If you’re reading this….

Then you came here for Drake. Yup, the self-proclaimed light skin Keith Sweat is back in our beautiful city.

As part of his Jungle north american tour, the rapper will (easily) fill thousands of seats at Montreal’s Bell Center. Similar to his 2013 tour, Drake will be joined by Atlanta rapper Future. If you haven’t been running with your woes yet, Sunday night is your chance.

Drake Jungle Tour (Featuring Future) Live in Concert

When: Sunday May 31st (Doors open at 6:30pm)

Where: Bell Center (Bonaventure Metro)

How Much: Tickets vary from 52$ to 169$

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Drake gave an impressive performance on his 2013 ‘Would You Like a Tour’. Girls were simply hysterical.

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At the end of every show of his tour, the singer would walk the stage and  point out fans of the audience and give them a shout out. I guess he didn’t see me.

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Rapper Future knows how to make the crowd ‘Turn Up’. His 2014 performance at Olympia was one of the most anticipated concert of the summer.

Weekend Agenda (August 15-17th 2014)

Don’t let the rainy weather ruin your end  of the summer.After all, you still have a few weeks left before you start stressing for your midterms exams.
Here are 3 things happening in your city this weekend:
 
 
Friday, August 15th 2014 at 9 Pm
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What: Cam’ron Live in concert for his First of The Month Tour
Location:  Club Soda (1225 Saint-Laurent Blvd) Montreal
If you like: Harlem music and Dipset, of course
If you don’t know the reason behind the name of his tour, then you clearly are not a Cam’ron fan. The Harlem rapper doesn’t need much introduction, since he has been in a game for a while now.Over the past decade, Cam’ron has collaborated with Mase, Rick Ross, Lil Wayne and Nicki Minaj. Who could also forget the good old Dipset days.The man who introduced us to pink fur coats and oversize jerseys will finally make a stop in Montreal at the Club Soda. Expect a lot of female (AND male) groupies and lot of purple haze smoking.
Make sure you don’t miss the openings acts like Louie P and Ryan Playground.
How Much: 25$ to 42$ in advance / 47$ at the door
Don’t miss: Opening act GrandBuda
To purchase your tickets, visit http://www.clubsoda.ca/en/spec-camron-1195.php
Friday August 15th  – Saturday August 16th 2014
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What: Île Soniq (Music Festival)
Location: Parc Jean-Drapeau (Jean-Drapeau metro station)
If you like: Electro, Dance , House and Hip Hop Music
 
 
This is a guaranteed party. If Osheaga hasn’t  pierce your eardrums yet, then this two day festival be enough for you. Located at the Parc Jean-Drapeau, the event will reunite some of the best international/local artists and DJ. Alongside the famous Netherlands native Tiesto, you can expect Bingo Players, Dillon Francis or Dj 3LAU to bring down the house. For the hip hop heads, you can catch Montreal DJ Shash’U and YMCMB rapper TYGA on Saturday’s programming.
How Much: 70$ and up (VIP treatments are available too)
Don’t miss: Dj Tiesto and Vito V on Friday + Juicy J and  the excellent Aarab Musik on Saturday
To purchase tickets or to see the weekend schedule programming, visit  http://www.ilesoniq.com
Friday to Sunday – August 15th -16th & 17th 2014
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What: Montreal’s International Reggae Festival
Location: Old Port Montreal  (Champs de Mars metro station)
If you like: Reggae, Roots, Dancehall and Soca music
This is the Woodstock of the West Indian music. Already at its 11th edition, this unique Montreal festival has already presented many famous international artists in the past such as Beenie Man, Shaggy, Kes The Band, Jimmy Cliff and many others . This weekend, the Quays of the Old Port have assembled an impressive pack of talented musicians for another consecutive year. If you are more into old school reggae, you might want to check Maxi Priest on Friday night or the great Sanchez and Marcia Griffiths on Sunday. Remember Just a little bit longer ?
For those who need their dancehall dose, Saturday is the best day for you. Prepare yourself to reminisce and dance your butt off one of Sean Paul’s numerous. You will also get to discover other famous but more raunchy artists like QQ and Demarco. Sensitive ears be aware, Demarco is known for his catchy party songs but he might also get dirty. Oh, and  by the end of the night,  QQ will have taught you how to do the One Drop perfectly. Don’t miss the food trucks and the after show concerts too.
(Visit MIRF for more info)
How Much: Friday  (21$ door/ticket)  Saturday (70$ door/55$ ticket) and Sunday (70$ door/55$ ticket)
Vip Treatments are also available
Don’t Miss: Grammy Award winning artist Sean Paul on Saturday + Luciano , the king of Roots on Sunday
To purchase tickets or to see the weekend schedule programming, visit http://montrealinternationalreggaefestival.com
simply call or text 514-261-3058
Make sure you check the weekend forecast before you attend any of the outdoor shows!
Enjoy!

