Canada's got talent (pt.2 - SonReal, Shad&Dallas, Young Fateh)

SonReal - Where's Waldo

     Less than a year after releasing The Lightyear Mixtape, Vernon, B.C. native SonReal has dropped another album that his fans and hip-hop lovers alike will enjoy.
     Where's Waldo showcases SonReal's abililty as a vocalist, not just as a rapper. Like his past albums, there are socially conscious songs, like "Out There," which deals with issues such as living on the streets and teen pregnancy, and more personal songs, like "Clap for me." 

      With featured artists like Saukrates, Rich Kidd and Ali Milner, and producers like 2oolman and Classified, each song is unique and catchy. 

      The final track, "My Life Outro," may be the most inspiring. It tells the story of SonReal's struggles to get to where he is now, from sleeping on his friend's couch, to feeling like giving up, to hearing words of support and working hard to make it.

      Overall, Where's Waldo shows growth for SonReal as an artist, but manages to keep the same qualities that make the artist stand out from others - the upbeat music, the sometimes conscious, sometimes personal lyrics, and SonReal's unique voice. The album gets 4.5/5 stars.

Shad & Dallas - Two Songs

    Possibly two of the most talented in their own genres, rapper Shad and alternative artist Dallas Green (City and Colour, Alexisonfire), come together for one of the best collaborations of the year.

    Green's soft, crooning voice and Shad's profound, poetic lyrics work perfectly with each other to integrate classic hip-hop with light rock.

     The album will appeal to listeners of both genres, and like most of Shad’s music, will leave listeners with something to think about.

     The album originally came out as a 12" vinyl, and was released on iTunes soon after. Staying true to the album name, there are only two songs, which is disappointing because listeners will definitely be left wanting more.

     Because the combination of Shad and Green is unexpected, but still works, and because there is a message behind the music, Two Songs gets 5/5 stars.

Young Fateh - Mr. Wall Street

            Californian-turned-Torontonian rapper Young Fateh shows that he has grown since his first mixtape but that there is still room for improvement with his latest release, Mr. Wall Street. 

      Some of his lyrics remain unchanged from his previous work, like those on “Killin Em” and “Run this Town,” and sound like many other rap songs with topics such as superiority over other rappers and objectification of women.
       “G-20 Cypher” and “Light Up” are the highlight of the album. “G-20 Cypher” is an attack on the police and the way the G-20 Summit in Toronto was handled. “Light Up” is a personal track, discussing Fateh’s feelings towards his old home (California) and his new home (Toronto), his struggles as a Punjabi rapper, and dealing with those who put him down.
       By using beats from songs like Kanye West’s “Homecoming” and Drake’s “Successful,” Young Fateh’s songs will easily get stuck in your head. With clever (though not always original) lyrics and a variety of other talented featured artists, the album is worth a listen. Fateh is slowly but surely on his way to becoming a full grown rapper, and this album shows it. Mr. Wall Street gets 3.5/5 stars.

Canada's got talent (pt.1 - K-Os, Humble the Poet, Noyz, B Magic)

K-Os - The Anchorman Mixtape
     K-Os never seems to disappoint, and his latest mixtape proves that hip-hop is still alive and well. From the first track through to the last, listeners are given a dose of the usual creative, rock/hip-hop mix of beats K-Os is known for. There are a few collaborations as well, including fellow Canadian rapper Drake on "Faith," and singer Sebastien Grainger on "Black Water."
     K-Os continues to use turhtful lyrics, making his songs easy for listeners to relate to. "Black Water" was inspired by the BP Oil spill earlier this year, and the different musical styles of Graigner and K-Os mesh surprisingly well together. "SheClipse" touches on the rapper's relationship with hip-hop, "Holy Cow" talks about the ups and downs life can throw our way, and "I wish I could believe" mentions that the rapper never owned a gun but still faced hardships in life.
     The only thing about this album that didn't make sense was the addition of clips from Will Ferrell's film Anchorman. For those of us who haven't seen the film, they don't make sense and they don't seem to fit the theme of the songs.
     Overall, The Anchorman Mixtape is another great album from K-Os. The rapper gets 4 out of 5 stars.


