Louis Mercier: Black On Film

Louis Mercier: Black On Film
By Ryan B. Patrick
Pride Entertainment Writer
Pride News Magazine
March 22, 2006

In film parlance, the term “mise-en-scène” refers to almost everything that a filmmaker puts into the composition of the film shot, including the movement of the camera and characters, lighting, set design and overall visual environment. Quite literally, it means “put in the scene”.
For Louis Mercier, “mise-en-scene” is everything the young African Canadian filmmaker does and more. The talented writer, actor and producer recently accomplished an extraordinary feat when, not one or two, but three of his short films (Delivering Santiago, Toussaint and Perfect Pitch) were screened stateside, at the recent Delray Beach Film Festival in Florida.
Mercier’s films have been screened in Montreal, Detroit and Toronto, but this is the first time he’s had three films screening at once.
“It’s exciting,” Mercier tells Pride News Magazine over the phone. It’s an honour, as an African Canadian, to have all three films represented at the festival, Mercier says.
He notes that, while he helped produced the shorts, the films were also a collaborative effort. Delivering Santiago and Toussaint were written/directed by Tory Falkenberg, while Perfect Pitch was written/directed by David Eng, and Mercier acts in all three.
By his own accounts, the Haitian-born Mercier has been exposed to the performing arts his entire life. He immigrated to Canada in 1979, and notes it was long hours glued to the television screen that got him hooked on writing and performing.
“Growing up, television was almost like a nanny,” says Mercier. He got his start acting in school plays at the age of nine, which led to auditioning for indie film and working at a community television station.
He initially went to university to become an electrical engineer, while pursuing acting on the side. But the acting bug ultimately took over, Mercier says, and he decided to focus all his attention on the craft.
After a couple of acting gigs, including a prominent role in the Radio-Canada network television series, “Temps Dur”, Mercier eventually created his own production company (Soulion Entertainment) and added writing, directing and producing to his credits, with the short films Toussaint, Aces Down, Eye & I and Delivering Santiago.
Mercier describes the films as character-driven. Toussaint features Mercier as a Haitian-Canadian student who harbors an secret love for a fellow Indo-Canadian student. He is faced with the dilemma of risking humiliation by revealing his true feelings or forever losing her.
“I like to create films that speak out to people,” he says. Of all his films, Toussaint hits close to home, as it’s based on a true event, Mercier says.
One of many events in a decade’s worth of professional film and video experience, in front of and behind the camera.
“I’m primarily an actor…that’s where my passion lies,” Mercier says. So, in an industry where there is a distinct lack of roles for African Canadian actors, Mercier decided to branch out into producing in order to create his own opportunities. “Early on, I found out that, in order for me to be in front of the camera, I had to start projects from behind the camera,” says Mercier.
In addition to acting and producing, Mercier is adding the hat of director to his portfolio, and he notes that Soulion Entertainment intends to produce feature films, television programming, documentaries and stage productions designed to educate and entertain, while giving a much-needed voice to people of colour.
It’s a dog-eat-dog film world in Canada right now, Mercier says, adding, “I’m trying to show the cats in the industry that I’m a force to be reckoned with, and to take charge of my career.”

New Jack Swings Into Toronto Next Week

New Jack Swings Into Toronto Next Week

By Ryan B. Patrick
Pride Entertainment Writer
March 15, 2006

The musical fusion that is “New Jack Swing” may not actually be new anymore, but its impact on today’s urban music can still be felt.
Four of the biggest supergroups of that late 1980’s to mid-nineties era – Guy, Blackstreet, Tony! Toni! Toné! and SWV – have resurfaced for The New Jack Swing reunion tour and will play Mississauga’s Hershey Centre this March 24.
For the uninitiated, New Jack Swing is a crossbreed style of edgy R&B, fused with hip hop “swing” beats. Back in the eighties, commercial radio stations simply refused to play hip hop music, sticking to more safe electrofunk soul (a la Prince) or “Quiet Storm” slow jams, in the vein of Luther Vandross.
Enter New Jack Swing. The smooth-yet-funky sound is largely credited for popularizing the use of soulful and blended vocals, breakbeats and samples that make up so much of today’s Black music.
The music represents a funky, fresh era of high-top fades, single-suspender overalls, multicoloured jeans and “X”-ed out baseball caps.
“The integration of hip hop became revolutionary in the 90s, and the style that emanated from that is the New Jack Swing sound,” says show promoter Keith Baker of UCR2 Communications.
New Jack Swing is responsible for today’s R&B music being so heavily sample-based, and why almost every hip hop song nowadays has an R&B singer on the hook.
“Everywhere the tour has played in the States has been a sellout, and we expect the same up here,” Baker says. “The artists that defined that era were really Bobby Brown and producers like Teddy Riley. It’s a sound that has not been duplicated.”
Indeed, while Bobby Brown was arguably the king of this era, the tour performers are no slouches either. The stacked lineup of Guy, Blackstreet, Tony! Toni! Toné! and SWV reads as a veritable who’s who of the particular era.
Teddy Riley had already created a name for himself by producing records for Heavy D. & The Boyz and Keith Sweat, before forming the groups Guy and Blackstreet.
His signature sound combined synth-heavy melodies, with silky smooth soul music. Guy’s self-titled debut album was an instant smash, producing the R&B hits, “I Like”, “Groove Me”, “Spend the Night” and “Teddy’s Jam”.
At the same time, as the group’s founding member and producer, Riley found himself in strong demand as a songwriter and producer; in 1988, Riley produced Brown’s Don’t Be Cruel – the album that helped New Jack Swing cross over into pop mainstream.
In the 90s, Riley went on to form the group Blackstreet, whose self-titled debut album was certified platinum and spawned three hit singles: “Before I Let You Go”, “Joy” and “Booti Call”.
In 1996, Blackstreet’s sophomore album debuted at number one and remained on the charts for more than 60 weeks. This success was due to a Riley-produced monster hit “No Diggity,” says Baker. Rolling Stone magazine and MTV have deemed the song one of the 100 greatest pop songs.
Tony! Toni! Toné!, formed in 1987 in Oakland, California, enjoyed a number of chart hits and good album sales, for a considerable part of the 90s. Led by the Grammy-nominated Raphael Saadiq, they released the album, The Revival, and became mega-stars, due, in part, to the hit singles, “It Never Rains (In Southern California)” and the club hit, “Feels Good”.
Rounding out the bill is girl group SWV. The group’s debut album, It’s About Time scored a string of top ten R&B and number one pop hits that established them as one of the most popular female groups of the 90s.
With hits like: “I Am So Into You”, “Right Here/Human Nature” – a remix that featured the Michael Jackson hit, “Human Nature” – and “Weak”, the trio of ladies became a commercial force.
UCR2’s Baker has been in promotions since 1988 and notes that the company has come a long way from its first concert (Jeffrey Osborne at Roy Thompson Hall).
Urban music is evolving, Baker says, no doubt helped by new urban radio stations and the internet.
His Toronto-based company (formerly known as UC Entertainment) is evolving as well. The firm is currently expanding its online presence and has grown to include a communications arm dubbed ReKAB2.
The revamped UCR2 has plans to develop an online community, a new media publication and a few other initiatives which Baker says are still under wraps.
“Entertaining and communicating is the new focus…[but] live entertainment is the core of what we want to do,” says Baker.
In the cutthroat world of concert promotions, UCR2 (www.ucr2.com) has managed to carve out a comfortable niche for itself.
The firm has been responsible for bringing acts such as B2K, Bow Wow and Chris Rock to Toronto. But it can be difficult these days to find artists of this caliber in today’s urban music, Baker says. “I have to believe in the entertainer. I won’t just bring up artists to bring them up, as many of the artists that are out there we call one-hit people.”
The exciting thing about the New Jack Swing tour, Baker says, is that it brings out the 25 to 40 demographic, but also the younger crowd as well.
“Very few artists are able to do that right now,” Baker says, noting that the younger set are buying the music now being affectionately known as “old school”.
The New Jack Swing Reunion Tour (www.ucr2.com) happens March 24, at Mississauga’s Hershey Centre. Email info@ucr2.com for information.

Afua Cooper Delves Into Untold African Canadian History

Afua Cooper Delves Into Untold African Canadian History

By Ryan B. Patrick
Pride Entertainment Writer
March 8, 2006

Afua Cooper’s latest book, The Hanging of Angélique, puts the spotlight on a chapter of African Canadian history some would like to believe never existed.
Cooper was on hand during a standing-room-only event at Toronto’s Gladstone Hotel, recently, where she engaged in a lively conversation, about the untold and overlooked history of slavery in Canada, while onstage with poet/playwright George Elliot Clarke.
Most Canadians hold on the belief that slavery never existed in this country, but the history reveals otherwise, says Cooper.
Canadians have cultivated for themselves a belief that Canadians are good and moral people, Cooper offers, therefore, slavery didn’t exist here.
Yet it did.
The history of Black people in Canada goes deeper than the Underground Railroad, she adds.
Cooper recalls a few accounts where she’s been challenged on the existence of Canadian slavery; it is only after the facts are shown that people are forced to concede.
“It’s really hard for some people to accept that we had slavery in this country,” she says.
The Jamaican-born Cooper is a celebrated professor, poet and historian, and holds a PhD in African Canadian history – with specialties in slavery and abolition – and currently teaches history at the University of Toronto.
Her book, The Hanging Of Angélique: The Untold Story of Canadian Slavery and the Burning of Old Montreal (HarperCollins) is an engrossing and factual account of Canadian history.
Cooper spent 15 years researching the captivating account of Marie-Joseph Angélique, a Portugal-born Black slave in New France (now Quebec). The book notes Angélique was likely born a free woman, but was kidnapped and forced into slavery.
Unlike American plantation-style slavery, the Canadian system of slavery meant that Black people were often treated as house slaves or domestics.
But it was no less evil, Cooper notes, despite the fact Canadian slavery is often referred to as “benevolent” slavery.
“Here’s this story that flies in the face of that belief,” Cooper says. Africans were whipped and brutalized in the Great White North.
Cooper adds, the documents are here, but historians chose to ignore them.
The Hanging Of Angélique exposes and condemns the slave trade of New France, the New World and Europe.
The book carefully fuses scholarly research and rich prose, with detailed analysis of this unique slave account. Cooper also provides a wealth of detail, so much so, it’s almost easy to become overwhelmed by the subject matter. Central to the book is Angélique’s dramatic act of resistance, when, on April 11, 1734, after learning she was going to be sold, she allegedly set fire to her White master’s house in order to cover her escape.
“I don’t know if Angélique set the fire, but I believe she did,” says Cooper.
The fire engulfed and destroyed 46 buildings, in what is now known as old Montreal. The French wanted to make an example of Angélique, finding her guilty on circumstantial evidence, and sentencing her to death.
In June of 1734, Angélique was captured, tortured, paraded through the streets, then hanged and her body burned. Angélique’s heartbreaking tale serves as a potent and compelling symbol of Black freedom in Canada.
“She was a Black woman who felt alienated from the community. She was an oppressed woman…battling the system, trying to bring about her freedom,” Cooper says.
“The response to the book has been tremendous,” Cooper adds, noting that the most common question asked is: “How come this history isn’t widely known?”
“The book is appealing to people’s humanity,” she says, adding, the purpose of the book is not only to show that Canadian slavery existed, but to open up meaningful dialogue.
“This conversation has to happen,” Cooper concludes. “We have to move beyond the Underground Railroad; we have to move before the Underground Railroad, and we have to move into the future.”

