Open your eyes

Getting ready to release his first solo album is Montreal hip hop veteran Cobna, who drops Garde un œil ouvert on Feb. 27 with a launch party at Main Hall. The album, which is on 13 Deep Recordz, features team-ups with local hip hop heroes like Sans Pression, Imposs and Von Von le vet (aka Yvon Kreve), with production from CAST, DJ Manifest, Ruffsound and Criollo. Check out www.myspace.com/cobna for more info, plus some album cuts.

Nice to see Team Canada representing Montreal and beyond in some high-profile nooks and crannies. Our own DR. One and Grandtheft are clocking the air miles, having travelled to San Francisco, Seattle, Whistler and Hollywood over the last few months, even securing a slot alongside Access Hollywood types DJ AM and Steve Aoki at the famed LAX nightclub. I haven’t seen any pics of the boys with Paris Hilton just yet, but you can check out what they’ve been up to when they bring their Honor Roll show to the SAT on March 9. Witness the fitness of the tightest mashup kings in the country as they return to MTL in a big way to push their Classic Material II mixtape.

Big thanks to everyone that came out to Kunta last Friday for the J Dilla Tribute, I don’t think we could’ve got any more people in that place. Nice to see the spirit of Dilla is still alive and well in a lot of us.

Seven reasons it’s a black thing, and you need to understand:
1. Marc Mac It’s Right to Be Civil (Omniverse)
2. The Jazzistics “Marcus, Martin & Malcolm” (Stones Throw)
3. Gil Scott Heron “Peace Go With You Brother” (Strata East)
4. J Dilla “Black Terminator” (CDR)
5. Black Star “Definition” (Rawkus)
6. John Coltrane “Equinox” (BBE)
7. Roy Hargrove & The RH Factor “On the One” (Verve)

Some things you just don’t say... fathead@videotron.ca