Alkaline : The new prince of Dancehall ? (Upcoming Concert)

Let’s step away from the hip hop scene for a few minutes, shall we?

We haven’t heard of Elephant Man for a while now. Mavado is somewhere in Miami partying it up with his new crew, Cash Money. As for Vybz Kartel, well…he won’t be out of jail until your gran,gran,gran,grandchildren have their own kids.

So what better time for  Earlan ”Alkaline ” Barthley to take over the dancehall scene. In an era where being scandalous will get you further than actually having talent,you could say that Alkaline, 20, has  the best of both worlds. I was a bit sceptical about this new kid, who for some reason, decided to tattoo his freakin eyeballs in black. Yes, you read right.

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While some of his dancehall peers (Lady Saw, Bounty Killa) don’t support his weird and satanic behaviour nor his use of coarse language, the young singer sees all this as good publicity.

After hearing listening to his biggest hits so far Bruk Out or  Moving Mountains,  I’ve changed my mind.

If you listen to his pref-fame work, like  the song Proof , there was not any doubt that the then-17-year-old would blow up eventually. It’s hard to think that the singer never mentioned Kartel as an inspiration since the young singer decided to take the vulgar/raunchy road like his predecessor. He kind of sounds like him too. This chosen path though, seems  to work pretty well and please a lot of his female audience. It was even reported that one Alkaline crazed fan simulated a fellatio on the singer in a live concert. We’re far from the days where throwing a pair of panties was ludicrous.

 

 

Anyway, let’s hope that Canada has more sense than that and will not go that extreme to get the his attention.

 

 Information

Who:  Alkaline, Dancehall Artist, performing live for the first time in Canada

Where: For Montreal : V-Lounge (662, 90th Avenue in Lasalle)  or  in Ottawa : Saint-Joseph Hall (151 Laurier Avenue)

When: Sunday, June 30th in Montreal and Monday July 1st in Ottawa (doors open around 10pm)

How Much: About 30$ to 39$ . It is recommended to buy your tickets in advance.

You should attend if: You’re looking to do something for Canada day. You like dancehall music. If you’ve followed the new goth trend in Jamaica (i.e. the freaky Tommy Lee).You don’t have sensitive ears. You’re not  expecting to hear any conscious music (because you won’t).

 

For Montreal Tickets: 

TRIPLE AAA 514-344-5353
MANGO BAY 514-875-7082
PRINCESSA 514-595-4894

 

For Ottawa Tickets:

Call number 613-413-7501

Or add DjPhilkid Thomas on Facebook

 

LOX – Money, Power and Longevity (Concert Review)

I was ready for the last concert of this long and busy week.

 

The Arena venue located in downtown Montreal was packed with a much older and different crowd than the two last concerts I attended. The pouring rain didn’t stop these hip hop heads to attend this Rap rendez-vous.

Unlike the Bun B show, the crowd got to enjoy fewer guest performances before the main act arrived. The first group to perform was  E.M.G. a Toronto based rap trio. The group  has already open acts for Pusha-T, M.O.P. and even recorded a song with Spragga Benz, better known as Wayne in 2002’s Shottas. Not bad. Not bad at all.

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Toronto group EMG were the first to perform.

The second performer was Peter Jackson, a Canadian rapper who has been grinding for a few years now. Having toured with Waka Flocka, Juicy J and even French Montana, Jackson still finds time to work  on his music, which you can find on http://www.peterjacksonmusic.ca

 

Around one o’clock , the wait was finally over. After seeing Styles with Sheek or Ghostface with Sheek again it was  time for The LOX to be finally reunited. The music selection was obvious (from a fan perspective) but oh was it reminiscent of the good old days. The trio kicked off the show with New York City  but  took us back to the 90’s era with several hits like All About The Benjamins , Money, Power, Respect and Ride or Die Chick. Since all tree had successful solo careers, if was only right for us to  knock our fists on Jada’s Knock Yourself Out or cross our two arms while singing Locked Up from Styles P. Of course, Sheek Louch’s Good Love is always a good song to make ladies dance.