Canadian Reggae Summit Sets Stage for Success

Canadian Reggae Summit Sets Stage for Success
By Ryan B. Patrick
Pride Entertainment Writer
February 15 2006

Typically the spot for African History Month festivities, two weekends ago saw the Harbourfront Centre host the 2006 Canadian Reggae Summit.
As part of Harbourfront’s Kuumba Festival, the event was a chance for the Who’s Who in the Canadian reggae music industry to network, listen to artist demos, and impart wisdom on how to make it in the often-tough music business.
The objective of the summit, according to co-sponsor Canadian Reggae World, was to bring together artists, producers, concert promoters, musicians, DJs, managers, radio personalities, radio stations, and all reggae-related businesses, into one room, to encourage, promote and achieve liaisons and networking opportunities.
Those in attendance included local artists such as Jah Beng, King Ujah and Sonia Collymore, along with community radio personalities Jahmin (King Turbo) and Patrick Roots of CIUT 89.5 FM; Natty B and Carrie Mullings of CHRY 105.5 FM; Tony Barnes and DJ Chocolate of CKLN 88.1 FM..
The event featured a “demo derby”, where the panel of radio personalities listened to local artist demos and critiqued them, based on presentation, production quality and overall suitability for radio.
One panel of note centered around how emerging artists could improve their “concert readiness” and on how to improve the odds of getting record distribution.
Hosted by local dub poet Michael St. George, the panelists included Denise Jones of concert promotions firm Jones & Jones Productions Ltd.,; Frank Willison, president of record distribution company, Nuff Entertainment; and Alain P. Arthur, executive producer of the popular television show, “Caribbean Vibrations”.
Homegrown Canadian reggae is as good as anything out there right now, Jones offered. The issue is, and has always been about how artists present themselves.
Nowadays, getting record distribution is a relatively easy task, quipped Nuff Entertainment’s Willison. But it’s not about just having a finished a CD and more about the hustle, he noted.
The trick is in not only getting the product inside the store, but around effective marketing to move units.
“To get music in the stores, such as HMV, aren’t as receptive to new product as in the past, particularly when it comes to untested Canadian material. It’s often a hard sell and even harder to compete with American artists, he added.
Once you have a viable product, “the [music] video is the selling tool”, Arthur said, adding that “Caribbean Vibrations” is always looking for new music videos to play on the show.
He suggested that artists seek funding from the usual suspects, such as VideoFact (a funding agency for Canadian artists), and, even if artists get turned down, he reminded them to always remember there are alternatives, even if it means funding the project out of pocket.
“Presentation is important,” Jones said. “It’s called the music business…You’re only as good as your last performance.”
Maintaining a professional business attitude is key to success, Jones added, saying artists must be willing to make short-term sacrifices for long-term gain – eg. performing as many shows as possible, even the ones that don’t pay well – because it’s all about exposure.
“Approach the industry as a career,” Jones offered.

COBA: Set to Blow People’s Minds

COBA: Set to Blow People’s Minds

By Ryan B. Patrick
Pride Entertainment Writer
Feb. 8, 2006

When co-founder of the Collective of Black Artists (COBA), BaKari E. Lindsey, first arrived in Toronto, eighteen years ago, he soon discovered the general public held steadfast to highly-romanticized notions of what African and Caribbean folk culture is all about.
There was the misconception that African and Caribbean dance had only to involve the traditional costumes, and anything outside of that was modern, or fusion.
“So many people think that the Caribbean is just straw hats and a drink with an umbrella,” says the Trinidadian-born Lindsey. “But they didn’t even get the original, so how would they know it’s fusion…There was this huge confusion about what our culture really is.”
Thus, COBA was born. Originally founded in 1993, by Lindsey, Junia Mason, Charmaine Headley and Mosa Neshama, the Collective was determined to fill a cultural void on Toronto’s arts scene and create a platform for dance creations that reflected Afro-heritage and social realities.
From the beginning, the quartet championed arts education, and developed, with educators in Ontario and New York State, to launch a school touring program with an African History theme.
With current co-artistic directors Lindsay and Headley, the group’s immediate mandate, Lindsey says, is to preserve the cultural traditions of Africa and the African Diaspora, through education, research and public performance – to let people see what the possibilities are for African and Caribbean folkdance.
COBA has toured Canada, the United States and Trinidad and Tobago, garnering critical acclaim for its genuine presentation of traditional African and Caribbean dance. The group has also commissioned works from world-renowned Africanist choreographers, including Senegalese griot Alassane Sarr; Jeanguy Saintus from Haiti; and internationally-acclaimed soloist Vincent Sekwati Koko Mantsoe.
The group, now in its 13th mainstage season, has developed a highly spirited repertoire of traditional African, Caribbean and contemporary works for mainstage audiences. Every year, the group has presented a new work. This year, the group decided, was a time to reflect.
The latest show, “Deekali: Roots Relived” is a “greatest hits” of sorts, a representation of four signature past performances – Kumina, Domba-Go, Bodika and DjembeFola – that Lindsey says audiences were requesting to see again.
“Deekali” means “to revive” in the Senegalese Wollof dialect. The show’s imagery is based on the Akan symbol of the mythical bird– Sankofa – that flies forward with its head looking backward, reflecting the truism that knowing your past is the key to your future.
The show’s fusion of West African, Jamaican and contemporary dances reveals a certain commonality, a connecting historical thread within the African Diaspora.
“We decided to take some time to rejuvenate, to look at the body of work that we have done, over the years, and figure out where we are going to go from here,” Lindsey says.
The Collective has been an instrumental force in the evolution of the Toronto arts and culture scene, and has created for itself a place in the Toronto dance community, through its annual African History Month school-touring programs and student matinees.
“We’ve been charting our own waters,” Lindsey notes. “We have stuck firmly to our mandate of presenting traditional West African dance, Caribbean traditional folk and contemporary dance, as influenced by either of those two particular aesthetics.”
COBA has also made a significant contribution to Canadian dance ideology, in recent years, through the development and teaching of A-Feeree, the physical language.
Based on Lindsay’s ethnographic research, and taught exclusively at COBA’s performing arts school in Toronto, A-Feeree is a training method that assists dancers in navigating the physical aesthetics of African and African Diasporic dances. The method is gaining international recognition, Lindsey says.
While there is still much work to be done, Lindsey says the Toronto arts scene has changed for the better. It’s good that it’s evolved past the time where a group such as COBA would have been relegated to the fringes, he notes. But Lindsey welcomes more support, particularly from the African Canadian community.
“Now I would say that 90 percent of Toronto is culturally based,” Lindsay says. “People are challenging the stereotypes and notions of what the culture represents.” COBA itself is a prominent organization, with its own studio offering full-time dance instruction. While the company is committed to an African-centric voice, it welcomes all cultures to learn and dance.
“As long as you are willing to speak with that voice, you can dance with us,” Lindsey says, adding, the company exists for a bigger reason than just teaching people how to dance. “We just want to be positive role models for youth.”
It is also about learning the traditions to understand the cultural perspective. “It’s observing the social context in which movement exists and how that relates to dance.”
There’s this notion that culture and folk dance cannot aspire to be a higher art form because it is rooted in the past, Lindsey says.
The artistic director responds, “We can take our tradition and, once you know that tradition well enough, you can manipulate that tradition to create works that are so rooted in the present that it blows people’s minds.”
“Deekali: Roots Relived” takes place February 16 to 19, at the Betty Oliphant Theatre, at 404 Jarvis St. For more information, call (416) 658 3111, or visit www.cobainc.com.

January Music Reviews

January Music Reviews
Pride News Magazine
(January 18, 2006)

Goapele
Change It All
SonyBMG

It’s hard to knock an artist such as the talented and lovely Goapele (pronounced Gwa-pele). Hailing from the San Francisco Bay area, Goapele (the child of a Jewish mother and a South African father) is part of a new wave of neo-soul artists producing original music that is firmly distanced from the mainstream’s notion of what R&B should be. This is her second album (a follow up to 2004’s Even Closer), and it shows, in the improved production and vocal ability. “‘Change it all’, the concept, can be a little intimidating sometimes,” Goapele says on her website, “but we’re really just thinking about how to make steps, even if it’s little things, in our personal lives, or in our communities, that are, at some point, going to affect change for the positive.” Indeed the title track speaks to poverty, injustice and social crisis. Despite that inspiring sentiment — alas — this album isn’t perfect. Despite the fact she wrote/co-wrote most of the tracks, Goapele often comes across as too mellow and earnest for her own good. She’s at her best with funky numbers like, “Love Me Right”, “Find A Way”, and the snazzy duet, “You”, featuring fellow neo-soul star Dwele.

Anthony Hamilton
Ain’t Nobody Worrying
SonyBMG

Every time I’m ready to give up on today’s R&B/soul music and dust off some Stevie Wonder and Donny Hathaway, along comes someone like Anthony Hamilton to fully reaffirm my faith in the genre. Hamilton could’ve gone the easy route and created some bubblegum soul, complete with guest appearances from the rappers du jour. To his credit, Hamilton doesn’t. What he does do, however, is create a solid soul (sans the “neo” tag) that wouldn’t look the least bit out of place next to Marvin Gaye or Bobby Womack. Drawing heavily from southern soul and gospel influences, Hamilton’s unique and easygoing drawl takes us back to a time where old school soul reached the mainstream consciousness. The title track, “Ain’t Nobody Worrying”, a “What’s Going On”-type joint, perfectly details the ills of today’s society. Lead single, “Can’t Let Go”, is hot-buttered soul, “Change Your World” is classic Motown, and “Pass Me Over” is contemporary gospel. He even skillfully throws in some reggae vibes, with “Everybody”. Even though this album was released late December, this could be an early candidate for best of 2006.

