X-press yourself by SCOTT C You've got to give the folks down at Urban X-Pressions a pat on the back for making sure Montreal represents its graffiti community. Under Pressure, the event that they started back in 1996, is a graf convention that features the work of not only writers from Montreal, Toronto, Vancouver and Ottawa, but also the United States and Europe. This year's expo will take place on August 6 from 11 a.m.-10 p.m. on the corner of Guy and Ste-Catherine, the parking lot that drew over 5,000 people last year. On August 5, the night before, there's a showcase for MCs and DJs who aim to strut their stuff on the big stage at Foufounes Électriques. The cover is $5 with the proceeds going to a good graffiti-related cause. The outdoor event will also feature some raw talent in the form of breakdancers Tactical Crew, QC Rock and Red Mask. DJs on hand for the day list long with names like Blast, A-Trak, Killa Jewel, Ray Ray, Brass Knucks, Turntable Dagunzs, the infamous Jordan Dare and DJ Serious from T.O. to name a few. For more info contact Sterling Downey at 862-8243. This past Wednesday marked the start of a new night at Tokyo hosted by young Alex Robbins and Thau Weva called Cookin', that plans to explore the world of dancefloor jazz every Wednesday night, with the help of some international luminaries. Resident Alex will be joined each week by some local guests, and of course the odd out-of-towner. Step lively. Info: 842-6838. If you thought the boys down at Baker Street on 1232 Bishop packed it in and high-tailed it out of town, you couldn't be more mistaken. Thursday, July 27, is the night that Back to Basics does exactly that. Resident DJ DR One is joined by guests 4th World Occupants from Vancouver who plan to lay some Van City hip hop styles on the unsuspecting crowd. Also performing that evening will be Experimental Free Agent (aka Abraw) bringing the tax for a great night of hip hop to a grand total of $4 at the door. Some good news on the concert front for next month. Lucy Pearl has been confirmed for a show at the Spectrum in late August. The trio of Dawn Robinson from En Vogue, Raphael Saadiq from Toni Tony Tone, and Ali Shaheed Muhammad from A Tribe Called Quest released a big summer surprise in the form of their self-titled debut on Saadiq's Pookie Records. Apparently, their U.S. tour is also reinforced by Dilated Peoples and Mr. No-show, D'Angelo. No such luck here, as Montrealers will just have to make due with the massive egos of the Brass Knuckles Crew, who are amazingly enough also on the bill for that show. : Let's level the playing field: plan_b13@hotmail.com