Photos: Yuli Scheidt

Marben Restaurant is back for the third installment of their meat-driven Iron-Chef like battle, Sausage League.  In a sausage to sausage battle, locals chefs/butchers from restaurants across the city each Wednesday take turns in a round robin style showdown to defend their honour and gain the title of best sausage in the city of Toronto.

Marben Executive Chef Rob Bragagnolo  Photo: Yuli Scheidt

Executive Chef Rob Bragagnolo of Marben told me that it was a great way for many chefs in the city to come together and have some playful competition with one another.  “We rarely get to see one another outside of working hours, so this is a great place to come together and just let loose an have fun.”  But beyond Sausage League, the incentive for the chefs and restaurants to win is great: first place will receive airfare for two to Chicago and hotel accommodations for 2 nights. In addition, the winner’s name will be engraved onto the Froman Cup, and will be displayed in our brand new Sausage League shrine.  There are also handy runner up prizes from Nella Cucina and Muskoka Brewery.

Patrons can look forward to dishes (in the coming weeks) from Barque Bistro, The Saint Tavern, Bestellen, Farmhouse Tavern, Origin, Museum Tavern, The Harbord Room and Parts and Labour.  Chef Rob Bragagnolo has said they have approached many who don’t have the time commitment to put into but those who do put a lot of heart, soul and creativity into their dishes.  “Each restaurant has to prepare just over 100 sausages and bring their crew on-site for prep.  They are doing this all just for fun and love of food.”

On our visit night, we were treated to two sausage dishes ($25) prepared by The Yukon and Trevor Kitchen & Bar with two tasting glasses of Muskoka Brewery beers.  We were brought out two equally delicious but different dishes.

BLUE SAUSAGE: California style Cheese Sausage Patty with Potato and Ratatouille

YELLOW SAUSAGE: Grilled Fennel & Chorizo Sausage with Pink Mustard Jelly and Mini Peppercorn Pig Crackers

Each of them brought distinct flavouring and style, which was unique to the individual restaurant.  At the end of the meal, we tallied our votes (with the ladies beside us at the table) and unanimously all voted for the BLUE SAUSAGE.   We still didn’t know who this was when we had left and would have to stay tuned to Twitter to find out the next day.  Sure enough, it was announced that our Sausage was not the winner.  The YELLOW SAUSAGE had won and Chef Amber from The Yukon was moving on to the next round of Sausage League.   Congrats to Chef Amber Farrell and her entire team!

If you would like to find out more about tonight’s Sausage League or Marben Restaurant, please visit their website or Facebook.

PSY – Photo by Freddie Mojallal

The Much Music Video Awards happen once a year and this year was a good one. The 2013 awards show took place Sunday March 16 in downtown Toronto and included big acts such as co-host and performer, PSY who opened the show with his huge hit Gangnam Style, which is currently at around 1.6-billion Youtube views. Other big musical names included Ed Sheeran, Taylor Swift, Avril Lavigne, and more. Lit up stages and light shows with an impressive outdoor stage was only some of the highlights of the show. Canadian pop-rockers Mariann’s Trench showing up in mermaid outfits as well as rocker couple, Chad Kroeger and fiance Avril Lavigne strolling the red carpet grabbing everyone’s attention but didn’t comment on much of their soon to be wedding.

Avril Lavigne – Photo by Freddie Mojallal

Napanee, Ontario’s Avril Lavigne performed her new single Here’s to Never Growing Up which has reached No. 17 on the Canadian pop charts and won an MMVA for best international video by a Canadian. Her and Kroeger have been doing a lot of co-writing together. Local favourite Serena Ryder won Rock/Alternative Video Of The Year for her track, “Stompa” which has been everywhere including recently being featured in a Cadillac commerical. PSY showed off his dance moves to Beyonce’s “Single Ladies’ and closed the show with a performance of ‘Gentleman.’ Recent American Idol winner Phillip Phillips also made a red carpet appearance and I was glad to see it. He’s got a great voice and I look forward to seeing him progress in his career. All in all, the MMVA’s were exciting as usual but was missing our Canadian gem, Justin Beiber. PSY definitely kept up the energy and didn’t disappoint with his wacky antics. I look forward to next year’s show and hope to see more exciting surprises.

Ed Sheeran – Photo by Freddie Mojallal

Marianna’s Trench – Photo by Freddie Mojallal

Billy Talent – Photo by Freddie Mojallal

Here is a list of the MMVA 2013 winners:

Video Of The Year: Classified & David Myles, “Inner Ninja”
Post-Production Of the Year: Billy Talent, “Surprise Surprise”
Dance Video Of the Year: deadmau5 f. Chris James, “The Veldt”
Director Of The Year: Director X – Drake, “Started From the Bottom”
Pop Video Of the Year: Marianas Trench, “Desperate Measures”
Rock/Alternative Video Of The Year: Serena Ryder, “Stompa”
Hip-Hop Video Of The Year: Drake, “Started From the Bottom”
Muchfact Video Of The Year: Classified f. David Myles, “Inner Ninja”
International Video Of The Year (artist): Demi Lovato, “Heart Attack”
International Video Of The Year (group): Macklemore and Ryan Lewis f. Wanz, “Thrift Shop”
International Video Of The Year By A Canadian: Avril Lavigne, “Here’s To Never Growing Up”
Your Fave Artist/Group: Justin Bieber
Your Fave Video: Marianas Trench, “Stutter”
Your Fave International Artist/Group: Taylor Swift

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For Scene and Heard Inquiries please email: freddie@torontoisawesome.com | @TIA_SceneHeard

Photo by W…..

Photo: Hinds belts one of his signature showstoppers at the Flying Beaver Pubaret

Ryan G. Hinds: singer, actor, dancer, writer, producer, cabaret star, theatre aficionado, nightlife personality, Barbara Streisand devotee… and that’s on a quiet night. Pride Toronto kicks into gear on Friday, June 21st, which just so happens to be the date of Hinds’ cabaret extravaganza Comedy, Cabaret, and Coffee Talk: The Pride Edition at the Flying Beaver Pubaret. Guests include The Cliks frontman Lucas Silveira, Meet Grindr author Jamie Woo, and burlesque hottie Axel Blows.

