LEO37

Artist Information
Biography"Lyricist, turntablist, label co-owner and creator of magnitude." (Rokon Magazine - Seoul) 

In only 5 years of work, prairie-born LEO37 (née Leo Shia) has managed to amass a resume that boasts accolades and accomplishments comparable to most industry veterans – and he’s done so independently.  2 solo albums, 2 digital releases, numerous studio collaborations and hundreds of performances in packed houses through 11 countries: it would appear that independence isn’t such a bad thing.

Beginning his involvement in music early on with organ lessons at the age of 8 and trumpet and drums shortly thereafter, it wouldn’t be until he got his 16 year old hands on a set of turntables that his part-time hobby mutated into full-blown obsession.  With the opportunity to both expand on his career and pursue a higher education, Leo relocated to Toronto in 2001 where he earned a degree from Ryerson University's prestigious Radio and Television Arts Program while also finding himself on stage and in studio with some of the city's most acclaimed jazz, folk, pop and hip-hop artists, including Christine Bougie (Ronley Teper), Dafydd Hughes (Esthero & Feist) and Soliva.  

In late 2004, following a mad season in the UK, Leo recorded Winter, his debut release on PPF House.  Met with rave response, the 7-track EP sold out of its initial pressing in just under a month and received a nomination for Best Hip-Hop Album at the 2005 Toronto Independent Music Awards.  This was followed a year later with Summer, a full length offering which traded in Winter's digital soundscapes for a live band made up of some of Canada's biggest jazz heavyweights.  "From jazz to rock...disco to drum and bass...the point [of Summer] is positivity, but there's also an emphasis on pushing musical boundaries." (The Star Phoenix - Saskatoon)

Since then, Leo’s gone on to release: Applause (2009) – with fellow prairie-born/Toronto-based producer, Sunclef; Icarus (2010) – with PPF House’s resident noisemakers, the Worst Pop Band Ever; executive produced and performed on the label compilation PPF House Basement Suite (2007) -- that was declared "...one of the most original sounds in Canada." by Exclaim! – as well as toured through Canada, the U.S., the U.K., the Netherlands, 7 countries through South East Asia and has been a featured guest at the: TD Canada Trust Toronto Jazz Festival, Ottawa Jazz Festival, Wreckhouse International Jazz & Blues Festival, Sasktel Saskatchewan Jazz Festival, Spring Scream (Taiwan) and NXNE.  "...skilled flow and massive stage presence... Even the people chatting in the back of the room had to stand up and take notice when Leo grabbed the mic." (+886 Magazine – Taipei)

Now back in studio, Leo’s preparing his yet to be titled follow-up to Summer with Toronto-based producer/multi-instrumentalist, John Poon due out Spring 2011. 

Having shared the stage with an eclectic mix of artists ranging from Del the Funky Homosapien to the Bad Plus, Tittsworth to Aloe Blacc, and drawing inspiration from the careers of artists like Miles Davis, the Soulquarians, the Native Tongues, Radiohead and Bjork, LEO37 strives for forward-thinking, content-driven music with a thick groove.  Be it as a solo performer, a producer or a turntablist, his range is deep and diverse, offering forth a smart, danceable and utterly unique soundtrack for our times.  

InstrumentationLEO37 - Emcee/DJ/Producer
Sunclef - Producer/Bass

Previous tour and album contributors: 
Banks, Chris                        - Bass
Bougie, Christine                  - Guitar
DaCosta, Justin (Mr. Blends)- Emcee
Hughes, Daffydd                  - Keys
Martin, Amery (Abyss)          - Emcee
McIntosh, Richard (RAM!)    - Emcee/Producer
Shia, Howie (S.Pop)            - Producer
Shia, Tim (Bok Sau)              - Drums/Producer
Trask, Jordan                      - Drums
Vincent DePaul, Shan          - Emcee
Zubeck, Nick                        - Guitar/Vocals/Producer
Discography2010
- LEO37 - Icarus - Writer, Producer, Performer