The Notorious B.I.G.
Duets: The Final Chapter
Bad Boy/Warner

Try as I might, it is difficult to see this posthumous project, by the legendary hip hop star, as anything more than a blatant cash grab. Despite using “long lost” material from the Brooklyn-born rapper Biggie Smalls, with new beats and rhymes by Slim Thug, Obie Trice, Nas and Mary J. Blige, Duets: The Final Chapter is perhaps a project that didn’t need to be done. Considering the sub-par production, the uninspired verses and the (obviously) dated and stale rhymes, by Smalls himself, I don’t see any merit in this album. Bad Boy’s Puff Daddy (or Diddy, or whatever he calls himself these days) even goes so far as to tactlessly downplay Biggie’s success, saying: “I took him from coal to diamond/I molded his mind into the most phenomenal artist of any and all time”. But knowing Diddy’s marketing sense, Biggie’s unyielding popularity, and pop culture’s love of deceased icons, I suspect this Final Chapter will likely be anything but.

Hustle & Flow (DVD)
Paramount Home Video

There was a lot of hype when Hustle & Flow opened in theatres last year. The thing is, the film actually lived up to it. It is more than a “hood” movie. Backed by a brilliant script, excellent cinematography and a superlative performance by one Terrence Dashon Howard, the gritty film is easily one of the best of 2005. Howard gives a complex and nuanced performance as DJay, a Memphis hustler/pimp not satisfied with his current lot in life and dreams of something more. Learning that hometown-rapper-turned-big-time-star Skinny Black (played by Ludacris) is coming back to Memphis for a visit, DJay sees the opportunity to make something of his life by putting together a demo tape and presenting it to Skinny. The widescreen DVD version of the film is an excellent transfer (especially considering the low budget film’s intentional gritty look), and boasts over two hours of bonus materials, including promo trailers, commentary by up-and-coming writer/director Craig Brewer, and the ubiquitous “making of” feature. With excellent performances by Anthony Anderson, Taraji P. Henson and Elise Neal, Hustle & Flow is definitely an interesting glimpse of human struggle, amidst economic uncertainty.

John Legend
Live at the House of Blues (DVD)
Sony

Uber-talented neo-soul singer/songwriter John Legend burst on the scene with last year’s underrated solo debut, Get Lifted. But prior to hooking up with producer Kanye West, and blowing up, he was a mainstay of the concert circuit, playing in small venues and jazz clubs, slowly building up his reputation for old-school soul. This DVD shows Legend in concert at Hollywood’s legendary House of Blues this past August. It catches the accomplished pianist at the peak of his game, featuring live versions of “Let’s Get Lifted”, Ordinary People” and “She Don’t Have To Know” – along with guest spots by Snoop Dogg and the aforementioned West. The DVD successfully captures Legend’s amazing stage energy and presence, and showcases why he’s someone to watch for in 2006.

Damian Marley Music Review

Damian Marley Music Review
Exclaim Magazine
(www.exclaim.ca)
Ryan B. Patrick
December 14, 2005

Damian "Jr. Gong" Marley builds off his Grammy win (for 2001's Halfway Tree) with an even more solid album that leaves no doubt that he is truly the progeny of the immortal Bob and brother of Ziggy, Julian, Stephen and Ky-mani. The first single — the ubiquitous "Welcome to Jamrock" — was released earlier this year and it's amazing to see how it's slowly built up momentum to become a mainstream sensation.
Produced by Damian and Stephen Marley, the overall album is a curious mix of edgy reggae grooves and charitable doses of R&B and hip-hop. The guest stars are truly a motley crew: Buju Banton, Bounty Killer, Bobby Brown (!?!), Black Thought (from the Roots) and Nas. It's a mix that features tracks like the acoustically driven cautionary tale
"Pimpa's Paradise" coexisting with the rootsy ballad "There for You" and the sensually charged "All Night." It's interesting to note that Welcome to Jamrock (which deals with the growing disconnect between the "haves" and the "have-nots" in Jamaica) has stirred up a bit of controversy, mainly from those who prefer that Jamaica only be depicted as a tourist paradise. It appears that "Jr. Gong" has, alongwith the musical talent, picked up his father's socio-political consciousness as well.

Sizzla: Burn to Shine

Sizzla: Burn to Shine
By Ryan B. Patrick
Pride Entertainment Writer
January 11, 2006
pridenewsmagazine.ca

“Sizzla yesterday, Sizzla today and Sizzla tomorrow,” says reggae wunderkind Sizzla Kalonji, when asked if his recent signing to American major record label Def Jam would change him as an artist.
“I’m just here to promote the works of the Most High, the Jah, the truth,” he adds.
I’m speaking with Sizzla in a downtown Toronto hotel, where he has been doing a full day of media interviews.
It’s the day before he headlines a December 11 concert, on a bill that also features local artists Dylan Murray and recent Canadian Urban Music Award (CUMA) winner Blessed.
His publicist tells me this is likely the most press Sizzla has done ever in his eventful career. Even the humble, soft-spoken and normally publicity-shunning artist is savvy enough to recognize that it’s part of the process of building international stardom.
“It feels good. It’s a next level of achievement,” Sizzla says.
He is very personable, respectful, and speaks in quiet, measured tones. “It’s another door open, but it’s the same mission – to keep the people joyful, to keep the people focused, and deal with Most High works.”
The December 11 concert goes on as scheduled – something that almost didn’t happen the last time Sizzla played Toronto.
The last time, he was under a firestorm of controversy, as fellow reggae artist Beenie Man had his Canadian concerts cancelled due to a public uproar over “homophobic” content within certain popular dancehall reggae songs.
Although Beenie Man’s shows were cancelled, Sizzla, a lesser known artist at the time, got to play.
As his profile has risen, though, Sizzla has faced his own problems. In 2004, the artist’s five-date UK tour was cancelled following complaints about his homophobic lyrics.
“I just laugh with them,” Sizzla says of people that may take issue with his music and past remarks on sexuality. Indeed, the interview is peppered with phrases such as “getting rid of deplorable activities”, “love for a woman always” and “replenish the earth” – one can easily read between the lines and grasp his staunch spiritual beliefs, political correctness be damned.
There is no refuting that the talented Sizzla has always had the courage to stand by his convictions, even at the risk of international success.
Sizzla’s message – simply put – is powerful. Sizzla, aka Miguel Collins, was born of devout Rastafarian parents and raised in the close-knit community of August Town, one of Jamaica’s uptown ghettos.
He formally accepted the Rastafarian faith – with its unshakeable advocacy of pro-change, anti-establishment, repatriation, slavery reparations and the use of ganja – when he entered the ranks of the Bobo Ashanti movement in the 1990s.
Then, heavily influenced by the works of Buju Banton, Shabba Ranks and the iconic Bob Marley, Sizzla decided to forego his dreams of becoming an auto mechanic and embarked on a music career.
With his uncanny knack for crafting pleasing melodies and his unconventional vocal approach – along with his trademark half-chatting, half-singing – the soulful artist has crafted socially conscious hits like “Praise Ye Jah”, “Dem a Wonder” and “Black Woman & Child”. His extensive discography already runs 30 albums deep.
Other than a very brief phase in his career where he experimented with some of the baser elements of dancehall reggae – “slackness” or lewd love lyrics – Sizzla is unquestionably the leading light of a new breed of reggae deejay, and is attuned to the “burn fire”, afrocentric and apocalyptic themes of Rasta. Sizzla’s lyrics have traditionally encompassed themes which speak to poverty, homelessness, police brutality, cultural pride and political and religious oppression.
And this message will continue, even now that he is signed to a major deal, Sizzla says. He will remain steadfast and unwavering in his Rastafarian beliefs, despite issue some have taken with his stance on certain hot-button issues.
“Ah, so it stay,” the deejay says matter-of-factly, of those that don’t identify with his devout Rastafari message.
The artist is very laid back considering the recent trials he’s faced. In 2005, he was among 33 people arrested during a police raid on August Town, when nine AK-47 rifles and other guns were seized. After being questioned, and declaring he knew nothing about the firearms, Sizzla was released.
Two years ago, his house was firebombed.
But we aren’t here to talk about the past. We’re here to discuss Sizzla’s future as he becomes poised to attain (reggae artist and international superstar) Sean Paul-level superstardom. Sizzla is actually signed to record imprint Damon Dash Music Group (DDMG) under Def Jam (by hip hop impresario Damon Dash, of rapper Jay-Z and Rocafella fame).
Dash told media recently: “I have always liked Bob Marley’s music, and the reggae stuff I heard on the radio, but I didn’t really know much about reggae-dancehall, but right now, I am learning the music and the roots of it, and the spirituality.
“Sizzla is introducing me to it all, and I love the message of peace and love in the music.” “I tell you this: hip hop people, they love the reggae music,” Sizzla says. “It’s nice, because [Dash] is a free artist, to tell you the truth. He appreciates reggae music; loves reggae music. Damon Dash’s a good youth and [it’s] good vibes he’s dealing with.”
Sizzla’s major label album, tentatively titled, Overstanding, is slated for a February 2006 release. It’s a next stage in his career.
The reggae artist has already inserted himself into the mainstream psyche with a guest appearance on Foxy Brown’s “Come Fly with Me”, and he experienced a recent crossover hit with “Just One Of Those Days (Dry Cry).”
“Basically, it’s the same stage,” Sizzla notes, “but it’s just that we are going to promote it more. It’s the same work to keep the people united, but it’s just that it’s more people [now].”
The tracks for the new album have already been recorded, Sizzla says, adding that the reggae LP will have a bit of a hip hop feel to it, but the positive spiritual message remains the same, he adds.
“It’s a lot of positive messages,” Sizzla says.
“Once people see that it’s always for them, they will always remain.”
He speaks of being able to give back to his community, as a result of his impending mainstream success – of building new facilities such as a school, a theatre and a recording studio back in Jamaica.
It’s about uplifting the culture and building a strong Black nation, he says.
“It’s my duty and responsibility. I do this for me and my children…so the King can inspire them like the King has inspired me.”

DECEMBER MUSIC REVIEWS

Pride News Magazine
Dec 21, 2005

By Ryan Patrick
Pride Entertainment Writer


Chris Brown
Chris Brown
Jive/SonyBMG

While I refuse to believe that newcomer Chris Brown is actually the 16 years old he claims to be, even I can’t deny that the hot first single, “Run It”, by the young R&B singer is pretty catchy. Hailing from Tappahannock, Virginia, the young vocalist is obviously styled after a young Usher or Mario. But he pulls it off well. This straight R&B album is an impressive introduction to Brown: he has very strong vocals and his bubblegum appearance has already led to a growing fan base. While the topics are your standard “young love”-type stories, tracks like, “Ya Man Ain’t Me”, “Winner” and “Is This Love?” reveal an artist that seemingly has a bright future ahead of him.

