come back clean - the cyrstal method feat. emily haines

morning after dark - timbaland feat. soshy, nelly furatdo

These three make good music together...

classic: throw your hands in the air - cypress hill feat. eric sermon, redman, mc eiht

flow flows into third spot in sun's top station of 09

Flow gets bronze in Toronto Sun's Readers Poll for 2009. Article from Here.

Hip hop fans go with the FLOW

Eight years ago, FLOW 93.5 hit the Toronto airwaves, bringing to listeners the burgeoning sound of hip hop and R&B. Today, the radio station is a media lifeline for fans of the genre – a sound that has exploded in popularity to become more mainstream in commercial radio.

In appreciation of the station’s dedication to bringing the best and newest talent to music lovers, Toronto Sun readers have chosen FLOW 93.5 as a winner once again in this year’s Readers’ Choice Awards. The station won bronze for Best Radio Station; and JJ and Melanie won silver for Best Radio Personality as well as bronze for Best Radio Morning Show.

In addition to JJ and Melanie in the Morning, Flow listeners are treated to Jeni at mid-day, Devo Brown in the afternoon, and Jus’ Red and J-Wyze in the evening. Featured artists include Jay-Z, Kanye West, Rihanna and Toronto’s own Drake, one of the rising stars of the hip hop genre. DJs, Starting from Scratch, P-Plus and Jason Chambers create their own mixes in three shows a day.

“There’s a hip hop expression, ‘real knows real,’ which is what FLOW is all about,” says Nicole Jolly, vice-president of operations for NEW FLOW 93.5. “All of our DJs and announcers walk the talk; they know who the artists are and listen to their music. FLOW has always discovered up-and-coming talent, and we’re proud to be the station that introduces these artists to our listeners and helps them to break into the industry.”

New to FLOW is a link on the station’s website, which enables people to see their favourite DJs perform live on a webcam. For show schedules, contests, radio personalities’ blogs and more, visit www.flow93.5.com.

www.flow935.com

stockwood, hodge gone from ez mornings

In a sudden move this week, Astral has canned two more employees from their deep pocketed morning drive show. Songstress Kim Stockwood and Sports guru Rick Hodge are gone from the lineup. It's part of a restructuring effort at the station, whispers secret lips. Hodge has also been pulled at sister station Newstalk 1010 where he did double duty during the day doing sports on both the AM and FM side of the downtown quarters.

In recent months, the station has lost Toronto mainstays as Jacqui Delaney and Chris Mavridis who returned to his NY home at CBS.

There is no word yet on if Stockwood or Hodge will be replaced. Will Hodge return to his CHUM heritage? Walk down the block to rival CHFI? We will most likely find out in the new year.

Stay Tuned.

rip haydain neale

It's a sad day in the Toronto music scene. It's not very often you meet someone who has made it in Canadian music that is still down to earth and has the same passion about music that they had years ago. While working with REMG and attending Trebas, I was lucky to have met some.

Haydain Neal was one of them.

I first met Haydain during CMW 2000 while I was volunteering there as part of a project for my publicity class at Trebas. After leaving Trebas I started to work with REMG, where I was a flyer guy. I would see Haydain around every few weeks. Haydain would be at the show performing or just hanging out. He always remembered me as That Trebas Kid. He would ask me how things were going and asked if I needed any tips or advice about the industry. He would also be sure to add in how much he appreciated how hard I was working - even though it wasn't for him or his group Jacksoul, he appreciated it. It's because he knew it was for the greater cause. The music. But even larger than that. It was for Canadian Music. That's what he loved. That's what he had the passion for. That's what he lived for. Music.

It is his music that we will miss most.

RIP Haydain.

Thanks for your music and your words.

They'll be missed.

convinced of the hex - the flaming lips (live)

Brand new Flaming Lips doing Convinced of the Hoax live.

ephemeral artery - neon indian

Neon Indian performs live at Topman CMJ 2009.....

vmt: happy 25th, def jam pt.2

Last week, we looked at the historical Def Jam catalogue to celebrate they label's 25th year anniversary. After compiling the virtual mixtape, I realized that I missed out on a bunch of golden tracks. Songs that had to have made the list. Therefore, we have the second part of the VMT celebrating the life and times of Def Jam Records. Here we go..

