The Cypher- underground hip hop community events in Toronto

The Cypher is an underground hip hop event held about once a month in Toronto. This event is a showcase of underground hip hop talent in all forms as an art. Artists sign up for a chance to showcase their skills in front of a large population of aspiring hip hop artists and fans. This is a great chance to network, discover new talent or just be entertained. Featured artists affiliated with The Cypher are given a longer segment of time as a standard platform for their music. All artists rap over live beats from producers and DJs or beat boxers which adds even more intensity and overall entertainment. The best part of this is that it is open to artists of any caliber and freestyle competitions hosted by The Cypher claim that any artist that shows up is guaranteed mic time.
On March, 2012 the artists behind The Cypher were able to bring GZA and Masta Killa of the Wu-Tang Clan to perform at The Opera House in Toronto. Five artists from The Cypher opened for these world famous rap stars and got the crowd warmed up and on their feet! It was the first time Masta Killa had ever performed in Toronto making the event even more notable. The performance was amazing with a packed energetic crowd pushing the artists to go even harder. This is an example of the reach of this underground hip hop community and the artists within it. Its awesome that any one of us can become a part of this community at any time. Get involved by going to watch an event, you can find information on the events on The Cypher website thecypher.ca. The next Cypher will be on April 18th at the Augusta House in Kensigton Market, Toronto according to a twitter post by one of the founders MC Fubb.

Check out the official promo video of The Cypher!

Underground/Unsigned Rap/Hip-Hop Artist Opportunity

I thought it would be interesting to present everyone this week with an opportunity within the world of Underground Hip-Hop. In collaboration with Reverbnation.com, many different record labels, concert promoters, event coordinators, etc. provide artists of all genres with opportunity to submit their music via Reverbnation for a chance to be selected for a variety of amazing opportunities. This week I would like to draw attention to a particular opportunity: Unsigned Only Music Competition.

Unsigned Only is unique in the fact that it is a competition open only to Hip Hop, R&B, and Rap artists that are not signed to any major label or any major label's affiliate. This opportunity offers artists great exposure, amazing prizes to be won, and a chance to be heard by a panel of industry-professional judges. The judges include highly recognized names like Kelly Clarkson and Musiq Soulchild! After the judges select the winner is when it truly gets interesting. The grand prize winner will be mentored by a group of record label executives, A&Rs reps and more! This will be an amazing development opportunity for the artist as well as an even more incredible networking opportunity! Imagine getting a chance to work side by side with some of the biggest names in music.

There are other categories as well that artists can compete in and a first and second place winner will be selected from each category. Each first place winner will be given $5,000 and mentoring from relevant industry moguls.

Artists can enter this competition through various online platforms such as Reverbnation.com and Myspace. You can also download the entry form from http://www.unsignedonly.com/enter and submit it via mail. The various online platforms are also linked through http://www.unsignedonly.com/enter . So pass on this opportunity to any artists you may know with a lot of potential. Who knows, it might be the next step to becoming great!

Just a warning, submissions are closing on April 11, 2012! So if your a serious artist looking for your next big break, check out http://www.unsignedonly.com/enter for your chance to enter!

Underground Hip Hop Artist Al Nino

Real recognizes real. Coldest Summer by Al Nino-  This is a deep and very personal track, but I still want to draw attention to it. Coldest Summer Ever was written and performed by underground Canadian rapper Al Nino. This track is a tribute to one of Al Nino's close friends who passed away. It tells a deep and emotional story, detailing the period before, during and after Al Nino's loss. Songs like this are something the underground hip hop world must respect and be proud of. Al Nino pours his emotion out on this track and brings a level of realism to his lyrics in this song that is rarely heard. It is much easier to get noticed as an underground MC if the rapper writes lyrics with only popularity and commercialism in mind; but an MC that shows their true colors within their work is the artist that deserves the recognition and respect! For this reason I wanted to showcase this track and give everyone a chance to listen to something so real it's rare. I also think this track is a great reminder to EVERYONE that life is short and friends and family are the most important things we have; far above money, fame, cars or all of the other things rap sometimes is nearly polluted with. So take a minute today to check out this track and a few more minutes to cherish the important people in your life! Life is short yet sweet, just like a good song.

Check out Coldest Summer by Al Nino:

Al Nino is an upcoming, dedicated rap artist that we should all look out for. He works hard within the underground hip hop community and often opens for big names within the Canadian hip hop scene. Al Nino has opened for artists such as Classified, Moka Only, Carl Wolf and more!

