Makin' it clap Getting up hip-hop fest a hot lineup
August 15, 2021
Toronto Sun
By Jason Macneil
MARC ECKO'S inaugural and well-executed
Getting Up Festival at The Docks wrapped up last night with a great
one-two punch of Kanye West and Ludacris, with West marginally having the
edge.
West, whose breakthrough album The College
Dropout resulted in stardom, made the most of his set, opening with some
new material from his forthcoming sophomore effort Late Registration
before dishing out We Don't Care and The New Workout Plan to an enthralled
crowd.
The charismatic West, when not working the
stage or getting the audience going, relied on his string of strong
hip-hop numbers to keep the energy and momentum throughout, particularly
on Gold Digger and All Falls Down.
West then went through some old-school and
new-school slow jams before nailing his own Slow Jamz. The highlight by
far though was his epic-like Jesus Walks with the crowd singing along
loudly.
While hard pressed to follow, Ludacris was
up to the task, running through his albums and testing the crowd's
knowledge of The Potion and Blow It Out.
Mentioning how many hits he had, Ludacris
then proceeded to shine on Southern Hospitality and Area Codes. After
slowing things down with two Usher tunes including Yeah!, Ludacris added
more favourites like Pimpin' All Over The World before the homestretch.
Lil' Jon, the king of "Crunk",
dazzled all with a high-octane opening of Get Crunk and Throw It Up, but
mainly tamed things down for the remainder with some reggae and island
fare.
Saturday's show, while capped off by the
animated Busta Rhymes, seemed to be stolen by Nas. The rapper, who also
performed in Toronto last December, had the crowd won over early and often
mixing his gangster hits with tracks like Disciple, If I Ruled The World
(Imagine That), Nastradamus and Got Ur Self A...
Nas was also able to make the most of his
slightly shortened set, tossing in snippets of older nuggets like
K-I-S-S-I-N-G, Life's A Bitch and Street Dreams with a medley of hip-hop
staples by LL Cool J and House Of Pain among others.
Busta Rhymes, who mixed his rapid-fire raps
with some Elvis-like karate chops, took a while to get the audience going
but shone during Make It Clap. Rhymes, releasing a new album later this
year, made Woo Ha!! Got You All In Check from 1996's The Coming a
highlight.
The rapper had the crowd finish off some
songs, although I Know What You Want didn't work so well. "I get all
sexy for you and you can't even remember the words!" Rhymes said in
mock anger. Scenario, Put Your Hands Where My Eyes Could See and Get High
Tonight were very well received.
Ciara was some 45 minutes late for her
30-minute slot. After local MCs and DJs tried to stall for time, the
singer, dressed as if inspired by Janet Jackson circa Rhythm Nation, got
more attention for her dancing than with songs from her Goodies debut such
as 1, 2 Step and Oh.
Getting on up
Your guide to one of the biggest hip-hop festivals ever
August 7, 2021
Toronto Sun
By Mary Dickie
NEXT
WEEKEND, one of the biggest hip-hop shows ever put together rolls into
Polson Pier, a.k.a. The Docks, for two days of beats, fashion, cars,
graffiti and rapping of all varieties. The Getting Up Festival brings some
of the biggest names in U.S. and Canadian hip-hop together, mixing the
diverse worlds of hot Southern party rap and politically conscious East
Coast rhyming, and adding a dash of West Coast Canadiana.
Headliners include multiplatinum sellers
Kanye West, Lil Jon, Ciara and Ludacris as well as serious thinkers Mos
Def and Talib Kweli, smooth R&B singers Jully Black and Brooke
Valentine and homegrown rapper Kardinal Offishall.
The festival is sponsored by fashion
designer Mark Ecko, and timed to coincide with the release of his Getting
Up video game. In keeping with the big-picture hip-hop lifestyle theme,
there will also be a graffiti expo featuring such artists as West One,
T-Kid, Dash and Virus, a car show, MC battles, a gaming area, DJ sets and
even a Video Vixen contest.
The festival is being overseen by video
director Lil X, who has helmed clips for many of the performers.
In fact, there are so many
cross-connections between the artists that a few guest appearances in each
other's sets seem inevitable.
Here's a handy guide:
- The Getting Up Festival takes place at
Polson Pier (The Docks) Aug. 13-14. Both days are all-ages, and doors open
at 1 p.m.
