ATSIC S06E30 - “Real”
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Below this write-up, you’ll find the track list, complete with artists and their hometowns. You can listen here and follow along, or if you’re using the Mixcloud app, hit the “…” to check out the track list while you listen. There’s also a video below from the stream where I slapped this mix together. I’m having fun week to week.
This one was yet another beast of a mix, done in one take start to finish, choosing songs from the ATSIC unplayed vault on the fly. There’s no real definition of real Hip Hop.. or at least I’m not the one to decide it or tell anyone else. The intro for the show has some classic samples scratched up by the illustrious DJ Dice, but we didn’t overthink it — so forgive the college-radio “real Hip Hop” guy cliché. I do my best to pay attention to each lane and give everything a try. I like lyrics that I haven’t heard before. Wordplays on concepts that I’ve heard guys rap about for 30 years and never use. Expressive shit. Clever shit. Heartfelt art, and pride in craftsmanship. There’s some of all of that in every lane, so I find stuff I like. Next episode might be a bunch of danceable trap and EDM/Rap mash ups. The vault’s getting to the point where that playlist is fat enough to cook a mix from.
This mix opens up with a new unreleased track from the homie Kr3wsuffix, who recently relocated from interior BC to the land of frequent flier tumbleweeds here in Lethbridge. We’ve been trying to find time to link up and work on some music ourselves, but for now, Kr3w sent over a few songs he’d recorded recently, and they’re all sounding nice. Guy’s got talent and I’ve been cheering for his success since I stumbled onto his music back in 2019 or 2020.
Toronto trio Loyola Boyz are back this week with another one from the From The Mud EP, with some street talk on “Only Fearing God,” another Bozack Morris production with a screaming guitar riff backing Dnte & Wyze Wonda’s coke cowboy stories.
Junk, Hungry & Eng have been smashing every track lately, with “World Is a Stage,” inspecting morality and commercial culture, punctuated by Dre3k telling everyone to play their part. Junk rips a doubletime triplicate flow that contrasts from Hungry’s style nicely, and Eng’s production squeezes every drop of soul out of some blues guitar and xylophone high notes.
Ezza celebrates beauty in imperfection, simplicity, and designer watches (I think) on “Wabisabi.” A beat from BOOGIE MASON swirls menacingly as the leader of Niagra’s Choom Gang plays with syllables and puts the monotone drone into hover mode. I don’t even know what the brands he’s shouting are, so they must be out of my price range.
“Therapy” from P-Ro, Tali Rodriguez, KNG Bondalero & BLAZEWUN is a look at something I’ve often talked with guests on Fly in Formation — the tendency for guys to open up more about their lives in a rap song than they would in a therapist’s office. The introspection from writing rhymes can help find clarity, I concur.. but go to therapy too, if you’re lucky enough to have access to it. Mental health is important, and being fiercely independent isn’t always the flex rappers make it out to be. These guys keep it real tho.
Sayzee linked with an international conglomerate of producers named Lupara for his newest in a constant stream of albums — Word on the Street is God Wants You Dead. It’s got a bunch of dope shit on it, with a lot of Wu Tang feel in the instrumentals. Sayzee is always razor sharp, and this album has him putting in work as usual.
New Villain has some urgency in his tone on a quick cut with DJ Mirage with a cinematic vibe for “Second Nature.” I’m talking to him coming up on Fly In Formation coming up Nov 11, live on Twitch.
I tried out the stage mic I have hooked to my turntables to shout the intro for Slik Jack & Vincent Pryce’s new single “Getaway Chauffer.” The song, with a feature from Estee Nack sounded a lot better than my mic did, but that’s what I get for doing sound check in mid air. Zip the body bag up, killin it. Their upcoming collab The Pryce You Pay is due Oct 1, and I talk with these two for Fly In Formation next week, Oct 7, live on Twitch.
“City Limits” sounds huge, with a big glorious horn beat that stomps along, looking down at the competition with Tona riding on its shoulder, kicking OG experience and scorn for imitations. Great track. This is the type of shit that’ll get Canada’s scene noticed and recognized beyond the usual suspects, and Tona has been bringing it consistently.
Troy Dunnit called in legends Saukrates and Moka Only for the assists on another big shiny tune — “Sailing,” one of my favourites off his new album BBS.
