I past the Pre-Elims

[sYgMa]

Well, it wasn't as before... most of the good groups already won or they decided to let go... Actually, for what I saw, in the hiphop section, the competition was alright. there were a lot of surprises in the english artists part, but as for the rest...

Dancing was alright (REALLY not as great as last year's - the best group was a bunch of girls with NIIIIIIIIIIICE butts, but close to no dancing talents)

The beatmaker part was really nothing to be proud of... Deca, PGyal, and all the other representing Mtl, you should have signed up... this thing was F***ING CRAP, compared to the beat this competiton!!!!

As for the RnB... well, let's just say that I tought that, to be an singer, the first thing that you should consider is to be able to sing. Guess I was wrong. Guess a good wardrobe, a nice body and a nice face is what's needed... funny huh?

All in all, only the hiphop part was nice, REAL nice. The beats used were tight, the artists knew how to handle the stage, crowd participation was good too... the rest was really close to garbage (compared to next year, I mean)

 

[Producer_GyaL]

The beatmaker part was really nothing to be proud of... Deca, PGyal, and all the other representing Mtl, you should have signed up... this thing was F***ING CRAP, compared to the beat this competiton!!!!

i rather The beat this competition, at least there some real talent here.

 

[sYgMa]

Well, if talented people (like you PGYAL), entered... there would be competition

 

[Qwerty]

KC LMNOP?? This dude is plain wack, plain wack, that's all and he's a rapist!! KC ain't nothing anymore in the rap figure of MTL, people really look at him like he's just a bum. I heard he has some kind of street credibility but he has NONE for raping..no for that he has some, i meant rapping loll. Plus, now he TRIES to rap in english...

 

[sYgMa]

I wonder if he's gonna do like R.Kelly and make tracks saying he's sorry and all...

Frankly, as long as I get what I want (hook ups) I really dont mind...

 

[Producer_GyaL]

what kind of hook ups you are looking for in Montreal??Hello???

 

[sYgMa]

Hook ups with people in the hiphop music industry... Producers, artists, labels, recording companys... Hiphop IS dead in Montreal, that's true... there is no real market for artists, that's also true.

Actually, in my opinion, I dont think hiphop has been approached the right way for the Quebec market in Quebec... most artists here do it the France way, and the only ones who stand out get forgotten after a while because they deviate from their 1st line of attack. Quebecers need a different kind of hiphop than France's, Toronto's or the rest of Canada...
Groups like Loco Locass (that I dont like) understood that, and they are making their money here. They do the type of hiphop Quebecers like.
now, dont get me wrong, I'm not saying that an artist should push aside his integrity to please the people, but that's something that has to be put in the equation regardless if you want to be respected...

Think about it for a second.... What hiphop group made it big here, in Quebec?

Muzion -> they appealed the haitian population and the youth
LMDS -> they had a very commercial sound and made songs with some of Quebec's top pop singers
Dubmatique -> No gangsta lyrics... just plain good vibes...

They all had something that appealed the average white Quebecois pure laine... and they all had there time in the spotlight... their sound was radio friendly, etc....

Now, Kulcha Konnection (even if they are reggae) and Corneille are on the same wave as those groups...

I dont want to emulate those people, but, in a sense, if you want to make it here, you dont have a choice... that's the market here

 

[Producer_GyaL]

are u doing this for your love of producing or for the money? Do you feel like your material is ready? Honestly, go to Toronto , you will have more chance. Dont loose your time with a rapist.

 

[sYgMa]

I may look like I'm in it for the money... but really, I REALLy think it's the only way hiphop will have a chance of being reconized here in Mtl... and I do like Montreal... Toronto is alright, they did what they had to do to create their market... I wanna be part of the building blocks of Montreal hiphop sound... This city is sleeping, hiphop wise. We are at the mercy of the US industry. As if they are the ones who should dictate where hiphop will be going, worldwide!





And, for the last time (I'm getting tired of repeating myself here)

.........I'm not waiting for the guy! He's just a part of the equation... and can easily be replaced or ignored... What I'm looking for is plain old hook ups and, since he was nice enough to give us his beats and vocalz for free, of course I'm gonna use them. I aint no fool. And if I dont get what I want from him, well f**k him... CLEAR NOW!?

 

[Producer_GyaL]

okay man, dont become arrogant along the way.... because your strategy is not really honest. Stay humble and a lot of opportunities will come to you. Just work your stuff and try to impress people...



PG

 

[sYgMa]

I dont think I'm the king of Montreal or anything like that... I'm just concious. If others would think like I do, we could FINALLY start something here...

And I'm being as honest as anyone. When you are a performer, your job is to perform and to entertain. You gotta do something you love, but you cant say that you'll do it as you please, without thinking about what how you are targeting. People gotta love what you do if you want sells... And then, after people reconize your talent, THEN and ONLY then it is safe to try and experiment with more personal stuff.
Outkast would be the best exemple of this... at first, their sound was lieke every other southern group, and now... well, you know the rest

 

[Fade]

Montreal's Hip-Hop scene has been lacking ever since the beginning. I remember seeing Shades of Culture open for Ice-T back in '92, and they never got past where they were, which was be at the forefront of MTL's underground scene. Like Sygma said, the french groups are doing well for themselves because they put out all their own stuff full force, but even then - the scene is lacking in every aspect.

The one thing I've noticed about MTL's scene (not just with Rap music, but other music as well), is that most artists are only out for themselves. If you look at NYC, there's so much talent there because there's resources everywhere. In MTL, what do we have here? Hey, we don't even have a good vinyl record store! Not 1! It seems like almost everyone is trying to help themselves, rather than work together to put MTL on the map. That's why Toronto is so successful on the Rap scene in Canada, because they tend to work along side each other.

 

[sYgMa]

It seems like almost everyone is trying to help themselves, rather than work together to put MTL on the map. That's why Toronto is so successful on the Rap scene in Canada, because they tend to work along side each other.

Fade... you took the words right out of my mouth...

That's exactly what I think... when you see the scene in T.O.. it seems like all the rappers, the DJ's, the promoters... are all one big family working together (well, that's what it looks like anyways). It's like everyone is pushing one the same direction, even if they dont have the same style or whatever... when you see a young kat coming out, you'll probably see KArdinal, Choclair, Saukrates or whoever in the background, in the video...

You look at NY, LA, anywhere in the States... well, not everybody is together, but you see clicks, artists making connections, collabs, and all...

Here in Montreal, well, like you said Fade, it's everybody for themselves. IF and only IF more people would think like that... We FINALLY could have something going on here!!!! And if I can be part of the wakeup call that would be a blessing!!!