2009
- LEO37 + Sunclef - Applause - Writer, Performer

2007
- VARIOUS ARTISTS - PPF Basement Suite - Writer, Producer, Performer

2006
- LEO37 - Summer - Writer, Producer, Performer
- Worst Pop Band Ever - Thanks For Coming Out - Turntablist
- Urban Mythology - Cultural Cannibalism - Guest Writer/Performer on 'Good Morning' 

2005
- LEO37 - Winter - Writer, Producer, Performer
- Various Artists - Songs from the Bridge City - Compilation featuring 'Work it Out' from 'Winter'
Links

http://www.ppfhouse.com

Facebook

MySpace

Twitter

Bandcamp

The "Bitter-Sweet" of EMINEM

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An only child of English, German, Swiss, and Polish ancestory, Marshall Bruce Mathers III was born on October 17th, 1972 in St. Joseph Missouri, where his father abandoned the family after a year--leaving he and his mother to live in poverty.

At the age of 12, they moved to Warren, Michigan near Detroit, where Mathers became interested in hip hop after buying the Beastie Boys album Licenced to lll.

Two years later, Mathers was performing amateur raps under the pseudonym "M&M", while also competing in free style rap battles at East Detroit's Osborn Highschool, where he would eventually drop out at age 17.

Upon joining the group "Soul Intent" and recording an extended play track called 'Steppin Onto The Scene', Mathers broke off to compete in more freestyle rap sessions, where he won numerous awards and gained approval of underground hip hop audiences.

It was also during these early, lean years that Mathers worked minimum wage jobs as a cook and dishwasher to support both his mother and young daughter Hailie,while honing his rap style and chasing his dream of wealth.

Before finally signing with FBT Productions in 1992, he lost his maternal uncle Ronnie Nelson to a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head, which devistated Mathers...who was close to his uncle.

While Mathers did manage to realease his debut album Infinite a few years later, its content often described his own life struggles raising a daughter, being broke, and abusing drugs, often to fight off depression and insomnia.

Shortly after the album's release, Mathers survived his own un-successful suicide attemt, which may have been the sling shot that launched him into better times...better yet--super stardom!

In 1998,record producer Dr. Dre signed Mathers to his 'Aftermath Entertainment' label, and they both began recording tracks for Eminem's first, major label album called "The Slim Shady LP".

In 1999, 'The Slim Shady LP' won a Grammy Award for 'Best Rap Album', as Billboard Magazine called it "light years ahead of any material Eminem has written so far"!

His next album, "The Marshall Matthews LP" became the fastest selling solo album in United States history, allowing Mathers his own label Shady Records, and his own group project "D12".

The Marshall Mathers LP and his third album, "The Eminem Show" also won Grammy's , making Eminem the first rap artist ever to win best album three strait years.

He also won another 'Best Album' Grammy in 2010 for "Relapse", giving Eminem a total of 11 career Grammy Awards!

In early 2003, I was working at the Mercado shopping center in Santa Clara, California not far from the AMC theater complex, where a huge crowd of teenage movie-goers packed the entire parking lot in long lines...all to see one of the first showings of a movie called 8-Mile!

It was nothing short of  a mob scene!  I later found out it starred the latest rap superstar Eminem...who, I admit I knew very little about...except that his popularity was capturing the imaginations of millions!

A week later, I saw "8-Mile" and truly enjoyed Eminem's only major film role.(He's appeared in a few more...and various TV shows including 'Entourage')

Wouldn't you know it, Mathers won an Academly Award for 'Best Original Song' for "Lose Yourself", who's lyrics portrayed him as the lead man, also growing up poor in urban Detroit with a single mom, troubled romances, depression, and a desire to prove himself as a star rapper--which he achieved in the film, and, of course....in real life!

"Lose Yourself'" went on to become the longest running #1 hip hop single ever recorded, and it led Mathers to take a breather from making records for a few years.