Angie Stone
Stone Hits: The Very Best of Angie Stone
J-Records

In a perfect world, R&B/soul singer Angie Stone would be a megastar. In reality, she remains a solid, if somewhat unheralded, performer in the world of R&B. Her career has seen its share of hit songs, however, warranting this release of “greatest hits”. Culled from her three-album deep discography, one could argue that perhaps it is far too premature for a trip down Stone’s memory lane. But it’s still a voyage worth taking, if only to revisit impressive tracks like “Brotha”, “Wish I Didn’t Miss You”, “No More Rain” and “Everyday”.

Ginuwine
Back II Basics
SonyBMG

His first studio release since 2003’s mildly received, The Senior, Ginuwine finds himself struggling to remain relevant in an urban music world that was probably on the verge of forgetting all about him. His strengths have always been in his ballads, so tracks like that lead single, “When We Make Love”, along with “She’s Like” and “Take A Chance” are where he gets his chance to shine. But pointless party joints like, “The Club”, illustrate just how much longtime collaborator/producer Timbaland (who is glaringly absent on this album) had been propping up Ginuwine all these years. Ginuwine fans will, no doubt, find something to love here, but I don’t see the sweet-voiced (and aging) singer making any inroads with Omarion/Mario/Chris Brown fans.

JD Vishus
Alleycat Sensibilities
Independent (www.jdvishus.com)

Toronto-based spoken word artist JD Vishus (aka Joseph Daly) is a well-known commodity in local artist circles. JD Vishus, who started performing in 1986 as a rapper with the SC Roc crew, has been featured on CBC Radio, and was a regular performer at Ron Nelson’s Monster Jam hip hop shows in the 1980s, where he built a strong following. His album, Alleycat Sensibilities, is a raw debut with a style he terms “spoken word poetry, marinated in hip hop, with jazz and funk seasoning”. Vishus spins his unique poetic flow over satisfactory beats, on the nine-track independent project. The standout track is definitely “Role Reversal”, where Vishus cleverly provides insight on the long-term ramifications of a slavery mentality, flipping racial observations and “accepted” norms on its ear.

Isley Brothers
The: Summer Breeze - Greatest Hits Live (DVD)
Eagle Rock Entertainment

Considering his recent court troubles over unpaid taxes, Ronald “Mr. Biggs” Isley probably longs for a simpler time, when he was just a frontman for the legendary Isley Brothers funk/soul group. With Ron’s smooth-as-silk vocals, and Ernie’s lethal electronic guitar licks, the group has churned out classic after classic in their over five-decade (!!!) career. Alas, this concert DVD catches Mr. Biggs at not quite his best, as his vocals aren’t at full strength. As a result, classic joints like, “Between the Sheets/Footsteps”, “Who’s That Lady”, “For the Love of You”, and my personal favorite, “Summer Breeze”, aren’t given their respect due. Still, it’s good to see the brothers rocking out live.

Roy Ayers Brings Toronto True Neo-Soul

Roy Ayers Brings Toronto True Neo-Soul

By Ryan B. Patrick
Pride Entertainment Writer
Dec 7 2005

It’s called “breakjazz”, and it’s a relatively new subgenre of jazz – a live improvisational mix of turntable loops and samples, trumpet, keyboard, sax and bass. It’s jazz for a new generation, and judging from the crowd response at the launch of the NuJazz Society’s JazzByGenre event at the Mod Club in Toronto recently, it’s here to stay.
According to the Toronto-based Nu Jazz Society, the JazzByGenre initiative is a new jazz series of events created to represent and showcase jazz through various genres of music.
Headlined by legendary jazz icon Roy Ayers, the show mixed a little of the old with the new.
The acid jazz and funk bandleader, and master of the vibraphone – descendent of the African xylophone instrument – is vastly underrated. The Los Angeles native’s innovative acid jazz grooves paved the way for funk artists like George Clinton and Parliament.
Ayer’s oft-sampled hits (he’s one of the most sampled music artists in history, with tracks such as “Running Away” and the classic, “Everybody Loves the Sunshine”) make him a founding father of today’s dance and hip hop generation. Even the “neo-soul” genre owes a debt to Ayers as fusing soul and jazz is Ayer’s forte. He’s worked with artists Diddy, A Tribe Called Quest, Whitney Houston and Mary J. Blige.
“I’m very proud of it,” Ayers said of his body of work recently.
“I was talking to Erykah Badu, and she was telling me that I was the ‘neo-soul man’. She said people like herself, Jill Scott, Alicia Keys and The Roots, all consider me the one who created that sound, that ‘neo-soul’ sound. I was just like, ‘Wow’.
“You know, she’s so positive anyway, the way she says things. I was just like, ‘Wow, this is a compliment and a half’.”
And, although Ayers may be getting up there in age, he’s still got that funk.
He performed his signature blend of latin jazz, R&B, funk and soul, with a rousing and well-received performance of seminal hit, “Everybody Loves The Sunshine” at his Mod Club show.
Jazz may be unfairly known as a stodgy medium, but events like The Nu Jazz Society’s JazzByGenre may well dispel that theory.
With the JazzByGenre (www.jazzbygenre.com) launch, the newly-created NuJazz Society’s goal is twofold: 1) to introduce jazz to a younger demographic; and 2) to raise the profile of jazz music in Toronto.
To that end, the night featured spoken word artists Anne-Marie Woods and Al St. Louis, who set the mood with a poetic history of the jazz genre.
But the official introduction to breakjazz was through opening act Kush. The live DJ/turntablist and groove ensemble is an all-star line-up of musicians (featuring bandleader Etric Lyons, Eddie Bullen, Robert Sibony, with special guests Nick “The Brownman” Ali and world-renowned Barbadian saxophonist Arturo Tappin).
The group performed a blend of soul/funk/house/hip hop and R&B jazz with DJ J-Tec’s improvisational mixing and scratching being an integrated part of the band.
It’s something that must be experienced live to really appreciate. Picture your traditional jazz set – trumpet, bass, sax, keys – with a hip hop DJ in the mix, interspersing “traditional” hip hop, funk and house music loops and sample breaks.
It wasn’t flawless, and didn’t always blend, but the overall sound was never discordant. To the contrary – once you realize that the Kush collective essentially “play as they go”, (the band says they don’t pre-rehearse) and coordinate the rhythm, live on stage, one gets a great appreciation for the emerging subgenre. The end result is a frenetic jazzy-house and hip hop-jazz hybrid that the crowd ate up.
The JazzByGenre series will run, every three months, and then launch its annual jazz festival this coming summer. According to the organization, the next installment in the series is slated to put the spotlight on Caribbean jazz.

Canadian Urban Music Awards Still A Step Up

Canadian Urban Music Awards Still A Step Up

By Ryan B. Patrick
Pride Entertainment Writer
Dec 7 2005

It was an evening punctuated by technical difficulties, audio gaffes and extended delays, yet, the seventh annual Canadian Urban Music Awards (CUMAs) still went on November 29, a tribute to a blossoming urban music industry.
This year marked the first time that the annual awards show, put on by the Urban Music Association of Canada (UMAC), was split up into a two-night affair. This year’s awards were handed out in 25 categories – at either a dinner on November 28 or at November 29’s “live” recorded-for-TV show – running the urban music gamut from reggae to gospel.
In particular, the event made a good stab to showcasing genres outside of hip hop and R&B.
Show host and comedian Russell Peters’ lethal improv kept the crowd in stitches at the November 29 event, which featured standout performances by Divine Brown, a rousing “greatest hits” medley by rapper Maestro, and performances by R&B diva Jully Black, Fito Blanko, ending with a typically energetic set from “Everyday Rudebwoy”, Kardinal Offishall.
This year’s big winner was Toronto’s own Divine Brown.
The R&B/soul vocalist, who has been experiencing national success with her debut album, picked up New Artist Of The Year honours, along with winning in the R&B Recording Of The Year category for her hit single, “Old Skool Love”.
Another huge victor was hip hop’s k-os, who nabbed Songwriter Of The Year and The Fan’s Choice Award.
In a minor upset, newcomer K’naan beat out k-os, Kardinal Offishall, Maestro and Rochester aka Juice to win the Hip Hop Recording Of The Year award. The Somali-born, Toronto-based rapper has been making waves lately with his single “Strugglin’”, off his The Dusty Foot Philosopher debut.
Urban music icon Farley Flex was a double winner, grabbing Media Personality Of The Year (for TV’s “Canadian Idol”), and was also honoured with a Special Achievement Award for the manager/promoter’s extensive effort in the Canadian music industry.
Yet, unfortunately, certain technical and sound issues threatened to put a damper on the event, and made the show run much longer than anticipated.
Still, most attendees noted that the show was a success, particularly in showing that the domestic urban music industry is finally maturing and proving sustainable. The show also did a tasteful job in addressing local issues, with an emotive performance by local spoken word artists and the bringing on stage of a mother whose child had been affected by violence. For spoken word to be included in the awards show says a lot about the growth of the subgenre and the overall diversity of the urban music community, said Toronto-based spoken word artist Dwayne Morgan, who won Spoken Word Recording Of The Year for “Mother I Understand.”
“What we’re doing is growing…There was a time where (one artist) dominated anything that had to do with rap or hip hop,” Morgan told Pride News Magazine. “[The CUMAs are about] having that outlet where artists can record something and know that it can be recognized. It’s definitely a good thing and something that can inspire others.”
The show also attempted to bridge the gap (so to speak) between the older African Canadian music generation and the current “urban” music scene by presenting a Lifetime Achievement Award to local jazz icon Archie Alleyne.
The legendary African Canadian drummer – who has played with such luminaries as Billie Holiday, Lester Young and Donald Byrd – has been a mainstay of the local music scene for over five decades. The musician is also an avid historian, and is actively pushing for the development of a permanent facility for African Canadian music, one that archives and promotes the contributions of local artists.
“I’m glad that my own community is starting to recognize me, which is rather important,” Alleyne told Pride News Magazine about winning the CUMA.
“Sometimes (Black) music doesn’t get the same respect as it should, as far as social contributions are concerned.”
The CUMAs are a valuable step towards empowering the community and getting the musical contributions of African Canadians acknowledged, Alleyne added, noting that, despite the technical problems the show had, the CUMAs have come so far, and he’s proud to see African-Canadians getting a platform to be recognized for their art.
“Jazz and blues are the foundations of this music,” Alleyne said. “I’m really proud of the new generation of music that is out there.”
The musician currently leads the acclaimed hard bop jazz band Kollage and operates the Archie Alleyne Youth Mentorship Program, which provides innercity students the opportunity to develop as jazz musicians, vocalists and dancers, under the guidance of professional jazz artists.
It’s incumbent on the older African Canadian generation to connect with the younger set, Alleyne said, adding, that there is a thriving community of young African Canadian musicians that need to be supported.
“We have to get rid of the gunslingers and give them an instrument to play instead,” the jazz icon said. “They’ll bring happiness, not only to themselves, but also our community.”
Other winners included Blessed (Reggae Recording of the Year for hit single, “Reggae Time”); Ranee Lee/Oliver Jones (Jazz Recording of the Year); Patricia Shirley (Gospel Recording of the Year for “Real Love”); Jully Black (Dance/Electronic Recording of the Year for “Sweat of Your Brow”); and a well-deserved win for Soca’s King Cosmos, who won for his “Island Girl” track.
“We’ve grown quite a bit this past year...There were a lot of artists that came out this year,” Jully Black told the Canadian Press. “We’re building soldiers. It’s great for the urban community.”
The CUMAs are scheduled to be televised on SUNTV on December 21.

