Canadian R&b Acts Ready For Liftoff

TORONTO-Despite being forever maligned as a fledgling movement without superstars, Canada's R&B/hip-hop community no longer wants to ride tourist class.
Industry figures here suggest that Canadian R&B/hip-hop is on the verge of a real breakthrough, bolstered by mainstream acceptance in Canada of U.S.-based acts like Puff Daddy, Lauryn Hill, Jay-Z, Mary J. Blige, Wu-Tang Clan, and Master P.
"There's a new-school approach in Canada, which has been influenced by the attitude and approach of American indie hip-hop labels," says Daniel Caudeiron, head of the Toronto-based Cheer DJ Pool. "A decade ago, Canadian R&B and hip-hop artists would grasp at the straw of a domestic label deal. Today, they want worldwide deals. In the meantime, they are fronting their music, promoting it through indie pools and industry conferences here and to their U.S. contacts."
"New blood is now making things happen," says Asim "Awesome" Awan, A&R consultant for Popular Records. "We have a new vision and a new direction we want to take our music."
Leading the current pack with highly anticipated releases are three veteran Canadian hip-hop acts-the Rascalz, Choclair, and Michie Mee. "Global Warning" by the Rascalz will be released Oct. 26 by BMG-affiliated ViK Recordings; "Ice Cold" by Choclair is out Nov. 2 on Virgin Canada; and Mee's "The First Is The Deepest" is due in early December from the New York-based online label Atomic Pop, which has marketed releases by Americans Public Enemy, Ice-T, and L7. In addition, there's an impressive debut album, "Better Be Good," from R&B singer Jazmin, to be released Oct. 19 by Attic Records.
Albums are also due in early 2000 from Canadians Jelly Stone (Warner Bros. U.S.), Dubmatique (Tox Records), Jacksoul (ViK Recordings), Joee (Universal Music), Emjay (Tycoon Records), and Infinite (Lock Down Entertainment). Recent months have also seen albums by Boomtang Boys (Virgin), Temperance (Attic), Maestro (Attic), Saukrates (I.L.L. Vibe), and Patria (Black Market Records).
"Most of these artists have been around for some time but, until recently, weren't able to get their recordings played on commercial radio stations in Canada," says Awan. "With black records now charting high on rhythmic and top 40 radio in the United States, Canadian radio is finally beginning to program Canadian R&B/hip-hop recordings as well."
Canadian music TV network MuchMusic has long been the most powerful national backer of domestic R&B hip-hop, but Canadian independent labels are now increasingly servicing U.S. video outlets as well. "MuchMusic has been great, but there's not an equal playing field there," explains Awan, noting that U.S.-based BET recently added 2 Rude's "Innovations" video to its playlist. "At MuchMusic, the major labels have the edge. They have the VIP seats; indies have general admission."
Produced primarily by group members, the Rascalz's "Global Warming" features a string of guest shots ranging from KRS-One to reggae artist Barrington Levy. While a U.S. release is in the works, the album will be released in February outside North America, says the group's co-manager Sol Guy. "There are some good hardcore hip-hop tracks and some good crossover radio tracks on the album," says Guy.
As the Ragamuffin Rascalz, the Vancouver-based crew issued its debut, "Really Livin' " (Calabash), in 1991. Its 1995 album "Cash Crop," released by its own Figure IV Records and distributed by BMG Music Canada, reached gold status (50,000 units here). The Rascalz caused national headlines here in 1998 by refusing the Juno for best rap recording for that album because the rap, reggae, and dance awards were not included in the televised portion of the show.
Choclair's album is slated to be released by Priority Records on Feb. 1 in the U.S. The album was produced by Canadians Kardinal Offishall, Saukrates, K-Cut, and Solitair and features appearances by them as well as by Black, Memphis Bleek, and Keith "Guru" Elam of Gang Starr. Choclair debuted in 1995 on Kneedeep with the single "Twenty-One Years," which was later featured on Beat Factory's "Rap Essentials" and "New York Reality Check 101" compilations. In 1997, he scored a Juno Award for best rap recording for the single "What It Takes."
Geoff Kulawick, director of A&R at Virgin Canada, signed the Toronto-based rapper after seeing him perform at a club there in 1998. "I saw how commanding and charismatic he was," Kulawick recalls. That signing was well-timed; shortly before, Virgin-like most Canadian-based labels-had increased its commitment to promoting and marketing R&B-style music. It developed a national team devoted to the genre, headed by Russ Hergert. "Two years ago, it would have been hard to work Choclair through our company," Kulawick concedes.
However, Canadian-based multinationals have been slow to follow the lead of Virgin and BMG. The bulk of Canadian R&B and hip-hop releases are still on indie labels. "We need a new breed of A&R at the major labels," argues Caudeiron. "All the majors do now is pluck whatever pops up from the underground."
Canada's R&B community should get another shot in the arm when national broadcaster CBC-TV introduces the drama series "Drop The Beat" in January. The program centers on the activities of a hip-hop-style radio station, with rappers Mee and Shaman as cast members. There are cameo appearances by top Canadian rappers Maestro, Kardinal Offishall, Choclair, Saukrates, and Infinite.
"Canadian television is like a wall of white, and this show is like a wall of black," says "Drop The Beat" co-executive producer Adrienne Mitchell. "Nobody has ever seen a show like this in Canada."
Ironically, as Canadian R&B and hip-hop verge on mainstream acceptance, two of the top independent labels in the field are developing mainstream pop acts. Beat Factory Productions is currently developing five-member female pop act Bliss. Its first single, "Butterflies," will be on BMG's "Groove Essentials" compilation, to be released in March. "If I want to continue to develop hip-hop, I got to get the pop," explains Beat Factory president Ivan Berry.
Dance music specialist NuMuzik Productions in Montreal is grooming two pop acts-a duo yet to be named and singer Mah'e Paiement-with releases set for next year. "We're still doing dance, but we're moving more toward pop music," says NuMuzik director of A&R/international affairs Pamela Nalewajek. "With dance radio stations switching over to either rhythmic or mainstream, there's no place for dance music to be heard anymore."