 

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LOX performing

 

 

It’s a pretty known fact that Styles P loves Montreal weed. What better way to perform his song  I Get High then to distribute cigarillos, blunts and rolling papers to excited fans ? Another great moment of the night was when Styles P (again) jumped out of stage to ride with his fans. Having done that  a few years ago was still surprising to me because this venue is a lot bigger than the previous one. I guess the mass of vultures did not scare the New Yorker.

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Styles P lighting up on stage.

Seeing The LOX together for the first time of Canada was a great hip hop moment for myself and everyone who attended this much anticipated reunion. While some rappers run after money and power, this group proves that respect takes time to built and is the only real proof of success.

 

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Rule number 1: Don’t rub Styles P in the wrong way, even if you’re his number 1 fan.

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Rule number 2:  Message to all Montreal venues : If you’re gonna have a group signing autograph on 300 t-shirts, make sure you have solid tables. Let’s just say hell broke loose at 3 am.

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Rule number 3: no rules…Jadakiss is still cute from his Ruff Ryders day. Muaaa

 

 

 M.U.L.A Grade: 9/10…Can’t wait for these 3 to come back. No beef, just crazy groupies.

 

 

M.I.A. (with Elliphant) @ Metropolis May 4th 2014 (Concert Review)

 

Matangi (Def.) – Hindu goddess of music, knowledge, music and arts

 

Montrealers love her. They  we really do.

The downtown venue was packed with a fun and diverse fan base. From young and old hipsters to excited gay males, everybody came to dance on a the gloomy Sunday evening. You couldn’t have never  find Waldo amongst these thousands of  sweaty guests.

The show started early, which is good when you know you’re working the next day. Elliphant, who performed on the first part of the show was a perfect choice for this pop, rap and electronic fest. If you enjoy the sounds of Dj Diplo or Santigold, then you need to put Elliphant in your playlist.

The stage set was minimalist but was a great fit for an M.I.A. performance. Some type of funky giant  stencils were scattered around the stage and even let out a few lazor lights during a few songs. On top of the stage, you could read Matangi in big letters. Nice way for her to remind us to buy her album who goes by the same name.

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Simple stage set but yet creative.

 

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The singer and proud mom still looks like she’s in her early 20s.

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The bad girl performing ”Bad Girls”. Yes, we do it well.

 

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Sold out, or nah ?

 

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He has a southern ”twang”. She has a british accent. Yet, they have the best chemistry on stage !

M.I.A. definitely knows how to please her fans. Grooving like she usually does (while rocking a gold and orange outfit with black shades) she made our tongue twist for Galang or put our two fingers up for Paper Planes. Whether her songs express her political views or have a sexual connotation, M.I.A. remains in class apart from the Gagas and the Beyoncés of this industry. Her authenticity in and outside the stage is what makes her the artist she is today. I certainly hope we will have more artist like her  in the future. Do you believe in reincarnation?

 

M.U.L.A. Grade: 8/10. I must say that I found the show a bit short but it was all worth it. My favorite part was she performed Bad Girls. This girl has balls.

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Feeling Crazy, Sexy and Cool… Shirt & Leggings- H&M Sports Jacket (For Men)—Urban Outfitters Henny Socks! — 40sandShorties.com –Shoes- Nike

 

 

 

 

 

 

PartyNextDoor, From Tdot to Mtl

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Attention to all Drake fans in the Montreal area, this little soirée just might be for you. One of October’s Very Own (OVO) signee, PartyNextDoor will be paying a visit tonight, in downtown Montreal. Jahron Brathwaite, from Mississauga Ontario has been on a roll ever since he signed with one of the most famous rapper of our generation. After releasing his first mix tape in July 2013, he was able to ride with his mentor across North America, along with Future and Miguel on the Would you like a Tour? concert tour.You probably heard his vocals on Drake’s Come Thru or Own it  songs, from his Nothing was the Same album last year.

If you like a mix between a sexy R&B and a bit of electro, then Party just might be what you need tonight. Since he is hosting this party,I’m not too sure if he will be performing or not. Yet, it’s still a great chance to discover great artists from our beloved country.

See you in  Sauga tonight.