No Common Sense, Not 50 Cent, The Cause Of T.O.’s Gun Problem

No Common Sense, Not 50 Cent, The Cause Of T.O.’s Gun Problem
nov 30 2005

By Ryan Patrick
Pride Entertainment Writer

Whitby MP Dan McTeague’s recent call to ban popular gangsta rapper 50 Cent from performing in Canada is your classic case of political grandstanding.
Whether you agree with the notion or not is, frankly, immaterial. It’s a tried and true formula: make a wildly controversial and polarizing statement, whip the media into a frenzy, stand back and pat yourself on the back for doing your “part” in tackling the issue.
On November 22, McTeague asked Immigration Minister Joe Volpe to restrict Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson from entering the country on the grounds that he glorifies gun violence. The hardcore rapper has a criminal record and would need a ministerial permit to enter Canada.
“I don’t think people in Toronto, or any urban centre, need or want to hear Mr. Jackson’s message right now…I think it’s time we send a message of our own to those who glorify violence that their gratuitous violence and movies are not welcome in our country,” McTeague says.
McTeague claims he’s “trying to protect impressionable young men in our communities who are being destroyed in the prime of their lives.”
I’ll admit, I’m not a huge fan of 50 Cent’s music. But I am, also, not a fan of censorship, nor do I agree with the suggestion Jackson’s music amounts to an incitement to commit violence. And, if you are a proponent of free speech, you will defend his right to free expression; to suggest that there is a direct link between lyrics and an increase in gun violence is reaching.
If you ban 50 Cent, why stop there? Why not ban the multitude of artists that cross the border every year? Where would it stop? And what would it accomplish besides raising the notoriety profile of the particular artist?
Problem is, even if we weren’t on the eve of an election call, McTeague’s rhetoric does precious little to stem the growing gun violence in our city.
It also does little to address the deep-rooted evils that are associated with the anti-Black racism and institutional racism that has contributed to Toronto’s gun crime.
Besides, where was McTeague this past summer, when 50 Cent was practically living in the city during the filming of his crime drama, Get Rich or Die Tryin’?”
It’s far too easy to blame hip hop for youth violence.
Recently, I interviewed Toronto rapper Kardinal Offishall, who pointed out the guns have always been a constant on Toronto streets.
What’s changed, he suggested, is the mentality of today’s youth, who seem to be even more disenfranchised and disillusioned than the generation before them.
Black youth have been alienated and marginalized by government cutbacks and neighborhood neglect. McTeague’s blaming of 50 Cent is a convenient method to score publicity, because it’s bound to be a controversial statement. For McTeague to use 50 Cent to sidetrack valid discourse on the real problems contributing to the crisis – inadequate schools and housing, a desperate need for social programs, and high unemployment rate – is irresponsible.
No one is suggesting that, by simply building a basketball court, the situation will be resolved.
But it’s a start.
Also, at this stage in the game, the African Canadian community should be beyond pointing fingers and move towards healing. It should be beyond taking stock in those outside the community who feel compelled to cluck their tongues and wonder aloud why the Black community isn’t doing more.
It’s no secret our community has to work harder to achieve the same gains. It’s a fact of life and we should start living up to it. We’ve got to start fighting back against the system instead of incessantly claiming victimhood.
On the other hand, if local politicians like McTeague are truly interested in finding solutions to gun violence, they should save the empty platitudes and look at the real issues, the growing disconnect between the haves and have-nots in Toronto. They should examine why the Black community’s relationship with the police is the way that it is. They should look at why a certain element of the Black community is drawn to criminal activity. They should look at re-implementing the recreational activities and job creation programs that contribute to a positive culture and a renewed sense of hope.
50 Cent isn’t the cause of Toronto’s gun problem – a lack of common sense is.

Farley Flex

Farley Flex:
From Tamarind Seeds to Urban Music’s Special Achiever
By Ryan B. Patrick
Pride Entertainment Writer
Nov 23, 2005

While he is probably best known to the public at large as “the Black judge” on TV’s “Canadian Idol”, Farley Flex has been known within the African Canadian community, as a guiding force for the Canadian urban music industry, for over 20 years.

Flex gets his due props next week, on November 28, at the 2005 Canadian Urban Music Awards, where he’ll receive a Special Achievement Award for his work in the music industry. Even though Flex considers the award to a great honour, he says he’s never been one to sit back and reflect on all his life accomplishments.

“I just keep moving. Success is in the eye of the beholder,” Flex tells Pride News Magazine. “The only time I really look back is when I do motivational speaking, so I have to, as it helps to include that content to motivate people.
“For the most part, I’m looking at the next chapter. I’ve always got goals beyond the ones I attain, so I try to keep my eyes on that prize.”


It was as a young kid selling tamarind seeds to his wide-eyed public school peers that Flex first recognized his own entrepreneurial spirit. Of Trinidadian descent, Farley “Flex” Fridal was born in England and raised in the Malvern part of Scarborough. He used to spend his Christmas holidays in Trinidad and, every year, he would bring back tamarind balls and would sell the seeds to kids at school as “precious stones” from the islands.

“I remember I was eating them at recess and someone was enthralled by the seed,” Flex says. “I started selling from there.”

From there, Flex “officially” started in business as a concert promoter at the age of 15; in his teens is when he really started demonstrating his business acumen. He started holding parties and rollerskating jams, often earning thousands in one night.
“I’m big on knowing who you are and knowing what your skill sets are. It’s about knowing what’s in your toolbox and building on that,” Flex says. “My thing was, I was a very social individual. I played a lot of sports, which allowed me to meet a lot of people. This fueled my confidence that if I had a party that people would come.”
He then segued into becoming an artist manager, handling the career of Canada’s most successful solo rap artist, Maestro Fresh Wes.

Way back then, Flex realized that Wes had the talent and charisma to make it big. The fact that the Canadian music industry didn’t have the infrastructure in place to support an African Canadian hip hop artist didn’t deter him in the least.

“I’m a very ‘cup is half full’ kind of guy,” Flex says. “The fact that no one had really done it before was motivation for me. We knew going in that there was no one out there doing this; I was very confident of Wes’s talent and what he represented in the grand scheme of hip hop.”
There was no blueprint for what Flex and Maestro were doing, but they made a go of it.
The moment they heard the beat for the groundbreaking hit, “Let Your Backbone Slide”, Flex says he knew they had something special. “There was an aura in the room. It was an amazing phase of existence,” Flex recalls.

They financed the video themselves, and soon recognized the importance for national exposure. They managed to book themselves on City-TV’s dance show, “Electric Circus”, which ultimately led to Wes’s record deal.

They then embarked on a cross-Canada tour, which saw them travel to places where the locals had never seen Black people before.

“We were adventurers and mavericks at the time. There’s no other word for it. The foundation we built was really strong relative to the time; there was no

infrastructure for Black music at the time,” Flex says. “It was a really invigorating to travel the country and educate people about the music.”

Flex was also extremely instrumental in submitting the CRTC applications that resulted in the first Black-owned and operated radio station in Canadian history, with Toronto’s FLOW 93.5 FM.

Flex was charged with educating the CRTC board and convincing them what the music represented and about its commercial viability. “I’m big on representing my community in any way I can; FLOW was a big opportunity to do that,” Flex says.
He also played a role in getting urban radio stations such as Vibe in Calgary and the CHUM/Milestone (FLOW) urban radio station in Edmonton off the ground.
“Toronto’s hip hop & R&B” radio station was launched in February 2001 with Flex as its first music director. And the early days weren’t easy, but they were well worth it, Flex notes.

While the station has its critics, Flex notes that FLOW doesn’t get enough credit for its community work.
“FLOW has both a social and economic imperative,” Flex says. “And FLOW does a ton of stuff in the community that people don’t know about.”
Just recently, the station was honoured by the Ontario Association of Broadcasters with the Community Service Award for its Peace Prophets anti-violence campaign.
“It’s wonderful for me that FLOW will stick around,” Flex adds.
His current role as a judge for “Canadian Idol” has expanded his national profile and made him a household name.

“The show’s been great,” the Canadian urban music pioneer says. He regularly makes public-speaking appearances and is committed to working with youth.
“When you work with young people, you’re fueling the game,” Flex says.

He currently acts as a board member of VideoFACT, which is charged with funding the production of music videos for independent Canadian artists. He also operates Plasma Corporation, where he develops and promotes new talent. Currently in his roster are In Essence, Toya Alexis and Belinda Brady, and “Canadian Idol” runner-up Gary Beals.
He is also developing projects for film and television.
Life, for Farley Flex, is good.

In fact, one could recall every single milestone made by the urban music industry in Canada, and Flex was probably a part of it. He has likely spent his whole career discovering, promoting and developing new Canadian talent.
“We, as a people, need to be confident in our culture,” Flex says. “I wake up on Monday morning feeling how most feel on Friday afternoon.
“That’s how I live my life.”

Kardinall Offishall: Toronto's Everyday Rudebwoy

Kardinall Offishall: Toronto's Everyday Rudebwoy

By Ryan B. Patrick
Pride Entertainment Writer
November 16, 2005
Pride News Magazine

There's a song titled, "Everybody Gone Gangsta" on rapper-producer Kardinal Offishall's newest album that perfectly describes the spate of gun crime that Toronto has been experiencing. "I think the mentality that our younger generation has in Toronto right now is real messed up," Offishall tells Pride News Magazine over the phone.

The American rappers that are hot right now, he says, seem to be those glorifying a certain kind of criminal lifestyle that kids are emulating. "I don't believe that the majority of us are ignorant, but there are people that really can't tell the difference between what they see on TV and what is real life."


But the differences between the States and Canada are vast, and there are a lot more opportunities for youth over here, he says, adding that some youth are trying to create a situation that doesn't exist here.

"There are a lot more guns on the streets these days, but guns have always been on Toronto streets," Offishall says.