Then, in 2009 his successful release of the album "Relapse" awarded him the 'Best Music Artist of the Decade on theUS Nielsen SoundScan which also recognized Mathers as selling more than 80-million albums worldwide!

In 2010, he released his seventh studio album called "Recovery", which became his sixth consecutive number-one album in the U.S. achieving international, commercial success in several other countries, and stayed on top of the U.S. Billboard 200 chart for five consecutive weeks.

Throughout his career, Mathers has also been in the midst of controversy and criticism, mostly regarding terse lyrical references directed at stars like 'Michael Jackson', 'Mariah Carey', 'Christina Aguilera', and even the President of the United States,('George Bush')...who had the F.B.I. ready to interrogate Eminem for song lyrics implying his preference for a dead president!

However, despite the fact Mathers has never avoided pushing the envelope to its max, he's always performed in strait-up fashion-- in his life experiences, in his clear, intense, and inspiring lyrics, and, finally...with his own distinct and entertaining style!.

It's not hard to wonder why Vibe magazine labeled 'Eminem' the greatest rapper alive in 2008, while VH-1 has him ranked 79th on their Top 100 artists of all time list---just a slim shade better than Rolling Stone magazine's ranking of 82nd all time! 

Thanks so much, and make sure to catch Eminem on Streetwise Radio's BIG HOP!!

Sincerely,

PeteCam4 

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"Ne-Yo"...a fabulous song writer!

Image by Getty Images via @daylife

' 

Ne-Yo' is only 30-years old, but he's already established himself as one of the elite song writers on the American pop and R and B scene.

Born with the name Shaffer Chimere Smith, 'Ne-Yo' is also an accomplished singer, record producer, rapper, and film actor.  However, it's as a song writer that he's collaborated with and written songs for a virtual who's who of superstars, including 'Mary J. Blige', 'B2K', 'Faith Evans', 'The Goo Goo Dolls', 'Rihanna', 'Beyonce Knowles', 'Leona Lewis', 'Whitney Houston', Celine Dion', 'Ciara', 'Enrique Iglesias', and 'Linsay Lohan'.

Ne-Yo's parents, both musicians, split up when he was a toddler, and it was his mother, of African American and Chinese descent who moved the family from Arkansas to Las Vegas, Nevada.

There, Ne-Yo joined a four-piece band called 'Envy', which broke up in 2000, after which he recorded his first solo album with 'Columbia Records'.

But, he was dropped from their label prior to its release, and that's when singer 'Marques Houston' snapped up one of Ne-Yo's tracks called "My Girl", and re-recorded it for his own 2003 album "MH".

This got him noticed, and for the next two years Ne-Yo wrote songs for many top stars.  His single "Let Me Love You" performed by American star 'Mario', topped the 'Billboard Top-100 list for nine weeks!

It's been an uphill climb from there!  'Def Jam Records' president 'Jay-Z' quickly signed him to his label, and in early 2006 Ne-Yo recorded his debut album "In My Own Words"....with hit singles "So Sick", "When You're Mad", and "Sexy Love" all making the 'Billboard Top-100'.

Next came his sophomore LP "Because of You", followed by last year's "Year Of The Gentleman", an album from which Ne-Yo infers that the essence of a gentleman is absent right now in the music business.

"Everybody's kind of rude and full of themselves, whereas a gentleman is couirteous, kind, and charming", he says.

This charming gentleman's latest album "Libra Scale" is due out in October, with the opening single "Beautiful Monster" having already been released this past May.

Ne-Yo's acting career features two movie roles in the 2007 films "Save the Last Dance 2", and "Stomp the Yard", with three other projects planned for later this year and in 2011.

As for the unusial name Ne-Yo, it was coined by producer 'Big D Evans', who claimed that Ne-Yo sees music the same way that 'Neo" sees the matrix. 

Evans kept calling him Ne-Yo, along with everyone else....and the name stuck! So have all of Ne-Yo's fantastic songs and lyrics.

