[MP3: View post to listen]
[MP3: View post to listen]

Free album download from Hand’Solo Records artist, CAPS3.

Download as a rar file: CAPS3 – Pixelate rar
Download as a zip file: CAPS3 – Pixelate zip

Need more CAPS3? His split-release with JazzB, Creator/Pixel, is now available on Hand’Solo. Download it here: http://handsolorecords.com/creatorpixel

And check CAPS3 at myspace.com/capstrespsyiencecenter

handsolorecords.com

A new remix album is on deck for Hand’Solo Records, with Calgary, Alberta producer The Dirty Sample remixing a great selection of songs from rappers in Canada, the U.S., the U.K. and Japan. In order to celebrate the upcoming (summer) release of Joshua’s Dreamixes, Hand’Solo Records and The Dirty Sample (through his Work Turkey label and production company) is offering up this little promo album, Beauty & Poison, as a free download. It features 18 remixes that are 100% completely different from those found on Joshua’s Dreamixes. Check out just one song from this free album, and then head on into the link and download Beauty & Poison…

Download Beauty & Poison here: handsolorecords.com/a-v-club

Tracklisting:
1. Beauty and Poison intro
2. Born Again – Alter One (cuts by Cadilakid)
3. End Smartly – Wordburglar
4. Get Ripped & Try Dying – Max Prime (cuts by DJ Bizkid)
5. Think About These Things – Ill Seer ft Mandy Martens
6. The Blood Letting – Lexington + Whatevski
7. The Dirtiest Sons of Bitches – NWO (cuts by Cadilakid)
8. Keeping It Real – Bobby Drake (cuts by Cadilakid)
9. Fresh! – Deezuz (cuts by Metawon)
10. Talk to the Hand (Solo) – More Or Les (cuts by DJ Wakcutt)
11. Captain Hipster – Id Obelus
12. Cocoon Into Nature – Selfhelp
13. Just A Ride – Xczircles
14. Hip Hop Head – Rhythmicru (cuts by Petey Punch)
15. Ropeladder – Nomar Slevik
16. The Uninvited Guest – Sankofa
17. Wookie Boots – Toolshed
18. Going Out On A Highnote – Addvice featuring Cadence Weapon, Touch, Stray, Chris Plus & Chazmo (cuts by Dorc)

http://handsolorecords.com

A little sneak peak from Planit’s self-produced (The Dirty Sample) new project, 2 Blue Apes. Also look for his new remix album coming out soon on Hand’Solo Records.

Check out workturkeymusic.com for more info, free downloads, and updates on Planit, Metawon, and Cadilakid.

A set of photos from the Hand’Solo Records: Hokey Religions & Ancient Weapons Release Party in Toronto on May 14, 2008.

Lexington + Whatevski’s new album Customer Appreciation Day is now available for free download courtesy of Hand’Solo Records.

Tracklisting:
1. Crackheads On Bikes
2. Picture of You
3. Good People (Nato mix) feat. Touch
4. 19 Trillion Miles feat. Planit
5. Swanky Flashy Hoes feat. Hollohan aka G.O.D., B-Money & Ryan Crack the Dirt Dogg
6. Dick In Ya Drink feat. Hollohan aka G.O.D. & Mr Grim
7. Back When
8. Dead And Famous feat. Planit
9. Single File feat. Lingo
*. 5 Min to Kill a Family of 4 feat. Hollohan aka G.O.D. (CD only bonus cut)
10. Sum Alberta Spit feat. Touch
*. The Machine (CD only bonus cut)
11. Your Kid’s Got My Eyes
12. Rolemodel
13. Movin On Up (interlude)
14. Big City
15. Good People (Whatevski Mix) feat. Touch
16. Preggers Can’t Be Choosers radio ad

* Note: these tracks are exclusive to the soon to be released CD version of the album.

Also see:
UGSMAG: Lexington + Whatevski, Meet Junkyard
lexingtonwhatevski.com
handsolorecords.com

Hand’Solo Records has just released their first mixtape entitled Hokey Religions & Ancient Weapons (are no match for a good blaster), which features a mix of previously released classics, new verses over Hand’Solo instrumentals and new exclusives. The mixtape is available as a free download from handsolorecords.com/hokey-religions-mix, or can be purchased on CD for $10 by mail, which includes the postage.

