Canadian Music Week 2023

Recording Artist, Entrepreneur: David R. Styles Professionally Known As Styles P, Location: Queen Elizabeth Theatre, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, Year: 2023, Photographer: Ajani Charles

During the winter of 2008, after documenting an event at the El Mocambo in Toronto for Project T-Dot, my documentary project on Toronto’s hip-hop culture, community, and history, my longtime friend and colleague Neil Donaldson, also known as Logikal Ethix, recommended that I apply to cover Canadian Music Week (CMW) to meet potential colleagues and clients in some of the industries that I wanted to be established in, and to document American and Canadian hip-hop culture (and other musical cultures).

Without Neil, Canadian Music Week would not have been on my radar for many months or years, and my attendance at Canadian Music Week in 2008 completely changed my life for the better. I have since attended and documented many Canadian Music Weeks. However, this year’s CMW was my first one in years and the first I covered under the umbrella of my personal brand and my production company, the Ark Media Group.

I covered Canadian Music Week in 2008 on behalf of HipHopCanada; I met many notable members of Toronto’s hip-hop scene for the first time and documented them, I started developing more robust bonds with Neil, my longtime friend and colleague Amol Gupta, also known as Mr. Standout and many others, and I met, and immediately began working with my colleague, mentor, and friend Edward Scott Day through his publication Abort Mag.

On behalf of Abort Mag, within minutes or hours of meeting Scott, I did a photoshoot with M.O.P., one of my favourite rap groups. I met and documented many of my other favourite hip-hop musicians that week as well, like KRS-One, for example, thereby instilling the idea that I can bridge the gap between those I admired as a child and teenager and my present circumstances by working with such individuals and creating value for them (through my work).

Without Edward Scott Day, who I and most of his friends and family knew as Scott, my skills as a writer and journalist would not have improved to the degrees that they have over the years, and I would not have the same level of determination as an entrepreneur as I currently possess. I would not be as resourceful as I am and would not have photographed and worked with some of my favourite hip-hop and rock acts and other music industry professionals during the first few years of my career.

During the early stages of my career, and as a (volunteer) journalist through Abort Mag, I was barely generating any revenue through my small photography business. I was not an established name in Canada or elsewhere. In fact, through my last full-time job as a personal trainer at GoodLife Fitness, and a side gig, I was investing money into my photography business while barely making any. In 2008, I once spent about $2,000 on a creative photo shoot that was a tribute to David LaChappelle’s Jesus Is My Homeboy series, in collaboration with many talented artists in Toronto, to build my portfolio and demonstrate to various industries what I was capable of. I produced, directed, creative directed, shot, and edited the shoot, with consisted of a team of no less than ten people. And $2000 during 2008, during the last great recession, adjusted for the average annual rate of inflation of 2.16% in Canada, is the equivalent of $2,755.95 today, which was a lot of money for me at the time. I was willing to do whatever it took to manifest the career I am now fortunate to experience. I sacrificed everything, the least of which was money.

Location: Toronto, Ontario, Canada, Year: 2023, Photographer: Ajani Charles

Although Scott could not afford to pay me, his belief in me, his encouragement, and the fact that he saw my talent clearly to a greater extent than almost anyone else in the world propelled me to creative and entrepreneurial heights that were inconceivable to me when I decided to follow my current career path during the winter of 2006. In fact, at one point in 2009, Ermias Joseph Asghedom, professionally known as deceased rapper and west coast hip-hop legend Nipsey Hussle’s friend and future tour manager Jorge Peniche sent a cold e-mail to Scott to ask him how I ended up on stage with Drake, to which Scott replied: “he hustles.”

Scott suffered a lot from various medical issues, the homelessness he experienced (in East Hastings, arguably the most downtrodden and mentally ill neighbourhood in North America) years before I met him, past traumas, and his lack of financial resources. Yet, he inspired me through his resiliency, optimism, diverse skillsets, love of drumming and music in general, the meaning he found in being the highly-organized and driven owner of Abort Mag, and the fact that he could secure interviews with some of the most inaccessible musicians in recent history despite (or possibly, because of) his challenges.

