have
      any
      musical
     
     
      appreciation
      at
      all,
     
     
      and
      it’s
      reflected
      in
     
     
      the
      hip
      hop
     
    

    
     
      music
      that’s
      coming
     
     
      out.
      It’s
      music
      for
     
     
      robots.
      It’s
      horrible,
     
     
      alot
     
    

    
     
      of
      it.
      It
      seems
      like
     
     
      there’s
      music,
      and
     
     
      then
      there’s
      hip
      hop.
     
     
      People
     
    

    
     
      are
      stripping
      the
     
     
      musicality
      out
      of
      it
     
     
      altogether.”
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Buck
      plans
      to
      consider
     
     
      pushing
      hip
      hop
      to
      new
     
     
      limits.
      “There’s
      been
     
     
      times
      that
      I’ve
      seen
     
     
      biographies
      on
      TV
      on
     
     
      classical
      composers
      from
     
     
      way
     
    

    
     
      back,
      and
      the
      level
      of
     
     
      their
      musical
      inspiration
     
     
      and
      the
      things
      they
     
     
      created
      musically,
      to
      me,
     
     
      is
      almost
     
     
      incomprehensible.
      No
     
     
      one
      seems
      to
     
    

    
     
      put
      that
      much
      thought
      into
     
     
      making
      a
      piece
      of
      music
     
     
      anymore.
      |
      want
      to
     
    

    
     
      see
      hip
      hop
      be
      refined
     
     
      like
      classical
      music
      and
     
     
      I’ve
      fantasized
      about
     
     
      the
      idea
      of
      a
      symphony
      or
     
     
      something
      created
      all
     
     
      from
      sampling.
      Bit
      by
     
     
      bit
      I
      see
      people
      treading
     
     
      closer
      to
      that.
      Making
     
     
      masterpieces
      out
      of
     
     
      sampling,
      aseven
      minute
     
     
      song
      composed
      of
     
     
      hundreds
      of
      samples.
      I
     
     
      don’t
     
    

    
     
      have
      the
      means
      to
      do
     
     
      that,
      but
      I
      try
      to
     
     
      accomplish
      that
      with
     
     
      records.
     
    

    
     
      “Vertex”
      is
      just
      one
      body
     
    
   
   
    
     
      of
      work
      that
      is
      continually
     
     
      changing.
      So
      much
     
    

    
     
      can
      be
      done
      with
      the
     
     
      technique
      of
      sampling.
      In
     
     
      hip
      hop
      it
      went
      so
      far
     
    

    
     
      and
      people
      just
      grew
      out
     
     
      ofit.
      There’s
      so
      much
      you
     
     
      can
      do,
      and
      I’m
     
    

    
     
      just
      trying
      to
      push
      it
      as
      far
     
     
      as
      I
      can.”
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Buck
      65
      has
      anew
     
     
      release
      coming
      soon
      from
     
     
      San
      Francisco
      based
     
     
      Anticon
     
    

    
     
      Records.
      Entitled
      “Man
     
     
      Overboard,”
      it
      promises
     
     
      to
      continue
      where
     
     
      “Vertex”
      left
      off.
      You
      can
     
     
      find
      more
      information
     
     
      about
      Buck
      on
      his
     
     
      website:
     
     
      www.buck65.com
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Buck
      65
     
    

    
     
      Vertex
     
    

    
     
      Four
      Ways
      To
      Rock
     
     
      Records
     
    
   
   
    
     
      After
      dozens
      of
      listens,
      I
     
     
      think
      I
      figured
      out
      what
     
     
      this
      unorthodox
      hip
     
    

    
     
      hop
      mix
      is
      all
      about.
      The
      —
     
     
      whole
      world
      seems
      to
      be
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      against
      Buck
      in
     
     
      songs
     
     
      about
      the
     
     
      perverseness
      of
      our
     
     
      celebrity
      culture,
     
     
      beats
      when
      other
     
     
      rappers
      are
      trying
      to
     
     
      rip
      each
      other
      off,
      or
     
     
      having
      acrush
      ona
     
     
      waitress
      that
      he
      can’t
     
     
      express
      his
      love
      to.
     
     
      Throughout
      his
     
     
      battles
      in
     
     
      life
      he
      manages
      to
     
     
      keep
      his
      cool
      and
     
     
      remain
      an
      individual
     
     
      as
      is
      expressed
      in
      his
     
     
      trilogy
      of
      songs
     
     
      about
      a
      baseball
     
     
      game.
      As
      the
      story
      of
      the
     
     
      game
     
     
      develops
      his
      determination
     
     
      helps
      him
      win,
      and
      the
     
     
      album
      ends
      on
      a
      positive
     
     
      note
      with
      a
      song
      where
      he
     
     
      is
      ready
      to
      take
      on
      all
     
     
      challengers
      in
      rapping
     
     
      “Sunrise
      to
      dawn,
      From
     
     
      dawn
      to
      sunrise,
      For
      you
     
     
      to
      try
      battling
      me
      would
     
     
      be
      unwise.”
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Vertex
      is
      the
      most
     
     
      intelligent
      hip
      hop
      album
     
     
      ever
      made.
      It’s
      more
      than
     
     
      an
     
    

    
     
      album,
      it’s
      a
      work
      of
      art.
     