- SATURDAY LINEUP
Busta Rhymes, Nas, Mos Def, Talib Kweli,
Fat Joe, Brooke Valentine, Rascalz, Kardinal Offishall, Keshia Chante,
Jully Black
- SUNDAY LINEUP
Ludacris, Kanye West, Lil Jon & The
Eastside Boyz, Ciara, Swollen Members
- One-day and two-day tickets are available
at Ticketmaster outlets, Rotate This, Soundscapes, The Docks and most
Athlete's World locations.
LUCACRIS
REAL NAME: Chris Bridges
HOMETOWN: Atlanta
LATEST ALBUM: The Red Light District
STYLE: Saucy party jams
ACCOMPLISHMENTS: Sales of 10 million for
his first three albums, Back For The First Time, Word Of Mouf and Chicken
- Beer
SOCIAL CONSCIENCE: The Ludacris Foundation
sponsors self-esteem-building programs for young people
COLLABORATIONS: Sum 41, Nas, Doug E. Fresh
BUSINESS SIDE: Heads the Disturbing Tha
Peace label, home to Bobby Valentino and Shawnna
EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES: Actor in 2 Fast
2 Furious, Crash, Hustle And Flow; guest commentator at the NBA All-Star
Slam Dunk contest
BROOKE VALENTINE
HOMETOWN: Houston
LATEST ALBUM: Chain Letter
STYLE: Steamy R&B
ACCOMPLISHMENTS: Top 20 Billboard debut for
Chain Letter; heavy rotation for Girlfight video
COLLABORATIONS: Lil Jon, Big Boi, Ol' Dirty
Bastard
LIL JON AND THE EASTSIDE BOYZ
REAL NAMES: Jonathan Smith, Sam Norris,
Wendell Neal
HOMETOWN: Atlanta
LATEST ALBUM: Crunk Juice
STYLE: High-energy party rap
ACCOMPLISHMENTS: The Kings of Crunk; Lil
Jon produced No. 1 singles for Ciara and Usher (for which he won a
Grammy); multi-platinum sales of his own albums; spoofed by Dave Chappelle
COLLABORATIONS: Usher, Snoop and Nate Dogg,
Nas, Ice Cube
BUSINESS SIDE: Executive vice-president of
A&R for Jermaine Dupri's So So Def Records
EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES: Lil Jon custom
eyewear, Crunk energy drink
BUSTA RHYMES
REAL NAME: Trevor Smith
HOMETOWN: Brooklyn, N.Y.
LATEST ALBUM: The Big Bang
STYLE: Humourous, innovative ragga- and
dancehall-influenced rap
ACCOMPLISHMENTS: 11 albums, more than a
dozen international hit singles
SOCIAL CONSCIENCE: Recorded an audio track
describing a Stevie Wonder video for the blind
COLLABORATIONS: A Tribe Called Quest, Mary
J. Blige, Mariah Carey, Sean Paul
BUSINESS SIDE: Developing a clothing line
EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES: Acted in Higher
Learning and Shaft, pitchman for Mountain Dew
SWOLLEN MEMBERS
HOMETOWN: Vancouver
LATEST ALBUM: Black Magic
STYLE: West Coast Wild Style
ACCOMPLISHMENTS: Three Junos, lots of
critical acclaim
BREAKTHROUGH: Balance
COLLABORATIONS: Moka Only, Dilated Peoples,
Abstract Rude
BUSINESS SIDE: Run their own label, Battle
Axe Records
EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES: Studio and
clothing line
CIARA
REAL NAME: Ciara Harris
HOMETOWN: Atlanta
LATEST ALBUM: Goodies
STYLE: Crunk & B, a funkier R&B
version of crunk
ACCOMPLISHMENTS: Multiplatinum album with
several hit singles, Soul Train female entertainer of the year
COLLABORATIONS: Ludacris, boyfriend Bow Wow
EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES: Looking at
acting offers
JULLY BLACK
HOMETOWN: Toronto
LATEST ALBUM: This Is Me
STYLE: Silky R&B
ACCOMPLISHMENTS: Four Juno nominations,
wrote for Destiny's Child, long-awaited debut album moving up the charts
SOCIAL CONSCIENCE: Fact-finding trip to
Bangladesh
COLLABORATIONS: Nas, Choclair, Kardinal
Offishall
EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES: Acted in stage
production of Da Kink In My Hair
KESHIA CHANTE
HOMETOWN: Ottawa
LATEST ALBUM: Keshia Chante
STYLE: Peppy R&B
ACCOMPLISHMENTS: Gold album, Top 10
singles, one Juno
SOCIAL CONSCIENCE: Benefits for food bank,
tsunami relief, firefighters
COLLABORATIONS: Foxy Brown
EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES: Represented
Canada at Expo 2005 in Japan
FAT JOE
REAL NAME: Joseph Cartagena
HOMETOWN: Bronx, N.Y.