 

 

Quick info

Who: PartyNextDoor (OVO) + Young Baby & Shrimp-C

When: Wednesday April 16th, 10pm to 3am

Where: SaintWoods, 3643 St-Laurent Apt. 200, Montreal

How Much: 10$ before 11pm, 15$ after

You should come thru if : You like that OVO (The Wknd), you just want to relax before OR after your final exams.

 

Listen to PartyNextDoor’s last track here:

https://soundcloud.com/partyomo/partynextdoor-west-district

 

 

 

 

 

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I chose to post this ONLY pic from my last Wednesday outing simply because it basically sums up the PartyNextDoor performance. As far as the Djs, Young Baby , Shrimp C  or Da-P, they did an awesome job of heating up the Saintwoods’ tiny dance floor.

My suspicions were correct, they could have never charge us 10$ for a live performance from somebody who is signed with Drake. So what did we get to see? A talented guy not really connecting with the crowd nor making any visible eye contacts. Maybe he was shy.Maybe he was blinded by the lights. Or maybe he was just paid to just stand there and not talk. Either way, next time Jahron,  please give us a REAL party next door. Not an akward soirée where we only get to look at you whisper to the Dj. Ughh.

 

Even though I didn’t see any performance, I’d like to mention how nice and pleasant the Saintwoods atmosphere was. Located on Saint-Laurent street, I would not suggest you to go there if you don’t like hipsters. I’m serious. The place is pretty large and it’s a great place to relax and have killer drinks with a few buddies on a Wednesday or Thursday night. Nothing fancy, so prepare yourself to chug a nice cold beer, relax on their huge kingsize bed or play PAC Man or Basketball on their vintage arcade games. You can decide to party or dance your ass off .

 

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I’ve proven that not all black people are good in Basketball.

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Ok, the drinks are around 15$ each but they’re so gooood !

 

 

 

MULA Grade : 8/10…The friendly staff and my sister laughing at my air balls made it a pretty enjoyable night ! Put Saintwoods’ drinks or your to-do list this summer !

 

 

M.I.A. – The girl with the tiger balls / La fille aux couilles de tigre

The UK/Sri Lankan rapper has been quiet ever since she showed her middle finder to the world (Superbowl 2013, remember?). After receiving complaints about her gesture, the NFL is still asking her  to pay  her 16 million dollar fine. These guys must have forgotten about Janet Jackson’s nip slip incident a few years ago.
This is not M.I.A. first controversial ”rodeo”. In 2010, her video Born Free was criticized for being too violent. Shot by Roman Gavras, the video showed cruel U.S. military guards capturing and killing a ”red hair race” for their own pleasure. The 9 minute clip depicted the still existing genocides in many foreign countries. Two years later, Bad Girls shocked the public again but this time in a Middle East decor. Also shot by Gavras (in Morocco by the way), the video consisted of  Saudi Arabian flashing their bling, car racing in the desert and… also showing WOMEN  dancing and driving! If you didn’t know, you cannot put women and driving in the same sentence when you come from Saudi Arabia.
Lucky for us, M.I.A hasn’t let the bad reviews affect her too much. After releasing her Bring the Noize single last summer, she finally released her fourth album effort, Matangi in November.  Kicking off her North American tour also called  Matangi, M.I.A. will make a quick stop to Montreal, city she is now very familiar to.
In this era of twerk and senseless music , it is nice to see a brown woman feeding us with powerful social and political statements through funky and colourful videos.  On May 4th,  I can only expect the hype, crazy or politically incorrect M.I.A. to be on stage.
 Thats’ the M.I.A. we want.