For example, he conducted an in-person interview with Calvin Cordozar Broadus Jr., globally known as Snoop Dogg, inside Snoop’s Vancouver hotel room during the early 2000s, when many major publications could get nowhere near Snoop’s hotel room. Scott taught me that lacking material resources is no excuse for not achieving most goals within the arts, writing, and journalism contexts.

Unfortunately, Scott passed away in 2011. I worked with him for three years straight until his death. I am grateful that I sent him a detailed, heartfelt letter about what he means to me about a year before his death. My colleague Amalia Judith memorialized him through a HipHopCanada article stating: “Scott’s role in developing the Canadian music industry is undeniable – he always looked out for the underdog, always gave press to those whom other publications turned their noses up at. He was instrumental in helping to maintain the hip-hop scene in Vancouver and enthusiastically supported musicians with a strong message and bangin’ beats. Scott taught everyone who met him that dedicating one’s life to art was a worthwhile cause and that having a vision and following through on it was what really mattered in life.

No matter whose presence he was in, Scott always played it cool. His interviewing style became the template for everyone who worked with him – casual, friendly and open. Scott knew how to reach people in a way that put them at ease and made them want to talk to him. He was selfless in sharing these experiences, allowing those he mentored to share the same opportunities.”

Last Friday, June 9, 2023, moments after I finished working on several projects, including a somewhat intensive one with my production company’s legal counsel and longtime friend John Wires, and while experiencing the exhaustion of a myriad of other activities concerning my career and business, personal development, physical development, and more, I decided to cover Canadian Music Week.

Recording Artist, Producer, DJ, A&R, Entrepreneur, Social Activist: Jason Drew Harrow, Professionally Known As Kardinal Offishall, Location: Queen Elizabeth Theatre, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, Year: 2023, Photographer: Ajani Charles

I am grateful the Canadian Music Week media team granted me last-minute access to an event that has inspired me for over a decade while improving many facets of my career and worldviews. Canadian Music Week is significant to the Canadian, American, and global music industries.

Based on when the CMW media team e-mailed me back, I had slightly less than 30 minutes to walk to the Westin Harbour Castle in Toronto, the base camp for Canadian Music Week 2023 and the venue wherein most of the event’s keynotes were taking place.

Furthermore, once I acquired my media pass, I had 30 minutes to walk to my local Yoga Tree location to attend a hot yoga class that I was not willing to skip, not so much due to the negligible monetary costs associated with the hot yoga class, but due to a recent commitment to myself to develop my hatha yoga practice to the frequency that it was at before 2019. Given my workload that day, I probably should have skipped the class to avoid burnout.

I made it all happen by walking incredibly fast after unwisely taking too few breaks last Friday. As such, I attended my hot yoga class, showered, cooked and ate dinner, and ordered a Lyft to my condo within two hours.

The Lyft I ordered arrived within four minutes and promptly took me to my first concert featuring the Lox, one of my favourite rap groups since 1997, and a trio composed of east coast hip-hop royalty and by-products of the musical genre’s golden age, Sean Divine Jacobs professionally known as Sheek Louch, David R. Styles professionally known as Styles P and Jason Terrance Phillips professionally known as Jadakiss.

I felt at ease and optimistic when my Lyft arrived at the Queen Elizabeth Theatre at about 8:10 PM, nearly an hour after the concert’s doors opened.

Recording Artist, Producer, DJ, A&R, Entrepreneur, Social Activist: Jason Drew Harrow, Professionally Known As Kardinal Offishall, DJ, Executive, Journalist, Promoter: Paul Parhar Professionally Known As Mastermind, Location: Queen Elizabeth Theatre, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, Year: 2023, Photographer: Ajani Charles

The crowd outside of the theatre primarily consisted of my generation, millennials, and members of Generation X. Although the hardcore nature of the Lox’s music is reminiscent of the volatile and sometimes violent nature of their Yonkers, New York neighbourhood during the early and late 90s, the crowd was as calm and respectful as they could be under the circumstances as most of the crowd was in their mid-30s or older, and were mostly far removed from the chaos of their youth, the chaos of my youth.