The roll-out for Roshin & Uncle Fester’s upcoming project that started in May continues smoothly with a third single featuring cover art showing off his shoe collection called “Orange Peel” — a drumless soul sample that gives Rosh and Beauge plenty of air to glide on.
B1 & Le Zeppo also teamed up to kick bars over a drumless soul chop for “Blues Brothers” that I’d been waiting to play. Back to back with two of their Toronto underground lyrical rap counterparts seemed fitting.
“Celtic Connoisseur” was sent over the day after I bought it. I’m too quick out here with my ear to the streets and my finger on the pulse. This one was a new addition to a Deluxe Edition re-release of JRoberts & Imeretiv’s Shamrocks & Machine Guns that dropped back closer to when I talked to JR for an episode of Fly In Formation.
I don’t know anything about Fate B, A$HKAN, or Kyle Genesis that I didn’t learn on this track, but collabing with GhostboyRJ on “Wassup!” got my attention, and now I’m following. That’s how I find all these artists.. one at a time, branching out with every new feature like the mushroom network in Last of Us.
Saskatoon beat smith Factor Chandelier always makes these atmospheric masterpieces, and this week another emcee I wasn’t familiar with, named LOGS, impressed me with some bars on “TUSK.” Can’t say much except that this one’s dope, so I played it. Always happy to hear new artists collabing with legends like Factor.
So Look at the Bright Side is a new album from a Calgary-based emcee named The Blue who plays with a band that I’d seen collab with my dude K-Riz in the past couple years. I didn’t know it was coming until I saw the drop, but they’ve put together a track list of various new collabs with artists from around Alberta, and I’m looking forward to giving it some more time in my earphones.
Torontonian Jon Kabongo landed a big, timely feature from LA artist Ray Vaughn, fresh off his splashy Joey Bada$$ diss track. On “OMW pt. 2” they pick up where he left off, promising big things for the future.
Wordplay King is Lotus James’ new EP, and if you’re a fan of lyrics, you should check it, because the guy put in work with the double entendres and wordplays throughout it. I played “Code Orange,” where he throws down the gauntlet, challenging anyone who wants smoke to a duel at high noon. Good shit.
This week there was a “Making of ATSIC” video from Twitch - it’s posted above if you’re bored. I’m normally on Twitch all the time either working on ATSIC, listening to the new releases each week to make picks, or working on my own music.
Fly in Formation is back to weekly episodes! I’ve already talked to Chadio & The Gumshoe Strut a couple weeks back, and the first half of that talk is included after this mix. Go leave a comment on Youtube, hit like, and follow over there if you want to support the show. You can also watch every interview I’ve done up until now on Youtube. Leave a comment, hit like over there, show some love and run up the playlist on a muted tab - it’ll help the algorithm show my content to more people, which will get more Canadian music in more ears.
Tune in every Tuesday for interviews with artists across the country starting back up in September as I continue to endeavor to learn more about local scenes and artist’s creative processes, talking to artists we play regularly on ATSIC. Come through, hit subscribe on Twitch, skip the ads, and hang out and listen to Hip Hop.
I buy every track I play on ATSIC unless it’s sent to me directly. Streaming barely pays, so it’s essential to support indie artists by buying their music, tickets, or merch to keep them creating. Listening to #ATSIC on Mixcloud is free for you, and makes sure that each song you hear pays the artist at least SOMETHING. Spotify pays 0.006 CAD per stream, and only if the song hits 1000 plays in 3 months. Assuming a song gets 1000 spins, that means it takes around 125 Spotify plays to earn an artist the same .76 cents they earn from my 1.29 purchase on iTunes.
Shows like After the Smoke is Clear also need support. If you appreciate discovering new music without the algorithms, or if you appreciate my efforts to get indie artists music in more ears, consider donating via PayPal to help me buy the tracks and keep the show going. Every dollar helps indie artists and ATSIC alike.
If you can’t donate, that’s all good — people who can afford it are paying, and you get to enjoy a free show while I earn a living. Do me a favour though, and help spread the word to other people who love Hip Hop! Shoutout to everyone who is already supporting financially, by sharing the show, or by coming through in comments and chat to help build community.
Stay up.
