Hip-hop in Alberta; who knew, right? That seems to be the chat surrounding the genre in a country-fueled-and-funded provincial economy. But some of the biggest and best Canadian hip-hop artists are here in ‘Berta.
Tobi, who is doing big things, is from Edmonton! Mouraine, who has a song with Westside Boogie, is from Edmonton! Cadence Weapon is also from Edmonton.
Okay, you’ve noticed too: all from Edmonton and moved away. But what about Calgary? A lot is going on here too!
Sinzere is out here doing big things, currently doing a residency at NMC; Cartel Madras opened for M.I.A. in India last year, and one member (Contra) made the Top 40 Under 40 list in The Scene’s sister publication Avenue magazine. Drezus is making big waves and was just on a billboard in Tkaronto/Toronto. Jackie Art was just on the cover of the Calgary Herald, and Versvs is internationally known and one of the fastest spitters the industry has seen. And they all still live here. We even have world-renowned break dancers and beatboxers in the city including as Eazy g, Rubix, and catfishthewizard.
Many people think I’m new to this city, but the truth is, I was a spectator of the live music scene before I even thought about making music myself. I was “tapped in” without knowing there was a term for it. I’ve seen the growing changes from both the audience and performer perspective. I have been watching the underground hip-hop scene grow in Alberta for over 20 years, and only five of those years have I looked at it from an artist’s perspective. Watching artists grow, like K-Riz, Arlo Maverick, Peep Game, Dragon Fli Empire, Habe… I could go on and on. To me, there was so much talent right here, and at a time when the world was screaming, “Hip-hop is dead,” I always would say, “It’s not dead; it just lives in the north!”
The hip-hop scene in Calgary is thriving, but it’s only in the last couple of years that people have started to notice the bubbling, vibrant hip-hop community here. Recurring events — like That Party Last Night, The Haven Party, One Big Jam, Alcove Centre for the Arts, and Ship Hop — showcase this, with many more popping up around town.
Anyone who wants to learn how to rap or just practice can attend Monday Rap Night! Led by Indigenous-led hip-hop and arts organization Tribe Artist Society, this event features a cypher (a sharing of songs or thoughts made up on the spot) inside Arts Commons, with different special guests each week, such as Nasty G and Ship Hop, offering special workshops. There are also platforms like Capitol Rap Battles that often put on freestyle battles, not to mention the open mics all over the city.
Music in every genre most definitely saw a big bump when the way the world consumed music changed. We, as artists, don’t need to sell our souls to a big label to build a fan base anymore; we can thrive as independent artists with hard work, dedication, and talent. Hip-hop artists find innovative ways to reach their audience nowadays, whether through clever Tik-Toks showing their personality (The Blue) or reels on Instagram showcasing unique talents like rapping fast in different languages (Versvs).
People “back in the day” would just do whatever the label says … or hustle merch out of the back of the car and travel across the country with a physical CD to drop off at a college radio station.
Now, we have shows like The Block (hip-hop, R&B) and The Key of A (multi-genre) on CBC that create accessible opportunities for artists to simply send an email or submit through a website to get music played. !earshot-Distro is a digital system that is distributed to most college radio stations across the country.
The creative freedom we as artists have right now is something very unique to our time.
In my very unpopular opinion, “pop” music can be any genre; it’s just whatever is popular at the time. Pop = popular, and radios reflect that. It’s all pop, but it may be rooted in another genre. So why can’t live shows reflect that style as well? Maybe that’s one of the many reasons Sled Island is so successful. The underground talent they find is unmatched, and they get to mix with bigger names in the industry across various genres. Some of the biggest hip-hop opportunities have come out of Sled, and it’s not even known for hip-hop!
I always say that this city is nine months pregnant. We are set in every aspect of hip-hop and, at nine months pregnant, about to burst into the world with an extreme foundation of talent. It’s only a matter of time before the world will think of Mokhinstsis/Calgary alongside Tkaronto/Toronto when they hear Turtle Island/Canada. There are many opportunities and ways to explore hip-hop if you are curious about starting or would just like to sit and enjoy!
Even more locals Tea Fannie wants you to check out
This amazing collective-of-a-band is one of those gems with a wide array of instrumentalists and vocalists, bringing such a dynamic live show to your table. Don’t let the fact that they only have one single out right now fool you, which is aptly called “Introduction” (get it). This band is definitely one to watch out for.
Bkay has been a killer MC for every Ship Hop freestyle game until she got her own chance to shine as a feature opening for Arlo Maverick, and that show went down as one of the best Ship Hop shows in its history! Okaaaay Bkay. Don’t sleep on her.
This powerhouse grew up trained in classical music and now does R&B, but her lyrics and performance hit like a hip-hop artist. Malaika is one not to miss.
Smooth, vulnerable, R&B vibes. Heidi has one of those rare talents where every hook she writes is addictive.
He just dropped an album called The Immaculate Hustle, and it’s one I’ve had on repeat for a while now. Immaculate album.
Although she hasn’t dropped music recently, she is heavy in the community and a fierce MC and DJ!
I recently got a chance to see this band live. Although they have no music out yet, they will soon, and you will be bragging that you knew these guys from the ground before they blew up! They are also a good place to find new music because they feature several bands-within-the-band, with members having at least three other bands/solos beyond this eight-piece ensemble! You can’t go wrong; they clearly love music.
This studio has been getting amazing talents together and creating an album that is going to hit hard. They have released three singles so far with K-Riz, The Blue, myself, Bkay, Zizi, Jey Oh with so many more greats to come! Including a single coming out with Bkay, K The Chosen, & Tarik Robinson very soon.
Tribe 1491
He is the leader of the Tribe Artist Society. He stays very busy in the community, and his live shows are not to be missed!
Notable mentions: RTC Profit, Kinde, Foolish, Komoni, Zizi, Pinky.