After a stint at Bad Boy Records, a label which was founded by Sean Love Combs, professionally known as Diddy, wherein they were mentored by my favourite rapper, Christopher George Latore Wallace, professionally known as the Notorious B.I.G., in the early 90s, The Lox signed a record deal with the far grittier, hardcore rap label Ruff Ryders Entertainment in 1999.

As I stood in front of the concert venue to determine where media would enter, a motorcycle that was reminiscent of classic Ruff Ryders Entertainment music videos like DMX’s Ruff Ryders Anthem pulled up and began playing hit records by The Lox, which brought me back to my childhood immediately.

I soon found and began speaking with my longtime friend and colleague and one of my former landlords, Katrina Lopes, a successful manager of musical acts like Toronto’s Shawn Desman and one of the first people that I told about my documentary project on Toronto’s hip-hop culture, community, and history. It was great to see her.

She was with my longtime colleague Tara Muldoon. Tara is an award-winning former publicist who found happiness in giving up her career in communications to run a non-profit organization known as F-You: The Forgiveness Project, which works with youth and young adults around themes of forgiveness, restorative justice and conflict management through the Canadian justice system, various Canadian communities, and elsewhere.

I also spent some time with my longtime friend and colleague, Jason Sinobert, also known as Griz On The Grind, a talented Indigenous documentarian and entrepreneur of hip-hop culture mentioned in my recent article on the first Indigenous Hip-Hop Symposium, and we discussed our careers and love of the Lox, and hip-hop music and culture.

When I entered the venue, it was packed, the excitement amongst the crowd was palpable, and I was pleased to learn that Jason Drew Harrow, better known by his stage name Kardinal Offishall was the opening DJ for the Lox.

I began listening to Kardinal’s rap music in 1997, and he is by far one of, if not the most well-known, Canadian of Jamaican descent.

Due to his prolific accomplishments as a rapper, some would be surprised to observe him DJing at a concert.

However, in Jamaican culture, a DJ is more than a disc jockey who plays and selects recorded music for audiences, typically at parties, clubs, and events.

The role of a DJ in Jamaica can be quite different from how it is perceived in America and Canada.

In Jamaica, a DJ is often associated with the art of toasting or "deejaying." Toasting involves live vocal improvisation and lyrical delivery over pre-recorded music, usually in reggae, dancehall, or dub.

The DJ in Jamaica is seen as a master of ceremonies, who selects and plays music and provides lively commentary, interacts with the audience, and delivers entertaining and often socially conscious lyrics. Most DJs in Canada never say a word to the audiences that they are performing for.

With the likes of my colleague Ritchie Acheampong, professionally known as recording artist, producer, and director Rich Kidd, Bishop Brigante, and other leaders of Toronto’s hip-hop community on stage with him, Kardinal proceeded to play hit record after hit record, making the Lox’s DJ, known as Technician The DJ’s job much more challenging than it would have been otherwise. Kardinal was a tough act to follow.

And in true Jamaican DJ fashion, Kardinal also performed his greatest hits as a rapper, with longtime Toronto hip-hop radio veteran and influential DJ Mastermind taking over the turntables and mixer in his stead.

Shortly after, Technician The DJ took over the DJ booth and began a flurry of some of hip-hop music’s greatest hits. The excitement in the building grew exponentially.

About fifteen minutes later, rapper Tony Moxberg joined the stage to open for The Lox. He displayed a charismatic and distinctive flow and captivating storytelling about the street life he and the Lox once experienced.

Minutes after Moxberg finished his set and left the stage, the Lox took his place, and the crowd went wild.

Recording Artist, Entrepreneur: David R. Styles Professionally Known As Styles P, Recording Artist, Entrepreneur: Jason Terrance Phillips Professionally Known As Jadakiss, Location: Queen Elizabeth Theatre, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, Year: 2023, Photographer: Ajani Charles

Although I photographed and did a photo shoot with Sheek Louch in 2008 backstage at a concert where he performed alongside Cormega (at the Phoenix Concert Theatre), it was nonetheless a surreal experience to share a stage with one of my favourite rap groups; memories of some of my favourite records and music videos began to flood my conscious attention.

For those unfamiliar, the Lox’s debut album, Money, Power, Respect, went platinum, and they achieved mainstream success with collaborations on notable tracks such as It's All About the Benjamins and We'll Always Love Big Poppa. Not to mention their hits with rivals Jennifer Lopez and Mariah Carey.

