by SCOTT C

Looking into the further adventures of Montreal MC Rugged Intellect, whose new mixtape This Is Me Vol. 1 should be out soon, I’ve learned that he’s just finished recording a track with Cali powerhouse Ras Kass. Rugged seems to be racking up the stellar team-ups left and right, but for something a little more close to home, you might want to check him out tonight, Thursday, May 25, when he joins T-Dot rapper Chuggo at Vinyl Lounge for a session.

Speaking of team-ups, can’t forget the dynamic duo of DJ Manifest and 7D, two of the city’s notable beat-heads, who officially unveil months of work behind the boards for the dual release of their individual projects. Manifest’s Stop, Look and Listen mixtape finally gets the big push after being on the grind for some time, while 7D’s The SevSignal finally sees the light of day after months and months of preparation. Both releases feature original material as well as remixes of some better-known artists. Head down to Jello on Thursday, June 1, when they join DJ Truspin for his weekly installment of Martini Funk. Six bucks gets you in, and both CDs will be available that night.

Those of you about ready for another dose of real, raw funk should know that the Budos Band, from the Daptone family of funk, will be in town for a live show at Alizé on June 9. Also look for DJ Kobal to round out the night with a hefty helping of his own funky stuff too.

Therapy dusts off the old-boys network tonight when they roll out Eddie Lewis, Christian Pronovost and Martin McLeish for classic vibes from these Montreal music dons. Make your way down to the Academy to see if good things really do come in threes.

This Friday night at Casa del Popolo, peep into the record collections of the people running the well-oiled machine that is Ninja Tune in Montreal, at their monthly night, Clockout. Every last Friday of the month, the Ninja team will do their best to make you smile. Lots of DJs and music heads up in that place too, so you know things will be eclectic.

Big up to the guys running the show at www.33mtl.com’s Vox Pop, who have been doing their best to show up at just about every event that goes on in the city. Their informal video entertainment magazine has been showing snapshots of Montreal’s healthy nightlife, arts, fashion and music scenes, and shows early signs of making the move to a TV near you. Take that, Mose Persico, you nerd.

Can’t forget to let you know that your favourite producer’s producer, Nicolay, is coming to town all the way from his home in the Netherlands to play at Kunta Lounge on Wednesday, June 7. This guy has made some serious strides in the last few years, regularly releasing some classic hip hop, most notably the Foreign Exchange record he did with Phonte from Little Brother, as well as collaborations with Cesar Comanche, Sy Smith, Big Pooh and the Justus League. Don’t sleep...

ORLA! fathead@videotron.ca

>> Music Listings