I sit down and chat with Hinds about his notoriously busy Pride schedule, which includes the cabaret, a reading, a mainstage Pride Festival performance and a Fringe show in a first ever Queerist video interview!

Photo: A Nerd’s World

First things first: he called exactly at 1 o’clock. Bishop is definitely about his fucking business, please believe it. Rarely have I had the courtesy and pleasure of such experienced professional behaviour. And this was before one words was spoken. He then said “Is this Mindbender? Yo, Addi?” and I replied “What up, Bishop!” as we showed each other respect, and got ready to have a good-ass conversation between two real Toronto hip hop legends.

In case you were wondering, I go back with Bishop. We were in the same music college together: Trebas Music Institute of the Arts in 1996, around when Cubase and ProTools just were becoming popular. We learned about the music business under mans like Gadjet (do your homework if you don’t know your Canadian music hidden history!) And we have just been seeing each other building Canadian hip hop from various angles for years and years, since the mid 90′s. As they say: real recognize real, and Bishop Brigante is familiar to Mindbender Supreme.

Photo: EB Photography

As I got my questions ready to do this Toronto Is Awesome interview, we instantly fell into some honorable conversation, talking about the benefits of privacy alongside the growth of one’s business, and the value and importance of keeping home and music separate but equal. He then shared with me his notable joy at how surprisngly dope his first-born son is at rapping, and how evolved and inspired Bishop has recently become by seeing his son develop quickly at such a young age. Talking about children became the tipping point for an hour-long conversation discussing everything in Canada and beyond…

Bishop: “Yo, I got a family to protect, so I gotta be able to step out of my home when people come intotown. I don’t want just anybody there, because even though my son is rapping too, I like to keep it separate and not have people coming around my home. This is where my kid’s at…”

I didn’t know he was that old!

Bishop: “Yeah, he’s seven. It’s bugged out. Just the other day, he bodied Drake’s ‘Underground Kingz’, bro. It’s nuts. He raps!”

How does that feel?

Bishop: “It’s unbelievable, man. he’s got a lot of characteristics I have anyways, so to see him transform it? Wow. I help him out… but to see his thought process come to fruition, and watch him record it? Yo, I’m heavy duty on the recording process of having my adlibs, backups, and all the different tracks that I laid out on a verse, if I do them. But when I do, even when you ask Skam, he’ll tell you: “Nobody has been able to hit back ups and adlibs like you hit them…” He said that to me a month ago. And yo, MY KID IS THE SAME, with no training. All I tell him is “Yo, just highlight the parts that you think are worth repeating, and just hit them.” And he hits them. Yo, it trips me out cause I don’t have to tell him much. You’d think I’d have to tell him much, but I don’t. It’s crazy.”

You just passed on that natural rhyming gene in you.

Bishop: “Yo, he’s going to be waaaay better than me. Waaay better. Cause he’s picking it up now. I know I come off like a proud dad, and I am, but it’s not that just that. The kid is everything. If you seen him and didn’t know he was my kid, you’d say “That’s gotta be Bishop’s kid.” He’s all the way Bishop. All the way.”

This is an amazing conversation. Hey, so when you see all these other MCs out with their kids rhyming, do you be like “Ha ha, my kid can smoke all those other MC’s kids, like Diggy Simmons and Eazy E’s son?”

Bishop: “You know, quietly, in my head, I kind of smirk at the idea of you know, of the competitive side with it, but i’m not really there with it, because he doesn’t really rock like that… He’s such a nice kid. I get what you mean, but I haven’t really heard a lot of those other kids that age rapping. But to keep it all the way 100, my kid is talking about *Bishop goes into young kid’s rhyme flow*: “Got matching bunkbeds, I’m sleeping tonight/ my mom says ‘it’s alright, it’s a party tonight’!” He’ll rhyme about his family kicking it with him and stuff… So yeah, I know that Lito is recording and it’s definitely something that he loves doing. I wouldn’t be surprised if that’s exactly the lane he wants to go.”

Word up, like actually full time job, this is his life, type shit?

Bishop: “Yeah.”

I’m thinkin back when we were in our teens, that wasn’t a realistic option. You’re gambling with your future if you want to do it. You might have to move to the states like Maestro did. But now it’s like you and I live in a time where it’s a billion dollar industry…

Bishop: “…and it’s attainable.”

Yeah.

Bishop: “For me, back in those days, when we went to Trebas, and all the talented people around us… back then for me, I was on some ‘do or die’ shit, but I’m doing it because… I don’t even remember who told me to sign up for Trebas! I don’t even think I finished it, ha ha! My favorite part I gained from Trebas was obviously the camaraderie amongst all of us in P4, and obviously the artist management. Because I was able then to control my own shit the whole way through. You know, I had some help, but I was still the person that, uh, “conducted things”… speaking of Maestro, ha ha.”

And yeah, you got an aggressive personality, you get shit done. So when I was doing some research, it was talking about how you strong armed your way into the situation where you wound up on “Freestyle Fridays” on BET.

