>>PREVIEW
EPIC
Sunday, May 7
My Apartment
The sound of hip hop in prairie Canada is on a completely different wavelength than any other country in the world. Alongside Chaps and Soso, Epic is a pioneer of this flavour that makes hip hop in our region so unique and rustic.
"Prairie hip hop is a completely different vibe than in Eastern Canada because being on MuchMusic or being accepted by the Eastern (Canadian) media is less likely, so the rappers here are more concerned with making dope music," says Epic.
After two groundbreaking albums (8:30 in Newfoundland and Local Only), Edmonton’s Epic teams up with Belgian rapper Nomad (Cavmen Speaks) for his latest release, Epic & Nomad. Kamloops’s Maki creates the progressive folksy beats for this album, with strong guest production by Epic’s longtime producer and best friend, Soso. Calgary rapper Cam the Wizzard adds insight and balance to the unconventional styles of Epic and Nomad, appearing on a surprising four songs.
When combining Epic’s prairie sound with that of Belgian art teacher and rapper Nomad, the result is unlike anything the genre of hip hop has ever encountered.
However, Epic makes it apparent that the Belgian rap scene is not as far away as one might think.
"They (Cavemen Speaks) make rap music and they’re kind of like Canadian indie-rappers in that they tour around Europe and try to make a fan base."
Epic describes his long-distance relationship with Nomad as a "sort of thing that has never been done before, just the way that our two styles mesh."
With Epic’s laid-back delivery juxtaposed with powerful, socially and politically charged lyrics and Nomad’s eerie yet comfortable rap-singing, this combination works extraordinarily well.
The experience Epic brings into his music is blatant, and rightly so. He has rapped in 23 Canadian cities and began his musical career in 1989. The song "Certain Radius" offers insight into the many years of rapping and the hip hop philosophy that Epic has accumulated.
"I have nothing against rappers that don’t have experience, the whole thing is rap is an unlimited art-form to get across your ideas and it’s a way to express yourself. What you have, basically, is 50 per cent of emcees have this fake accent that doesn’t sound like they’re from Edmonton, or from Toronto," he says. "Step 1, your voice – if you can’t make that sound natural, it’s totally irrelevant."
Musically, Epic is focused on style.
"What’s important to me is: One, to get an original style over no matter what angle I’m approaching the music at. 2). When I’m creating a song, I want to get my thoughts as pure as I can. 3) If possible, I want to get a message across that will affect other people’s thinking."
Whether watching Epic, with his mane of grey hair, win battles or hearing one of his albums for the first time, his wit, prairie-pride and indelible charm will certainly intrigue listeners of any age, race or musical preference. |
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