It's Yours - T La Rock
You're Going to Get Yours - Public Enemy
Cold Spendin' My Money - Oran "Juice" Jones
Just Another Case - CRU
Daddy's Little Girl - Nikki D
Tom's Diner - Suzanne Vega
Glamour and Glitz - Q-Tip
Poppa Luv It - LL Cool J
Touch Myself - Richie Rich feat. Jermaine Dupri and T-Boz
Big Bad Momma - Dru Hill feat. Foxy Brown
Girls, Girls, Girls - Jay-Z
Feel it in The Air - Beanie Segal
Enjoy Da Ride - Redman feat. Method Man, Saukrates, Streetlife
Where Are They Now? - Nas
Who Killed It? - Nas
Back Like That (remix)- Ghostface Killah feat. Kanye West, Neyo
Russian Roulette - Rihanna
Crossover - EPMD
I Shot Ya (remix) - LL Cool J (feat. Keith Murray, Prodigy, Fat Joe & Foxy Brown)
The Ruler's Back - Slick Rick

members swollen

Back in the late 90's, Canada had a very promising underground Hip Hop scene. Some stars stepped up their game and made a name for themselves while keeping true to the art form. See K-OS. However, others who released awesome Hip Hop albums off an indie self-managed record label, got too caught up in the rap game and fell off.

This makes me sad.

See Swollen Members.

While working with REMG, we brought down the trio (pre-Moka days) to do two shows. One in London and one in Toronto. I became the group's street promo guy for Toronto. Handled all the Battleaxe merch here and handed out various flyers for the label. Good job because I believed in their music. They were Hip Hop. Along the way, I started to get less and less stuff from them. One day, it just ended. Nothing more. Over the years, I noticed how the music of the group has gone down hill. And now, I've noticed that they group has snuck to a all time low on hearing the release of their new album, Armed To The Teeth.

The group has obviously lost all creativity and gone the safer route to make music. Grabbing onto the latest trend and doing the same thing they're doing down south. Including using Auto-tunes. Shame.

I never like writing stories like this - especially about a group that I know - or should I say, knew and most importantly, negative artifices about Canadian talent. Yes. Talent. They did have that at one time. Now, it looks like they've become the dreaded sheep that's making our culture look back to the uneducated onlookers.

Sad story on what happens to good people when they get caught up in the rap game.


Hey. At least Moka never sold out.

a day in the life - remembering rivers...

November 20th 2004.

Woke up late that Saturday morning after a night of celebration. I was moving from the upstairs department of the market research company I was working for at the time to the downstairs. A few co-workers and I went out that night to swap stories and look back at the year that was. We knew it wouldn't ever be the same again. Things would change. We wouldn't be able to talk to each other as much. Have the same fun we had. I spoke about the goodtimes and the bad times. The energy that a dozen people brought to that office that made my love for my work that more special. However, we smiled. Because it was for the better.

Saturday morning, I woke up to a voice mail. I decided to answer it later. Needed breakfast. Ate and watched something on the tele. Taking my time. It was Saturday and hungover. I was allowed. Usually, the first thing I would do was to check my e-mail. Surf the net. Check my voice mail. But today was different. I needed to be in the realm of self for a while. Don't know why. Just thought it was because it was the first day of the rest of my life. I went back upstairs and headed back to bed. Woke up an hour later. Finally. Turned on the computer. Checked all the main sites. Then the Yellow Message board. Then. I read the news. Oh Boy.

Tom Rivers had passed away.


By that time it was late afternoon. My sister and her boyfriend were over talking to my Mom. I was in shock. I went to my phone. Had a feeling the voice mail had to do with the news. Yup. I was right. My friend Simon left a voice mail earlier on that day. He sounded confused. He called me to find out if it was true. I was also looking for answers. To a question I never thought I'd have to answer. Ended up that Rivers had been battling cancer. The evilness ran through his body too fast to catch it. The evilness took down the big six foot fiver. I told my family. Called my Dad. We were all in disbelief. To us, Rivers was someone who would always be here. Always around. Maybe not on radio, but just in our life - like he had been for the past 15 years. He was my best pal. My brother from another mother.

Took a few days off work. Just sat in my room and listened to old tapes. Re-educated myself on Tom's talent. His timing. His delivery. His creativeness. His humor. His insight. But what I thought about most, was our personal chats. The days we would talk over smokes and coffee during a news break at the wee hours of the morning. Everyone was getting up but Rivers was at his peak for the day.