"It's the person behind the gun as opposed to the guns themselves. There's always been a code of the street, but right about now, a lot of those things are getting thrown out of the window. As far as how it connects to hip hop, there needs to be more balance in the music. The mentality right now is real jacked up."

The song is one of the 14 cuts off the immensely talented Offishall's latest, the aptly-titled album, Fire and Glory, which came out on November 15.

The Scarborough-born rapper's own experience with the music industry has been a trial by fire of sorts and he's long overdue for some glory. The long-awaited album (his first since 2001's Firestarter Vol. 1: Quest For Fire) is a testament to Offishall's matchless "reggae meets hip hop" style.

His first album had him on the cusp of international superstardom. His hits "Bakardi Slang" and "Ol' Time Killin'" earned a gold certification in Canada and were heavily requested on U.S. outlets such as Black Entertainment Television.

But, much like other Canadian artists that were courted south of the border with promises of U.S. record deals and superstardom, things didn't quite go as planned. A couple of years back, he was signed to MCA and was putting the finishing touches on sophomore LP, Firestarter Vol.2: The F Word Theory. A video was shot for the lead single, The Neptunes-produced "Belly Dancer", but the forward motion died when the record label abruptly went under and Offishall (government name Jason Harrow) got lost in the shuffle.

While he wasn't exactly dumped, he was transferred to Geffen/Interscope, the project was indefinitely shelved and Offishall was in a frustrating position where newer artists such as 50 Cent got top priority.

But instead of moping about, Offishall picked up his hustle, touring Europe and Japan, recording countless mixtape-side projects and making cameo appearances on records. His last big mixtape, Kill Bloodclot Bill, riffed off the popular Quentin Tarantino flick and graphically expressed his displeasure with the record industry.
The "Bill" in question was the record industry itself. But, ultimately, it's all about moving forward, Offishall says.

"You can't really deal with the spilt milk stuff," he says. "Really and truly, everything is for a reason, and there are so many things in life that you go through things and think 'Why am I going through this?' but there's definitely something to be learned in every single thing in life. I try to deal with the forward movements."
Offishall has always been about doing his own thing, in his own way. This mentality caused a minor kerfuffle recently, when, during his set at the August 14 Getting Up music festival in Toronto, he came out with a guitar on stage and attempted to play, saying, "They say I have to play an instrument to sell some records."

He then smashed the instrument, prompting some to say the antic was a veiled diss at fellow Canadian hip hop artist k-os.

Whether it was a diss or a subtle and clever commentary on the Canadian music scene is up for interpretation. Nonetheless, the event was reported in a local newspaper and, a week later, k-os himself wrote a harsh letter to the paper, which both criticized the fact the skit was reported and that it insinuated that Canadian rappers such as Offishall are trying too hard at imitating American hip hop instead of creating their own style.

When discussing the incident, Offishall remains diplomatic, insisting that there is no animosity between the two artists.

When it comes to African Canadians, there are going to be forces that try to create a "divide and conquer" type situation, he notes. "It wasn't really anything. I know k-os, so, when we spoke about it, it was a 10-second thing. It's one of the things that come with the business."

The artists have known each other for a while and retain a mutual respect for each other, he says.

Offishall's new release is a partnership/distribution deal between his Black Jays imprint and Virgin Music Canada, which provides for greater flexibility and creative control. "I'm constantly in hustle mode. I've always functioned as an indie artist, no matter what the circumstances, so it keeps me in a mind-state of hustling, and [I] take whatever I'm doing to the highest possible heights. Not so much has changed…I keep it moving."

The first single, "Everyday Rudebwoy", is a delicious adaptation of Sly Stone's (by way of Arrested Development) "People Everyday", and touches on racial profiling issues.

It's a standard example of his trademark dancehall-hip hop fusion. Indeed, Fire and Glory (largely produced by Offishall) is a carefully balanced mix of humour, conscious tracks, party jams and straight-up hip hop, and features a veritable melting pot of guest appearances, including Vybz Kartel, Spragga Benz, Busta Rhymes and Toronto's own Ray Robinson.

Even though he owns the masters from the F-Word Theory, the new album had to be fresh and function as a cohesive whole, Offishall says.

"The good thing is that I make so much music, that I'm able to just choose the ones I want. With me, there's so much material, it's a fun process going through and having all the bases covered."
This everyday rudebwoy has become Toronto's unofficial hip hop ambassador, and Offishall is living proof that a Canadian rapper can embrace his Toronto roots and still retain street cred. He proudly reps Toronto and his West Indian heritage every chance he gets.

And things seem to be paying off - he's gearing up for a major tour with 50 Cent, the official U.S. launch of Fire and Glory, upcoming guest appearances on some high-profile records and the continued development of his Black Jays clique (a assortment of emcees and vocalists, including core members Lindo P, Ro Dolla, Solitare, Darryl Riley and Nicole Moses). Right now, he notes, international recognition is a bonus.

"Everything feels like a blessing right now," he says. "I don't do this for accolades. I do this because I love music.

"A lot of people in my shoes might have given up a long time ago."

50 Cent Relives Some Pivotal Life Moments In Get Rich

50 Cent Relives Some Pivotal Life Moments In Get Rich

By Ryan B. Patrick
Pride Entertainment Writer
Pride News Magazine
Nov. 9, 2005

More a frivolous popcorn flick than a cinematic tour de force, megastar rapper Curtis "50 Cent" Jackson's new semi-autobiographical film, Get Rich or Die Tryin', entertains nonetheless. The gritty film - which borrows its title from the rapper's 2003 multiplatinum debut - is a cautionary, bullet-ridden tale of sorts that examines

50 Cent's origins as a fatherless child growing up on the dangerous ghetto streets of Queens, N.Y. The film, directed by six-time Oscar nominee Jim Sheridan and produced by Interscope/Shady/Aftermath and MTV Films, opens Wednesday, November 9.


The urban crime drama - parts of which were shot in Toronto - chronicles his life, but takes a few liberties here and there, says the charismatic 50.

"I would say that about 75 percent of the film is real-life," Jackson tells Pride News Magazine.

"Some situations have been expanded, while others have been minimized in order to make it entertaining. Overall, I want people to leave with a better picture of how my life has been.

"I figure, if they had more information about my past, they'd understand the things I'm doing in the future, and it will be even more entertaining for them."

It comes as no surprise that controversy surrounds the notorious 50 Cent, and the film itself, like a second skin. The artist has kick-started rap beefs with artists like Nas, Fat Joe, Ja Rule and former G-Unit (50 Cent's clique) member the Game.
He's been linked to actress Vivica A. Fox (and began insinuating after the breakup that Fox was "crazy" and using him to get her face on magazine covers).

He's also been accused of glorifying violence, drugs and the objectification of women.

In the States, billboards promoting the film have been torn down in the midst of opposition from local community groups. The offending billboards in question show 50 holding a gun in one hand and a microphone in the other.

To some, 50 Cent represents the worst excesses (bling-bling, drugs and guns) the hip hop genre has to offer. To others, he's simply a driven and talented individual playing the role of a gangster thug, and who currently happens to be the best at what he does.

Hate it or love it (to borrow from the title of his recent hit), 50 Cent ("Fiddy" to his legion of fans) is dominating the hip hop game these days.

His latest album - the platinum selling The Massacre - sold 1.1 million copies in a mere four days, smashing the record originally held by The Beatles.

Always outspoken, the savvy 50 Cent has never been afraid to speak his mind. On Kanye West's remarks that President Bush "doesn't care about Black people", because he responded too late to Hurricane Katrina victims, 50 recently said: "I think people responded to it the best way they can. What Kanye West was saying, I don't know where that came from. The New Orleans disaster was meant to happen. It was an act of God."
On homosexuals: "Being gay isn't cool - it's not what the music is based on. There's always been conflict at the centre of hip hop because it's all about which guy has the competitive edge, and you can't be that aggressive if you're gay."

On actor Samuel L. Jackson's refusal to work with 50 Cent on screen: "Saying he wouldn't work with a rapper is like saying he wouldn't work with Will Smith, Queen Latifah or Ice Cube. Basically, he didn't want to play second fiddle. He knew that because of my success, people would come to see the movie because of me. And he couldn't handle that."

Contentious comments aside, Jackson's well-publicized rise to the top of the hip hop world has been well-documented. His drug-dealing teen mother was murdered by drug rivals when 50 Cent was around eight years old. He moves in with his grandparents, and at age ten, he starts selling drugs himself and quickly rises though the ranks in the drug world.

Along the way, he becomes a father (to son Marquise, now nine years old, and who goes by the name "25 Cent"), establishes a mile-long criminal rap sheet, and eventually does some prison time.

But Jackson also dreams about becoming a successful rapper, and devotes long hours honing his lyrics and perfecting his signature flow and style. He eventually gets his coveted record deal but, after getting shot nine times and nearly dying, he ultimately gets dropped by his record label.

Yet, demonstrating the ambition and work ethic for which he's known, Jackson perseveres. With the help of a longtime associate, 50 Cent makes an independent mixtape that catches the ear of hip hop stalwarts Dr. Dre and Eminem. Jackson signs a millon-dollar record deal, and the rest, as they say, is history.

The film will inevitably draw comparisons with other "rap genre" movies like 8 Mile and the recent Hustle & Flow. The screenplay by Terence Winter makes comparisons to the Italian mafia, in detailing the ins and outs of Jackson's "gangsta" environs. Director Jim Sheridan (My Left Foot, In the Name of the Father) does a solid but rather workmanlike job of drawing the parallels between 50 Cent's real life exploits and his on-screen persona.

Yet, for a gangsta flick, the violence, while present, seems surprisingly downplayed and sanitized. (It's interesting to note that the film takes pains to show that Jackson doesn't actually directly kill anyone.)

In the film, 50 Cent plays Marcus aka "Little Ceasar". It opens with a gripping robbery sequence that ends with Marcus getting fatally wounded. Narrated by Marcus, we then get a flashback and see how he got to this point in his troubled life.
We see Marcus as a child (excellently played by Marc John Jeffries, who has 50 Cent's mannerisms down pat) and learn about his loving relationship with his mother, the drug-dealing Katrina (played by Serena Reeder).

When Katrina is brutally murdered, Marcus quickly turns to hustling drugs to support himself, but he quickly clashes with his grandparents (Delroy Lindo and Viola Davis) and heads out on his own.

Under the guidance of local kingpin Majestic (Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje) Marcus becomes a ruthless dealer. His life gets complicated when he has a child with longtime girlfriend Charlene (the attractive Joy Bryant) and has a son.

Then, when Marcus tries to get out of the drug game to become a rap star, things take a turn for the worse.