Humble the Poet - 00:03
     Conscious rap is a sub-genre of rap that brings awareness to social issues such as violence and various forms of discrimination. Humble the Poet, a Sikh rapper out of the Rexdale community in Toronto, is one of many conscious rappers in the world of hip-hop today. His latest mixtape, 00:03, will leave listeners with something to think about.
     Humble loves Toronto, and he is proud to represent his city. His opening track, "I am Toronto" pays hommage to the city and the talent it's produced, including rappers Kardinal Official, K'naan and Drake, and anyone else contributing to the "Toronto hip-hop movement." 
     Each track features a catchy beat topped with thought-provoking lyrics. There are collaborations with other up and comers on the album as well, such as Selena Dhillon (also from Toronto), Noyz (Toronto), Mandeep Sethi(California) and Ras Ceylon (California).
     Sikh Knowledge produced most of the album, and his talent also shines through. Along with producing the songs, he raps his own verse on the track "Life of an Immigrant." The song tells the stories of Humble's father, a cab driver who faced discrimination due to his heritage, and Sikh Knowledge's mother's struggle with violence and Hepatitis B, which eventually lead to her death. The track is powerful and forces listeners to face the reality that many immigrants deal with everyday.
    Listeners may not agree with all of Humble's messages, but the fact that he is using hip-hop to discuss issues like racism, violence against women, and politics, which is not common within the hip-hop genre. 00:03 gets 4 ½ out of 5 stars.


Noyz -The Shadow Gallery
       Toronto rapper Noyz proves that rap can be a tool to tell relatable stories with his mixtape The Shadow Gallery. 
        Songs like "All of Me," which covers the death of a loved one and its effects on a family, and "Through the Eyes," which discusses three different perspectives of three different generations are heartfelt and personal, but can still be relevant to many.
         An impressive element of Noyz's music is the lack of curses in his songs. He is able to express many different emotions without the use of vulgar language, which is refreshing to hear, especially considering it's rap music.
         "Definition" is one of the best tracks on the album. It was produced by and features vocals from Montreal's Sikh Knowledge. "Black Box", "Origin" and "All of me" are also notable tracks.
         Noyz has an obvious passion for rap, and the stories he puts forward through his music are easy to understand and relate to. He gets 4 ½ out of 5 stars.


B Magic - You Got It For Free Volume 2
       B Magic is a member of Humble the Poet's Believe Me Music Crew. His raps aren't as socially concious as his comrades and are  more generic, but he is not lacking in talent.
      With beats from songs by hip-hop greats like Lauryn Hill, Mos Def and Talib Kweli, this album is very catchy. However, the lyrics reveal that Magic still has a lot of growth to go through before reaching the level Humble and Noyz currently sit at.
       Many of Magic's songs degrade women and claim superiority over other rappers - the usual recipe of a rap song. That being said, there are tracks that show Magic shouldn't be ignored.
       One of the most socially conscious raps on this album is "Bombs over Baghdad" which features Noyz, who takes the perspective of a soldier in Iraq, while Magic plays the role of an Iraqi civilian. The beat is from Mos Def's "Auditorium," in which rapper Slick Rick speaks of experiences with Iraqis and their mistrust for American soldiers.
       Magic also exposes his softer side when he raps about an ex-girlfriend in "Say Something" and "Ex Factor." The pain he feels over the break up is obvious, and many listeners will find it easy to relate to the emotions he expresses.
      Overall, this is a decent album that showcases talent in need of some growth. You Got it for Free Volume 2 gets 3 ½ stars out of 5.