I asked Tom once what he thought the inside of his brain looked like. He told me like one of those animals working a big machine on the Flinstones. That was his creative energy getting prepared. He added, but while they're were pumping juice from the big machine, the animal was also, fishing, listening to music, drinking beer and flying.

They were so many parts of Tom's mind that I was privileged to learn about. Fishing was his big thing. After he got his flying licence later on in life, that was all he was talking about. Of course, radio. Music. Family. His wife. All that too. But my favorite thing about Tom was his wise council. His friendship. His honesty.

Five years gone. Looking back now, I think that on Saturday, November 20th 2004, I looked back and shared stories to who ever who would listen on the goodtimes I had with Tom. The bad times, too. The energy that the big man brought to my life and to millions around Toronto for 4 decades. And I Smiled.

jonestown documentary..

Produced for the PBS series American Experience, Stanley Nelson’s Jonestown: The Life and Death of the Peoples’ Temple, written by his frequent collaborator Marcia Smith, examines the infamous religious cult formed by Jim Jones and the events that led to the group’s horrifying mass suicide in 1978. The film traces Jones’ history from his unhappy childhood in rural Indiana.

Witnesses describe a strange, charismatic young man who nursed a seemingly sincere desire for social justice, but also reputedly murdered small animals as a child. Jones’ desire to befriend people across color and class lines alienated his family and neighbors. Eventually, he moved to Indianapolis, where, as a young Pentecostal minister, he started the city’s first integrated church.

Eventually, Jones moved his church to California to escape the racism he perceived in Indiana. In Redwood Valley, his church took on a new life, and he began aggressively recruiting new members. At first, members were required to tithe a percentage of their worth, but eventually, they were expected to relinquish all of their “worldly goods” to the Temple. In 1974, Jones moved to San Francisco, where he acquired some political clout before his high profile caught up with him.

Just before a damaging exposé was published, he moved his people to what was meant to be a “paradise” outside the racism and oppression of America, in Guyana. Nelson interviews eyewitnesses, including many former members of the Temple, and members of Congressman Leo Ryan’s staff who managed to escape when the congressman’s investigatory visit ended in bloodshed. The film had its world premiere at the 2006 Tribeca Film Festival.

To check out the full doc, click here. Worth the watch....

pablo..

We all know that Art is not truth. Art is a lie that makes us realize truth, at least the truth that is given us to understand. The artist must know the manner whereby to convince others of the truthfulness of his lies. ~Pablo Picasso

live re-mixing with keys and krates

The trio join Kid Cudi here later on this month. In the meantime, check this vid to get warmed up on the innovative sounds of Keys and Krates..

the together dream..

You know thoes times when you think a problem, or someone has left your life? You have accepted the outcome and moved on when soemthing happens, and they crash right back into it? That happened to me a few nights ago. As a dream. If you know me well enough you'll know that I take my inner voice seriously. I listen to it. That's why I post the best and worst dreams on here. To get a clearer understanding on what's happening inside of me. What my inside's are trying to tell me. This time, my insides were yelling at me. At least that's what I think. Here's the dream. Let me know what you gather from it...


I'm in my old school's gym having lunch. Sitting with my friends talking. We're talking about sports, music, life. Everything is going smooth and regular. Munching away enjoying the day when ****** walks in. I don't talk to her. I don't know why, but I just don't. I notice her. She notices me. I continue chatting with my mates for a while. Eating and texting a friend back and forth. ****** walks up and sits next to me. She starts to talk to me. I'm short with her. Not really trying to engage in converstation. She tries harder and harder to start a conversation. I'm not having it. Continue to talk to my pals, when she steals some of my food. I look at her and before I yell at her for stealing my food, I just stare at her and tell her jokingly, I was saving that piece for last or soemthing to that effect. She smiles. She gets up and grabs me. She says we have to go for a walk. I get up and we start to walk. As we're leaving the gym, she grabs me around my sholders and holds me closer to her. I grab her around her waist. We're walking down the hall at the same speed holding each other. We're joking about what's going on around us. We open a door that leads outside. There's a blue handle on the door. She loves that color. I ask her if she wants me to steal it for her and she could use it as a new belt buckle. We both laugh. We're outside now. Walking. We're holding hands. We see a ravine. I help her down the hill. We're now by a pond. I put down my jacket for her to sit on. She thanks me. I tell her that she doesn't have to thank me.

