Cityonmyback.com » Album

NEW ALBUM: Mindbender Supreme “Jupiter” (Prod. Rich Kidd)

Ty Harper — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 14:38:06 +0000

One of the truest b-boy’s in this city’s hip-hop movement - Mindbender Supreme – drops his latest full length project “Jupiter”.

23 tracks produced entirely by Rich Kidd with co-production from the man himself.

Get the full tracklist, preview and digital download HERE!

MIXTAPE: Aion Clarke presents “The Leaks” (11 track download)

Ty Harper — Sat, 24 Jul 2010 18:03:04 +0000

Download HERE!

Aion Clarke hits us with “The Leaks” - 11 joints (including the Megacity Countdown topping “Do You Right”) with production from Grammy-Award winning producer Bryan Michael-Cox, Noah ‘40′ Shebib, Dru Castro, SOE and Wyldcard.

Consider this catch up time for those that haven’t had an opportunity to fully appreciate this kid’s talent.

On first listen “I’m Coming”, “No Guarantees” & “You Chose Me” are already personal standouts on a rock solid lineup.

Honestly this isn’t a mixtape – it’s an album that would have been worth purchasing; which makes it a gift.

Full tracklist after the jump!

*rez edit: Yo Aion, howcome “When I Get Home” isn’t on this???” Send that!!!

Previously: VIDEO: Aion Clarke – Redemption Song + What’s Going On (LIVE)

ALBUM: C4 “The Experiment” (Hosted by Christopher Walken)

Ty Harper — Thu, 01 Jul 2010 20:43:35 +0000

Download HERE!

Montreal’s C4 goes above the cliche’ drop a project hosted by a personality whose name is jacked from a famous icon, to dropping an album hosted by a real life movie legend.

The first full release by Montreal raised producer and songwriter C4 meshes a variety of musical styles into what can only be described as a deliberate assault of the conventional mixtape. Narrated by the Academy Award winning actor, the one and only Christopher Walken, from classic movies such as King Of New York, The Deer Hunter and Pulp Fiction. The C4 Experiment includes 20 tracks featuring over 30 urban artists ranging from Canadian hip hop pioneers such as Choclair, Moka Only and the Black Jays’ Solitair, to up and coming talent like JD Era and Rich Kidd.

The C4 Experiment comes equipped with an interactive website where users are able to browse through Christopher’s fantasy salon and interact with the scenery to play the songs. As you enter the boudoir, you’re encouraged to click on books, cameras, paintings, even empty bottles of Jack Danniels as well as other interesting items that have been left behind.

By logging onto http://www.imyourproducer.com, users are able to access the interactive environment as well as browse the screening room to view C4’s portfolio made up of digital short films, commercials, beat battle performances as well as a comic book inspired two-song music video co-directed and produced by C4 and Ajani Photography.

The 60-minute project also includes appearances by the legendary Montreal DJ A -Trak , Gangstarr ally Bless, Obscure Disorder’s Troy Dunnit, Bad News Brown and Magnum 357 as well as Ontario’s very own King Reign, Mayhem Morearty, Theology 3,Empire Crew and D-Sisive and more.

The C4 Experiment, hosted by Christopher Walken, is brought to you courtesy of imyourproducer.com, EscapeMTL.ca, The Real Frequency, HipHopCanada.com and is currently available for free download!

What a sick line up..

Full tracklist after the jump!

Previously: NEW MUSIC: Troy Dunnit & Solitair “Bring It To You” (Prod. C4)

TORONTO HISTORY: Drake “Thank Me Later” In Stores Now!!!

Ty Harper — Tue, 15 Jun 2010 14:00:01 +0000

What can we say about this day that we haven’t either already said on OTA Live or in the commentary we drop on this blog? It doesn’t get any more local-history-in-the-moment than this.

Today, one of our own dropped an album that covers all bases in terms of giving us practical reasons to go pick it up: It’s dope; he’s a sick artist; he’s born, raised and (last I checked) still living in Toronto; his album is the most anticipated hip-hop release so far this year; AND, it has the potential to be the first album from a local hip-hop artist to go American-standard Platinum.

