Black Mob

Montreal has a vibrant hip hop scene and some of the best beats being laid down in that city belong to Q., Key, Senior, and PO, collectively known as Black Mob. Together since 2001 Black Mob – which is not to be confused with Atlanta’s Black Mob Group – has evolved over time into a tight, cohesive unit with a big sound and an even bigger message to impart to those people who buy the mix tapes, and who will hopefully buy the first full-length album. The message is one that, generally speaking, calls for tolerance, respect, and acceptance, while discouraging the use of violence to settle differences of opinion. Black Mob’s music frequently incorporates elements of reggae, which has helped to endear it to a wider audience than might ordinarily be the case.

It has also helped to land the band gigs with artists like Black Uhuru’s Michael Rose and Junior Reid; both of whom the group recorded singles with. Black Mob has been featured at a number of events in and around Montreal, including the Montreal International Reggae Festival and a major fundraiser for the first annual West Island Black Community Association. Very much a goal-oriented group, the members have set a number of targets for themselves: hoping within five years to become one of the biggest independent rap acts in North America. That’s no small goal, but if they can continue to release tracks like “Number One (Favorite Girl)” and “Hatin’ (Young Generation),” that goal is not totally out of reach. Black Mob is already getting airplay in the US, France, Germany, Italy, the UK, Belgium, Switzerland, and Australia.

Listen to Black Mob’s Number One (Favorite_Girl) Feat. Michael Rose

Basia Lyjak

Some singers were born with the rock’n'roll gene and some were not. The minute Toronto’s Basia Lyjak opens her mouth, you know which group she falls into. Lyjak has the kind of voice that would be out of place anywhere but centre stage in front of screaming guitars, big bad bass lines, and pounding drums. Her music is a full frontal assault on the senses, and she gives no quarter.

You would expect nothing less of her after scanning the list of people she cites as having influenced her musical development. Included in that list are such heavy hitters as Led Zeppelin, Guns’n’ Roses, Motley Crue, Hole, and Nirvana. I had an Outer Limits moment when I saw both Motley Crue and Hole on that list because my first thought after hearing Lyjak rip into “Don’t Talk” was that she’d somehow been possessed by Vince Neil and Courtney Love. There’s a lot of attitude in the music Lyjak writes, but she’s not putting anything out there she can’t back up, as evidenced by her recent nomination for Best Song at the 2008 Toronto Independent Music Awards for the aforementioned single, “Don’t Talk.” Her current EP, Writings On The Wall, bears witness to an artist mature beyond her years. The vocal prowess Lyjak displays on that EP and the strength of the original material she’s penned point to a long run for her. Her efforts have already been recognized with five International Online Music Awards, a segment on OMNI’s Na Luzie TV show, and an opening slot for Lee Aaron.

Listen to Basia Lyjak’s Don’t Talk