ATSIC S05E04 - The Cut
We're selective about what we play on ATSIC, and it's not meant as a slight to those whose music doesn't make the cut. It's simply a matter of preference. Having listened to a lot of rap and written numerous lyrics myself, I can discern the difference between someone's third song and their 300th. There's an overwhelming amount of music released each week, so being selective is necessary. Every week, I choose my favorite new releases, purchase them, compile them into a folder, and send them to Dice, along with any recent purchases that haven't been played yet. From there, it's up to him and his expertise to decide what makes it onto the show. Ideally, everything I buy eventually gets aired, but occasionally, some tracks slip through the cracks and end up in a playlist of unplayed music, buried under the continuous influx of new releases.
One decision I make independently is selecting the starting track, the one that plays before my talk segment. It's tradition for this track to feature a member of Wu-Tang Clan or a 2nd Generation Wu member. There's no shortage of feature verses from the original members available, but some are what I call "Wholesale verses," which anyone with $60 can purchase to secure a collaboration with a legend. While this tactic may effectively land them on people's Release Radar playlists, piggybacking off the followers of big-name artists for extra spins, I tend to avoid such tracks. I maintain a playlist of these for amusement, but they usually don't make it onto ATSIC. This week, I came across an artist I'd never heard of with a feature from Inspectah Deck. Rebel INS always delivers, but simply securing a verse from a legend isn't enough to feature the entire track if the other verses fall short. I'm generally forgiving; I understand that artistic growth is a process, but I'm not opposed to editing out someone's portion and playing just the Wu feature. That's what I did with "PHOSPHENE 9AS"... which, by the way, is also an unappealing name. Perhaps I'm missing something because I'm not a chemist, but I have no idea how I'm even supposed to pronounce it. Anyway, I hope D.O.M. of Dnd, whoever he may be, puts in more practice before splurging on another feature from someone who will outshine him.
Moving on to DJ Dice's mix for the week, he kicked things off with Ethiks, an emcee from Ontario (they kept the specifics vague, so I doubt he's based in Toronto, but I've noted it as such in the spreadsheet below... if he's not keen on putting his city on the map, neither am I, lol). He's one half of the duo Wiser. Their track is a nod to a classic rebel sentiment - "I Don't Care." Huzzah, nothing matters, let's party. While this style of music isn't my sole preference, it's valid. Just try not to let it ruin your life. Props to Ethiks for presenting it in a way that also sheds light on the negatives.
Next up, we have something reminiscent of Bruno Mars with a touch more rap energy - "I Feel Like James Brown" by Toronto's Ruben Young. It's an upbeat tune, and while I couldn't listen to this vibe for a full hour, it's worthy of inclusion and undeniably well-crafted.
Sekawnee, Chase Scanz & EfrainYB's "Relatives" delves into First Nations traditions and perspectives on life, while injecting some lighthearted humor by joking about asking grandma whether a potential partner is a relative, snagging aunties, and sipping Bepsi. I believe this track popped up because I was following Chase Scanz, but now I'm following all three.
Back in Lethbridge, we tuned in to "November Rain," a dose of reality rap from K.STONE and Alchemy the Linguist. K lays bare the realities of street life during the fentanyl epidemic, portraying the highs and lows, and the dichotomy of existing as an artist in a community whose spirit has grown cold.
Raz Fresco recently toured Europe, and during his stop in Amsterdam, he teamed up with underground producer Cookin Soul to spend a week recording their upcoming album "BAKINSOUL." It's a perfect collaboration with a fitting name for the project. "360" serves as the lead single, and if the rest of the album follows suit, you'll likely hear more of it on ATSIC. It's classic boom bap with clever bars.
The Dookie Bros often lament being overlooked online, but I give them plenty of airtime. I agree that talent alone doesn't guarantee exposure to the masses. I also acknowledge their efforts in building their social media presence. Towards the end of '23, they were following the "how-to" guide to a tee, posting consistently and with high-quality content worth watching and sharing. The problem might be their constant references to feces and insistence on explicit sexual language in every verse. That sort of thing just might not resonate as well coming from aging white guys. It's slightly incongruous in a genre that values authenticity above all else.. we just can’t honestly believe that these guys are fucking our girls. Nevertheless, I still appreciate their music, and the Westside Gunn (I think) vocal feature on the hook is spot on.