King of the Dot- Underground Rap Battles

The Rap Battle: Historically Significant

The Underground Hip Hop community was founded on a lot of different principles, traditions, values etc. One of the founding traditions most definitely is the rap battle. Two MC's is direct competition trying to insult, belittle, outshine and out show one and other. Perhaps the most light was shed on this underground tradition when the film starring rapper Eminem, 8mile was released. This movie portrayed a struggling battle MC trying make his way to stardom, plagued by stage fright and the rough streets of Detroit he was living on. This film shed a lot of light on how battles take place and especially on how influential and popular these events can be. I thought I would share a similar world of fierce battling that takes place a lot closer to home, and not written for film, this is real.

King of the Dot, or KOTD for short, is a really cool concept. Based out of Toronto, Ontario (hence the name) KOTD is league of Battle MCs all competing for the title of King of the Dot. It's rumored to have started in an alley in downtown Toronto with just a few MC's battling each other to see who could put down the best unrehearsed rhymes. From this humble beginning KOTD has grown to be a staple in the underground hip hop community of Canada. Battles now take place in major cities all across Canada but the league will always call Toronto home. Since August 8, 2008 this movement has grown to international proportions, drawing crowds of hundreds of people, filling nightclubs and other venues to capacity. The events are not always just battles; KOTD pays tribute to many aspects of hip hop culture such as graffiti, beat boxing, break dancing and DJs. Although KOTD is truly a showcase of so many aspects of this music culture, it has certainly become what it is today solely off its respected, fierce, and no-mercy battles.   

How the Battles Happen:

A panel of 5 judges, usually respected members of the hip hop community judge each battle. A coin toss decides which MC starts the battle and begins 3 90 second rounds of fierce battling. This is no friendly competition: opponents attempt to mentally and intellectually assault each other. The ability to add humour to insult is a key component to winning a battle.

There are three specific levels of competition that MCs battle in:

Prove Yourself- This is the entry level of competition that all MCs start out in. New comers welcome.

Ground Zero- This is the next level up, middle-weight contenders head off at this level. Some experience is required before stepping into ground zero.

KOTD- This is the best of the best. Winning battles at this level means you are a serious competitor, facing some of the best underground battle MCs out there. At this level, competition often comes in from outside of Canada.

Over 30,000 people subscribe to KOTD’s YouTube channel where they can watch past battles. Over 11 million total views show how substantially this has grown. MCs compete internationally in KOTD’s World Domination Event. Love and admiration are often shown by major players in mainstream hip hop such as Drake and other artists who may wear KOTD attire, shout it out in a song, or even stop in to host an event!

So if you think you want to try and run with the big dogs of battle rap, here’s your chance. Or if your just a fan and supporter who wants to check this out, go see an event, they happen all the time, or check out YouTube for hours of amazing clips. You can find more info at http://www.kingofthedot.com

Here is video to check out from YouTube. A beat box battle from King of the Dot's channel:

Underground MC Canada: Spotlight on Toronto's own T-West!

Spotlight on Toronto's own T-West:

 

  T-Dot State of Mind By T-West

Tristan "T-West" West is an underground hip hop artist from Toronto, Ontario, Canada whom is certainly worthy of a mention. This week I want to draw your attention to a music video by T-West: T-Dot. This video is quite well done and portrays a darker side of Toronto and its underground hip-hop culture. Canadians will enjoy the footage of Ontario's capital which is captured through a gritty street-perspective.

The entire video is shot during the night, using quick choppy clips that keep you watching. T-West is shown rapping the lyrics in several clips and also taking a trip on the deserted subway at night. The video has an creepy feel to it that matches the lyrics as well as the high-pitched piano that composes a major part of the beat. I've always enjoyed hip hop and rap artists that can create a very distinct and purposeful feeling to their song. This often comes hand in hand with a candid ability for telling a fluid story. In T-West's case, this is certainly evident. I feel that this is a song and video that will draw the listener in and make them feel what the artist is feeling. That is something not every artist can achieve and is definitely a sign of great talent. Check out this video and some of the others by T-West, you won't be disappointed.

More on the Artist..

T-West recently released his new album: Maybe it's Okay. This album is the product of a lot of hard work coming to fruition and T-West is now on a mission to get his fans to listen. A few of his songs have already become fairly popular on YouTube, including Black History Month and Black Kid/City Life. T-West is a fresh new artist that portrays the wit and intelligence that much of today's rap and hip hop is missing. Black History Month is a track by T-west released at the end of February which is actually the month dedicated to Black History. The track expresses soulful emotion and portrays T-West's pride of the perseverance of the Black Community. The other track gaining popularity, Black Kid/City Life has a very unique and upbeat tempo that is matched by a chorus sung by T-West but distorted heavily in a fashion reminiscent on many music hits of the 80's and 90's when the popularity of the synthesiser had soared. The video and lyrics tell a story of urban male trying to work an honest 9 to 5 and get by, well facing the many pressures of urban city life. The chorus did not sit well with me in the beginning. My ears at first could not get accustomed to the pitchy distortion, but like many addictive tracks, this was soon stuck in my head. The chorus is unique and sets an appropriate pace for the rest of the song.

