This album threw some fans off, as it sounds very different from Ab-Soul’s previous album, 2012’s Control System. Just when you thought Ab-Soul established his style, he went and switched things up on this album. There are still glimpses of his old style, with his focus on wordplay and thought-provoking lyrics, but These Days sees…
The Countdown: My Top 20 Favourite Albums of 2014 (Honourable Mentions)
It’s that time of year again! This time around, I’ve shortened the countdown from 30 to 20 of my favourite albums to come out in 2014, and we’ll be counting down to Christmas rather than New Years Eve (I have something different planned for then 😉 ). For my newer readers, what I’ll be doing is writing…
Concert Review: Ghostface Killah at Rockpile East in Toronto/Scarborough, ON
Only a year after Ghostface Killah tore down the Kool Haus with five other Wu-Tang Clan members, he has returned to Toronto for a solo show. Ghostface is the one artist I’ve seen the most in concert, as I’ve seen him perform in all kinds of settings over the past five years. I’ve seen the…
Concert Review: Run The Jewels at The Danforth Music Hall in Toronto, ON
I told you so. Run The Jewels are back in Toronto, filling up an even bigger venue than the last time they were here (not counting the free show they had in Dundas Square during the NXNE Festival). They have released a new album that’s longer and could potentially be more successful than the first…
Concert Review: T.I. at Guvernment/Kool Haus in Toronto, ON
It feels like forever since I wrote a concert review. I wasn’t even planning on going to this show because the ticket prices were too expensive, and I haven’t really been a huge T.I. fan since around 2010; but by the luck of the draw, I was able to win some tickets the day before…
Concert (+Film) Review: Nas (Time is Illmatic) at the Queen Elizabeth Theatre in Toronto
Nasir Jones is a man who shouldn’t need much of an introduction, as he is often regarded as one of the greatest hip-hop artists of all time. I had previously seen him perform at my very first rap concert, the 2009 Rock The Bells Festival in Los Angeles with Damian Marley, and again at the 2011…
Concert Review: Tech N9ne at Rockpile East in Toronto/Scarborough, ON
I almost didn’t go to this show, partly due to a tight budget and also because I had already seen Tech N9ne perform just over a year ago (at the original Rockpile West). Luckily, one of the local opening acts was selling tickets at a discount, and I was in turn able to fit this show into…
Mixtape Review: Nova Major – Whatever It…[TAKES]
With a little time to kill before the next concert review, it’s time to review another mixtape! Nova Major is a new artist from the Toronto area signed to Track House Entertainment, here with his debut mixtape, Whatever It…[TAKES]. You can download and/or stream the mixtape for free here, or check out the songs (with lower…
Concert Review: J. Cole at Roundhouse Park in Toronto
J. Cole has had a lot of success in Toronto. Every time he came here in 2013, he sold out every show he did and had to do extra shows to meet the demand. While I couldn’t get into his one-dollar small-venue show last summer, I got to see him at his second consecutive sold…
Concert Review: De La Soul at Celebration Square in Mississauga, ON
This concert came up at the last minute, but I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to see the legendary hip-hop trio known as De La Soul for free. De La Soul’s critically acclaimed debut album came out in the year I was born, so naturally I was slow to become a fan of theirs. I’ve…
Concert Review: eMC at This Ain’t Hollywood in Hamilton, ON
eMC is a hip-hop group I knew nothing about until this year, which is surprising because it is led by hip-hop legend Masta Ace. Masta Ace is like the Tim Duncan of hip-hop; the way Tim’s been consistently great, winning NBA championships in three different decades, Masta Ace has released classic music in the 1980’s,…
Concert Review: The Carnivores Tour (Linkin Park + 30 Seconds To Mars) at The Air Canada Centre in Toronto
The last time I was at the Air Canada Centre for something other than a Raptors game was for Kanye West’s Yeezus Tour back in December. This time, I was here mainly to see Linkin Park, arguably my first favourite band I discovered when I was around 11-12 years old. I know this is primarily a…
SYpherSights 