After they departed from Ruff Ryders Entertainment, they founded their label D-Block. They released music individually and as a group, including the collaborative album Wu Block with the Wu-Tang Clan in 2012. In 2013, they surprised fans with an extended play (EP) project called The Trinity and embarked on a concert tour.

The Lox released their third studio album, Filthy America... It's Beautiful, in 2016 and their fourth studio album, Living Off Xperience, in 2020.

They also experienced a rise in popularity during the COVID-19 pandemic due to their performance during a Verzuz battle. Verzuz battles are primarily online musical showdowns between influential hip-hop, R&B, and soul musicians, co-founded by legendary producers Timothy Zachery Mosley, professionally known as Timbaland and Kasseem Daoud Dean, professionally known as Swizz Beatz, the producer behind some of the Lox’s greatest hits.

Verzuz battles celebrate and showcase the discographies and talents of the participating musicians, and they provided me with some much-needed respite from the pandemic.

Recording Artist, Entrepreneur: Jason Terrance Phillips Professionally Known As Jadakiss, Recording Artist: Sean Divine Jacobs Professionally Known As Sheek Louch, Location: Queen Elizabeth Theatre, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, Year: 2023, Photographer: Ajani Charles

In August 2021, The Lox participated in a highly anticipated Verzuz battle against The Diplomats, which they decisively won.

The battle showcased their professionalism and preparedness, with standout moments including Jadakiss' freestyle over the Notorious B.I.G.'s Who Shot Ya? and their response to Diplomats' jabs with chosen songs.

Following their victory, the group's music streams increased significantly. They were also featured on Kanye West's album Donda and received the key to the city of Yonkers. They reminded hip-hop fans of their greatness.

In a later performance, Jadakiss presented championship rings to his groupmates Styles P and Sheek Louch, symbolizing their triumph in the Verzuz battle.

Though I was captivated by their performance at CMW, I was unsurprised by how masterful the Lox were as MCs, and it was evident that they had learned from the greatest minds that hip-hop culture and the music business had to offer.

Styles P performed hits like Good Times, Locked Up by Akon, and Sheek Louch performed outstanding records like Mighty D-Block and Kiss Your Ass Goodbye. Jadakiss performed hits like Why and Knock Yourself Out, a hard-hitting record produced by my favourite music production duo, The Neptunes (Chad Hugo and Pharrell Williams), with a music video directed and featuring a cameo appearance by my colleague, mentor, and friend Julien Christian Lutz professionally known as Director X. Without the music video for Knock Yourself Out, I probably would not have seen what Julien looks like until years later.

As a collective, they also performed classic records like Money, Power, Respect featuring Lil' Kim and DMX, and they also paid tribute to DMX, the Notorious B.I.G., Prodigy, and other friends, colleagues, and hip-hop music icons that experienced untimely deaths.

While documenting the Lox, I also realized that maintaining meaningful friendships and business relationships for decades is almost impossible. Yet, they have managed to do both since 1994.

Based on my interactions with the Lox last week and their positive messages to the audience at Queen Elizabeth Theatre, which included a vow of non-violence that they asked the audience to take, it was pretty evident that they are far more successful entrepreneurs and hippies than the gangster personas that they strongly identified with during the late 90s and early 2000s. Age and myriad trials, tribulations, and reflective moments have led to a newfound level of maturity amongst the Lox and their audience.

Styles P, for example, has ventured into health and wellness. P, known for his lyrical prowess, has made a name for himself as an advocate for healthy living. Like me, he is passionate about promoting a holistic lifestyle encompassing physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual health.

He has opened a juice bar called Juices For Life with his wife, Adjua Styles, alongside Jadakiss.

The juice bar aims to give surrounding communities access to fresh, nutritious, organic juices supporting overall health. Something that so-called food deserts and many other marginalized communities lack in America (and elsewhere).

Recording Artists: The Lox, Location: Queen Elizabeth Theatre, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, Year: 2023, Photographer: Ajani Charles

They have opened multiple locations in New York, including Yonkers and the Bronx.

