ATSIC s04e13 - Smoked
First off, I want to acknowledge the tough situation in Alberta right now. I hope everyone stays safe and that your homes are protected. Let's pray for rain to come pouring down for weeks and clear that smoky air. It's no joke, fam. I've been hearing about folks on the East coast feeling the effects of these fires. More fires in BC and Saskatchewan. Smoke everywhere. The sun ain't even shining like it used to. Stay strong out there.
Anyway, let's switch gears and get into this week's mix. I've lined up another hour of that good shit for your brain, featuring the newest releases in Canadian Hip Hop. And guess what? I've even got some exclusives for y'all. Spitty comes through with a brand-new drill-infused single, named after his signature adlib on the hook: "Brrrrrrr." It’ll hit streaming on May 25, so we’re a week #ATSICEarly.
Also checking in with a world premier, it’s my homie Wize Guy, an Edmonton battle rap veteran who gets a lot of love for his stretched bar rhyme schemes. He sent me an album called just that, “Stretched Bars” with a bunch of beats from my bro Deez Waxx, and as far as I know there’s not even a set date for release yet. It’ll be coming soon enough though. Just busy staying ahead of the game.
Last week online, there was a lot of talk about local promoters and DJs who hold big credentials but don't support the rappers from their own cities. Mouraine sparked a conversation about it on his IG, and it's a topic that needs attention. It's dope to see artists from across the country chiming in and sharing their thoughts. We need more of these discussions within the Canadian scene. On this episode, I let my voice be heard. I'm all about showing love to artists nationwide and doing my part to put independent artists on the map. There are other DJs who support indie arists, but they’re the indie DJs who aren’t getting pay checks from corporate owned radio stations where DJs are handcuffed. Those stations are playing what they’re told to play. 2 or 3 entities own them all. It’s a gatekeepers dream. If we want to beat that, we need find a way to get shows like #ATSIC to a wider audience. I don’t have the money for advertising right now, so it’s all word of mouth. When I share the show on IG stories every week and tag each artist, I notice who interacts with that. Sharing that story to their followers is a huge help. I see direct results on the stats for shows on weeks that get more shares that way. Every like and comment and share shows the algorithm that people are interested in that content, and influences it to push it to a wider audience.
Check out the track listing below or head over to Mixcloud. This week's mix is mostly filled with new singles. Oh, and I gotta mention that I made a little exception to my rule of starting every mix with Wu-Tang. I normally start every episode with a track by or featuring someone from the Wu or it’s second generation. There's a Wu sample on the hook of tonights first track, I just couldn't resist playing Tone Chop & Frost Gamble back to back. Street da Villan also sent over a dope new single and a drop, so he's the one track that ain't Canadian content.
I also played a joint from Fortunato's latest LP, "Blue Collar 2," produced by Frederickton’s goat producer Sean One. If you wanna catch my interview with Fortunato, swing by Twitch.tv/doobyis on Sunday, May 21, at 3pm MST (5pm EST). Make sure to hit that follow button while you're there. I've been chopping it up with artists for my #FlyInFormation series, and trust me, they drop some serious gems.
If you're vibing with the show, show some love. Hit that like button and tell a friend. Support the artists you dig, cop their merch, attend their shows, and spread the word. Throw some flame emojis out there to convince the algorithms to put us on strangers' radars.
Stay up.
