The Extremities recently had 2 successful shows in Ontario, with one at the Beatlounge. They would like to thank Elijah, along with the Beatlounge crew and the Silver Dollar. Also, a special thanks to all of the DJs, producers, thefans for coming out, and Peter Meades for his support with the recent show in Bayfield.
During Fester’s stay in Toronto this past week, The Extremities worked on the writing aspect for their forthcoming album, and they [Fester and Kils] feel that it’s their best work to date.
Modulok’s album “Cities And Years” has charted at #10 for the month of May in the Top 20 Hip Hop in Canada, with all of the DJ work on the tracks done by Fester.
Backburner massive is turning up everywhere these days… sometimes you see and don’t hear us. Sometimes you hear and don’t see us. It’s all pleasant, though, right? I got some treats for you.
Here are three new music videos, listed in decreasing order of Backburner involvement.
1. Rhythmicru – We Have Come For Your Children
Rhythmicru members D-Ray, Cale Sampson and DJ Sawtay come lovely with a grip of central Canadian MCs on the help-out. In addition to Backburner members Ghettosocks, Wordburglar and More or Les flexing rhymes on the cut, in the background of the video you can detect cameos from Fresh Kils, Timbuktu, and Timbuktu’s troubling moustache.
The other MCs featured are Odario from Mood Ruff/Grand Analog, Bath-O and Uncle Dropsi. Obviously this is an epic posse cut and it looks vibrant and rugged even on YouTube thanks to the video by Ghostmilk Studios.
Edit: I just realized this is Canada’s/2009′s answer to the Monstarrs rap off Space Jam. Don’t pretend it isn’t.
2. Modulok – Ink Spots
Modulok is not a type of industrial fencing… he is a He-Man figure. I think he was part of Hordak’s horde? His arms and legs and body parts all came off and went back on and stuff. It’s crazy.
He’s also lead vocals in a rap crew called Red Ants who put out one of my favourite records of 2008, Omega Point. Now he’s rather selfishly blowing up 2009 with another record that features him front and centre on raps and a different dedicated beat maker, Leon Murphy. The record is called Cities And Years and it’s a huge departure for the imposing Modulok, who usually sounds gruff as hell and twice as mean on the mic but spends this record in a more reflective mood (not that his more aggressive material isn’t thoughtful) kind of lamping and dropping smooth lyrics with more personal perspectives (not that hip-hop adaptations of classic cold war sci-fi can’t be personal) than one may be used to.
Anyway, aside from how close Modulok is to the Burner crew as fam, our direct involvement with this album is that Uncle Fester provided cuts and scratches for the whole thing and it sounds lovely, doesn’t it?
Yes.
3. Josh Martinez – Going Back To Hali
This one has zero audio involvement from Backburner, but due to the very special cast of thousands of notable Halifax hip-hop personages, we’re represented in the scenery. Starting as early as 24 seconds in, you see Fester, Ghettosocks, Dexter Doolittle, then Wordburglar sitting with Jorun at about 1:37. Lots of other legendary homies represent but if you want to know who they are… read THEIR blogs. Ha.
This video is really touching to me, having moved away from Halifax almost two years ago now. It captures many of the sights and familiar areas and scenes I grew up around in a way that really transports me back, and I think that’s what Martinez was looking for as a fellow expatriate who’s been away much longer than I have.
Halifax is where it all started. Well… not hip-hop (that was invented in Toronto, right?), but Backburner when it was just nascent and all of us were way wacker than we are today (which is: zero wackness amount, which is why everyone likes to have our pretty faces all over their videos).
Next time you come around, you might be ready to hear a little something about the two music videos that Ghettosocks has in post-production at the moment… or the ridiculous slew of records about to trample you in your sleep… or maybe just a picture of Jesse Dangerously with the head of a Jackalope. Anything can happen.
Until then, keep listening to Jive-era Hiero and rocking your hat crooked but good crooked.