I wake up.

Hard to read, huh? I don't know what this could be about. Or what it could mean. Tough one.

What do you think?

vmt: happy 25th, def jam..

Growing up and learning about Hip Hop music back in the late 80's, most of the music I was listening to had one thing in common. They all were from the Def Jam Recordings camp. Def Jam, the legendary Hip Hop imprint spearheaded by Rick Rubin and later with Russell Simmons, was founded back in 1984 in Rubin's dorm room at NYU. Its first release was actually from Rubin's punk group, Hose. In this special VMT, we will take a journey back to see the music that made Def Jam the classic label it is today, as it celebrates its 25 years of rocking out of our loud speakers. I will dig deep and educate you on obsucre tracks while also adding in some popular joints, as well. When possible, I will throw in the music that inspired a particular song. Let's start this ride where we look back to the golden age of Hip Hop and go forward to the song Def Jam is writing today and in the future. Let's Go...


I Can't Live Without My Radio - LL Cool J
Mistakes of A Women In Love with Other Men - Slick Rick
Hold It Now, Hit It - Beastie Boys
Let's Get Small - Trouble Funk
Pump Me Up - Trouble Funk
Different Strokes - Syl Johnson
I Know You Got Soul - Bobby Byrd
Fight The Power - Public Enemy
Hip Hop Junkies - Nice & Smooth
Gold Digger - EPMD
Hardcore - Redman
Most Def - Onyx
What You Think of That - Memphis Bleek feat. Jay-Z
Rap Game/Crack Game - Jay-Z
Never Change - Jay-Z
Common Man - David Ruffin
Rollout (My Business) - Ludacris
Ultimate Satisfaction - Ludacris feat Field Mob
Can't Stop This - The Roots (prod. by J Dilla)
He Got Game - Public Enemy feat. Stephen Stills
The Promise - Foxy Brown feat. Havoc
Wordz of Wisdom - 3rd Bass
Portrait of An Arist as a Hood - 3rd Bass
Back to the Grill - Mc Serch feat. Red Hot Lover Tone, Chubb Rock, and Nas
Rat Bastard - Pete Nice and DJ Ritchie Rich
I'm Your Mechanical Man - Jerry Butler
Bring The Pain - Method Man
Release Yo' Self - Method Man
Love - Ghostface Killah feat. Musiq
Bestfriend - Musiq
Let This Go - 112
Gone - Kanye West feat. Cam'ron, Consequence
Rush - Rihanna feat. Kardinal Offishall
My Rhyme Ain't Done - LL Cool J

our kids: christmas time at waldorf

The holiday season is always the best time of year at Waldorf. We had the Christmas Fair, plays by the lower school, food, and even a visit from the big jolly guy from the North came to pay the High School students a visit. Secret Santa ran for the last few weeks before Christmas vacation.

Days leading up to the holidays were busy and stressful. Running around from class to class worrying about Main Lesson tests and projects due, you tend to get this reassurance that everything will pay off as you smell the candle wax in the air as the lower school was in the gym area standing in line dipping gently into this huge pot making their own candle which they will later decorate.

The best was when you had a really stressful day and you would return to your locker and see a gift for you hidden away. It was from your Secret Santa. It always made my day. It might have been a little gift certificate to the coffee shop down the street, or a gnome doll or even maybe a CD of your favorite artist at the time. It all made it worthwhile. The stress, the tests, the homework. The cold days walking up the huge hill. It made your headache go away and remember that the holidays are just a few short weeks away.

It was reinsurance.




The Christmas Fair. A weekend event usually held on the last weekend in November where Waldorf turns into a huge three floor Holiday playgrond full of gifts, food, music, and arts and crafts for the kids. The students and staff played hosts as thousands would enter the doors to spend the day walking around the round school buying, eating and celebrating.

Every Monday in the month of December the whole school would gather in the forum to light a candle. It was our Advent ceremony. One representative from each class would have a candle in hand and walk to the front of the forum to light it. They would return to their class and remain standing until all the classes did the deed. It was a beautiful weekly gathering that started off your week with a peacfull feeling.

From the Christmas fair to the Secret Santa’s, it was all a wonderful time of year at the Waldorf School, but above everything, it’s the smell of candle wax that I miss the most.

white coat wearing bearded man

His metaphysical thoughts feel like a horizontal notch,
Dragged down. Wavering in the wind held by his belt. Savouring
his thoughts. Thoughts from last night. And the night before.