Aside from his work on his new album and feature videos, T-West has a blog in which he does not just give fans updates on his own music progression, but also gives content such as reviews on other artists, new releases and much more. T-West also offers marketing services for other underground hip-hop artists seeking promotion. He claims he will design an entire online marketing campaign for an artist, album release or other music related promotional need. This is very unique and entrepreneurial for an artist today and something I have not seen offered by anyone else. T-West posts opportunities to his Facebook such as scholarships offered in the community, business events and seminars and much more. This is another side of the artist that is rarely seen in the underground hip hop community. Most new rap artists focus on materialistic personas and likely do not show their true colors. T-West is an MC worth c-ing.

Underground MC Canada: Soundclick App Review- Easy way to discover new rap music, underground hip-hop music and much more!

To follow up on Underground MC's last post about the online artist community SoundClick.com, we would like to introduce to everyone the new SoundClick App. For anyone who has checked out this community or even got involved...you'll love this new independent music community app. The app is available for iPhone, Tablets, Android and most other mobile platforms. Having this app is such a convenient way to discover new Canadian music, new rap music, underground hip-hop music and just about any other genre. On the home page, users will find quick updates such as the Top 25 Charts, what other users are listening to, recent uploads and much more. The home page also gives users an easy search option as well as navigation to playlists and charts. Along the bottom of the page are the following tabs: home, charts, bands, playlists, user and search. This organized layout was familiar to me as an iPhone user and allowed me to navigate the app as if i was already an experienced user.
The chart tab brings you to a page that is tailored to your preferences if you are a member. If you are logged in as a guest, as I was, this page will ask you to select a genre for which to display charts. There are a wide variety of genres including beats/instrumentals. I selected Hip-Hop and within an instant I was scrolling through a variety of chart-topping independent hip-hop artists. With a tap of my finger, I was then brought from the charts where an artist had caught my attention; to a convenient music player that was streaming the song I saw on the charts instantly! From the charts page you can also tap on an artist's name and you are then brought to the artist's page.
Each artist page has a songs, interview, and band info tab. This allows you to discover new artists even faster. The songs tab allows each artist to have up to 200 songs featured on the app! There is no shortage of content here. If you are a member you can quickly add artists to your personal list of favourites simply by clicking the "+" icon beside the artist on the artist page. You can click the same icon beside a song to add the song to your playlist.

All songs stream very quickly and the built in player allows for fast forward, rewind, pause, stop as well as skip ahead and back. Another great built-in feature in this app is the Smart-Playlist Creator. This feature allows you to create playlists of songs you have never before heard! Simply select a set of criteria such as minimum rating by the community, genre, sub-genre and before you know it your automatically listening to new music that meets your criteria!

All these amazing features bundled together into one easy to use platform make this app an easy recommendation to anyone who is interested in the world of underground independent music! Browse, play, learn, discover and stay informed!
Check out the new SoundClick App! Fans of new rap music, underground hip hop music and everything else we love..will be sure to love this!

Soundclick Review!

Following last week’s review of Reverbnation, I would like to call attention to another popular online artist community: soundclick.com. Soundclick boasts fewer and less comprehensive features than Reverbnation, but has a lot of media to browse through. Soundclick is directed most at producers, artists and fans. Producers whom create the tracks that artists/vocalists often purchase use soundclick as an effective medium to connect with artists. Soundclick has producers and artists alike from all over the world with many Canadians making headway in this community. Prices of tracks range from $.99 for a lease (a lease allows you curtained disclosed promotional limited use of the track) and $10.99 for exclusive (this gives the artist full legal use of the track with no limitations) all the way up to $99 for a lease and $499 for the exclusive. It is in this way that Soundclick is able to help producers connect with artists and actually generate revenues while getting their name out there.

Artists can post/sell their tracks on soundclick as well. Most artists tend to provide free music to their fans on soundclick and utilize the community to browse and connect with hot new producers. Artists can post venues and gain support within soundclick and often collaborate with other artists they had previously not even heard of!

Fans have the privilege of joining a community full of talented artists and producers. It is easy to find great music fast. Soundclick has an easy and useful interface that fans will enjoy being on for hours while they discover all the new music their ears can handle!

So go check out Soundclick. If you’re an artist, producer or just a fan you’ll find plenty to keep you informed, entertained and always moving forward!