by SCOTT SEE

It wasn’t exactly what I had planned, but it looks like I’m about to dip out to the Greater Toronto Area for this coming Thanksgiving weekend. I’ve been putting off this trip since August, when, in a completely unbelievable turn of events, my parents sold the house I grew up in and decided to buy a townhouse. They now reside in a fresh, new subdivision located only a few hundred feet from Lake Ontario, sandwiched quite comfortably between a minimum-security prison and the local psychiatric hospital. You think I’m joking? No disrespect to the white-collar criminals, or people with mild personality disorders who now share this wonderful new neighbourhood with Ma and Pa, but it just won’t be the same when I go home. It’s funny, but I’m actually starting to really understand that my parents have grown older since I was 14. It comes out in the way I relate to them about life, and the rest of my family, and in the way they relate to me about RRSPs and health and dental coverage. It also shows itself when my Dad gets all excited about this new house, and trust me, he doesn’t get excited about much. It seems like my mother and father, the only two people in this world who were quite happy living in the dark ages, fighting any and all change tooth and nail, embraced this shift with open arms. Hopefully I can do the same.

Once again, all interested parties must heed the call. If you break, DJ, MC, or write graffiti, and think that the heads in Montreal need to know about your style, get on the horn at Hip Hop 4ever (www.hh4ever.com). There’s some competitions coming up that will be focusing on various developing talents in the Montreal scene, and if you got something, you should definitely step up.

Those of you who know DJ Mana personally know that this guy isn’t afraid to ask questions and jump on the challenges, or the turntables. He’s been working on his LP Metamers for quite a while, and now it’s done. So, he’s not having one but three release parties, three nights in a row. I’ll get to those dates later on this month, but for now you can check out the kid and his aggressive plosives at Tokyo on Wednesday, Oct. 16. www.djmana.com. :

Seven reasons I should go now:
1. Nas The Lost Tapes (Ill Will)
2. Sikh Knowledge Eastern Head Wraps (independent)
3. Pure Filth “Movements in Sound” 12” (PFR)
4. Quango “Let Groove Come” (Co-op mix) 12” (People)
5. Nature’s Plan feat. Ed Motta “Without Words” 12” (Farout)
6. Joe McDuphrey Experience “Solar Waves” (Stones Throw)
7. Source of Labour “Audio Visual” 12” (SubVerse)

Often chance meetings yield the deepest of friendships… incubator@hiphopsite.com