LATEST ALBUM: All Or Nothing
STYLE: East Coast Puerto Rican hardcore rap
ACCOMPLISHMENTS: Several multiplatinum
albums, No. 1 single Lean Back, produced Big Pun's Capital Punishment --
first multiplatinum album by a Latino rapper
COLLABORATIONS: Ashanti, Nelly, Ja Rule, R.
Kelly
EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES: Appeared in
movie Empire; feuding with 50 Cent
NAS
REAL NAME: Nasir Jones
HOMETOWN: Queens, N.Y.
LATEST ALBUM: Street's Disciple
STYLE: Poetic street realism
ACCOMPLISHMENTS: Rave reviews for Street's
Disciple
SOCIAL CONSCIENCE: Officially turned his
back on materialism; criticized New York radio stations for being
corporate pawns
COLLABORATIONS: Father Olu Dara, Pete Rock,
Q-Tip, The Firm (Foxy Brown, AZ, Nature)
BUSINESS SIDE: Heads own label, Ill Will
EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES: Jousting with
Jay-Z for NYC supremacy; married to Kelis
KARDINAL OFFFISHALL
REAL NAME: Jason Harrow
HOMETOWN: Toronto
LATEST ALBUM: Belly Dancer/ Sick single
STYLE: Reggae-influenced hip-hop
ACCOMPLISHMENTS: produced Choclair's gold
Ice Cold CD; two Junos
COLLABORATIONS: The Circle (Saukrates,
Choclair, Jully Black, etc.), Rascalz, Busta Rhymes
EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES: Acted in Love,
Sex And Eating The Bones and My Baby's Daddy
TALIB KWELI
REAL NAME: Talib Kweli Greene
HOMETOWN: Brooklyn, N.Y.
LATEST ALBUM: The Beautiful Struggle
STYLE: Socially conscious, soulful hip-hop
with sharp lyrics
ACCOMPLISHMENTS: The Beautiful Struggle
debuted at No. 14, hailed as rap album of year
SOCIAL CONSCIENCE: Numerous benefits for
social and political causes
COLLABORATIONS: Mos Def (as Black Star), DJ
Hi-Tek, Kanye West, Mary J. Blige
EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES: Bought
struggling Afrocentric bookstore with Mos Def
RASCALZ
HOMETOWN: Vancouver
LATEST ALBUM: Re-loaded
STYLE: Mellow West Coast hip-hop
ACCOMPLISHMENTS: Three Junos (one
declined), Northern Touch single with Kardinal, Thrust and Choclair
SOCIAL CONSCIENCE: Involvement with War
Child charity
COLLABORATIONS: Bret "Hitman"
Hart, Kardinal Offishall, Choclair
KAYNE WEST
HOMETOWN: Chicago
LATEST ALBUM: Late Registration (out Aug.
30)
STYLE: Smooth flow with vintage R&B
samples
ACCOMPLISHMENTS: Produced massive hits by
Jay-Z and Alicia Keys. Debut album The College Dropout enjoyed
multi-million sales, 10 Grammy nominations and three wins
SOCIAL CONSCIENCE: Criticized consumerism
in All Falls Down, new single is Diamonds From Sierra Leone
COLLABORATIONS: Jay-Z, Jamie Foxx, Brandy
and John Legend are all on the new album
BUSINESS SIDE: He heads Getting Out Our
Dreams (G.O.O.D.) label
MOS DEF
REAL NAME: Dante Terrell Smith
HOMETOWN: Brooklyn, N.Y.
LATEST ALBUM: The New Danger
STYLE: Intelligent, socially aware hip-hop
ACCOMPLISHMENTS: Turning the tide against
the dominance of gangsta rap
SOCIAL CONSCIENCE: Tons of benefits for
AIDS relief, political consciousness-raising, etc.
COLLABORATIONS: Talib Kweli (as Black
Star), Busta Rhymes, Floetry
EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES: Acted in
Monster's Ball, The Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy, Something The Lord
Made, owns a bookstore with Talib Kweli |