Tracklisting:

01. Fritz Intro / Secret Fuckin’ Song – Buck 65 feat Stinkin’ Rich
02. Rhyming Into a 4 Track (dub) – Epic and Touch
03. Best in Show – Wordburglar
04. Be Natural – Tachichi
05. Falcon Millenium Ninja – Suika
06. Join Us Or Die – Bucket of Gold Teeth
07. Tour de Gallows – Jesee Dangerously and Modulok
08. Life 2 Wild – Royce Birth and Royal T
09. Just Let It Happen – Ira Lee, Wordburglar and Knowself
10. Live to DAT – Sixtoo
11. None Missing (Dirty Sample Remix) – Birdapres
12. Ah Hemsky – Epic
13. Bury the Bodies – Fritz the Cat, Mindbender and Vangel
14. Talk 2 the Hand (Solo) – More or Les
15. The Ripped Thong Song – Mackenzie, Lexington and Fortunato
16. Keep the Channel Locked – Big Ref, Myf and Noah 23
17. Heads Up – Tachichi feat. CasUno, Esh, Xczircles, Dis4bled and Megalynk 3
18. The Ark – Moka Only
19. The WBmix – Wordburglar
20. Many Many – Eternia

If you’re in Toronto be sure to check out the mixtape release party:

When: Wednesday, May 14, 2008
Where: The Rivoli (334 Queen St West @ Spadina)
Who: Wordburglar, More or Les, Red Ants, Noah 23, Royce Birth, Brockway Biggs and music supplied by Fresh Kils
Cost: $5

What do you think of DJ Premier? What have you been up to?

I love DJ Premier, he has made some of my favorite music. I remember a time when I would order his mix tapes, then study them to become a better DJ. When he or Kilocee did ones and twos I nearly would start crying. One thing I was looking at the other day is that however dope he is everyone he works with quits working with him and ends on bad terms. The Group Home guys, Jeru the Damaja, etc. They would rather be broke than deal with the greatest producer of all time. Maybe he is an asshole I think.

Do you care if that Premo/Nas album ever comes out?

Not really. I haven’t heard much from Premo or Nas for years. My brother played me some songs from two Nas albums ago, it was cool but every time I listen to him I can’t help but to think of him and Foxy and the whole firm fiasco. To me he only has a one hot album every 10 years average. I don’t care about New York rap generally.

Are you more of a west coast fiend? Or you’re just more concerned with Canadian rap?

I like rap from Saskatoon mostly, then rap from Canada. I also like rap from Rhode Island north to the Canadian border, the western outskirts of Jersey City to California. Cali rap is really cool. I was going out to New York at one point to stay with Louis Logic, he invited me out there but I never made it.

Why do so many Saskatoonians like west coast rap?

Because it reminds them of prairie rap. I think it goes both ways. People in the west coast of Cali love Saskatoon rap. That’s why Factor and I can go out there for tours. Actually from my experience, Americans embrace artists like myself, soso and Josh Martinez. They think this sort of rap is fresh and ridiculous. Most Americans I talk to think that Swollen is from California and Kardinal and Kaos are Americans also. Not that mainstream Canadian rap is bad or anything, the average American just doesn’t get excited about it like they do when listening to a mcenroe CD. This surprised me really. Being in Phoenix and the promoter picking me up in a mcenroe shirt and hearing stories of Martinez rocking parties for 500+ Americans is an inspiration to me.

Photo by Kelley Dunfield

Do Americans clown Canadian rap?

Not at all. Rappers such as Buck 65 and soso and Nolto are completely in opposition of what Americans have been told that they should like. It’s hard to break into the U.S. market business wise. But we have had small successes. I mean one thing I learned out there is that most rap people in the U.S. feel as far away from what’s going on as we do. Heck even my homies from San Bernardino valley (outside L.A.) feel like outsiders. You know there is rap scene in Hawaii that like Canada is completely original and fresh? Have any Hawaii mcs ever made it big?

I guess not, I couldn’t name one Hawaiian emcee.

Well indie hip hop can be about two things: 1. A farm league for the majors or 2. Being in it for the right reasons. If you are in it for 1, that’s cool, but we aren’t on the same page. Be honest about it.

How was your last tour in the U.S.?