     
      Buck
      65
      avoids
      cliches
     
     
      and
      his
      approach
      to
     
    

    
     
      —
     
    

    
     
      hop
      is
      original,
      yet
      true
      to
     
     
      the
      spirit
      of
      rap
      that
      seems
     
     
      to
      be
      dying
      as
     
    

    
     
      of
     
    

    
     
      late.
      His
      lyrics
      are
     
     
      unforgettable
      and
      his
     
     
      samples
      creep
      with
     
     
      atmosphere
     
    

    
     
      like
      a
      David
      Lynch
      film.
     
     
      Find
      Vertex,
      buy
      it,
      and
     
     
      listen
      to
      it
      with
      the
     
     
      lights
      out.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      MacLeod
     
    
   
   
    
     
      2
      Marc
      MacDonald
     
     
      PORTS
      EDITOR
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Hip
      hop
      music
     
     
      in
      Canada
      needs
      a
     
     
      saviour.
      It
      is
      hard
      to
     
     
      believe
      that
      it
      was
      11
     
     
      years
      ago
      when
     
     
      Maestro
      Fresh
      Wes
     
     
      broke
      through
      and
     
     
      brought
      rap
      music
      to
      the
     
     
      national
      scene.
     
     
      Maestro’s
      first
      two
     
     
      albums
      were
      successful
     
     
      with
      songs
      receiving
     
     
      radio
      play,
      but
      rap
     
     
      music
      in
      Canada
      went
     
     
      back
      underground.
     
     
      Rap
      cats
      like
      Maestro,
     
     
      Michie
      Mee
      and
      the
     
     
      Dream
      Warriors
     
     
      continued
      to
      produce
     
     
      the
      music
      but
      it
      never
     
     
      reached
      the
      same
      level
     
     
      as
      “Drop
      the
      Needle”
     
     
      and
      “Let
      Your
     
     
      Backbone
      Slide.”
      Fast
     
     
      forward
      to
      the
      year
     
     
      2000
      and
      the
      number
     
     
      and
      talent
      of
      rappers
      in
     
     
      this
      country
      is
      the
     
     
      highest
      that
      its
      ever
     
     
      been.
      There
      are
      hip
     
     
      hop
      acts
      representing
     
     
      Toronto
      and
      Vancouver
     
     
      as
      well
      as
      other
      artists
      in
     
     
      smaller
      centers
      across
     
     
      the
      country.
      Despite
      the
     
     
      popularity
      and
      success
     
     
      ofrecent
      releases
      by
     
    
   
   
    
     
      ||
      Maestro
      and
      the
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Rascalz,
      many
     
    

    
     
      ||
      commercial
      radio
     
     
      stations
      across
      the
      land
     
     
      still
      refuse
      to
      play
      hip
     
     
      hop.
      Nowit’s
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Choclair’s
      turn
      to
      step
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Let’s
      Ride...
      With
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Choclair
     
    
   
   
    
     
      up
      to
      the
      plate.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      On
      the
      phone
      from
      the
      T
     
     
      dot
      O
      (Toronto)
      I
      hada
     
     
      chance
      to
      talk
      with
      Mr.
     
     
      Kareem
      Blake
      a.k.a.
     
     
      Choclair
      about
      his
      new
     
     
      album
      and
      hip
      hop
      in
     
     
      Canada.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Mare
      Mac
      Donald
     
    

    
     
      Ice
      Cold
      is
      the
      new
      album.
     
     
      Are
      you
      pleased
      with
      it’s
     
     
      success
      so
      far?
     
    

    
     
      Choclair
     
    

    
     
      Oh
      yeah,
      definitely.
      The
     
     
      album
      went
      gold
      faster
     
     
      than
      I
      thought
      it
      was
      going
     
     
      to
      go—I
      think
      faster
      than
     
     
      alot
      of
      people
      thoughtit
     
     
      would.
      And
      itis
      still
      doing
     
     
      real
      well
      in
      the
      stores.
      I
     
     
      think
      it
      is
      a
      blueprint
      for
     
     
      Virgin
      and
      for
      other
      major
     
     
      labels
      on
      how
      to
      make
     
     
      domestic
      hip
      hop
      artists
     
     
      do
      well.
      Itis
      definitely
     
    
   
   
    
     
      setting
      precedents
      around
     
     
      the
      nation.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      MM
      Do
      you
      think
      it,
      and
     
     
      hip
      hop
      and
      general,
     
     
      would
      do
      better
      if
     
     
      commercial
      radio
      stations
     
     
      gave
      it
      more
      air
      time?
     
     
      Choclair
      Oh
      yeah,
     
     
      because
      people
      would
     
     
      have
      been
      into
      ita
      lot
     
     
      more
      because
      it
      would
     
     
      have
      gotten
      more
      play.
     
     
      Those
      are
      still
      a
      lot
      of
      the
     
     
      challenges
      that
      we
      have
      to
     
     
      overcome.
      I’m
      still
      happy
     
     
      with
      its
      success
      and
      I
     
    
   
   
    
     
      think
      it’s
      showing
      the
     
    
   
   
    
     
      ar