CANADIAN MUSIC WEEK 2024 – EASY MO BEE + MORE
@ EL MOCAMBO, TORONTO
JUNE 3, 2024
Canadian Music Week officially kicked off Monday at the El Mocambo, hosted by 98.7’s CELEBRITY DRU. The night started with live DJ sets to warm the room.
Toronto’s Jon Kabongo opened the night. Kabongo was genuine in his energy and excitement on stage. He started his set with a Jay-Z cover and then performed some singles and songs off his 2023 album, City News at 6. He highlighted how growing up in the city has profoundly influenced his life and prefaced his performance of “Home School” by claiming he is simply reporting on realities.
The night’s second performers brought great vibrations to the stage with a catchy reggae performance. Tasha T and three Nyabinghi drummers looked to liven the crowd with consistent call-and-response techniques. T performed her single “SMH”, a targeted warning about the damaging effects of social media. The song’s message has been exhausted on the youth, but T infuses her charm and character to make it catchy and uniquely hers. She ended her set with the patriotic “Jamaica It Nice”, a natural bop.
Up next was one of the headliners, hip-hop legend Terminator X. The former Public Enemy DJ did not have too much to say and let his music do the talking. The crowd loved it. Old-school hip-hop fans flooded the floor, dancing and singing as the visual display behind the stage made for an epic performance by one of the true OGs in hip-hop. After officially retiring from music in 1998, it is great to see that X has not missed a step in his ability to entertain.
Easy Mo Bee then arrived on stage to kick off the night’s climax. The legendary producer brought an entire crate full of vinyl on stage. To my surprise, most of the records he pulled out were part of Bee’s own discography. As DRU suggested at the beginning of the set, “[Bee] has shaped the sound of hip-hop.” From the first crackle of the turntable, the crowd was on their feet. The set started with Bee’s better-known works such as “Machine Gun Funk”, “Warning”, and “The What” off of 1994’s Ready to Die by The Notorious B.I.G. As the night continued, Bee kept reaching into the crate, keeping the crowd’s energy alive. He played music from ‘90s heavy hitters such as 2Pac, Big Daddy Kane, Craig Mack, and of course Public Enemy. At the end of his performance, Bee looked to the crowd and shouted “Vinyl, vinyl” which was met with cheers and applause from the audience. There was an air of respect around Bee the entire night, and he proved why on stage.
Toronto rap legend Saukrates graced the stage next, charming the crowd with his elite stage presence. Fans enjoyed a special screening of the music video for his new single “DRIFTIN'” with Dr. Masuda. In a smaller room like that of the El Mocambo, it was easy for Saukrates to spot long-time fans in the audience and have a moment with them. He instructed his DJ, DJ Grouch, to surprise him with songs from his discography, creating a sense of spirited anticipation among the fans. After playing bangers back to back, Saukrates wanted to switch things up and performed a cover of an Omar Lye-Fook record.
Scarborough rapper Private Name Private Number performed songs from his 2024 EP, Claredon, along with several other singles. His energy was infectious, and the crowd adored his ASL interpreter, who further energized the audience.
To end the night, up-and-coming rappers Thelonious and KOTO? performed back to back. Thelonious was up first, playing some unreleased music in cache with his certified chunes. It is exciting to see a young Toronto rapper take time with his bars and deliver words that resonate introspectively. His performances of “Yuck Freestyle” and “SSII.” were full of passion, a passion indicative of a brighter future for the rap scene in the city. KOTO? closed the night out by performing multiple singles. His energy was outstanding, and things were going well until the middle of his show when the fire alarm started. Somehow it worked, I found myself questioning whether the alarm was separate from the beat. KOTO? continued vibing with the crowd and showcased music from his new EP TellNoLie!
Overall, a great night and an exciting start to this year’s Canadian Music Week.
(Photography by Arya Gunde)
EASY MO BEE PHOTOS
JON KABONGO PHOTOS
PRIVATE NAME PRIVATE NUMBER PHOTOS
SAUKRATES PHOTOS
TASHA T PHOTOS
TERMINATOR X PHOTOS
THELONIOUS AND KOTO PHOTOS
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