It was really cool, we went to a few spots in California. Then ended with a show at the 2Mex anti-Christmas show. I got up on stage just after 10 pm and there were already more people than I’ve seen at an underground rap show. I was really nervous. Everyone looked mean haha. But as soon as I started rapping I just had fun with it. L.A. showed lots of love to everyone at the show. I think L.A. may be the best place to play.

I also got to meet K-the-I??? and Mestizo and lots of cool people at the show.

A lot of people talk about how violent L.A. is (and not just rap people). Did you get this impression when you were there?

I think I’m more on guard for something to go wrong when I am there. I know that friends there have seen way more violent shit that Canadians have. For the most part people are just there to have a good time. A large amount of people from the rough neighborhoods of L.A. have mortgages and kids and report cards and girlfriend issues to contend with. Hip hop is a common love with everyone, whether you are from the south France or south central L.A. We went to south central to Project Blowed last year and everyone there embraces guests. They seem to be proud that their little café rap night in the ghetto gets visitors from all over the world.

Do people down there ever clown you for your “rapccent”?

Nah, that would be ridiculous.

Is it though?

Those people don’t really go to very many rap shows, so I don’t run into them very often. It takes effort to go out on Friday night and go to a rap show. Those sort of people stay at home more often than not. In my experience, people from generation x and the following generation are bored. They want to have fun. If you are in San Diego and hear someone with my accent, then hey that’s great to them. How often do you hear that? Plus, when it is mixed with their underground hip hop ethics, then hey that’s a fun night.

Aging is What Friends Do Together drops April 14th

Your new album seems even more personal than your other albums (it has big pictures of you on it), what is it about? Where are you coming from with Aging is What Friends Do Together?

Basically this is the way I see it: I saw some dude on TV. the other night. He was a really famous Canadian artist/writer and his work for whatever reason appealed to the 16-25 crowd. They viewed him as being great for wanting to speak to the 16-25 crowd. They could really relate to him. It also seemed he had never worked a day in his life. I thought: you know there is a large percentage of the population that is not considered cool by society. The music industry leaves these people out of things. I mean Canadian rap industry seems to like just a handful of personalities. You know the scary black guy, the white guy who takes chances with his music and is smarter than everyone else, etc. None of them have jobs and regular life experience. I’m basically trying to relate to the older music and hip hop fan who has life experiences like trying to get time off of work to go stay at your moms house for a week. Getting in car accidents and having to find the money for your insurance increase. Having to deal with a micro manager for a boss. Adult relationships. Respect for aging and balance. You know, the issues that relate to 98% of us that the 2% of rappers and indie rockers don’t have to deal with. This album is about dealing with those issues from the perspective of someone who grew up listening to De La Soul and BDP. I’m at the point in my life where I feel that I am grown up.

You’re trying to relate to the common man/woman?

No. I’m trying to relate to the other 450 types of people that are not represented by the 18 types of people making a living off of music are trying to be.

I’m just about 36 years old. When I was 20 listening to rap I thought that rappers were the coolest people ever and that everyone else needed to learn about the way the world is and how to treat it. I guess that’s what I hate about young rappers today. The same mistakes I made at that age with my worldview. I mean yesterday I got up and was at Superstore by 9 am on Saturday morning. To me these days, that’s ill as fuck.

You mean, people had to learn the world through rappers?

I certainly gained a lot of my perspectives from the teachings of the golden age rappers. I mean growing up dirt poor in the middle of a nasty recession in the poorest province next to Newfoundland, I was mad as hell at the world. I needed an explanation as to why my family unit had nothing. I studied politics from a left wing perspective in university. Rap made being poor a source of pride for me I guess. I mean we could talk about that all day. I think rap really helped me get a sense with what is right. With all radical things you know 50% of the politics were probably bullshit. I still view the early rappers as regular people that through some freak of sociology really could speak their views to millions of people. Most mainstream rap is nowadays is really just taking up space.

Epic, Chaps, and Touch: Photo by Jon B

What’s the problem with mainstream rap?

Most mainstream rap is just the world from the viewpoint of 2 or 3 of the 18 types of people that the music industry created. I mean 1. the scary black guy who became rich. 2. the guy who can get girls to touch their toes on the dance floor. 3. the white guy who grew up with all black people. That last one is the most ridiculous marketing scheme created. Pretty much every white person I know in this day and age is friends with people from minorities– and trust me I know a lot of white people. I hang out with a lot of East Indian people at work. I mean that’s a simple explanation, but really mainstream rap insults the intelligence so much, but you can’t give simple answers to poke at it. Most people I know could never relate to those three characters. I mean I like Talib Kweli and Common and The Roots and other rap from “good people.”