If none of that resonates with you as a hip-hop fan, born and raised in this city, or as someone claiming Toronto as your home, then it is what it is; you can’t fake those types of feelings. But it does beg the question: Are you really still a fan if you’ve lost the inclination to savor these rare homegrown moments?

Shouts to Drake for accomplishing something no one even fathomed was possible 2 years ago.

Shouts to 40, Boi-1da, Tone Mason & D-10 for being the musical back bone of that accomplishment and this moment.

And shouts to every new generation hip-hop kid in this city that lined up outside HMV 333 (some as early as Monday) to get their copy of TML.

You represent the heart this city needed two generations ago.

TML is in stores now.

MIXTAPE: JD Era “TH1rt3eN” (Radio Version/ No Tags)

Ty Harper — Fri, 04 Jun 2010 19:27:37 +0000

Download HERE!

Holee! Long time coming but here it is!

JD Era “TH1rt3eN” – clean, radio version with no tags for the mix show deejays and discerning listeners.

Full tracklist after the jump!

NEWS: Shad’s “TSOL” is in stores now!!!

Ty Harper — Tue, 25 May 2010 18:23:37 +0000

Shad’s TSOL album is officially out!

This is his third full-length release (an amazing feate in these times) and maaan it is pretty sick!

Beginning to end – great songs with well-executed concepts, commentary and story lines over a perfect production sound scape from Rich Kidd, Ric Notes, Classified, Relic, TLO and Kondrat & La Manga; along with solid features from Ian Kamau, Justin Nozuka and Broken Social Scene’s Brendan Canning & Lisa Lobsinger (what a lineup!).

For any emcee looking for that ground-zero Canadian hip-hop market model that balances commercial viability with true b-boy artistry – this guy is your inspiration (shouts to G and the entire team!).

Bottom line: If you’ve been a fan from the very beginning (When This Is Over); got into him on the second album (The Old Prince); or’ve never (ever) taken in a Shad K album (or seen him live) – this is that moment where it simply won’t be possible to plead honest ignorance while keeping your credibility as a contemporary hip-hop fan intact.

London Stand Up!

Get TSOL HERE!

His full Canadian tour schedule’s available after the jump!

NEWS: Drake “Thank Me Later” (Full Tracklist/Production Credits)

Ty Harper — Thu, 20 May 2010 23:55:21 +0000

From ATF!

Final tracklist & production credits for TML which hits June 15th.

1. Fireworks (Feat. Alicia Keys) (Produced by Noah “40″ Shebib)
2. Karaoke (Produced by Francis & The Lights)
3. The Resistance (Produced by Noah “40″ Shebib)
4. Over (Produced by Boi-1da)
5. Show Me A Good Time (Produced by Kanye West)
6. Up All Night (Feat. Nicki Minaj) (Produced by Boi-1da)
7. Fancy (Feat. TI and Swizz Beatz) (Produced by Swizz Beatz)
8. Shut It Down (Feat. The Dream) (Produced by Noah “40″ Shebib and Omen)
9. Unforgettable (Feat. Young Jeezy) (Produced by Noah “40″ Shebib and Boi-1da)
10. Light Up (Feat. Jay-Z) (Produced by Noah “40″ Shebib and Tone Mason)
11. Miss Me (Feat. Lil Wayne) (Produced by Boi-1da and Noah “40″ Shebib)
12. Cece’s Interlude (Produced by Noah “40″ Shebib)
13. Find Your Love (Produced by Kanye West)
14. Thank Me Now (Produced by Timbaland)

Hopefully anyone that was griping about the lack of homegrown assists on the album notices that more than half of TML is produced by 40, Boi-1da and Tone Mason.

MIXTAPE: Top Left Recordings & HHC present “Welcome 2 The Future”

Ty Harper — Mon, 03 May 2010 14:02:08 +0000

Seen on HHC!