Bishop: “That wasn’t even just me alone. I never even told this story to anybody. I went through something prior to that happening… I went to new york. In my mind, my intention was “I need to get to New York and get on ‘106 & Park’ and battle on Freestyle Fridays”. And the opportunity arose through this writer, Adam Matthews. So Adam was interested in my story, and the movements I was doing, and being this battle rap champion from Scarborough and whatever. So he was supposed to be writing a book on three rappers from different regions of the world; East Coast, West Coast and Canada, and I was the Canadian guy. So he invited me to New York. That means I turn that into a chance to get on ‘106 & Park’, come hell or high water. But he told me the whole way through that “there was no chance that I was going to get on that show!” So, during the whole process, I went to New York and met a whole bunch of MCs… Immortal Technique, Poison Pen, C-Rayz Walz, Swave Sevah… we all were rapping. I battled Agallah for like an hour straight, it was unreal. I don’t think he even knows that shit cause we were both faded, and he didn’t know who I was, but we were both outside ‘Sneaker Pimping’, battling for like an hour. Son, it was unreal. So then I was staying at Adam Matthews crib in Brooklyn, and he had his wife… And from the way I deal with some people, and my politeness with how I treat them when they are giving me a space… Well, he got some real insecure screws loose in his head, he thought there was a vibe going on between me and his wife… and the man cold kicked me out of his home! He’s like “You can’t stay here, I’m going to Philadelphia. I’m writing a story on The Roots.” And I was like “Bro, I don’t know anybody else out here except the rappers I just met, and Busta Rhymes, and I’m not going to Busta Rhymes house, bro!” He’s like “You gotta go. There’s nothing I can do about it.” So, i’m like “Wowww.” So, I called Swave Sevah, who I met the night before, and I was like “Yo, I’m gonna stay in touch, and I know you just met me, but could you help me figure some things out?” My aunt lives in the Bronx, but she wasn’t in town. Swave came to pick me up, took me into his home, let me stay there. Cause he said, “If your goal is to get on 106 & Park… yo, you have to do that shit!” And he helped me through the whole step of the way. We pulled every string we could and got on that show. And when we did, it was like a miracle. Cause it wasn’t even filmed on a Friday. We went down on a Tuesday just to set up our plan to get me on for Friday. We were trying to be ahead of the game, ahead of the steps, and we end up luckily landing on that day, and because of certain little tricks that I did prior… it worked. And I got on the show that day. That’s why I wearing track pants and… if you look at the first 106 & Park I was on, I look like a bum! I was wearing grey track pants, triple XL grey tee, I was just in Harlem, walking around. My hair wasn’t even cut! I looked silly, but I had to battle that day. And that’s because of Swave. We both hustled our way and got to it. And that’s based off a dude that just met me and vibed with me because he felt the realness off me, cause tha’s just the stand up dude i am. hella loyal hella cool through and through. and those are characteristics that i have felt have kept me respected and relevant in our community, along with the music.”

Word up. And as I was doing some research, I saw that we shared a similar favorite moment in movies, seeing Ice Cube in ‘Boyz N Da Hood’. We were the same age, seeing Doughboy in the theater, after listening to Ice Cube rap, and being like “Yeah, we could rap… but we could also get up on the movie screen, and express ourselves on a whole other level…”

Bishop: “Exactly. If you’re the kind of person that just ‘gets it’, and you get people and social situations… there’s people who get it, and people who it takes time for them to figure it out. Guys like us, we get it. We don’t even have to finish each other’s sentences, sometimes because we just get it.”

Straight the fuck up.

Bishop: “So, you take that characteristic and realize it doesn’t have to be so contrived. My problem is, I’m trying to really get challenged. I got challenged when I did ‘A Clockwork Orange’ (the on-stage play), but now acting-wise, I’m trying to get challenged. Because the roles that I’m doing, ‘The Listener’, ‘Cracked’, the roles that I’m doing, like that’s a part of me. I can do what that is. Like, I’ve been in interrogation rooms. I’ve thrown attitude at cops. I come from that cloth. And it’s awesome, but now I want to really challenge myself, and do some shit that I’ve not done. Like, some real comedy, real romance… maybe even play a cop!”

That’s what it is! That’s the next level. That’s why for Denzel Washington, even though he’s got WAY better movies, he got nominated for his Oscar for Training Day. Like, “go left”. Go to that part of yourself that no one expects.

Bishop: “Yeah. He was the bad guy, the super bad guy.”

Word, and not only did you get to see Denzel obviously having fun with the role, you got to see the depths of him as a character, and an actor, and a human being. So, what is your favorite movie or actor or movie scene?

Bishop: “One of my real favorites… I got a lot, because I love movies. Specifically, and when this article goes online, you’re going to have to look up this movie cause you’re not going to find this movie. It wasn’t a blockbuster movie, but it actually had a blockbuster soundtrack. It’s a movie called “At Close Range”. Christopher Walken and Sean Penn. Father and son. Remember Madonna’s song, ‘Live to Tell’? That was the theme song and score. It was a big movie, but it wasn’t that big. It was a cult classic, I guess. It’s about a father and a son. Christopher Walken was kind-of estranged, but he then goes and starts spending time with his two boys. They figure out that him and his gang are big robbers, it’s like an organized crime thing, but they have like a crime ring that steals tractors and robberies and kills people. And it’s based on a true story! And so, there’s a scene in that movie between him and his father, where Sean Penn is confronting him about something pretty serious. And the two of them, their acting in it? IS PHENOMENAL. It’s like a real father/son moment between… just like, it’s crazy energy bro… When you watch that movie and when you see… you’ll be like whoa. That scene… they use it in the video too, if you watch the ‘Live to Tell’ video, you’ll see it. But I don’t want to give it away. Watch it, cause it’s worth discovering, and it’s a crazy movie. That would be my favorite one. I mean I love movies, always. There’s so many movies. I always ask people what their top five actors are, and I kind-of always dance around a little bit, but my top three are pretty solid.

Alright, and who are they?

Bishop: “My top three? I just can’t find anything that can compete with this. I’m kind of stuck at a tie between Denzel and Will for my #3.”

Alright, ha ha.

Bishop: “And I think Will Smith has something remarkable that wasn’t expected, which kind of just made it shine so much more. But it’s definitely a tie between Denzel and Will. But my second is Tom Hanks, and my first would be Johnny Depp.”

That’s an ill list. they’re very diverse and people with crazy deep character.

Bishop: “Word up. Like Tom Hanks, he carried two movies ~by himself~. ‘Castaway’ and the airport one or whatever? He carried both those movies pretty much by himself. And when you can do that… like, people were dead-on interested in that movie about Tom Hanks on an island, bro! But, Johnny Depp has so much range… he could play anything. He could play… I think Johnny Depp could play YOU, bro!”

He actually could, ha ha.

Bishop: “He’s like a chameleon. I think he could play Biggie better than Gravy, straight up. He’s got the most variety. From ‘Donnie Brasco’ to ‘Edward Scissorhands’ to ‘Nightmare on Elm Street’, now he’s doing Tonto in ‘The Lone Ranger’. Oh, ‘Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas’. I like actors that go… internally the distance. He goes internally the distance.”

You just never get a sense of fear in him. And he’s like, still “an actor’s actor”. He’s like ‘I don’t care about my Hollywood image, I don’t care about celebrity, I don’t care about the fame, I just care about my role.  I’m about this script, and making you people believe what you are seeing.’

