battle. I can barely even remember it. I just remember I came really late with 2 other friends and the place was sooo crazy. I missed the Beat Box battle (Which I really wanted to catch) and I can remember Peter was in the DJ battle. Oh... And it was the first time I saw Michie and thought she was sooooo wicked.
Word R*b! Son of SOUL was their dj, and is also a good friend of mine (what's up Sims, just in case you read this...). Oh, and he still is a very sick dj. Probably the best all around dj I've ever known. I've learned a lot from that man.
EQ (Ease and Quase) Put Your Body In It 12-Inch Maxi-Single
(Infinite Beat Record Corp., 1990)
A1: Put Your Body In It A2: Put Your Dub In It
B1: Child Running Wild B2: They Can't Cope
so dope (espeically the dub and b-sides)...
from...
Rising In the West (Vancouver Hip-hop???s Renaissance)
By Martin Turenne
August 01, 2002
http://www.exclaim.ca/index.asp?layid=22&csid1=1074
"Before the world started paying attention, the Rascalz were paving the way for the convoy of hip-hop artists that now rumbles non-stop from Lotus Land. A review of the scene???s history shows that the East Van crew was the first group in the city to be signed to a major label, and the first to gain widespread international recognition. ???When it comes to Vancouver, we???re the originators,??? claims Red, the MC-producer who coined the term Van City back in the mid-???90s. ???The only cats that was before us was this group called EQ. Those were the cats that inspired me. They were my heroes.???
Comprised of the Incredible Ease and Quaze, EQ was the first Vancouver hip-hop group to make a dent outside BC, first by playing shows Stateside and then by seeing its video for ???Swellsville??? get rotation on MuchMusic in 1988."