While indie rock and pop still dominate the majority of programming at Megaphono, another hotbed of talent was peeking out at 27 Club on Friday night — rap music from across Canada, including Toronto-via-Ottawa transplant City Fidelia. and Indigenous Vancouver-based group Snotty Nose Rez Kids.
As a homecoming concert, City Fidelia rose on stage appropriately wearing an Ottawa Senators hoodie. The animated rapper started with an a cappella before jumping into a mixture of his most recent project, Letter to the Side, as well as his 2016 release, FreeDumb.
"I'm so glad to be home and spend this time with you guys," he said weaving through songs like "Foreign," "What U Need" and "Miles Away" before bravely and un-expectantly stage-diving to "Snakes" — where, surprisingly, he wasn't dropped. Closing out his set, City asked the crowd to participate once more, which allowed him to perform "FreeDum" to a cellphone-lit room, and close out with his most popular song to date, 'Lately."
With a quick turnover, Snotty Nose Rez Kids came on stage fast and furious and quickly captivated the crowd's attention. Though the duo, made up of Yung Trybez and Young D, didn't just moderate the energy of the crowd through their music, but worked together flawlessly to perform music from their self-titled album, as well as The Average Savage.
While "Dead Chiefs," "Long Hair Don't Care" and even playing Offset's "Ric Flair Drip" instrumental (which lead back to their own music) had the crowd jumping, "M.I.n.a.Y" and "Skoden" had the crowd believing they were on stage too, singing word for word with enthusiasm. Midset, Snotty Nose Rez Kids announced that they were working on a new album, and proceeded to ask the crowd to get down on one knee to perform "I Can't Remember My Name" — it was an interesting dynamic, considering the socio-political movement associated with Colin Kaepernick taking a knee. And of course, it was a crowd-pleaser.
Though Ottawa was bubbling with shows last night, the 27 Club put a spotlight on what's to come from Canadian rap.
As a homecoming concert, City Fidelia rose on stage appropriately wearing an Ottawa Senators hoodie. The animated rapper started with an a cappella before jumping into a mixture of his most recent project, Letter to the Side, as well as his 2016 release, FreeDumb.
"I'm so glad to be home and spend this time with you guys," he said weaving through songs like "Foreign," "What U Need" and "Miles Away" before bravely and un-expectantly stage-diving to "Snakes" — where, surprisingly, he wasn't dropped. Closing out his set, City asked the crowd to participate once more, which allowed him to perform "FreeDum" to a cellphone-lit room, and close out with his most popular song to date, 'Lately."
With a quick turnover, Snotty Nose Rez Kids came on stage fast and furious and quickly captivated the crowd's attention. Though the duo, made up of Yung Trybez and Young D, didn't just moderate the energy of the crowd through their music, but worked together flawlessly to perform music from their self-titled album, as well as The Average Savage.
While "Dead Chiefs," "Long Hair Don't Care" and even playing Offset's "Ric Flair Drip" instrumental (which lead back to their own music) had the crowd jumping, "M.I.n.a.Y" and "Skoden" had the crowd believing they were on stage too, singing word for word with enthusiasm. Midset, Snotty Nose Rez Kids announced that they were working on a new album, and proceeded to ask the crowd to get down on one knee to perform "I Can't Remember My Name" — it was an interesting dynamic, considering the socio-political movement associated with Colin Kaepernick taking a knee. And of course, it was a crowd-pleaser.
Though Ottawa was bubbling with shows last night, the 27 Club put a spotlight on what's to come from Canadian rap.
