Event: Gift of Gab (from Blackalicious) – Live in Edmonton

GIFT OF GAB from the acclaimed duo Blackalicious is often praised by critics for his often fast-paced, multi-syllabic, and complex rhymes. With 3 successful albums “Nia”, “Blazing Arrow” and “The Craft”, this California native has toured world wide and worked with top indie Hip Hop artists to bring tru-skool Hip Hop to the masses.

Allmusic says he is “one of the very finest MCs to ever pick up a microphone, “one of the best underground rappers in the business”, “his raps are jam-packed with internal rhymes, allusions, metaphors, ten-cent words, and amazing tongue-twisting feats of skill”, and he has been able to “redefine the art of lyrical technique”.

Peter Shapiro describes him as “a walking encyclopedia of MCing styles”,
Pitchfork Media refers to his “astonishing verbal dexterity and enunciation”,
Popmatters says he has a “nearly impenetrable reputation for style and innovation”,
and Stylus Magazine calls him “one of the top MCs in the game”

Don’t miss one of the best Emcee’s around today!
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GIFT OF GAB (from Blackalicious)
w/ The Greater Good, KazMega and DJ Twist
June 25, Edmonton
The Pawn Shop
Tickets @ Ticketmaster, Foosh & Blackbyrd
http://www.ticketmaster.ca/event/110042BCCEC8C6C5?brand=foundation

THIS. SHOW. WILL. SELL. OUT.

Event: K’naan in Edmonton @ the Pawn Shop

Universal music artist from Somalia
K’naan
with guests
March 14, 2009 – The Pawn Shop, Edmonton
Tickets at Ticketmaster

Somalia.

The name alone conjures up images of unbridled destruction, merciless warlords and ruthless terror. A place where nobody—children, the elderly, religious figures—is safe from the atrocities of war, and where the idea of “childhood,” where 8-year olds handle AK-47s like toys, exists in chronological terms alone. When Forbes magazine recently unveiled their “Most Dangerous Destinations,” Somalia, above Iraq and Afghanistan, topped the list.

But it’s also “The Nation of Poets,” where a poem can both inspire peace and end wars. Where every weekend, regardless of the climate, one can find a play or concert at a local theatre.

Growing up, it was both of these Somalias that informed musician/emcee K’NAAN Warsame, whose sophomore album Troubadour will be released on February 17, 2009. The grandson of Haji Mohamed, one of Somalia’s most famous poets, and nephew of famed Somali singer Magool, the emcee is creating his own musical path through reggae, funk, pop, soul and, above all, hip-hop.

Recorded primarily in Kingston, Jamaica where K’NAAN was granted unprecedented access by his friends Stephen and Damian Marley to their father Bob Marley’s original home studio at 56 Hope Road and the legendary Tuff Gong studios Troubadour is a hip-hop album like no other. K’NAAN successfully blends samples and live instrumentation for a sound that’s both rooted in traditional African melodies and the classic hip-hop tradition.