Blasphemical, Racist, Outrageous and sometimes even Sexist questions
roll around in his mind.
Feels like he's been locked up in cages all his life.
Wondering if he's wrong for thinking this way.
Maybe sleep and see what new comes with the new day.

Twisitng. Turning. Hovering over various metal objects. Sharp objects.
Thinking too much. What will the next subject to enter his brain?
Why now? Why at this time? Why on his dime? The shrink looks at him.
The prognosis looks pretty dim.


The chap walks about. Back and forth. With the clout that most of these
quacks have.
With no facts or tact the white coat wearing bearded man is all in dismay.
He says it's OK and will deal with it another day.

doo doo rock..

two new tracks from d-sisive

Brand new track from the hardest working emcee in Toronto. D-Sisive's follow up album from his hugely successful LP, Let the Children Die will be a free album that will be available online on Wednesday at D-Sisive.com. Jonestown takes D back to his days of making boom bap Hip Hop with tight lyrical skills which will remind older fans of his battling days. D-Sisive's first singles from the LP are a good example of what kind of heat this Toronto native can put out when he has the right beat behind him.

D continues to tear up the local Hip Hop scene in 2009!

Click Here to check out Ken Park featuring Marco Polo and DJ Grouch.

Click Here to check out One Way Ticket

let's stop playin' - ghostface killah feat. john legend

Track 9 from Ghostface's new album 'Ghostdini Wizard Of Poetry In Emerald City'

holy are you - rakim

Brand new Rakim from his brand new drop, The Seventh Seal. Classic from the God emcee.

webasode one: cooking with chef famekwon

I've been meaning to start a vlog for a while now. Last week after school I finally had some time to do a video on how to make Curry Chick Pea and Chicken. Cooking is one of my favorite things to do. Eating is another favorite thing. I love them both equally. Even though, creating the dish is always fun. I'm going to try to do more vlogs now that I know how to use Windows Movie Maker. That thing is my new favorite toy. Anyway, here's the video. Let me know what you think..

paranormal activity

After a young, middle class couple moves into a suburban 'starter' tract house, they become increasingly disturbed by a presence that may or may not be somehow demonic but is certainly most active in the middle of the night. Especially when they sleep. Or try to

Thank goodness my friend got a ripped copy of this movie so we were able to check it out in the peaceful confines of her living room. Walking into Paranormal Activity I knew it would be something I've never seen before. Something scarier than I ever witnessed. I wasn't wrong.

The movie dragged on at first setting the scene. However, when it really got going, my friend and I wished we went to the theaters to watch another flick.

If this was just another scary movie with blood and gore and unrealistic events, I wouldn't have gotten so freaked out. However, knowing that this could actually happen, it was that more frightening. I felt for both the girlfriend and her boyfriend. Seeing both of their points, even though at times the boyfriend, Micah, was a douche.

After watching this movie, I re-think of the close encounters that I thought happened, but let it go due to being too paranoid. It makes you re-think paranormal activity that could be happening around you. It makes you wonder if ghosts are really around. It makes you want to keep your lights on at night.

If you like to get freaked and ever wonder if spirits are among us, check out this movie. Well made. Well done. And most of all, it gets you thinking.

8 out of 10 ghosts.

95.3 becomes the new...

Another one bites the dust. From the Sun.

Mamas, don't let your babies grow up to like cowboy music.

At least not around Toronto.

One of the GTA's last country music stations, the New Country 95.3, rode off into the sunset yesterday afternoon after seven years as Canada's most listened to country station.

Going from a little bit country to a little bit rock 'n' roll, the Hamilton-based FM station was relaunched around 3 p.m. yesterday as the New 95.3.

Suzanne Carpenter, general manager of Corus Radio Hamilton, said the time was right for a change.

"(The format change) is a business decision and it is about growing the business," Carpenter told the Sun yesterday.

She hopes the station's loyal listeners will stick around for the new format that will feature "the greatest of the great."

"It's timeless music that everybody can enjoy," Carpenter said.

A statement on the former station's website vowed that the new format will feature "all the Greatest Hits from the '60s, '70s and '80s," including The Stones, The Beatles, Chicago, Boston, The Doors, Blondie and Fleetwood Mac.