Nice lineup of new, remixed and under-the-radar joints from some of Canada’s on-the-come-up talent.

Full tracklist after the jump!

Previously: MIXTAPE: T.O. vs. MTL

NEWS: D-Sisive Announces June 15th Release Of Vaudeville!

Ty Harper — Fri, 30 Apr 2010 19:25:12 +0000

From Urbnet Records:

Only an artist as adventurous and prolific as D-Sisive could create an album as exciting as Vaudeville. And only an album like Vaudeville could attract an internationally celebrated troubadour like Ron Sexsmith to make his first appearance on a hip-hop album.

Step right up ladies and gentlemen… and welcome to the crazy world of D-Sisive’s Vaudeville.

D-Sisive is a one man music machine cruising to the hum of his own engine. After last year’s triumphant return to the hip-hop limelight with both his Polaris Prize nominated gem Let The Children Die, and his second classic full length of 2009, the acclaimed Jonestown, one would think the accomplished Toronto MC would be content to rest on his ever-expanding laurels. Not D-Sisive. The enigmatic one is back – and this time taking things to an entirely new level with the epic Vaudeville.

Produced in tandem with Andrew ‘Fresh Kils’ Kilgour and featuring a surprise cameo from legendary Canadian songsmith, Ron Sexsmith, Vaudeville is filled with incredible hip hop tracks, and slight of hand tricks. Smoke and mirror gags mixed with punch lines, and intense stories. An album that showcases the wide variety of influences and themes which only an enigmatic master of ceremonies (or possibly snake oil salesman?) like D-Sisive could pull off.

“Vaudeville is definitely new territory for me,” D-Sisive says. “It was extremely challenging. The last thing I wanted to create was a replica of my previous releases. My mind doesn’t operate the same anymore. I’m happier, older and have tapped into my inner love for the music of Michael Buble. You can’t listen to ‘Haven’t Met You Yet’ then write songs for the end credits of Celebrity Rehab.”

A happy D-Sisive? Well, as happy as song titles like “Percocet” “The Night My Baby Died” and “The Riot Song” allow him to be. It’s no secret that D-Sisve has long looked outside of the confines of traditional hip-hop to find inspiration and this go-round is no different. But D-Sisive and Ron Sexsmith? Together on the same track? No one saw that coming. “Working with Ron Sexsmith was incredible,” D-Sisive explains. “Very surreal. I’ve been harassing him for years to get on a song with me. Thank god restraining orders expire.”

And despite his prolific nature, it seems unlikely we’ll ever know everything that motivates D-Sisive. Still through all the smoke and mirrors, the tricks and the treats, it’s a love of rocking the microphone unlike few others today that sustains D-Sisive’s enduring appeal.

Vaudeville. The name itself conjures up images of past glories, shiny suits and fast talk, half-remembered from days long gone by. Sometimes it seems hip hop may go the way of Vaudeville, a fallen empire rendered irrelevant by the cruelties of time. MC D-Sisive however, b-boy to the bone, refuses to go down without a fight. Streets, backstage, city parks, it doesn’t matter…

http://www.urbnet.com/artist-dsisive.asp

Read on after the jump!

Previously: NEW MUSIC: D-Sisive – Every Rose Has Its Thorn

“It’s no secret that my work is fueled by beef.” D-Sisive warns. “With the media. With gang members. With other artists. It’s part of my daily routine, and always pops up when least expected. Like the time Tom Cochrane pulled a pistol on me backstage at Roy Thomson Hall. He asked me ‘You ever talk with a gun in your mouth?’ Happens all of the time. Alan Frew (Glass Tiger) holding a butterfly knife to my throat in Union Station, while asking me ‘You ever talk with a gun in your mouth?’ And the time I emailed Jim Cuddy (Blue Rodeo) to be on Vaudeville. His reply, ‘Sure. Oh, wait! You’re not Sean Desman! Fu*k you. JC. — PS You ever talk with a gun in your mouth?’ Why do people keep asking me that?”