Bishop: “Exactly. You know what else? When he does ‘Pirates of the Caribbean’, and then he does ‘Charlie and The Chocolate Factory’? I don’t connect the characters. People say that, though. Oh, he’s doing those fantasy magical weird Tim Burton movies, but I don’t see him connect the characters, ever. Tonto’s probably the closest to Jack Sparrow in Pirates of the Caribbean, but it’s not the same as him. He doesn’t duplicate performances.”

He’s the king of subtlety. Those little facial ticks, and the delicate way he is with words… of course he’s one of the best.

Bishop: “Yeah. well who are your favorites?”

Shit, that’s like picking best MCs, though.

Bishop: “Yeah.”

Uh, to be honest, it’s kinda cliche to say Tupac, but I love the Tupac from that movie Gridlock’d. The vulnerable Tupac.”

Bishop: “Yeah, the strung out guy?”

Word! The heroin addict, rolling around with Tim Roth?

Bishop: “Yeah, that movie was insane. HE WAS A REGULAR DUDE! He wasn’t a thug life renegade, he was actually acting, bro. That was good, man.”

And that was after ‘Above The Rim’, and after he was a multi-millionaire on Death Row Records.

Bishop: “Yeah, that’s exactly my point right there. Perfect, you nailed it. What I was trying to say that I want to try to do something challenging in a big way, that’s what I’m talking about. That transition of Pac going from ‘Juice’ to ‘Above the Rim’ to… ‘Gridlock’d’. I’m strung out. I’m on drugs, bro. That’s the transition that I’m in right now. I’m really trying to tighten it up with my agent and it’s really time to challenge myself and find someone that gives me a chance to prove that I can take that challenge.”

Word up. I hope you find the right role. So, what’s it like preparing for a movie role that’s different than making a mixtape or an album? What’s it like memorizing a script that’s different than memorizing song lyrics?

Bishop: “It’s like, for me, it’s just like me putting myself in my mind, in as many scenarios that that person would be in, that’s really in my life. I did two movies last year, bro. I did ‘Chupacabra’ movie and I did ‘Evil Feed’. That was like a grindhouse film. It’s got a little bit of comedy in it, and it allowed me to do a few different things in it, but I found the character and I made him be exactly what I thought if I came from those conditions, that I would be like. I just thought “Oh, this is what I would do”, or “this is how I would clown somebody” or even “this is how I would crack a joke on somebody.” I was thinking about all those different scenarios, as opposed to the words. Because the words, on the day, the words are the words. But, it’s the expression, it’s the emotion, it’s how you say them, and the little things, that I’m working on when i’m preparing. I can’t just say the words. It’s responding to somebody else saying something to you, or saying something that somebody has to respond to. It’s just being normal. That’s what I’m preparing for. Just expression and vibe and feeling and who that person is.”

Word. That’s a jewel.

Bishop: “Yeah, that’s what I try to do.”

Thanks for that man, you’re really teaching me to be a better actor, and I was just trying to appreciate having a good interview, ha ha!

Bishop: “Yeah man, it’s good to talk. We go back a long ways, and I’ve changed a lot. Since back then, since we were younger guys, I spent a lot of time listening to things… when I was coming up with Choclair and The Circle and Michie Mee and different cycles, coming up under Knee Deep… as much time as I spent talking that shit, I was listening and learning to what was going on. And people don’t realize, I try my hardest to help a lot of people, and to guide people in the direction that I think is going to benefit them. I don’t know, maybe sometimes it gets intimidating. The game is always up and down. But as long as we all as Torontonians persevere… a lot of people gave up, bro!”

Yeah man. A lot!

Bishop: “And I don’t want people to feel about me how I feel about some of the guys that I cared about musically, they gave up. I don’t want anyone to feel that way about me. So right now, what I’m creating is the album, called “Field of Dreams” because I’m trying to accomplish what I owe. I feel like I owe it to people who have been inspired by any kind of music, or any kind of work that I’ve done, or people who have used something from me in their energy and their lives to make it be different in some sort of way, you know what I mean? It’s like, if I was able to inspire somebody, or help somebody get through hard times because they listened to ‘Hard Times’, or somebody got through something they felt they weren’t about to get through because they listened to ‘About To Change’… Prison, assault, some sort of abuse. I’ve had people come to me and say that. These are the accolades of my life. These are my Junos, my ASCAP awards, these are my Grammies. Various people, real human beings come up to me and say ‘yo, you really got my sister through a really rough time’. Or ‘thank you, I almost didn’t do this because of this but now I did it’ or ‘she did it, thank you for your work.’ I have to give the world something and that’s “Field of Dreams”, because that’s what I’m running through all the time. Every day I’m running through this field of my dreams, and trying to let them off one by one. So, I want to exude that to the children that are coming up after me.

That’s fucking amazing. That’s the next Bishop album?

Bishop: “Yeah. And nobody knows that. This is an exclusive! But I’m telling you that because you’re my brother.”

Word up, man. It’s an honor, because you KNOW I was going to ask you about the ‘Life of a Gambler’ album.

Bishop: “You know what? I’ll be honest with you about that. That’s not my life anymore, man. That was a trap. And you know… trap houses aren’t just drug spots. They are casinos and strip clubs. Anything that traps you, that you make money from. You just realize that whole vibe is surrounded around a lot time spent away things that I can’t do, like family or music or normal things. I was a hardcore gambler, bro.”

Yeah, man, it’s obvious if you signed with Bodog, at the time.

Bishop: “That’s half the reason why they even signed me! Cause they realized it made sense for them and you know I was actually that guy, a high stakes gambler.”

For real. I mean, I’m not a gambling type of dude, but I got a good sense to know when cats are real about what they talk about in their music.

Bishop: “Right.”

Like, you know DMX actually loves dogs. And I knew you were really about the gambling, it wasn’t just a fucking image. So, it made perfect sense.