"OpenHope" is a prime example of an artist who lets their music speak for itself, focusing on churning out quality songs and relying on their work ethic and consistent dedication to sustain their longevity. Moka Only is one of the busiest individuals in the industry, yet I can't recall the last time I saw a social media post from him. Perhaps he understands that his older target audience isn't as active on Instagram as the younger generation. Here, he effortlessly flows over a beat from lordMixer.
Montreal's Slik Jack has been making waves, and "Paid Dues" showcases him and Snotty rhyming about their experiences over a mellow, key-driven beat that contrasts with his usual gritty delivery. Snotty hails from NY but frequently collaborates with Canadian artists.
If I'm honest, I overlooked the Canadian scene until around 2019 when I started ATSIC. Since then, I've been learning a lot from interacting with artists across the country. One example was chatting with Mindbender on FiF. He told me about his late brother Conspiracy, whom some of my friends in Edmonton remember from back in the day. This track marks my first time featuring Conspiracy. He and District Prime are both Handsolo affiliates, so when Thomas sent this over, I was eager to play it. DP's verse indicates that he's been honing his craft.
"EUREKA" is another track from Lord Juco's new EP "TESTA DURA," which you can snag on Bandcamp; it was released as a Christmas day gift to the world. Lord Juco is one of Toronto's wittiest lyricists, consistently delivering clever bars.
I've been sending "Darkest Hour II" to Dice for a while now, and it finally made it into the mix this week. Y.N.X. 716 & Aaqil Ali are both artists I know little about, but Imperetiv, a producer from Toronto, sends over new releases regularly, and they always fit the format.
Nicholas Craven and Boldy James serve up another gem with "Early Worms Get Birds," featuring Double Dee. Boldy's line "I can't sell your uncle unless it's Fester" piques my curiosity; I'm unsure if it's drug-related slang or a reference to Halifax-based producer Uncle Fester.
Brampton boasts numerous talented artists, one of whom is Ghostboyrj, an up-and-coming emcee with plenty to say. He delivers smooth vocals and well-crafted bars over a laid-back beat.
"Redemption Song" by Art of Fresh and D.O. Gibson puts a spin on a classic, staying true to Bob Marley's original while adding inspirational lyrics and a new drum line, if I'm not mistaken. Art of Fresh appears to be a collective of Toronto-based artists, while D.O. Gibson is heavily involved in community education and organization.
Back in Montreal, Kris the $pirit does what he does best, blending high-level lyricism with bars that touch on street life and self-discovery on his new one “On & On” featuring hook vocals from Lolly D. It's more mellow boom bap to keep things wavy.
Still M.A.D. from Fredericton trades bars with CONS for a head-nodding boom bap track, “Cold Sweats”. They're on a mission for success without the need for media attention, but I’m here to give them some anyways.
Lastly, we have remixes of classics from Max Prime and Jon Brando. First, a Dirty Sample remix titled "Get Ripped and Try Dying," which seems to be a thinly veiled diss aimed at 50 Cent, and then a scathing critique of the entire "hard" image of pop rap remixed by European producer and founder of Pen Theif records, Noblonski, called "Hardy Hard," featuring a cameo from legendary Canadian rap radio DJ Chaps. Both tracks feature hilarious bars and showcase Emprimes' signature technical lyricism.
This episode is followed by a Fly in Formation interview with K-Riz. It as a great conversation, we covered a lot of ground and he shared a lot of insight into his creative process and view on music. I’m looking forward to hearing what he’s cooking up next, and it was great to catch up with him a bit. That’s also available on YT, check the FiF playlist for an archive of all the past guests.
Season 3 of my interview series Fly in Formation continues rolling along. The Jan/Feb schedule is posted down below, and it’s full of artists I’m excited to talk to. Tuesday Feb 6 I talk with Hamilton emcee and activist Lee Reed. Check the promo below to see who else is coming up. Make sure to hit follow on Twitch or subscribe so you don’t have to watch the ad breaks during interviews! Help build a community by popping up in chat and asking questions to me or the guests.
Every week, I buy every song I play, unless the artist sent it to me, saving me a buck. I believe in buying music to support independent artists. Making music is time-consuming and expensive. Streaming doesn’t pay much at all, and since streaming has become the way most people consume music, it’s even more important to make sure to buy tickets, buy music (physical or digital), and buy merch from artists you want to hear more from. Streaming pays next to nothing, so if you want artists working on more music instead of working more shifts at their day job, you need to show them love by opening your wallet and giving them financial support.
Telling a friend is another great way to support the show, I appreciate everyone who helps spread the word immensely.
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