Thoughts
Shout out to everyone that rolled through the Live Mix Tape event, Prairie edition in Saskatoon this past weekend. Lots to think about from the event, as there were many conversations both candid and in theatre. I want to thank the homie Nestor Wynrush for curating the event. You did an incredible job of bringing a bunch of people together for a few days to talk about some real things and make some dope rap music. I love you homie, I truly do, but you operate in a different realm and it drives me insane in the way only family you deeply care about can do.
The highlights for me and there were many were many A few of then are as follows. We had a lot of rehearsals and run throughs of the project leading up to Saturday’s performance with the various artists. I was running tracks for the artists and we worked out some cues during rehearsals. Marisolle, who is a super talented singer/piano/keyboard player and a member of the band/crew Super Duty Tough Work, was adding keys to the beat Odario was going to rap over. There were some striped down parts of the beat for the live performance where she was going to play the parts live. This was really dope. The three of us worked out a cue where Marisolle would give me the “look” and I would drop the beat. We were both really comfortable with this. I have spent a lot of years looking at MC’s for performance cues and that is something I take pretty serious as a performer. During the set, Odario being Odario and never passing on a chance to interact with an audience was going about his thing with the crowd. There was a natural pause that made sense for us to start and Marisolle gave me the “look” I dropped the beat and Odario quickly gave me the “chaps run it back”. Marisolle gave me a look of “hey I am sorry” I gave her a “reassuring”look back as we shifted focus and waited for Odario’s verbal cue. This was just one of those special moments that performers get to share with one another on the stage with one another. They are my favourite and this is a memory I will take with me forever. Marisolle and I laughed about it after the set and that made it even better.
Another highlight was from the book reading and conversation with Cadence Weapon. When Cadence Weapon dropped “Bedroom Rapper”, he did a few readings across the country and I wished he would do one here, so when that part of the weekend was announced I was super excited. If you have not yet read the book I would highly recommend it. He read a passage from pages 55-56 in the book which are extra special to me as I get a shout out in them, “The community was fostered by CFCR radio host and and hip-hop obsessive Chaps,” Now, I wonder why I would like that passage? On a more serious note it was nice to get the shoutout and that recognition at that event at that moment as the audience gave me some cheers as he paused after reading it anticipating that may be the case. I honestly don’t care a lot about props but this is the props I do care about from the homies and my contemporaries. I know what I do and I have an idea of its scope, influence, and reach but every once in a while it is still nice to hear these things. The book reading was really well attended as pretty much every seat was filled with around 40-50 people. It was about an hour long, but I could have listened for a couple more hours. Nestor Wynrush and soso did a great job moderating the discussion and Cadence Weapon is true media darling. I have been saying it for years, he will be a host on Hockey Night in Canada at some point.
The event had the vibes a family reunion, as there were many people that I have known for 20 plus years in for the weekend as participants and/or attendees. For the most part I don’t like these type of institutional events and would generally steer clear of them. If the organizers were not two of my best homies in Nestor Wynrush and soso I probably would have passed on the event. I was able to have great conversations with so many homies and I am forever grateful for that opportunity this weekend. Shout out to the homies Pip Skid, Yy, Bazooka Joe 204 and Gruf The Druid who drove up from Winnipeg. I truly enjoyed all the rap talks and catching up with all of you! Extra big shout out to Pip who for some inexplicable reason is a big fan of this newsletter. I really enjoyed you telling me about reading the Classic Material section a few weeks back about the Taking Care of Business album. Shout out to Odario, for always being the best and for the reminiscing about the old Saskatoon Rap Days. Shout out to the homie Eekwol for the sick verse and for the super dope conversations during rehearsals. Shout out to soso for being the best and for holding me down and letting me vent, about sound/stress check. Another story for another day.
It was a magical weekend and rap won 7-0.
There is a Record Store Day this Saturday. So make sure you head on down to your local brick and mortar record stores and pick up something if your are able to. There is not really anything I am looking for specifically but I am still going to link up with Rove and head to the couple shops in Saskatoon and take look Saturday morning. Rove is one of my all time favourite people in the world togo record shopping with. You would think this wouldn’t be the case as we would be looking for the same records. Well we have about an 80% crossover in Rap taste but that is a positive as we will grab records while we are digging that we have and we think the other person should have, so it is like the most efficient way of digging. He is also just one of my most favourite people to hang with and talk rap with. I am really looking forward to Saturday morning.
Missed Third Verse last night? Ugsmag has you covered once again to stream or download NOW! Catch Third Verse on CFCR 90.5 fm in Saskatoon, SK every Wednesday 9-10:30pm CST. Stream online via CFCR.ca or Radio Garden.
As always the last 10 episodes of my other weekly radio show You Know Know the Rules on UMFM in Winnipeg airing every Sunday night 10:00pm -11pm CST. Episodes available NOW!
Record One
Awol One, Id Obelus and Rove - The Fresh A.I.R ep
I know I keep teasing and talking about this album, but I can’t help it. It drops in two weeks on May 5th so save a few bucks for that day to cop one. Rove dropped off the vinyl copy of this last week, hot off the presses. So that means no preorder, it is shipping when you order it, which is the ultimate. I feel like I have so many records on preorder right now that it is getting hard to fill these record sections each week.