50 Cent gives an earnest but, ultimately, one-dimensional performance as Marcus.
While he has the moxie and charisma for the silver screen, he currently lacks the range and emotional depth to make Marcus a wholly convincing character.

In the face of stellar performances by co-stars Terrence Howard (who does a fabulous job playing Marcus's crazy manager) and Bill Duke (a Godfather-type figure linked to Marcus' past) 50 Cent's shortcomings as an actor are even more pronounced.

This isn't to say that 50 Cent doesn't do a capable job. He is willing to go that extra mile for the film, whether it is a nude prison shower scene or a crucial moment that requires him to shed tears.

The pivotal scene when he gets shot and is lying on the operating table was an emotionally draining one, 50 admits. "It was eerie lying on the operating table. The shooting sequence in the movie wasn't the same as what happened to me, and I was more focused on the physical aspect of it, making it look real," he notes.

"When it happened for real, I wasn't conscious by the time I got to the operating table; I was already under anesthetic. So lying there, still and awake, for eight hours, while they shot the scene with the actors pretending to be surgeons standing around me, that was weird."

Overall, Get Rich or Die Tryin' stands on its own as a flawed, yet entertaining, flick. It also functions as yet another piece in 50 Cent's growing multi-million dollar empire, along with the music, the G-Unit clothing line, and the soon-to-be-released "Bulletproof" video game.

50 Cent is well aware he has a stranglehold on the rap game, but, even he notes that grip is tenuous. All this coming from a man now living in a in a 4,500 square-metre mansion once owned by Mike Tyson.

"When I wake up every morning, I'm reminded that the man who had it before me made $500 million in his career, and doesn't have it anymore," he recently told the media. "This is where my work ethic comes from."
Jackson also tells Pride that he recently signed a movie deal with Sony Pictures, and is actively seeking new projects.

"The idea of creating a film that gives people something to judge me on is easier than them trying to piece together things that they hear in the media," 50 says.
"In the future, if I come across a script that affects me as much as my life story, I'll commit to it."

"Rare Breed" Carl Henry Does What He Can

"Rare Breed" Carl Henry Does What He Can

By Ryan B. Patrick
Pride Entertainment Writer
Nov 2, 2005

As a relatively successful male R&B/dancehall recording artist in Canada, Carl Henry is well aware he is, perhaps, a rare breed.

"Hell yeah!" Henry says emphatically over the phone, in an exclusive interview with Pride News Magazine.

While there are female artists like Jully Black, Divine Brown and Melanie Durrant currently enjoying larger success in the Canadian urban music scene, there's the argument that the same can't be said for the African Canadian men. "To be one of the few males out there, I'm glad to rep the guys and, hopefully, set that bar [for other male artists]," Henry says.

And with his sophomore effort, I Wish, released this week (November 1), Henry hopes this album does even better than his Juno-nominated 2003 debut, (RNB). The Jamaican-born, Montreal-based singer's sound is best defined as a mix of R&B, gospel, soul and dancehall. Henry was recently signed to major record label Universal Music (via imprint CeSoul), and notes that the Canadian music industry is becoming a lot more receptive to urban artists.

"It's definitely a great time to be part of the urban scene," Henry says, adding that there are a lot more opportunities now than there were in the past.

"While there's still a lot of work still to be done, it's come a long way."

As a child growing up in Montreal, Carl Henry says he was exposed to a lot of gospel music. And like many R&B singers, Henry kicked off his musical career singing in his church choir.

"Growing up, I sang a lot of gospel, but, as I got older, I discovered a lot of the great soul artists like Marvin Gaye."

It was while he was attending Vanier College in Montreal that, at the urging of friends, the talented Henry decided to pursue music full-time. He eventually hooked up with Montreal-based record label CeSoul and simultaneously released his debut RNB project,in both English and French.

Being from Montreal and bilingual gives Henry an added advantage, he notes, and it allows him to tap into different markets. "There's definitely an advantage to that, and I'm really grateful to have come up in that environment," Henry says.

He has taken his act throughout North America and Europe, and has opened for artists including Mary J. Blige, De La Soul and Ashanti and, most recently, hip hop/pop supergroup Black Eyed Peas.

Whereas his debut was straight-up R&B music, I Wish features heavy dancehall reggae influences, no doubt buoyed by Henry's recent success with recent singles, "Bare as She Dare" and "Homie's Girl", which were both nominated for Best Reggae Recording Junos in 2004 and 2005.

Henry notes that, with reggae becoming a big part of the urban music scene, the release of I Wish is good timing. "[It's] the second album, so there's a little more pressure, but I'm feeling confident about it. It's an album that makes you want to dance," Henry says. The project features his hit singles ("Homie's Girl", "Hot Gal", and a new remix of "One Night Stand") along with a DVD of tour performances and live interviews.

The new album was co-written and co-produced by Joseph Stonestreet (formerly of Teddy Riley's R&B group Blackstreet) and also features appearances by Elephant Man, singer CeCile, and NY-based rapper JR Writer.

Coming from a West Indian background, Henry says, it feels natural to mix traditional R&B/soul with dancehall, and make it work.

"Some people say that if you mixed Sean Paul with Usher, that you'd get Carl Henry," he says with a laugh. While there are the heavy dancehall, rap and reggae influences in I Wish, it still has the traditional elements of R&B. "I tried to put an album out that people can relate to," Henry says.

He is also passionate about giving back to the community - he's been a part of the Make A Wish Foundation and regularly makes appearances at high schools during Black History Month.

Henry is also slated to perform at a "Stop the Violence"-type event in Toronto later this month. It's definitely in the works, Henry says.

"I think that an artist…whether or not you consider yourself a role model [or not], whether you want to admit it or not, you are because people look up to you," Henry says.

"I think that, if you're in that position, it's your duty to give back to the community that blessed you. It's important that I do my share; do my part when I can."

Canadian Urban Music Panel Breaks It Down

By Ryan B. Patrick
Oct 19, 2005

It seems like anytime Canada's urban music industry holds a panel discussion, what ensues is a lively and entertaining debate. SOCAN's recent Urban Music Panel at the Harbourfront Centre was no exception.

The panel discussion, dubbed, "Bring Urban Music to Market" (part of Harbourfront Centre's View Points discussion series about contemporary culture) featured key urban industry power players.

SOCAN is the Society of Composers, Authors and Music Publishers of Canada (SOCAN), which licenses the use of copyright-protected musical works, then distributes royalties to artists.

On hand were: Divine Brown (R&B vocalist, Blacksmith/Universal); David "Click" Cox (A&R rep, Universal Music Canada); Justin Dumont (Music Director, Flow 93.5 FM); Rob Farina (Program Director, CHUM 103.5 FM); Farley Flex ("Canadian Idol" judge and record label owner, Plasma Corporate); Kardinal Offishall (rap artist, BlackJays/Virgin/EMI).

To cap it off, UK-based artist manager Keith Harris (who currently manages Stevie Wonder) joined in to add his perspective on the state of the worldwide urban industry.

Harris has been involved in the music industry since 1974, beginning with his own independent label, Transatlantic records (which distributed Blue Note and Milestone Jazz labels). He then worked for EMI and Motown, before moving to Los Angeles, in 1978, to work directly with Stevie Wonder.

Harris continues to work with Stevie Wonder, in addition to representing urban artists like Omar and Jaguar.

The issue at hand was concerning the state of Canadian urban music. The panel noted the genre has come a long way. Although Urban music accounts for a large percentage of overall "cross-format" radio play in Canada, it was pointed out that an unusually large number of those spins come from American, not Canadian, acts.

The fact that panelist Divine Brown, whose excellent, new self-titled R&B debut has gone Gold (50,000 copies sold) in Canada, and has also accessed commercial radio across different formats, across the country, is a good sign, the panel agreed.
What's happening in Canada is perhaps the same thing that happened in the UK, Harris offered.

"There is an inferiority complex among us as a community, vis-à-vis the United States. The difficulty with music is that it's not an objective judgment. I actually remember in the UK when everyone assumed that anything that was Black American was better than anything else," Harris says.

"But we are not inferior."

In general, he says, Canadians should stop comparing themselves to the U.S., and stop appreciating the music only after the Americans have heard it and made it popular.
"It has to start from within our community, and it's very easy to complain. It's a matter of going out and getting a fair piece of the pie." Canada has one of the richest funding systems in the world, in terms of assisting music artists. Urban artists should recognize and take advantage of that, Harris says.

One problem, according to Flow Music Director Dumont, is the lack of commercial media outlets for new artists to be heard. Outside of FLOW, there aren't many opportunities for a new urban artist to get that commercial exposure, Dumont says.

And it's probably a bit easier for a new R&B/Soul artist to get noticed than a new hip hop artist, says Universal Music's Cox. While soul music acts such as Brown can often crossover into mainstream, it can be harder for hip hop to be accepted in the same manner, he says, adding that artists should learn more about the business side and remember to maintain professionalism at all times.

The key is also to always keep networking, says Offishall. "Don't be afraid of rejection," says the rapper. "Keep keeping on."

He adds that success is relative. It doesn't have to be about getting heard on the radio - many artists make a good living doing concerts and touring the world.
It is hard breaking in, and there is no such thing as an overnight success, says Brown. She says perseverance is the key.

"You may get turned down one, two, three, four times," says Brown. "but, on the fifth try, it can happen. It's about that drive and never giving up."

Melanie Durrant: Gonna Get There

By Ryan B. Patrick
Pride Entertainment Writer
Oct. 19 2005


The last time I spoke with talented R&B singer/songwriter Melanie Durrant, it seemed like the stars were finally aligned, and she was ready to blow up. She was signed south of the border to legendary Motown Records and was opening for the likes of Sean Paul and Jay-Z, and all signs pointed to huge international success. But a year later, the spunky Toronto native finds herself without a major label deal (Motown dropped her and never did release her material) and is now back in Toronto with a new label (Koch), and a new independent album, Where I'm Going, set for release on October 27.

Durrant manages to keep things in perspective. Indeed, while the Canadian chanteuse's career begins to play out exactly as the lyrics to her ebullient breakout hit, "Where I'm Going" - "I'm going to get to where I'm going, slowly but surely" - Durrant takes it all in stride.

"I'm only human," the classy Durrant tells Pride News Magazine, in an exclusive telephone interview.


"I wasn't feeling too hot about not having my album released through Motown, but when you fall down, you've gotta dust yourself off and keep it moving. So that's what I've done."

The sparkling vocalist has had music on her mind since she was a small child. Her mother, Karen Durrant, is an established professional singer known for her uncanny impersonations of Tina Turner and Donna Summer.

Durrant fondly remembers singing along to the sheet music that her mother brought home. If the show wasn't in a bar, young Melanie would often watch her mother's performances.