Bishop: “For the people that don’t know that, I’m sure they thought it was a little gimmick thing. But I might have to speak on it musically because… actually I kinda did on the Rich Kidd song ‘Lost My Money’, but I gotta totally get away, cause that shit just really grabs you. Like, I don’t think it should be over-glorified the way that it is on television, man, cause… it’s still gambling, bro! It’s pretty addictive. There’s a big allure to it. The allure really gets you. It’s so funny man, just yesterday and today, one of my homies asked me to go to the casino, and work and go play poker and make some money, cause that’s what we do. I used to make a lottt of money. I made more money than I lost. But I left it, because I was losing TIME. I have a family and I have a career and that shit was just sucking me in. But yeah, he hit me up. And today my bredren who was here, he hit me up, you know him, Bullets, and said ‘Yo, let’s play heads up poker today, all day’ and I’m like ‘Yo, i’ll smoke you, dog.’ and I was like ‘Yo, that’s weird.’ Two days in a row, someone tried to gamble with me, but… I didn’t do it. But I feel like that allure is trying to get me now. But I beat it. Same way I quit smoking cigarettes, quit gambling, now, I’m back in my ‘Field of Dreams’.”

Wow, that’s inspiring on crazy levels. I’m struggling with getting tobacco out of my life too.

Bishop: “If you can find one pro to smoking cigarettes, then keep smoking, but you can’t.”

Yeah man, gotta take a break sometimes, whether it’s gambling, drinking, drugs or even music!

Bishop: “I’m remembering my breaks now. I kinda dabble in and I kinda slide in, then I get to that point where I want to slide out, and to me those are comfort zones… the place where we all used to perform, ‘The Comfort Zone’.”

HA!

Bishop: “These are the places I need to be the most purest. If i’m going to say anything. Even in my most arrogant street rap, repping the ‘Boro shit, I’m at a point where I just want to be normal. I just want people to feel good and feel happy. And I never want to lie to anybody, bro. I’m just not going to do it. I don’t care. I just never need that energy. I don’t ever need to lie. I don’t want to put myself in a situation where someone’s trying to make me lie. So all my shit is just staying as modest as I can. So, now I’m just faded all the time, and I’m writing, and I’m having fun doing my family stuff… it’s just the energy of I want to do something big time this year where people really understand. There’s a whole new generation of new people too, that kinda just don’t… kinda just don’t get certain things, right? You just want to step in the room like… ‘Yo, let me show you how to do this, young’n! You’re poppin mollies, and talking all this crazy shit…’ and I’m like ‘Yo, you’re talking to my son though, man. My son’s listening to what you’re saying, be sensible, man.’”

Word. Cats have forgot some of the essence of this shit. You can have fun, be dumb, maybe even be a bit violent if you really have to, but the essence of this shit, the core of hip hop was about giving somebody something real, giving them a real part of you, a real part of your hood, a real piece of ghetto wisdom, something. Not no bullshit.

Bishop: “Exactly. I feel like the oversaturation is like from in the hood, there was more people who should have just been listening. Picture this scenario: a neighborhood where one guy raps, you know. And then in the neighborhood, everyone talks. You have a conversation with a bunch of your homies and shit, and everyone has their own opinions, and just talk about day to day shit and everything that’s going on, you know, like “Benzino’s fucking Stevie J’s girl”, stupid shit like that. You know people talk about that. Hip hop became SO oversaturated with all those people that should have just been listening and supporting, with everyone that feels like they have something to say, that everybody’s just saying some shit now, because it’s so easy to do. Just go get MBoxes and Mac Book Pro and Protools, and you could just start saying some shit and make yourself rhyme…”

Or half-rhyme…

Bishop: “I feel like people are just saying shit now, when they should just be listening.”

I feel you all the way, and you nailed it totally. And yeah, hip hop is the thing where yeah, it’s the perspectives of the man and woman in the street that wasn’t heard, the unheard voice, the ghetto voice, the outcast, the poor people… yeah, we were the ones who were supposed to speak up because the mainstream wasn’t listening to us, but: not every motherfucker has a rhyming thought to share! Not everyone has to have their mouth flapping. Like, help hook up the studio. Help with promotion. There’s other roles to play in this hip hop shit besides MC.

Bishop: “Exactly.”

Like, you know how to play with words. You know how to rhyme. That art of rhyming is gone.

Bishop: “People just think if you’re on a beat, it’s hip hop. NOPE.”

Honestly, I was a rapper long before I did journalism, and the only reason I did journalism was because I used to hate how they would talk about us rappers! I was like ‘Yo, you don’t know how rappers think and operate, let me teach you how how it really should be.’ But, I’m glad you touched on that, because I’m glad your story is going to such a great new place. You’re a family man with a wife and child, and you’re going to next levels… it’s great that the Bishop Brigante story didn’t end with you either dead or in jail, because we know lots of people that weren’t as lucky.

Bishop: “Right. Thank you.”

I wanted you to talk a bit on your battle rap history. You’ve had competitors, I saw you destroy Jin and then saw people talk all this stupid shit. Basically: you have enemies, haters and critics.

Bishop: “Mm-hmm.”

Do you feel like sometimes they are justified in what they say? Or do you just brush it off all the time? How do you deal with the negative energy that comes to you?

Bishop: “Well… it’s HOW it’s said to me.”

Word.

Bishop: “So, it’s like, for instance… I gotta pick my example, because it means I have to talk about somebody else right now and I don’t know who deserves that attention right now. I’ll tell you my last criticism or hater, if you will, situation that was of a big magnitude. Would probably be my situation with Pat Stay. And the problem was that there was a big story… but out of 100 percent of the story, everybody was fooled into responding  to 10 percent of the story. So, everyone was fooled into reacting to 10 percent of what was really going on, and what was really going on, and it was a whole lot of everybody just jumping out the window really fast, and you know… the guy made his comments, and I felt like i had to respond to it. And I wanted certain terms. And again: battle rap fans are amazing fans, but they also have their wishy washy moments. Where one second, you could be the hero, then the next second, you can be the biggest heel in the game. I’m okay with being a heel because I know I didn’t do anything wrong. So, I psychologically know when someone just doesn’t get it. Or when someone is trying to you know… like if someone tweets me today about Pat Stay, I just think like “REALLY? Like are you… like did you JUST get here, bro? That’s been over for QUITE a long time. Like, what happened? Like you just found somebody’s notes and finally got caught up? I take hater shit like no problem. I’ll listen! I’ll pay attention to what people say. I’m not a robot. I’m not like one of these artists that’s like ‘Oh, I don’t pay attention to that’. Fuck that shit. WE ALL pay attention to that shit. We read that shit, we see what motherfuckers are saying, and it affects us. But it’s HOW it affects you is the key. I don’t let it affect me to the point that it will stop anything that I’m doing. But, if somebody says something in a proper way, that makes me respect it more, because it’s criticism, and criticism is good if it’s done the right way. What was so hard about Pat, was that so many people didn’t know the story in the best way, and even when I did my blog, and it was a long blog trying to explain it, it didn’t come off even halfway proper there either, because people were like “he’s making up excuses! he’s a snake! he’s exposing members!” Like, I was trying to be honest as much as I could, and honesty burned me because I guess maybe the real story wasn’t as exciting! It wasn’t as exciting as “Yes, you did do that! Now you have to battle Pat Stay now!’ Like that was more exciting for the people to hold on to, instead of like “Hey, maybe it was a misunderstanding, man. and it wasn’t something that was done in a malicious intentions.” Whether it was a thousand dollars or two hundred dollars, I was putting money up to help this guy become a marquee battle rapper from Canada… that I was once was. I was trying to help him become and mold his thing into something that would be a legacy for him. Even if it cost me a couple bucks. Even if I had to put up some money for it. They he just targeted me and you know… whatever. People wanted me to come back. And I almost did come back. But terms and timing were big key factors in that not happening. But you know and there are certain battle rappers that can attest, I’m not no slouch, bro. I did what battle rappers are doing today… with no preparation.”