Now this is the ultimate way to listen to this record, It is the perfect vinyl release, the albums flows like a mixtape with songs and interludes intertwined with one another. The only complaint I have is, I wish it were longer, but it also might just be perfect the length as it is. Also it is pressed on classic black vinyl so you know they ain't playin with this one. The album art is incredible and features a classic comic book illustration by artist Don Sparrow. I am not going to say too much more about it as I will when it drops, but I am super excited to see the reception of this album when it finally drops.
Record Two
Well not a record but sometimes I throw other rap related things in this section. I got this super sick Stone Cold Party Rockers t-shirt pressed up by the good folks at the SMF SHOP If you love it as much as I do, you can grab one for their website The logo was designed by the homie Awol One and now I am super happy to be able to rock this shirt and you can too!
Rap Shirt
Awol One and Factor shirt from the 2007 release Only Death Can Kill You.
Classic Material
The Orange Hall
I think this was one of the first shows we played In Edmonton. The show took place Saturday September 22. There was a September 22 in 2001, so I am thinking that is correct as it makes sense in my mind that is was in 2001. The show took place at The Orange Hall. I don’t remember much about the building but I do remember its not being that big and having a lower stage. I believe Epic had recently moved out to Edmonton at this point and may have had a hand in the reason we rolled out to rock the show. I think the promoters name was “Chase”. I honestly don’t remember much about him but I believe he was throwing some underground rap shows at this point in Edmonton and threw a few of our early ones.
I am billed one the flyer with my rap group, CF Crew, witch also consisted of Factor on production and rhymes and Patty C aka Forgetful Jones also on the rhymes. We only played a handful of shows in our existence but they were are pretty memorable. I think the group just sort of wound down as Factor became more serious on the production side of things and put his energy and focus into that. It was really fun being in that group. We made one album “Take a Look Inside”, sold about 500 handmade CDR copies, got dissed pretty hard in Hip Hop Infinity and opened up for Aceyalone. That was quite the run now when I look back at it.
I believe we stayed at Noyz319’s place and this would have been my first of what would be a lot of nights sleeping at his place after shows. Noyz, like myself hosted a lot of touring rappers and gave them a place to crash. I really appreciated this, for a host of reasons but the biggest is it gave me the opportunity to really become friends with Noyz and build a friendship that has lasted to this day and one that I really cherish. I, like everyone else, claimed to have crashed under the pool table when in reality I probably only crashed under it a couple times. It was a prime spot to pass out after a show.
I drank quite a bit at this show so I don’t remember as much as I wish I would have. I believe it is the first time I met Weezil who was billed as Weezl-Stein which I honestly don’t ever remember him going by and I wish he went by it more because it is super dope. Also it was the first time I meet Conspiracy which was really memorable. I don’t recall who Vitamin We or Karma Collective were but I do remember Vizion who was living in Edmonton at the time performing. He could have been under one of those names or as a special guest during our set. Another thing I find interesting is Gruf The Druid being listed with Your Brother In My Backpack. I wonder who was all there because I honestly don’t remember. This was one of those marathon rap shows that I loved in this era but now loathe as I age. Like I said I wish I remembered more form this night. I think Factor has some photos from this night as I remember seeing some but I don’t seem to have any. I also wonder if Noyz video taped it? If you are reading this and have any further recollections of this show please feel free to share.
I also think this was the first time we experienced the 6$ a six pack of lucky logger beer that blew us away. That is probably why I don’t remember as much as I wish I did about this show. I also wonder if this was the first night we grabbed Geno’s Pizza, which was this pizza spot near Noyz’s that we frequented when we crashed there.
Closing Ramblings
As always, thank you for reading and for the feedback!
**legal disclaimer all records and songs were run through the RAP NEST 5000 SUPER ANALYTIC COMPTROLLER MACHINE that is certified by the I.A.A.R.R.A (International Association of Analytical Rap Recordings Analysis) in layman’s terms, it means the machine is never wrong.
Catch you next week with more thoughts from the rap nest.
Peace
-chaps
Vitamin We was a brief but dope Anticon-style hip hop duo in from a small town in Alberta that used to do hip hop shows with Punch Brothers, Conspiracy, and other early LBA members. The members were Gabbin' (who hung with us alot off and on) and Raw Bee (who I never got to meet). Gabbin' particularly had the sickest live performance, and recorded some of Conspiracy's final songs before Conspiracy's schizophrenia treatment really started to negatively affect his mind/body connections to the point where he lost his acrobatical delivery and his ability to concentrate on his lyrics, and thus could no longer ride the beat or organize his words like he used to. It's really sad, but I'm glad a member of Vitamen We (and Epic too) got to record the last few amazing verses from Conspiracy while he was still in his prime before those problems set in.
Here's a song from Conspiracy's bandcamp page he did with Vitamin We to show how smooth sounding he was before his oncoming issues and treatment would seriously affect his music. It kind of has a Deep Puddle Dynamics vibe:
https://astralmajestycreations.bandcamp.com/track/vitamin-we-the-river-of-featuring-gabn-and-raw-bee
Couldn't agree more on the Fresh A.I.R. album . Rove hooked me up a pre release copy and I can't get enough of it. Can't wait for the world to hear it.