The last song for the country format was Garth Brooks' The Dance and within the first half-hour of the new format, the station was playing a rather appropriate Queen song: Another One Bites the Dust.

happy birthday, mr. neil young...

blakroc x rza

An album featuring the Black Keys and some of the biggest names in hip-hop will be released Nov. 27 2009 (the so-called "Black Friday" day after Thanksgiving) under the name Blakroc.

The project was spearheaded by rapper Jim Jones and also sports contributions from Mos Def, Q-Tip, RZA, Raekwon, Ludacris, Pharoahe Monch, NOE, Nicole Wray, Billy Danze and the late Ol' Dirty Bastard.

really, shane. really..

Really should be getting some paint soon. And canvas. And new brushes. I haven't done anything in a couple of months. I really should step my game up in regards to my artistic side. Really, Shane. Really. I'm drawing though. Which is good. Building the skills. I never really liked myself as a drawer. I'm a better painter. School is getting better. Less stress. I guess actually, it's the same stress but I'm handling it differently. I don't have hangovers in the morning to make me moody and just want to go back to bed. I'm able to last the full day. I still get the headaches, but they're not as frequent. They're not as bad. Amazing how one adiction can rule your life in so many ways. For the worse. Always. It's funny, but when you're in it, you don't realize it. Love makes you blind, I guess. Yeh. I said it. Love. I loved the bottle. Maybe one day, I'll write more about it. Not now. I would rather forget. For now. I cooked today. Fried up some fish. It was good. Want more. Waiting for my Moms to get home to have dinner with her, though. Seconds. Maybe thirds. After I will be getting ready to listen to Jesse and Gene on 1010. It should be interessting. Looking forward to it. I can't wait to get more paint.

least we forget...

done, again

I'm done again. I'm on day four. It's going well. I haven't really craved it. I don't really want any. I realized last week that I haven't stopped drinking since I started again in June 2008. It's been a non-stop roller coaster ride of drunken ups and downs, and forgotten nights. I think it's time for a break. For a long while. My goal is to break my previous record of 97 days of being sober. I know I can do it. I tried a few months ago, but I was doing it for the wrong reasons. This time, I know I want it. Want it more than anything else. I feel like I did back in March 2008 when I started that 97 day streak.

Just being sober for four days, I've noticed the change in me. I wake up without a headache. I'm able to concentrate at school more. I can remember things. I don't smell funny. My breath smells good. I don't have to pull out a hundred bucks to last me the night. I'm eating more. I'm alive. I went out on both Saturday and Friday to the bar. Much like what I did the last time I quit. And no. It didn't bother me. I was able to sit with everyone drinking and never really wanted a sip. However, something that did happen that didn't happen before is that I'm getting tired earlier. I'm going home earlier. I can actually get a nice eight hour sleep on the weekend and wake up before 11 o'clock. So refreshing. There's so many positives about this the list is never ending, however, it's more than that to keep the streak going. It's me actually wanting it. Me not giving into temptation. The thirst of a nice cold beer from the tap or the cool sensation of a rum and coke while listening to some live music on a patio. It's me being able to see the finish line and knowing that I will get there even if I have to crawl. It will take time, effort, positivity and strength. I've done it before and I can do it again.

I'm done, again.

happy birthday, seame street...

After 40 years, you have become the people in my neighborhood....

strombo back on-air

Good interview from Chart Attack

George Stroumboulopoulos came to the attention of the nation's music fans (and Bono) on MuchMusic, but he got his start in radio.


Now the host of CBC TV's The Hour, he returns to the airwaves with his weekly Strombo Show, four hours of commercial-free music and talk Sunday nights on CBC Radio 2.





In advance of the show's premiere on Sunday (Nov. 8), he spoke to CHARTattack about his relationship with songs and the spirit of radio.



CHARTattack: Making The Hour must be a more-than-full-time job. How and why will you find the time to make The Strombo show?

George Stroumboulopoulos: All I do all night during the week is lay in bed and listen to songs. I'm constantly digging around for new music. It's as important to me as anything in life. I started blogging and twittering about what I was listening to, and I got a lot of feedback. So I started a radio show on the Corus network, but as I found new things and my own musical consciousness expanded, I found I couldn't go as far as I wanted to.




Why did you leave the Corus network for CBC Radio 2?