The younger Durrant's style is a honey-dipped dash of R&B, a splash of alternative rock and roll, and a heaping helping of soul. Her singing/songwriting style is often referred to as "adventurous", as her musical influences run the gamut. The admittedly old school Durrant cites artists as diverse and eclectic as Stevie Wonder, Aerosmith and Diana Ross as influences. She describes her sound as "alternative hip hop soul".

But it's almost as if she's defying you to categorize her. Durrant has been best described as a mix of Blu Cantrell, Jill Scott and the late great Minnie Ripperton.
It all started, when, after honing her skills at Toronto's Earl Haig School of the Arts, and training at the Royal Conservatory of Music, Durrant began performing in underground spots across the country - such as Toronto's female Honey Jam talent showcase - which parlayed into a short stint in the Broadway production of "Rent".

It was there she met singer Jill Scott, who encouraged her to continue writing songs.
By now, the whirlwind story behind her signing to the legendary Motown USA label is the stuff of Canadian urban legend: After being introduced to Toronto urban music video director wunderkind X (then known as Little X), he promised her, if he ever directed a car commercial he'd use her song. Sure enough, X got the gig, and the aforementioned, "Where I'm Going" appeared on a PT Cruiser car commercial in 2002.
Motown prez Kedar Massenberg just happened to catch the commercial on television, and Durrant was flown out to New York and - bam - the budding songstress was on a star-studded Motown R&B roster that, among its notables, includes Brian McKnight, Erykah Badu and India.Arie.

Later, Durrant was dropped from the Motown label.

Undaunted by her music industry experiences, Durrant kept things moving. She continued to tour and record fresh material. Her manager (Taj Critchlow of Maxamus Entertainment) started his own label and eventually signed a distribution deal with Koch.

The new album, Where I'm Going, is a 14-track effort that combines tracks from the ill-fated Motown release, with new material. Most of the songs were recorded at downtown Toronto's Soundproof Studios, where Durrant ably nailed each song in one or two takes.

After the jazzy-hip hop brilliance that is the title track (featuring rapper Common), the rest of the album is solid. The "Kill Bill Vol. 1"-inspired cover of "Bang, Bang" (featuring the omnipresent Kardinal Offishall) is on point, as is the shiny happy pop-vibe of "Sky", and the dancehall-riff of "Let Me". Tracks like "Still the Same" and "Eddie" allow Durrant to demonstrate her range, as she invokes a more traditional R&B/soul flavour.

The reggae-vibe of "Same Ol' Thing" could have used a tad more production polish, but is probably the only blip on an otherwise strong project.

Durrant herself cites the acoustically-driven, multi-tracked, "Best Thing" (You're a million miles from me/High as the moon and deep as the sea), as her favorite track.
"It makes me feel really good, and I always get a warm reception from my audience when I'm singing that song," she says.

In some respect, releasing the album independently allows for more creative control, Durrant adds. "And the thing is, Motown promised me creative control, but they didn't deliver.

"But I don't want to focus on negative stuff. Through music, I've expressed my feelings, and I think it feels good to get it off my chest. I feel great right now."
The current Canadian urban music landscape, where artists like Jully Black and Divine Brown are getting mainstream love, bodes well for Durrant.

The timing is right and it's good to see these artists doing their thing, she notes.
All things considered, Durrant is all about leaving the past behind and moving forward.

"The good thing is that my album is coming out, I'm about to go on tour…things are good all across the board."

Lil' Kim's Naked Truth

By Ryan B. Patrick
(Oct 5, 2005)
Pride News Magazine

"With my back against the wall/I'm gonna bang my way out" - Lil' Kim

Despite her diminutive 4'11" frame, Lil' Kim is perhaps one of the biggest, most successful female rappers of all time. The fashionable, provocative and overtly sexual Lil' Kim aka Queen Bee is no stranger to controversy.
Last month saw the Grammy-winning Kim head to jail, after being found guilty on three perjury charges, and of conspiracy to commit perjury, for lying to a federal grand jury.

The incident in question was the 2001 gunfight involving the entourage of rap duo Capone 'N' Noreaga and her fierce hip hop rival Foxy Brown, outside the Hot 97 FM radio station offices in New York City. Kim was sentenced to a year and one day for lying at the trial for the shootout. She reported to a Philadelphia prison camp on September 19.

Yet, not even life in the Big House appears to be enough to hold the hip hop diva down.

The irony is that the recent release of her long-awaited fourth solo album, The Naked Truth, will, no doubt, experience stellar sales, even while she's incarcerated.
Kim even shot a reality show (tentatively titled, "Lil' Kim Goes to the Big House") based on her final weeks before she went to prison, and, according to the New York Times, her last weekend on the streets was spent shooting three music videos. She also went on a media blitz prior to her year-and-a-day-long "vacation", conducting media interviews with Newsweek, the New York Times, even recording a sit-down chat with VH1's Fab Five Freddy, for the recent VH1 Hip Hop Honors, which paid tribute to the Notorious B.I.G., among other legendary hip hop artists.

It's clear Kim's a shrewd businesswoman, milking her celebrity in her final days of freedom, instead of staying home sulking.

Yet, in the grand scheme of things, where does Lil' Kim rank as a musical artist?
Love her or hate her, there's no denying her impact. As a recording artist, her uninhibited and sexually-charged style of hip hop has, for better or for worse, forever changed the way we see female rappers.

She has been both admonished and adored for her hardcore lyrics. She has paved the way for other female rap artists such as Trina, Jacki-O and Terror Squad's Remy Ma, and the troubling subtext seems to be: for females to be successful, they need to be served up as eye candy, lyrical prowess be damned.

From her troubled childhood, to the murder of her mentor/lover Notorious B.I.G., to her current stint behind bars - Lil' Kim represents the quintessential hip hop bad girl.

Born Kimberly Denise Jones on July 11th, 1975, and raised in Brooklyn, New York, Kim was left under the care of her father after her parents got divorced when she was 9 years old.

A defiant child, living under the strict rules of her father, she eventually ran away from home.
As the story goes, Kim crashed on friends' couches, lived with drug-dealing boyfriends, and even endured a brief stint as a prostitute.

But after meeting up with mentor and father figure, Christopher Wallace - better known as Biggie Smalls and Notorious B.I.G - Jones commenced to turn her life around.
B.I.G. had just signed a record deal with Sean "Diddy" Combs' Bad Boy Records and wanted to bring her in on his success.

It was Wallace who encouraged her to hone her now trademark rapping skills and set her up as a member of the rap group Junior M.A.F.I.A.

After some initial success with the group (including Top 20 singles, "Playa'z Anthem" and "Get Money") in 1996, Lil' Kim went the solo route and released her controversial debut album, Hard Core.
It was a huge commercial success, but drew heavy criticism for its hardcore, explicit content and the sexy album cover, a first for a female rapper.

Buoyed by the infamous "coming soon" poster (featuring Kim provocatively posed in a spread-eagle squatting position) the album went double platinum and featured Billboard Hot 100 hits such as the album's first single, "No Time" (featuring Diddy), "Crush on You" and "Not Tonight".

Kim's career took a turn when, in the spring of 1997, Notorious B.I.G. was murdered.
She made it known she and Biggie had been in love, and was visibly emotional at his funeral. It's been suggested it was Biggie's death that precipitated Kim's 2000 transformation from an attractive dark-skinned Black woman to a virtual Barbie doll, complete with breast enhancements, omnipresent blonde-coloured weave and plastic surgery and makeup, making her look decidedly Eurocentric.

It is hardly coincidence her new look has corresponded with her growing mainstream popularity, which seemed to blossom at the same time her album, The Notorious K.I.M., went platinum and she had scored a huge hit with 2001's remake of LaBelle's "Lady Marmalade", on which she teamed with Christina Aguilera, Mya and Pink.
The Naked Truth features a racially ambiguous Lil' Kim on its cover, warranting a double take: her skin has been lightened, her pink lipsticked lips in a perpetual China Doll pout, and her trademark blonde hair (weave) seems straighter than ever.
Potential self-hate imagery aside, The Naked Truth definitely sounds like something that was rushed, which it in fact it was, as Jones completed it weeks before her lock-up.
Kim herself admitted, before going off to prison, that this was "the shortest time she worked on a record".
Far from a flop and not quite a classic, the 21-track release, nonetheless, sees Lil Kim near the top of her game. Those expecting to hear a mea culpa in The Naked Truth will instead be treated to a bric-a-brac of glossy pop-rap production, brazen gangsta chatter and the requisite sexy rhymes and dirty talk.
It appears that the raw emotion displayed on this album can be directly attributed to Lil' Kim's incarceration and the fact that she minimizes the party tracks in favour of solid beats and a career-defining opus.
She spouts off on the perils of fame, jealousy and the legal system. The guest stars (T.I., Twista, Snoop Dogg) are kept to a minimum - this is Kim's show.
The obligatory "leave me alone" track, the scathing "Shut Up B--h!", was a middling first single. Yet, she redeems herself (and also demonstrates her range) on the Caribbean-flavoured, Scott Storch-produced, "Lighters Up", where, in-between rousing rhythms and a beaming pride for her hometown Brooklyn, she almost sounds like a bootleg Lauryn Hill.
The island vibe is revisited on "Durty", where Kim bigs up Brooklyn's strong Jamaican presence against a Terrance "Hot Runner" Lovelace's dancehall riddem.
The album falters a bit on tracks such as the unabashed raw sexual energy exhibited on the raunchy, "Kitty Box" (produced by 7 Aurelius), which leaves nothing to the imagination.
She quickly recovers, demonstrating on several tracks why she's known for her lyrical skills, as she practically eviscerates rivals, including 50 Cent ("Spellcheck") and former crew Junior M.A.F.I.A. ("Whoa" and "Last Day"). She saves some extra venom for Foxy Brown on "Quiet", featuring The Game, rapping: "Comin' at me b--h/You're playin' with fire/I ain't gon' come back at you, I'm comin' atcha ghostwriter".
The capper is the final track, "Last Day", where the Queen Bee delivers a heartfelt "I won't give up hope" performance, with lyrics that sound like they were lifted from her diary.
Overall, The Naked Truth is just that, and its solid and authentic New York hip hop production ensures Kim will still be remembered while she's away.
This time next year, she will be out, and it remains to be seen what kind of hip hop world the Queen Bee will be returning home to.
Indeed, before heading to jail, Kim assured family and fans she would be alright, saying, "Today begins a new saga in my life, which I expect to strengthen me and allow me time for reflection. I am blessed to have so many great things in my life - family, friends and God.
"All will be in my thoughts daily. I plan to write music while in prison, read and pray regularly, and will come out a stronger, more confident woman."