As the concert ended through an eruption of cheers and applause, while on stage, I briefly met and photographed veteran hip-hop executive Steve Lobel and Jabari Banks, who is a talented actor who plays Will Smith through the reboot of The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air known as Bel-Air. I also photographed Adrian Holmes, an equally talented actor and producer who plays Phillip Banks, aka Uncle Phil, on Bel-Air.

Lobel significantly contributed to my favourite hip-hop record, Notorious Thugs by the Notorious B.I.G. featuring Bone Thugs-N-Harmony.

He facilitated the collaboration and helped bring together their unique styles, resulting in a groundbreaking and memorable track.

He possesses expertise in fostering creative collaborations and contributing to the success of notable hip-hop projects. He now has more ventures than I can keep track of.

Alongside Lobel, Banks, and Holmes, I photographed my longtime friend, as mentioned earlier, Amol “Mr. Standout” Gupta, who is a prolific talent manager, producer, and promoter, among other roles in Toronto. Toronto’s hip-hop culture, nightlife, entertainment, and art scene would be utterly different without him, and so would many facets of my career. He is the first person in Toronto to book Aubrey Drake Graham, professionally known as Drake, for a rap concert, and that hardly scratches the surface of what he has created within Toronto and beyond.

Entrepreneur, Manager: Steve Lobel, Actor: Jabari Banks, Actor, Producer: Adrian Holmes, Manager, Producer, Promoter: Amol Gupta Also Known As Mr. Standout, Location: Queen Elizabeth Theatre, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, Year: 2023, Photographer: Ajani Charles

Soon after, I continued to document the Lox in front of their green room; I did a brief photo shoot with Styles P and Sheek Louch before they entered their chauffeured vehicles, where Jadakiss was waiting for them. Before and during the shoot, P referred to me as “cameraman,” overall, the Lox’s recent concert in Toronto was the highlight of my spring and one of the highlights of my 17 years of extensively documenting hip-hop culture.

The next afternoon, exhausted yet optimistic, I returned to the Westin Harbour Castle to document Kardinal Offishall receiving the 2023 Canadian Music Week Social Justice Award via Ontario Creates at the Canadian Music Week Summit.

The award acknowledges Kardinal’s role as a cultural and musical ambassador for a new wave of Canadian superstars and his commitment to making music accessible and diverse.

If that was not amazing enough, before receiving the award, Kardinal, who is often referred to as Kardi, was interviewed by none other than Tony Young, professionally known as Master T, an iconic Canadian television and radio personality and urban music promoter that I strongly associate with MuchMusic during the 90s and early 2000s, Canadian media, pop culture, hip-hop culture, Black culture in Canada, Caribbean culture in Canada, journalism and more.

Among countless other accolades, he was the last person to interview Tupac Shakur on television, and he has shaped the collective consciousness of Canada for decades, especially among Black Canadians.

I grew up watching both Kardi and T via MuchMusic, and it was amazing to listen to their exchange while documenting it for Project T-Dot. From my perspective, I had to be there; fate compelled me to be there.

Recording Artist, Entrepreneur: Jason Terrance Phillips Professionally Known As Jadakiss, Location: Queen Elizabeth Theatre, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, Year: 2023, Photographer: Ajani Charles

Kardi and T have a significant relationship in Canadian hip-hop, and Kardi asked him to facilitate the interview leading up to his award ceremony. As a DJ and radio personality, T was crucial in promoting Kardi’s early career and introducing his music to a broader audience. Their collaborations and interactions helped shape Canadian hip-hop culture, influencing many artists and contributing to the genre's growth in Canada. They represent Black excellence in Canada, and when I first spoke to one of my favourite Canadian musicians, Karl Amani Wailoo, professionally known as Saukrates, last year, after we discussed my solo Project T-Dot photography exhibit at Toronto’s City Hall and Nathan Phillips Square which he, Kardi, and many others were featured in, he spent some time discussing his admiration and respect for Kardi’s leadership and talent over the years, through their crew the Circle and otherwise.

In addition to describing his ascent to international stardom while leading Canadian hip-hop music for many years and garnering the respect of American hip-hop icons, Kardi discussed his recent role as an A&R at Def Jam Records, arguably the most iconic record label for rap music to date.