Thanks, and be sure to log on to Streetwise Radio, on www.Streetwisesd.com  

Sincerely, PeteCam4

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Rock The Bells August 22 – SF – Shoreline Amphitheatre

Wyclef Jean Running For President Of Haiti

Image via Wikipedia

Wyclef Jean Running For President Of Haiti

Wyclef Jean a Haitian-American recording artist, record producer and politician. Is running for President of Haiti he announced it on Tuesday August 3, 2010. Wyclef is running against his uncle former ambassador of the United States, this should make for good family conversation around the dinner table.

I think Wyclef is needed in Haiti, he won’t in my opinion take advantage of the people like the past Presidents of Haiti. He has always been for the people and about the people of Haiti. Like his song says “If I were President I’d get elected on Friday, assassinated on Saturday, buried on Sunday, then go back to work on Monday”. If this is a man who believes in a cause, then I have not seen one in my life time. The election is on November 28, 2010, this will be historic.  I truly hope the Haitian people, elect him President it will be good for Haiti. .

http://www.csmonitor.com/World/Global-News/2010/0804/Wyclef-Jean-president-of-Haiti-He-s-officially-running-now

http://s0.ilike.com/play#Wyclef+Jean:President:358223:s50749858.15714927.43549307.0.2.71%2Cstd_92e6de31614241d29a42f7186910f7ae

LM

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Image via Wikipedia

Mary J. Blige


Mary J. Blige was a artist that I didn’t particularly like when she firstcame on the music scene. To me she didn’t really have the chops, she sung off key to me. Her live performances really sucked, I saw hear perform on
the Grammy awards in 1997 she sung “Not Gon’ Cry” she was so off key I couldn’t stand it.

Mary J. was the second of four children her mother was a nurse and her father was a jazz musician. Mary J’s father taught her to sing, he should have given her voice lessons. Mary J. signed with Uptown record when she
was 17 years old, but her singing career consists of back ground vocals.

Mary J’s first debut was in the summer of 1992 on MTV, "What’s the 411?" album was released. “You Remind Me” was her first single it was alright, it sounded better on the radio, but it was something about her voice. When
Sean “Puffy” Combs hailed her as “the queen of hip-hop soul” I said really! Mary J used to be a Information Directory operator, that’s how "What’s the 411?", album came about. Her second album “My Life” was more painful and real, I don’t mean the singing but the lyrics in the songs,
like “Not Gon’ Cry”, “I’ll Be there For You” and “My Life”. Mary J later admitted that she dealing with a abusive relationship with boyfriend Ci Hailey of Jodeci, drug addiction, alcoholism and depression.

Mary J won her first Grammy Award for Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group for platinum single “I’ll Be There For You","You’re All I Need to Get
By”,  with Method Man. Mary J’s third album Share My World had five hit singles “Love Is All We Need” (featuring Nas), “I Can Love You”( featuring Lil’ Kim), “Everything”, Missing You”(UK only) and “Seven Days.” Mary J won a American Music Award for “Favorite Soul/R&B Album.”

I started liking Mary J Blige when her last six albums came out “Mary”,“No More Drama”, “Love & Life”, “Breakthrough”, “Growing Pains” and “Stronger with Each Tear”. Mary J won me over. Mary J’s will always be apart of history, with her performance at the Presidential Inauguration
Celebration performing “Lean on Me” and “Just Fine” was inspiring. Mary J Blige’s is a singer, producer, songwriter, actress and rapper. I can say since she has paid her dues she can be crowned the Queen of Hip-Hop.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mary_J._Blige

LM

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"Nicki Minaj"-- EYE CANDY and an EAR-FULL of talent!

If looks could kill, then 'Nicki Minaj' would be hard to live around, but, in fact....she's extremely difficult not to look at, having captured the sharp notice of rap enthusiasts, and music fans throughout America!

Still shy of releasing her first album, this Afro and Indo-Trinidadian beauty has still managed to liven up 'My Space' and 'You Tube' with sexy photos of her voluptuous body, and samples of a unique singing talent that has quickly vaulted Minaj to the top of the rap world.