D-Sisive – Vaudeville, is out on URBNET Records in Canada on June 15th and USA on July 27th.
Official album cover displayed above or download (300dpi) at (https://urbnet.box.net/shared/fubqmguz98)

Track Listing:

01. Vaudeville (Friends Forever)
02. The Riot Song
03. Shotgun Wedding
04. Tree Swing
05. Ray Charles (Looking For A Star) (with King Reign)
06. The Night My Baby Died
07. Percocet
08. Never Knew Me
09. Liberace (with Ron Sexsmith)
10. Scaredy Cat
11. Wichita
12. I Love A Girl
13. Aeroplane

Bonus Tracks:
West Coast
West Coast (rmx:feat.Moka Only)

VIDEO: Circle Research “Gardiner Express” (EPK) + Release Party at Rivoli on April 22!

Ty Harper — Wed, 07 Apr 2010 14:00:20 +0000

Circle Research are launching their new album “Gardiner Express” with a release show at The Rivoli on April 22.

Unknown Funk Hero Presents: BEAT LOUNGE: The CIRCLE RESEARCH ‘Gardiner Express’ Album Release Party. BEAT LOUNGE veterans CIRCLE RESEARCH take over Unknown Funk Hero’s BEAT LOUNGE to present the release of their new album ‘Gardiner Express’ Special LIVE! Beat Performance by dynamic production duo CIRCLE RESEARCH Round robin BEAT LOUNGE producer showcase featuring special guests.

Catch up on why these guys have been an important fixture in the city’s local hip-hop expansionist movement after the jump!

ABOUT:
Nik and Gil have been kickin’ it since the early ’90s when they were part of a b-boy crew back in high school. In 1994 they officially joined forces as Circle Research, and began deejaying parties around the city. Soon enough they were playing shows with legendary Toronto crews. Armed with an arsenal of music and some boisterous friends, Nik and Gil accepted an offer to enter the world of community radio. In 1998 the Circle Research Show hit the CKLN 88.1FM late-night airwaves and provided listeners with entertaining banter and choice selections. The show continues today in podcast form @ www.thecircleresearchshow.podomatic.com

Obsessive about classic hip-hop, funk, soul, electro-boogie, future beats and all fusions in between, Nik and Gil are not only vinyl collectors but they are also well-respected producers that have been making beats since the early ’90s.

As well as producing beats for rappers, 2 full-length albums, and various singles, Circle Research have also been steady rocking remixes and are creating some of the freshest re-rubs for Toronto’s finest. Artists that received the CR treatment include the acclaimed MC Abdominal, the soulful Ivana Santilli, singer/songwriter Maylee Todd, nu-jazz singer Elizabeth Shepherd, indie darlings Apostle of Hustle, legendary MC/DJ Anonymous Twist, folk-soul-pop outfit SUNSHINE STATE, rock quintet The Framework and experimental turntable musician’s iNSiDEaMiND.

But it’s their unofficial remix work for international artists like Michael Jackson, Jazzanova, K-OS, Stevie Wonder featuring Miles Bonny and even The Temptations that keep their skills finely tuned. Circle Research continues to show their versatility by working with artists and sounds from all over the map. When CR aren’t banging out beats they’re also getting nice on the ones and twos. They continue to hold down various DJ nights and events in Toronto and have shared the stage with an impressive list of musicians. Over the years they have opened for Bernard Purdie, Grandmaster Flash, Kenny Dope, The Budos Band, Lee Fields, El Michels Affair, ?uestlove, Jurassic 5, Devin the Dude, The Alkaholiks, DJ Spinna, O.C., The Jungle Brothers, Dan the Automator, Rahzel, Aceyalone, Del and Casual.

Circle Research have connected all the experiences from deejaying, hosting a radio show and producing beats and is using that knowledge towards a new vision. Since their early beginnings, Nik and Gil have changed their steez from working solely with emcees and are now focusing more on their production skills and experimenting with vintage keyboards and other instruments, always while maintaining their roots in the sound classic hip-hop.