Exactly.

Bishop: “I had to achieve wins with NO preparation. Maybe it wasn’t documented like it is now, you’ve got that over me, but anybody that might have been there would let anyone know: I’ve never taken an L, except one battle against Jin, the third time I battle Jin. But mano a mano, let’s get it poppin? I’ve never taken an L. And that’s the only loss I’ll ever take. Cause the two-on-two shit was just stupid. We didn’t know nothing about that. We just went there because the guy asked us to go, and we didn’t know about this culture of battle rapping. I come from “What? You say you’re nicer than me? Let’s do this right now. Put your money up. We’re in 400? Let’s do it. We’re in Glendower? Let’s do it. We’re in Section 6 Glamorgan? Let’s do it. We’re in Regent Park? Let’s do it.” That’s where I come from. On the spot. I’ve been in more than 500 battles. People can attest to it, bro. I had my shit ready. But terms and timing were a key factor in that shit not happening. But me and Pat Stay squashed that shit, man. We spoke behind closed doors. And I haven’t seen it yet, but on this end, it’s all love. We both said some shit we shouldn’t have said, and left it at that.”

And that’s perfect. Fuck the ignorance of people who don’t want to understand that part of this story too. Fuck just feeding off the lies and the drama. Grow up.

Bishop: “They want to see blood. They want blood. But that’s the gift and the curse why the fans of KOTD are so amazing. It’s the gift and the curse! They’re the best audience ever because they are so bloodthirsty. They ride for KOTD. So, when they mean something and they want to, they stick with it. They definitely support it whether its negative support or positive support, they are bloodthirsty supporters, and I love that shit, ha ha. I’m like the mayor of this battle rap shit. because they think I’m a slimeball but i’m actually pretty fucking cool. ha ha. I should tweet that shit.”

We spoke about Rob Ford and how bishop would legalize weed if he was mayor, and I asked Bishop if he thinks Rob is guilty of smoking crack. He replied: “I don’t think Rob Ford is a full-out foodhead…” and then added “If I was mayor, I’d make cannabis legal!” Which was the most obvious segue into my next question, about Nate Dogg and the song ‘It’s Fo’ Twenty’. ‘What was it like working with a legend like Nathaniel Hale?’

Bishop: “With Nate, that was probably one of my favorite experiences as far as somebody that I got the opportunity to work with… but he maximized that experience. Check this out, everything happened on April 20th. It was on 4/20 that I landed… like, on the 19th. And the next day was the 20th. And it didn’t even register in my brain. I was just thinking “Yo, I’m going to fuckin L.A. to go work with Nate Dogg”. I wasn’t thinking that “it’s the World’s number one “Weed Day”. We recorded at Fredwreck’s studio. And when I got there, all everybody was upset about was that Everlast… or, who was the DJ in House of Pain?”

DJ Lethal, I think.

Bishop: “Okay, no. Well, it was either Everlast or Evidence. But Everlast was supposed to be there with trees. Cause it’s 4/20 and nobody had kush, at this moment. It was in the morning, and nobody had kush. So thats the evolution of “Its Fo’ Twenty”.“We went and hit the weed.. spot! the spot was fresh out… on the way home/ hot, and you can’t seem to find none…”  We were tripping about not having kush at that moment. He was just very chill, very funny. The mood was very camaraderie, right away. Just based off the way we were working. We did like four songs together. I still have three of them in the vault. What it was was that also, he actually called snoop dogg and told snoop he should work with me. and he did it in such a funny way, such a nonchalant way. Cause he has the same expression for every mood. He’s like DJ Kemo, they don’t have a lot of expression for a variety of moods, nahmean? So he called Snoop all nonchalant. So he put me on the phone with Snoop, and then by the end of that night, at the end of that session, I was in the studio all night with Snoop. And everybody was there: the whole Western Union, then Fredwreck came, and Bishop Don Juan came. I was in there rapping with Snoop, then Snoop did a verse for free for me, over a Boi-1da beat. I still haven’t even put it out! All these guys from the West Coast, wow. I grew up loving all these West Coast guys, from N.W.A. all the way through to DJ Quik, up until now with Kendrick Lamar, and The Game. I think the only guy who can compare to me with being a West Coast hip hop lover in this city is DJ Law.”

He’s hella West Coast!

Bishop: “For me, I was in L.A. with Fredwreck, Snoop Dogg, Nate Dogg, Dogg Pound, Western Union, Bishop Don Juan… I was in the lab with all of them. Nate did that little video with me… that was the craziest 4/20 I ever had in my life. I would have shot the video for “It’s Fo’ Twenty”, RT (Randall Thorne) was supposed to do it, and we had a ridiculous budget because I was with Bodog, and… he had that stroke, man. And it wasn’t good after that… man, we were supposed to be in the desert. We had a crazy idea for that video. We were going to re-do “Bugsy”. Bugsy Siegel the gangster who created Las Vegas. We were going to remake that for the video for “It’s Fo’ Twenty”. But, then again… rest in paradise to Nate Dogg, because he really schooled me, and gave me that support. And it’s unfortunate that we lost such an incredible and legendary artist, who I was honored to work with. He was gone way too soon. But even to this day, I perform this song. I just did it at Dundas Square for 4/20.”