He stated that social media and other facets of the internet are so saturated with music and other art and content that some of the world's most talented, resourceful, and dynamic musicians cannot rise to the top, which surprised me. In contrast, those same musicians would have been able to break through fifteen, twenty, or thirty years ago.

He described discovering the incredibly talented musician Susan Carol, and signing her to Def Jam Records, after years of supporting and believing in her, even though Pharrell Williams and many other music industry leaders were professionally courting her. He has promised to do everything possible to make her dreams come true without guarantees.

He spoke so highly of Carol that I listened to her music for a few hours and briefly talked to her via Instagram later that afternoon. I love her mental health and spirituality records due to my interest in such subjects.

I first encountered Kardi through the music video for his brilliant record On Wit Da Show, which frequently aired on MuchMusic in 1997. I used to watch it almost every day after school, mainly through Rap City, not to be confused with the equally classic BET show by the same name.

It was mindblowing to think about how much I and the world had changed since 1997, and it was equally astounding to reflect and witness how Kardi had evolved into a multifaceted human being, rapper, producer, DJ, A&R, philanthropist, executive, TV host, and far more. It was encouraging to hear him motivate the crowd to contribute to the causes that mean the most to them, no matter how small the contributions. $5 or half an hour of volunteering is much better than nothing.

The video montage of his incredible contributions to numerous social causes was inspiring, primarily since I currently focus on only one, as evidenced by my portfolio of mental health projects.

Coincidentally, Kardi shouted out Operation Prefrontal Cortex, a program and organization harnessing the power of mindfulness and meditation to help reduce the incidents of gun, mass, and police violence in Toronto, of which I am the art director, as the organization’s co-founder Danell Adams was in attendance to support him.

Soon after, I caught up with my client and colleague Wesley "Wes" Williams, professionally known as Maestro Fresh Wes. He is also known as “the godfather of Canadian hip-hop” and the first Canadian rapper to be celebrated in America and internationally, alongside Michelle McCullock, professionally known as Michie Mee.

He looked 20 years younger than he is; as usual, he was excited to be there to support his friend Kardi, and we reminisced about our pTorToronto'snsingtononto'snsington Market in 2018.

Part of the results of our portrait session was on display throughout Canadian Music Week, as one of the headshots I photographed was included ’s part of CMW’s physical and digital marketing materials.

Recording Artist: Sean Divine Jacobs Professionally Known As Sheek Louch, Location: Queen Elizabeth Theatre, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, Year: 2023, Photographer: Ajani Charles

Alongside Wes, I met Ian Andre Espinet in person for the first time.

I have known about him for over a decade, and he told me he had followed my career since 2008.

Espinet is a Toronto-born serial entrepreneur and lifelong community advocate with over 25 years of expertise in various areas, and it was great to meet him finally.

Soon after, I documented Tyree Cinque Simmons, professionally known as DJ Drama, an American DJ, record executive and music promoter whose music I have listened to since the early 2000s.

He initially gained recognition as the official DJ for entrepreneur, rapper, and actor Clifford Joseph Harris Jr., known widely as T.I. He was interviewed by Ajay Saxena, professionally known as DJ Charlie B, one of Toronto’s most prominent DJs. I could tell that Charlie B was an effective interviewer because he barely spoke; he mostly listened. That is a significant key to a great interview, in addition to asking thought-provoking questions.

It was fascinating to learn about their friendship, DJ Drama’s relationship to Toronto, how Toronto’s DJ culture has led him to improve his technical skills, winning a Grammy, his infamous Gangsta Grillz mixtape series, and far more.

Entrepreneur, Recording Artist, Songwriter, Producer, DJ, A&R, Media Personality, Social Activist: Jason Drew Harrow, Professionally Known As Kardinal Offishall, Journalist, Media Personality, Promoter: Tony Young, Professionally Known As Master T, Location: The Westin Harbour Castle, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, Year: 2023, Photographer: Ajani Charles

I cannot comment on the entirety of Canadian Music Week or aspects that did not focus on hip-hop music. Still, based on what I experienced, Canadian Music Week 2023 was highly-organized, entertaining, fun, and uplifting.

I look forward to covering it again.

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