NSHH PARTNERS WITH CBC FOR THE HIP HOP SUMMIT NORTHSIDEHIPHOP.CA PARTNERS WITH CBC FOR THE HIP HOP SUMMIT by Jay Chang photos by Taejon Cupid “Perhaps we’ll break thru the glass ceilings Shatter the roof and emerge From these boxes that they have us in cooped And grow to smash the mold that they casted of you” Shad – Brother (Watching) On​ the grounds of what once housed the First Ontario Parliament Buildings, Canadian Hip Hop took yet another step towards breaking the glass ceilings and shattering the roof. An unassuming Tuesday evening at CBC’s Glenn Gould studio became the meeting ground of incredible Canadian Hip Hop talent, spanning from pioneering legends in the game to bright young stars on the come up. It was a night that many in attendance will never forget, the affair a true celebration of all that the scene has accomplished as well as a hint of what can become. The guest list was an unabashed who’s-who of the scene: Maestro, Michie Mee, Ghetto Concept, Skratch Bastid, Kardinal, Choclair, Saukrates, K-os, Classified, DJ X, Red1, K’naan, Dream Warriors, Reema Major, Shad, Cadence Weapon, Gee Wunder, Starting From Scratch, and countless other significant contributors to Hip Hop in Canada. It wasn’t just music – T-Dot Pioneers 2011: The Glenn Gould Remix appropriately paid homage to the history of the movement with an impressive original photography exhibit of the last 25 years of places and faces in the scene put together by Bobby O’neill. Contrary to one of the most critical elements of Hip Hop culture, there was no battle here. Egos were parked, the classic Toronto mean-mug was on vacation, and love and communal respect flowed. Buck 65 from CBC’s Radio 2 hosted the concert portion of the night, clearly enjoying the opportunity to share his passion and knowledge of Canadian Hip Hop. Incredible collaborations stacked one on top of the other before the eyes: Ghetto Concept performed with their full original cast (including Infinite) for the first time in 16 years; GC then introduced their well-known teenaged female newcomer Reema Major, who subsequently called Michie Mee to the stage. Chiz-Knock walked out with Sauks and together they performed “Rubbin’” in full. Kardi had his usual unbeatable stage swag and breezed through “BaKardi Slang” and “The Anthem,” the latter while running through the crowd sporting a custom Toronto FC jersey with his name emblazoned on the back. K’naan nicely slowed the tempo with “Wait a Minute” before introducing the legendary Dream Warriors for a hot performance of “My Definition.” K-os and Saukrates teamed up for “I Wish I Knew Natalie Portman” before bringing out Maestro, who, rocking a full tuxedo and conductor baton, belted out “Let Your Backbone Slide” with the crowd roaring the lyrics right back at the stage. The critical point was then reached when Shad spit the full second verse of the track, never missing a single note. The grand finale of such an unbelievable set of performances did not disappoint. The entire cast (and a few additional Canadian rhyme-spitters who appropriately snuck on stage) gathered front and centre and laid down their best freestyle verses in classic pass-the-mic fashion. After 15 minutes of raw talent showcased and the evening seemingly over, the DJ crew cut to the instrumental of Northern Touch and absolute madness ensued. With most of the members of the original track on stage, a fireball of Hip Hop love formed and the entire stage bounced in unison. The mold was smashed, the roof was shattered. An unforgettable ending to what will always be looked at as one of the greatest single nights in Canadian Hip Hop history. .