Thank you, man. This is what we do it for: the memories, and the ability to share these stories. Thank you very much, I appreciate you sharing that. So, what’s the one thing in Canadian hip hop that we need to step shit up to the next level?

Bishop: “Actually, I think we need more managers. We need more management. I think that we need to invest more into our product at home. I think we should try to spend a bit more money at home with home based artists to help waht they make they do better. I think instead of getting Kanye West! Fat Joe! Ludacris! Pharrell! or any of these ridiculously large acts where you are putting promoters in a situation where there’s a good chance they are going to lose their shirt, I think people need to play their position better, and promoters need to invest more in their home-based artists. Then you give them the ability to become marquee artists. More money should be spent at home, on developing home, than having somebody showcase and make a lot more money, and taking money away from here. More money should be put into a Rich Kidd NOW, to give him more freedom to be able to just be creative and make his thing better than it is, which is amazing, that would be the true smart thing to do. So, you do a big show. Yeah, you make your money back and your profit. You hold that, and then: let’s do the same thing for Rich Kidd, and create that energy. It’s a chain of effects, bro. If we have good management, we have good ideas. If we have good ideas, we have good plans. If we have good plans, we have good people to execute them. If we have good people to execute them, everybody gets paid, and the product becomes better. If the product is good, EVERYBODY WINS. But if a promoter books a Wiz Khalifa festival, and the promoter puts six acts on day one and six acts on day two and these are just people who have paid to get on the show, or whatever… if its not the quality of someone that’s actually doing it for real, like a Rich Kidd, a JD Era, maybe myself… if it’s somebody that’s actually doing it FOR REAL, then I think that people should be paying more attention to that. But like I said: it’s all about the kinds of people that we have in the positions. Maybe if we have promoters that just want to fuckin make a shit load money really fast and dont really care about promoting the brand of the city, maybe we shouldn’t be supporting you, because you’re not doing anything to support us. But when Drake blows up, everybody was his best friend and everybody want to book him. But, everyone wants to book him for cheap, right? What about when Drake was coming up? Why weren’t you putting money in his pocket then and helping him achieve the dream that you apparently now believe in? But you didn’t believe it when we were all hanging out in Kitchener. You didn’t believe it when we were all doing our shit. We need to build a real and honestly positive sense of support from everybody. But, we need lawyers, graphic designers, booking agents, planners, all kinds of shit. It doesn’t help when we only have two booking agents in the country… maybe three. The right people in the right positions… you’re supposed to win. it’s kind of a gift and a curse thing though, cause now with Drake’s success, everyone thinks they can hit the lotto now. So, while everyone is chasing after that dream now, trying to hit the lotto, they forgot that there are other dreams out there, and forgetting that they were chasing after their own dream, and they were almost there. Like… youre fuckin it all upppp! Let Drake enjoy his lotto, and support that. More people working, and less people rapping. Bro, imagine when the day comes when somebody actually sells a record just screaming “uhhhhh uhhh uuh” and they are going to say NOTHING. Just make sounds. And the beat will be made of two people slapping each other in the stomach! But you know what? We GOTTA persevere. The real shit has to last longer than the fake. There’s going to be a big freeze where the dumb rappers are going to disappear, and all the lyricists will outlast that. We already have bro. Look at the generations of music.”

Word the fuck up. That’s what we’re doing, and I’ll see you when the realness comes back to rap! Hey, speaking of movies one last time: what did Ray Liotta teach you?

Bishop: “Not that much, he just showed me so much. Busta Rhymes gave me more jewels than that. It was more me watching him transform at such a quick and rapid pace. How could get into a really big argument with you, then as soon as the argument was over, it was RIGHT back to work. It was almost like bi-polar. He was so controlled in his emotions. He’s fucking incredible. He’s definitely in my Top 10 for sure. Watching him work, for me, I couldn’t put a name to it, but his control is just unreal. I fought him for my role in ‘Narc’, physically. He was in a disguise, and he jumped up from the table and attacked me. That’s how I auditioned for ‘Narc’. So, we were fighting how a cop would fight a criminal, that’s what he did to me. He threw me down and we were wrestling and stuff. I didn’t know what was going on, I was like “what is he doing?!” I was like “Get the fuck off me!” and he was screaming at me, then all of a sudden I hear the director say “Cut’!” After that, he was a fully different person, like, the nicest guy in the world! For the first 10 minutes though, we were fighting. I was like “I have to stomp this man out!” He was just a guy with white hair and a full white beard, sitting at the end of the table when I walked in the audition room. And he just jumps out of his seat and runs towards me and grabs me by my Sean John tracksuit, which cost 300 dollars. I was upset he was grabbing me by my brand new Sean John suit, ha ha! We’re wrestling on the ground and the director is like “Cut! Stop! Stop!” Then he became the nicest man! And I got the role.”

Ha ha, word up! It was sick as fuck, and a great start to an even greater movie career, from one of Scarborough’s finest. So hey, how much unreleased music you got?

Bishop: “Easily over 200 songs. I got a lot of unreleased stuff.”

And do you want to put it out on a label, or your own?

Bishop: “After “Field of Dreams”, maybe I can throw this out there like “look what I found!” Just throw it out to the world. But all that stuff didn’t come out, cause I guess… it wasn’t the time for it to come out. But all the words on “Field of Dreams” are new.”

Okay. Do you have a label situation?

Bishop: “It will be in place. Conversations I’m having right now. Can’t do it half-ass.”

Thanks for an amazing conversation, Bishop. It’s been amazing talking with a brother like you about movies and music and what we’ve seen in Toronto since the mid 90’s. So hey, this is my last question. What industry has better female fans: the music industry or the movie industry?

*after a long pause*

Bishop: Probably… the hip hop fans. I say hip hop cause we listen to the same music, ha ha ha! I can’t go a day without music. It wouldn’t be a day, you know?