You can find all of the artists, as well as downloads to their albums, here:
K-Os
Humble the Poet
Noyz
B Magic


Also check out some featured artists, and producers who worked with these artists:
Sikh Knowledge
Dviousmindz
Ras Ceylon
Mandeep Sethi
Selena Dhillon

Reviews, reviews, reviews

The Town

Anything that anyone remembers of Ben Affleck's disastrous Gigli days will be forgotten after watching his latest film, The Town. The crime drama not only stars but was also directed by Affleck. It includes critically acclaimed actors Jon Hamm (Mad Men) and Jeremy Renner (The Hurt Locker), as well as Golden Globe nominee Rebecca Hall and Gossip Girl's Blake Lively. The story is an adaptation of Chuck Hogan's Prince of Thieves and revolves around a group of four friends who make a living out of bank robberies. The brains behind all the operations, Doug MacRay (Affleck) falls in love with a bank manager (from a previous bank heist) who he is supposed to be keeping an eye on. He tries to get out of the lifestyle he leads, but is forced to stay in the game for one final heist.

The storyline of the film is very intriguing, and the movie is fast-paced and filled with action. There is an intensity that can be felt throughout the movie, and viewers can sympathize with the characters. The acting is incredibly well done, and the story does have a typical Hollywood ending. The Town gets 5/5 stars.

Easy A
This comedy features Superbad's Emma Stone as main character Olive. Other notable actors include Amanda Bynes, Penn Badgley and Lisa Kudrow. The story depicts the life of average, mostly unnoticed, Olive (Stone). One rumour, followed by a favour for a friend, turn Olive's status from non-existent to the topic of everyone's conversation in an instant. At first, Olive doesn't mind the attention, but soon, events spiral out of control and Olive's reputation is at stake.
The film is light hearted and very funny, and even though the storyline is predictable, it is still clever and manages to keep viewers' attention. Easy A gets 4/5 stars.

The Social Network 

This film was surprisingly well done. The acting was impressive, with Jesse Eisenberg playing the lead role of Facebook creator Mark Zuckerberg, Andrew Garfield playing best friend Eduardo Saverin, and Justin Timberlake playing paranoid, cocky, Napster creator Sean Parker. The film is based on the story of Zuckerberg and the creation of Facebook intertwined with the lawsuits that followed. We are given flashbacks to the Harvard days of the characters, and then we are shown scenes from the on-going lawsuits.
There are many comedic moments throughout the film, which help lighten the mood of the mostly serious storyline. The actors fit their roles perfectly, and they are believable and make their characters easy to relate to. The storyline gives viewers an in-depth look at the stories of all those involved in the creation of the popular social networking site and can almost turn viewers against Facebook and Zuckerberg. The Social Network gets 5/5 stars.  

Favourites of the moment

Posh - Lucy Jackson

This book revolves mainly around the lives of six very different people living in the Upper East Side of New York. It tells the tale of different relationships between different people. There's a bipolar rich kid who's mother cares more about her dog, Boyfriend, than him. There's his middle class girlfriend who is willing to do anything for him, no matter what. There's her mother, a former writer, now a cab driver, who struggles to make ends meet. There's a principal of a private, well established, reputable school who is having an affair with a professor. The lives of these characters are entertaining, yet even with their loads of money and sometimes over dramatized problems, their emotions are real, and readers will find it easy to relate to at least one of the characters.

****

B.o.B Presents: The Adventures of Bobby Rae - B.o.B

21-year-old Atlanta native Bobby Rae, known to many by his stage name B.o.B, released his debut album late last month following the major success of his first single, "Nothin' on You." The success won't be stopping anytime soon, as Rae's latest release, "Airplanes," which features Hayley Williams of Paramore, is rapidly climbing the charts and being purchased more on iTunes. With featured artists such as Eminem, Lupe Fiasco and Rivers Cuomo, Rae's album delivers a diverse set of tracks that make listeners want more.  ****

Distant Relatives - Damian Marley & Nas

After their first collaboration together, "Road to Zion," reggae and rap stars Damian Marley and Nas team up again, this time for a full album. Distant relatives is the perfect combination of hip-hop and reggae, and it includes a mix of upbeat and mellow tracks. Like "Road to Zion," the songs hold strong messages. In "Count your Blessings" Marley sings about looking past the negativities in life and being thankful for what we have. Nas uses his clever lyrics to add a rugged touch to the softer reggae sounds of Marley, and the album is one that fans of both reggae and hip-hop will enjoy.

****