Born 25 years ago in Jamaica Queens, New York, Onika Tanya Maraj grew up with an abusive, drug addict father who once tried to kill her mother by setting the house on fire.  After that, Nicki vowed to give her mom strength by proclaiming, "If I'm successful, I can change her life!"  By studying singing and acting, and then graduating from La Guardia High School in Manhattan, Minaj changed her own  life as well....forever.

First working as an administrative assistant, Minaj dedicated all her free time to music, and in 2004 she began singing background vocals and hooks for local rappers.  However, she wanted to "stand out" more than the average dime-a dozen female singer, so Minaj began writing and performing her own raps.

Upon branching out on 'My Space', "Dirty Money" CEO 'Fendi' noticed and signed her to appear on his label, and his new DVD "The Come Up'.  Soon afterward, rapper 'Lil Wayne' called 'Fendi' and negotiated a meeting with Nicki, who won him over with a fresh style and her independent writing ability.

As the new face of his "Young Money" label, Lil Wayne and Minaj cut mix tape style remakes of tracks such as "Sunshine", "Big Spender", and "Higher Than a Kite".

In 2007, Nicki released her own mixtape called "Playtime is Over' where she posed as a 'Barbie' doll on the cover.  Then, in 2008, she put out a controversial mixed CD called "Sucka Free" which paid tribute to fellow rapper 'Lil Kim'....with Nicki pictured spreading her legs on promotional posters.

She also appeared in that year's July issue of 'XXL' magazine, and won 'Female Artist of The Year' at the "Underground Music Awards'. She would eventually receiver six 'BET Award' nominations in 2010.

Meanwhile, two other mixtapes "Beam Me Up Scotty", and "Barbie" followed before Minaj finally released her first single called "Massive Attack" this past April.  This exotically performed song is produced by 'Sean Garrett' and 'Alex Da Kid', and includes a cameo appearance by 'Amber Rose'. 

Its music video was shot in the desert near Lancaster, California, and has already premiered on BET.

"Massive Attack" will head up Minaj's much anticipated debut album, set for release this summer.  The album was scheduled for release three months ago, but Minaj didn't want to rush it, for quality's sake.

"I'm a perfectionist, and I want this buzz to surpass everyone's expectations, especially those who support me.  I don't want to disappoint them", she says.

Minaj's musical style is heavily influenced by 'Lauryn Hill', and 'Natasha Bedingfield', as well as the unpredictable rhymes of 'Missy Elliott'....and,  the sexually charged attitudes of 'Lil Kim' and 'Foxy Brown'.  She's also cited 'Jada Pinkett Smith' as a motivator for her desire to eventually become an actress.

As far as image goes, the Nicki Minaj of today seems to want to tone things down a bit, as opposed to the earlier "look at me" style of grabbing everyone's attention. "I think it's important for people to get accustomed to seeing the female rapper again.  I'm not sure where I fit into that spectrum yet, as I'm still trying to prove myself", she says.

"Before, people thought of me as a sex symbol or a wanna be sex symbol, but I don't want people thinking I'm up here trying to be cute;  I'm here to entertain, and entertaining is a lot more than exuding sex appeal.  I think watching someone try to be sexy is "wack", Minaj explains. 

"I'm trying to just show my true personality.  When I was in elementary school, I had a teacher who would stand up on a desk and just whisper, as we all turned around wondering what this lunatic was doing.  But, she achieved what she wanted!  She wanted us to stop talking and listen!"

"That is why I need to mellow things down, so people can really listen what I have to say", explains Minaj.

Somehow I don't think it will matter whether she's sitting down, standing on a table, dancing on stage, singing in a dessert, sitting by a pool, or basking on a beach, Rap audiences and audiences everywhere will all take time to watch, and listen...to NICKI MINAJ!

Thanks, and listen up for Nicki Minaj on Streetwise Radio's "Big Hop"

Sincerely, PeteCam4

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