NOTE:

Bishop informed me that the day after our interview, he has rejoined the staff of KOTD. Apparently, the first piece of business he conducted was setting up a battle for legendary super battle MC and Empire leader Tony Ranks aka Scandalis to step in the ring on July 6th at the next Ground Zero event! Nice to have you back in the scene, Bishop. Whether they love you or hate you, the people gotta at least respect the years of hard work you put in. See you in ‘Field of Dreams’…

peace and love

Mindbender

Pardon the quick video but,

I just downloaded this awesome Augmented Reality app made by iRiS AR. The app allows one to visit the CN Tower Edgewalk attraction from the safety of their own home. Perfect for those who are scared of heights.

Check out our video to see it in action.

Although best experienced on a tablet, the app is also available for your phone.

The app is available on the Apple Store and on Google Play.

Here are the images so you can test it out as well.

Photo: View in Augmented Reality

Photo: Cabana Pool Bar at Media Preview – Pics by Joel Levy c/o INK Entertainment

Sometimes all you need to escape technology and enjoy being outside is a great place to hangout in the sun. Luckily INK entertainemnt (The Guvernment, UNIUN, Koolhaus, Tattoo Rock Parlour, ETC) has opened their newest venue that provides that perfect place.

Cabana Pool Bar is an outdoor lounge and pool that runs every Saturday and Sunday in the summer. Their Media preview was on Thursday before their Grand Opening on Saturday and Sunday.

The venue is located behind the Sound Academy next to Polson Pier. Sound Academy, and the grounds, were acquired by INK in September and have been undergoing renovations to improve the space.

Photo: Park your boat out front 

There are many things to be hyped about at Cabana. First off is the view of the city skyline, which is one of the best angles in the city, and is the perfect backdrop to the white cabanas and tents that comprise the venue.

For those who have boats, or friends with boats, Cabana provides mooring for your boat so you can drive up and join the party.

Photo: Busy day for the Grand Opening Saturday

The main pool area is surrounded by these Cabana booths which are reserved for bottle service. Your group can rent one for around $2500 a day (11am-11pm) which includes lots of drinks (Don P). If you do not have a wristband pool access is still available.

The venue also provides other activities such as foosball, a pool table, a ping-pong table, and DJs playing music. The venue also has a full kitchen for your pool-side eats.

Lastly the Tuck-Shop is a great addition providing everything you would need if you came totally unprepared for the day. Items such as t-shirts, sandals, swimsuits, sunblock, towels, and even shaving foam and razors in case you come looking a little shabby.

For more info check out their:

WEBSITE

FACEBOOK PAGE

Photo: Media Preview before opening. First-Person view from Cabana at Media Preview

Photo: Pool-Side Bar at Media Preview

Photo: View from side of Cabana looking at downtown Toronto at Media Preview

Photo: Tuck shop for all your fun in the sun needs.

Photo: Pool and Pool-Side Bar on Saturday’s Grand Opening.

The Red Bull Collective Art project took over The Gladstone Hotel’s Melody Bar to kick off the NXNE Festival this year. Red Bull partnered up with Adobe and invited artists from around the world to collaborate and create one large artwork. Within a two-week period in March, the project received over 2,000 submissions of digital art that created an art piece that measures 1.3 kilometers in length. This event was the only exhibition in Canada to showcase the Red Bull Collective Art project.

Photo by Marie Van Zeyl

On Monday, June 10th, the Red Bull Collective Art project opened for public view. Art enthusiasts came out to celebrate this unparalleled project. Most of the works were exhibited electronically, with the exception of select pieces that were printed onto canvas. A live curator was also on site performing a live painting show in which the public could take part. The exhibition closed on Tuesday, June 11th.

Red Bull is well-known for supporting those who are physically and mentally active. The Red Bull Collective Art project supported artists from 85 countries, including those from Tokyo, Milan, Toronto, Berlin, New York and Barcelona. The exhibition is currently touring worldwide, giving artists the opportunity to be widely discovered.

The project was a spin off of the concept of “Cadavre Exquis”, a Surrealist technique invented in the 1920’s. “Cadavre Exquis” or “Exquisite Corpse” was a game played by famous individuals such as Andre Breton and Marcel Duchamp. The Surrealists would fold a piece of paper and compose a sentence or drawing based on the previous collaboration that was partially concealed from the collaborator. Once the collaborator was finished, the Surrealist would pass it onto the next player for their contribution. The result would be a blind composition of words or images.

Photo by Marie Van Zeyl

The Red Bull Collective Art project enabled artists around the world to inspire each other. Like the Surrealists, the artists collaborated by building off the half-concealed image from their predecessor’s artwork. Red Bull’s partnership with Adobe ensured for easy artist collaboration. Artists who wanted to submit their works would select an available time-slot in order to collaborate. Once their time slot began, artists worked within a pre-determined time in order to complete their work. When finished, artists simply digitally uploaded their work via Adobe software, in which the next artist could begin collaborating.

The Red Bull Collective Art project is demonstrative of Red Bull’s unique branding methods. Red Bull has positioned themselves as an energy drink company that produces legends in the athletic and cultural spheres. In this instance, The Red Bull Collective Art project gave international artists wings by pushing the limits of collective art and creating one of the largest collective art pieces in the world.

Photo by Joel Levy

FULL ALBUM HERE

The Mercedes-Benz Startup program enables young designers, the opportunity to showcase their talent at World MasterCard Fashion Week. Applications are now being accepted until the Monday June 17th deadline for designers to submit their work. In order to be eligible  designers must must have a registered Canadian business that has been operating for less than five years, and they must have sold one commercial collection to market.

The top contestants in the country, will have the opportunity to present their business model and showcase their designs to a panel of esteemed judges on Wednesday, July 10, 2013 in Toronto.

In addition, the finalists will be mentored by industry professionals in preperation for the Mercedes Benz Startup runway show at World MasterCard Fashion Week in the fall.

“Offering mentorship and providing year-round support for designers is the key to keep moving fashion forward in Canada,” says Jarrad Clark, director of global production, IMG Fashion Events and Properties.

The winning designer will be featured in Fashion Magazine, as well as receive mentoring from industry professionals leading up to a solo runway show, showcasing Fall/Winter collections in March 2014.

To apply online visit  http://www.mercedes-benzstartup.com/MBStartUp-applicationpackage(english).pdf

Photo by, Jenna Marie Wakani  - Mercedes-Benz StartUp 2012 winner DUY