To the top

Congratulations to Wendy for being the first person to correctly answer the question for last week’s Beatseeker Big Daddy Kane contest, winning two tickets to the show, and a shout-out to John for coming in a close second and winning the t-shirt. The answer was DJ Mister Cee.

Here’s a dope anecdote that I got from Kane during our interview this week: “The first time I really met KRS-One was actually in Toronto. It wasn’t my first encounter with him but it was the first real conversation we had together. I didn’t have a record out at the time—this was before Long Live the Kane. I was just going around on stage with Biz [Markie]. His show was really based around comedy, so he just wanted me to say funny rhymes about girls, and at that point, that’s all that KRS had heard from me. We came to Canada to do a show but when we arrived, we realized that it wasn’t gonna be a show. It was actually a battle. They had planned for Biz to battle the Canadian beat box, Suga was supposed to battle Michie Mee, and Boogie Down Productions was gonna battle the Canadian crew. There was also a solo rapper that was gonna battle KRS but I said, ‘Yo, I’ll battle the solo rapper.’ That’s what we all did and when KRS really heard me rhyming that night at the bar, he bought me a Heineken and he was like, ‘I didn’t know that you really, really rhymed. I’m surprised you rhyme like that, you got a nice flow.’ A few weeks later, he was helping me move out of my crib.”

DAYGLO VON DEUTSCHLAND: Various Zonders graphics

The Kane show is Friday night at les Saints, so get your tickets quick before they run out. Also on Friday, you can catch the lovely Leila performing with Sans Pression at Super 9 for DJ Arabika’s anniversary. Homegirl’s been making noise across the border after her visit to NY where her music was licensed by MTV. Her songs “Like Me” and “To the Top” can now be heard on episodes 11 and 12 of the latest season of Real World. We hope that’s just the beginning for this talented, young Canadian artist.

For those of you less inclined to spend money or go see a show on Friday, you can go kick it with art collective les Enfants Terribles on the third floor of Off the Hook, where they’ll first be showcasing artwork by German designers the Zonders, whose work you’ve seen on album covers and flyers all over the place. Then you can enjoy a little DJ set by DJ Arcade during which le Matos will feature their new song with Coeur de Pirate, and finally, snuggle with some popcorn in hand as the lights get low and the world of cheesy teen romantic flicks is explored with the movie Private School. It’s gonna be a special time.

Saturday night. Coda. Gumbo. Simahlak. Speakerbruiser. Official Web site launch. Gumbo514.com. ‘Nuff said.

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