Radio stations have relationships with their audience. They make a promise to them, and those listeners have certain expectations. Modern rock listeners — well, what has become the modern rock format — don't tune in to hear a wide variety of music they don't know.





Corus never held me back, and my contact Dunner at CFOX was very supportive of what I was doing. But knowing radio, I realized the majority of the listeners did not appreciate hearing hip-hop on a rock station. I was way out there for some of these stations — not all — but those who prefer to play more familiar artists.





And to be honest, after [friend and colleague] Martin Street died I had no interest in going back on The Edge [in Toronto]. So Corus was not the best place for me to be. I think you can tell a lot about a radio by its slogan, and CBC radio's slogan is "everywhere music takes you." That's where I belong.



People grew up with you on MuchMusic. They think they know you — you're the guy who wears Slayer belt buckles. What is it about your musical tastes that would surprise people?


That I like tender music. They think I only listen to one kind of music, but I like beautiful songs. And I like old music, really old blues music.



It sounds like you're going to be Canada's John Peel. Who are your radio heroes?

Anyone fearless. I always point to Jim Richards on CFRB 1010 in Toronto — he's not afraid to be smart. And Indie 103 in L.A. was the best on the planet until it shut down. I grew up on John Derringer and the Rock Report on Q107, that's my style of radio.



One of the exciting things about the new Strombo Show is that it will be available all across the country, even in small towns.

That was a selling factor. I was already ready to leave Corus when the head of the CBC network approached me, but the idea of being in every market was important.





On the Internet, you can find any song now but it takes a lot of work. I'll be doing that work, and it's even more important to me to be on the air in Nunavut as it is in Toronto. The Hour has put me in the homes of all kinds of people, it's brought me together with a ton of other music lovers. And so while a lot of people are already mixing and sharing all kinds of music, like on blogs, I have the privilege to do it for a national audience on Radio 2.




Should anyone be afraid of your show? Your CBC bosses or otherwise?

I don't think so. Although I will play songs from time to time that will scare the shit out of some people because they are manifestos. And it may not be my personal manifesto, but the message of the artist. If a music show doesn't scare you a little, it's not doing it's job. It's not just about discovery of things you like but exposure to things that dare you to change your way of thinking.



What will be your first song on the new show, and does it matter to you?

It's hugely important. I haven't yet decided between something by Joe Strummer and Johnny Cash. Because every show is a "thank you" to those who have provided the great songs. Johnny Cash isn't my favourite artist — Joe Strummer, George Carlin and Chuck D are my holy trinity — but you can't deny he's one of the greatest songwriters. So it will be one of those first, and the other will be in there, too.

vintage: "tear down this wall"

Tear down this wall!" was the famous challenge from United States President Ronald Reagan to Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev to destroy the Berlin Wall.

In a speech at the Brandenburg Gate commemorating the 750th anniversary of Berlin, by the Berlin Wall on June 12, 1987, Reagan challenged Gorbachev, then the General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union, to tear it down as a symbol of Reagan's desire for increasing freedom in the Eastern Bloc.

20 years ago today, the wall came down

I kinda remember 20 years ago today. We were living in our huge house in Stoufville. I was 11. I was running around on a Sunday morning but my parents were glued to the tele.

"The Wall is Coming Down!!", my mother screamed from her master bedroom on the main floor of the four floor fantasy land.

I don't know what wall she was talking about. I didn't even really know where Berlin was. I just knew it was big. My two sisters and I rushed to my parents bedroom, jumped up on my parents bed and we all watched it together. Solders were on top of the wall taking care of the madness surrounding the bottom. People with huge objects hammering away on this piece of history to just make a hole in it. To bring it down. Thousands were clamored around screaming, yelling. Crying. Waiting for Freedom. Then the unthinkable happened. This huge wall came crumbling down. It was Freedom. At Last.

I didn't know why the wall had to come down. I don't think I ever heard about That wall before that day. I just knew just watching the expressions of the people on the television and how my parents reacted that this was something I will never forget.

And I haven't.


20 years later.

vmt: the love notes

When it gets cool outside, I always look back to my slower jam collections. Collections of old school, new school and everything inbetween tracks of slower joints. Love songs. I don't know. The cold makes me a romantic. So I'm going to dig a bit into the tracks and spill out some of the love jones for your ears to enjoy. Of course, in pure VMT fashion, I will educate you by digging deep into the crates and showcase some rare songs that never really got the love it deserved while mixing it up with songs that I'm sure everyone knows. Let's Go, Darling..