La rappeuse anglaise et srilankaise s’est fait plutôt tranquille depuis qu’elle a montré son majeur au monde entier (Superbowl 2012 avec la Madonne?). Après avoir choqués quelques téléspectateurs, la ligue de football américain attendent toujours qu’elle paie son amende de 16 million de dollars. Ces mêmes personnes ont surement déjà oublié le mamelon de Janet Jackson quelques années plus tôt.
Ce n’est pas la première controverse que M.I.A. suscite. En 2010, son vidéo  Born Free est critiqué pour être ultra violent. Le clip  de 9 minutes réalisée par Roman Gavras montre une armée américaine (très cruelle) qui capture seulement des roux et qui les exécute par simple plaisir. Un genre de génocide qui selon elle, existe toujours dans plusieurs pays. Deux ans plus tard, la vidéo Bad Girls choque encore le public, cette fois-ci dans un décor d’Arabie Saoudite. De nouveau tourné par Gavras (mais au Maroc), le vidéoclip montre des hommes arabes riches, faisant des courses dans le désert et on voit aussi….des FEMMES danser et conduire. Disons qu’en Arabie Saoudite, on ne met jamais les mots femmes et conduire dans la même phrase.
Par chance, M.I.A n’a pas laissé les mauvaise critiques l’affecter. Après avoir sorti son tube ”Bring the Noize” l’été dernier, son quatrième album Matangi a enfin vu le jour en novembre 2013. Avec sa tournée  Matangi qui débute bientôt, elle fera un arrêt à Montréal, une ville qu’elle connait pas mal bien.
Dans cette ère de musique insensée et de TWERK , il fait plaisir de voir une femme ”de couleur” qui nous passe un message social à travers des vidéos tordus et colorés. Le 4 mai, on ne peut s’attendre qu’à la folle ou la politically incorrect M.I.A.
C’est la M.I.A. qu’on veut.
INFORMATIONS
WHO: M.I.A, English and Sri Lankan rapper, 38
WHEN: Sunday May 4th 2014 (around 8pm)
WHERE: Metropolis, 59 Sainte-Catherine East (near Saint-Laurent), Montreal
How Much: between 34,50$ to 39$ (you won’t pay more than 40$ at the door)
You should only attend if: You can listen to electronic, alternative, dancehall and hip hop music all at the same time. If you are familiar to Dj Diplo, Major Lazer, Amanda Blank or Santigold. If you like the UK accent.If you were one of the millions of people singing the hook on Paper Planes. If you want to take a break from this male-dominated hip hop scene and see a girl rock the stage.
QUI: M.I.A, rappeuse d’origine anglaise et sri lankaise, 38 ans
QUAND: Dimanche, le 4 mai 2014 (vers 20:00pm)
:  Métropolis à Montréal, 59 rue Sainte-Catherine Est (près de Saint-Laurent)
C’est Combien: entre 34,50$ et 39$ (vous ne paierez pas plus de 40$ à la porte)
Allez-y seulement si: Vous pouvez écoutez de l’electro, de l’alternatif, dancehall et hip hop en même temps. Si vous êtes familier avec Dj Diplo, Major Lazer, Amanda Blank ou Santigold. Si vous aimez  le rap avec l’accent british. Si vous avez déjà chanter le refrain de Paper Planes. Si ça vous tente de prendre une pause de tous ces artistes mâles qui dominent la scène hop hop et voir une fille chauffer la scène.
Bon show !

 

 

 

 

To get your tickets/ Pour achetez vos billets visitez le http://www.metropolismontreal.ca

The man with the wired jaw

How ironic is this title for a man who lately hasn’t been able to keep his mouth shut.

Mr. West has been on a rough path lately. It seems that people are talking about more about West’s private life (thanks to his well known fiancé) than his latest music effort ‘‘Yeezus”.
If you haven’t heard about the rapper/producer’s feud with radio personalities Sway and Charlamagne The God, then I don’t know where you have been last year.
Who knows what’s going on in this self-proclaimed genius head. Ever since his mother Donda West passed away a few years ago, Kanye’s music took a weird but creative turn. A part of me misses the old Kanye in those Slum village days or when he was just creating hits for the Roc-a-Fella rooster (RIP to Memphis Bleek, Freeway, Peedi Crack and Young Gunz’s rap careers).
On the other side, it’s good to see a  producer, turned rapper, turned high fashion designer. He came a long way from laughing at boogie girls in College Dropout to raise social awareness in ”New Slaves”.Kanye West sure evolved as a musician.
Just in time to celebrate the 10 year anniversary his College Dropout album (already), Kanye West will pay us a visit tomorrow night at the Bell Center for his Yeezus Tour. He might complain, laugh, rant or just scream tomorrow night. That’s the Kanye we love,though.
Quick Info:
Who: Kanye West, one of the greatest rapper and producer of our generation (in my opinion)
When: February 17th 2014
Where: Bell Center, Montreal
How Much: price range from 53$ to 193,50$ (Check the sittings available on http://www.centrebell.ca)
You should only attend if: You’re a Kanye fan, if you enjoy concert with great concepts…and if those Jay Z tickets didn’t ruin you too much)
 

Oh Yeezus.