Did you ever want to make money out of this rap shit?

Of course yes. But there is such a small percentage of rappers who make it. I’m almost 36 with responsibilities. Paid is hanging out with Chadio and Guha in Vancouver. Paid is going to the grocery store in Zürich and having rap fans buying you the best bread and cheese in the whole store.

Are you optimistic about the state of Canadian rap today?

Sure. I mean my new album is out on Hand’Solo records, which is a partnership between someone out east and out west. When underground rap becomes the cool thing again I’m sure there are a lot of us ready. I’m really optimistic that the demise of much music will eliminate a few of the types of people that Canadian rappers aspire to be.

Why is the album out on Hand’Solo? Is CHR (Clothes Horse Records) dead?

Well basically I don’t plan on dealing with friends on any sort of business matter ever again period. It’s hard to keep them separate. When one person is viewing things as a friendship and one as a business, it’s not really a healthy relationship. I think that really the sound that soso and I created is really a CHR sound. The new soso album is far away from the CHR sound we created. I think the CHR sound was really built to a large extent on soso’s drums which were just so original. So yeah, I hope CHR is dead just so people don’t get confused. I mean this Ness album was supposed to come out on CHR and I hope it does because its really just classic Ness and really really good. Hopefully the name of the label changes. soso is really great at bringing the best out of people musically and I hope he continues on with that. People don’t really understand what I do for the label as far as like a guerilla, promoter, etc. Consigning cd’s in stores in the middle of nowhere. Answering every single myspace mail I get, booking shows. Basically stuff that is maybe useless in the scheme of getting you famous or any sort of juice in the industry. I love doing that and will continue doing that for Hand’Solo records. I really like SJ the Wordburglar and I really like Tom. So, that’s my new label.

Photo by Jon B

Can we expect a soso diss track from Epic?

I don’t think so. I got a Christmas card from him, so that’s better than a diss track. Making a diss track for 35% of the reason that you are still making music at 35% is gay. That goes for the both of us.

You’ll keep working with soso though right?

I’m not sure. My new album is produced to a large extent by soso. I have some really good beats from Maki and Kils and Factor and Kutdown and others on there.

Shout outs?

Hell yeah. Nabahe and verbal, Heywood, Ira Lee, Factor, Max Prime, Kelley. Check out my new album Aging is What Friends do Together. My favorite song is [download#56#nohits] also I got a song about Ales Hemsky with Touch on the interlude. um. I’m going to Europe in March for 13 shows. noyz319 and Nicole. Yeah, thanks for the interview peace.

Introduce yourself and your crew affiliations.

SJ the Wordburglar, representin’ the Backburner Crew and the Props Department and the Dregs of Society.

Listening to Burglaritis it’s clear you’ve been a fan of rap for a long time. How did you get into rapping?

When I was a kid, I had all these rap tapes. Buck65 used to have a radio show and put me on to a lot of really dope stuff and I could never get enough. I used to send away to Beatstreet Records; save up all my money. I’m lucky, I’ve got a bunch of prime, early ‘90s 12”s. I rapped in junior high, we used to make all these tapes, our crew was called the Dregs of Society, we have a bunch of really bad rap songs. I love them.

Were you always a prankster? A trickster? A Wordburglar?

I always liked to have fun on the mic. I always liked the punch lines. Like, I went through my crazy ‘scientifical’ phase, but it just kind of happened after rapping and rapping.

Do you ever get clowned for the kind of raps you kick?

Every now and then you might encounter somebody, but for the most part it’s okay. I perform anywhere, I’ve played shows all over Toronto and across most of Canada; I’ve played with a wide variety of acts: from the most thugged out dudes to weird indie rock/punk. I think all that stuff has its place. I love rap and a lot of people aren’t ready for that. There are certainly more crowds that are more receptive to it. If I show up at a place and people are expecting Three 6 Mafia, there might be a little surprise, but the response has been pretty good.

How did you hook up with Hand’Solo Records?

Bassments of Badmen I was a big album for Halifax because it featured tons of Halifax hip hop; I think pretty much all of it was from Halifax except one group from New Brunswick. I got that when I was a kid and then after all this time I heard they were doing Bassments of Badmen II. At this point I had some tracks recorded. I submitted a 5 track EP to Hand’Solo, they put one of the songs on Bassments of Badmen II and it was well received. They told me they wanted to put out my next project. They’ll be putting out my next album.

What are your thoughts on Halifax rap? Why did you move to Toronto?

I love Halifax, it’s awsome. It’s always home to me. I’ve been kind of bouncing in and out of Toronto for the past couple of years, right now it feels like the right place for me. I don’t know how long I’ll be in Toronto, but Hand’Solo is based here, I’ve been doing lots of shows. There’s a lot happening in this city.

Is it a natural thing to throw your life into your music? How much of it is real?

It’s funny because sometimes people say that all I’m rapping about is how good I am, but those are the kind of rhymes I like writing. I think if you listen to the album, people understand where I’m coming from. I think any art you got to draw from your own experience, I try not to get too personal.

What’s the deal with “Cream of Wheat”? Is it just a nostalgic track?

Yeah, I guess it pretty much is. I joke around that most hip hop albums [have] certain songs you have to have: your flashback track, your sex track…that’s what I was trying to do with this stuff. “Cream of Wheat” just sort of flowed together, because you get on a certain wavelength.

The most serious track on Burglaritis seems to be “Breeze.” Do you have any songs that are serious? Do you feel like you have to ‘say something’ with your music?

I look at it for the most part as entertainment. I feel like if there’s something I really feel strongly about I’ll say it. I’ve had a lot of things happen to me, but in a lot of ways I just try to keep it separate. I think for me right now, people respond to a party vibe and I like that, I’m a party guy. I’m celebrating stuff I like.

How did you hook up with Pigeon John?

I opened up for him at a show in Toronto. We hit it off; I was a fan of his music before I met him. He was really cool and supportive, he happened to be hanging around in Toronto for a couple of days and he was like ‘we should totally get a track.’ So we just chilled, got some pizza and made a song.

The next album, what’s that about?

More stupid rhymes.

What do you think of Canadian rap?

I like it. I try to listen to all of it. It’s like anything there’s a lot of shit. There’s a lot of really dope stuff; that Nato and Touch album is dope – one of the better Canadian albums I’ve heard in a long time. Toolshed put out a dope album this year, Relapse. Ghettosocks’ album Get Some Friends is really good. Jesse Dangerously’s Verba Volant is pretty tight. I think there’s a lot of good hip hop, I mean the thing is that so many people in Canada don’t even know there’s Canadian rap or their only idea of it is like the 3 different guys on Muchmusic all the time. It’s tough for artists in Canada.

Do you think that Canadian rap is too hard on itself?

I think by the time any Canadian rappers make it in Canada, they get tired of doing it, like: ‘Fuck, I put out 5 albums–I’m done!’ You get guys like Classified who’s like put out 10 albums or something; each one better than the last. You get into the States, that market is huge. I think there are under 5 Canadian artists making a living of hip hop; I’ll be really surprised if there are more than 5. Maybe there’s more, maybe I’m being pessimistic, but I know realistically, it’s really hard. If you can make a full time living on hip hop, that’s awesome. It’s just so crazy with the Internet, everybody downloads your shit and it’s tough. You sell albums at shows, I could sell 5-50 cds at a show, whereas it will sit at HMV for months because nobody’s checking for me.

Tell me about the Halifax rap scene. How’d you get involved?

I used to go to hip hop shows when I was a kid. They used to do these all ages hip hop shows, it was mostly Jorun; he’d throw these big parties featuring anyone who was making hip hop. The guys I used to be really into were Hip Club Groove, The Sebutones, Jorun; guys like Classified were coming up.

Halifax seems like an unlikely place for art to be thriving, especially for a city of its size.

It’s pretty much the only major Canadian city that’s never had any kind of big sports team. I think people like to produce their own stuff, there’s lots going on. Something about it, I don’t know, maybe it’s the ocean air…(Laughs) It’s a very productive city for art. Other than having the best rappers in Canada, the best comic book creators in Canada are in Halifax. They got the best women too.

How long will you do this rap shit?

Hopefully a long time. I do a lot of writing and performing. I love doing it. Guys are rapping in their 40s right now, Chuck D is I think 50.

Shouts?

Everyone in Canada and Ugsmag!