Baby - Carla Thomas
Just For You - George Duke
I Do Love You - GQ
Nice and Slow - Usher
Candy Rain - Soul For Real
Pass You By - Boys II Men
Tell Me It's Real - K-Ci and JoJo
Freak'N'You - Jodeci
Woman - James Brown
Woman - John Lennon
Song For You - Ray Charles
Come Over - Estelle feat. John Legend
Hey Girl - John Legend feat. Estelle
Selfish Girl - Rihanna
Is This Love - Bob Marley
Never Can Be The Same - Sean Paul
A Message To Rudy - The Specials
Let's Chill - Guy
Like You'll Ever See Me Again - Alicia Keys
It's Time To Say Goodbye - Black Ivory

beat up dream

I haven't woken up from a dream in pure fright in a long while. Last night I did. Here is what went down.

I'm sitting in the living room drinking something. Not too sure what. A guy sits next to me. We start a converstation. Back and forth. Onward and upward. Suddenly, the jokes start. We are jabbing each other. It then gets serious. The insults are getting worse. The swear words start. I tell him something. He takes a huge insult to it. He threatens to punch me. I close my eyes trying to wake up. I can't. I think it's real life. I look at him and his punch is coming to my face. I wake up.

Wow. It was one of thoes dreams. I woke up after and had to get something to drink and snack on. Thought about it. Wasn't leaving my mind. I was afraid to go back to sleep. I really should stay off the Red Bull.

jesse and gene reunite this week on newstalk 1010

If you're like me or around my age bracket, and were a fan of radio, you would know the names Jesse and Gene. The names have been imprinted into the minds of radio fans since they duo split years ago. Now, they will be reunited this week on NEWSTAK 1010. As the yellow board spills, Jesse and Gene will lend their voices as fill-in guys for the night show as regular host Ryan Doyle will filling in for mid-day host Bill Caroll. It's been confirmed by Gene that neither of them are going to get paid but will be making a donation to the Sick Kids Hospital while also promoting 1010's yearly donation drive for the Toronto landmark. They'll be on-air Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. Should be fun times.

wanna get shot?

The good people over at Toronto Truth Seekers did this little video that's worth watching. Will you want to get the shot? Have you? Why? Why Not?

metric plugs in and out

If you have followed this blog long enough you know I'm a huge fan of Toronto's own Metric. The singer songwriter has released accoustic versions of songs from her Fantasies LP on an EP called Plug In, Plug Out. The EP will be available online at Amazon only in US, UK, France and Germany. After November 27th, the album will be available worldwide (excluding Canada due to lable blabbergabber) directly from her web site and on iTunes. If you want a full playlist and to check out some of the EP check it out here.

vmt: good music is good music

It's been a long time. I should've have left you. I thought I would throw down another VMT on this cool but sunny and cloudy Saturday morn. This time around, I'm just going to share with you a bunch of tracks I've been digging for the past little while. Some new. Some old. Some classics. And some tracks that never really got the props it deserved. Keeping in the tone of the VMT format, I will also educate you on the tracks by digging in the crates and giving you a bit of a history lesson. Don't sleep. Let's Go!


I Know You Got Soul - Eric B and Rakim
I Know You Got Soul - Bobby Byrd
Never Can Say Goodbye - Michael Jackson (DJ Jazzy Jeff re-mix)
Fear - Drake
Super Lyrical - Big Pun feat. Black Thought
D.I.T.C. - Lyrical Threat
I Love You - Mary J Blige feat. Smif'n'Wessun
Ike's Mood I - Isaac Hayes
One Love - Massive Attack
Lady Don't Fall Backwards - Peter Doherty
Can It Be All So Simple - El Michaels Affair
Sounding Out The City - El Michael's Affair
Just Ain't going to Work Out - Mayer Hawthorne
I Quit (I Give Up) - OK Cobra
More Soup - Moka Only feat. MF Doom
How Could you Throw My Love Away - Carla Thomas

diggin'...

Beat Diggin Art Form Documentary
Real hip hop at its finest, Real producers, none of that keyboard swizz beats garbage.
REAL DIGGIN IN THE CRATES
SHOWING YALL HOW ITS DONE!
REAL HIP HOP
Legends talkin about and showin yall real Diggin in the crates: