Presented by Toronto Music Entrepreneurship Exchange (ToMEE) and Hart House Hip Hop Education
About
In 1989, Hip Hop artist Queen Latifah released her feminist anthem titled “Ladies First” where she detailed the power of women and their ability to take the lead, innovate, and stand in the certainty of their talents and abilities as they carved out their own unique pathways in the world. In a moderated conversation featuring powerhouse women Tinesha Richards-Morris (Manifesto, 925 Agency), Annalie Bonda (The Remix Project, Golly Geng), Tara Chase (solo emcee and member of The Circle) and Keysha Freshh (solo emcee and member of The Sorority), attendees will learn about the role women have and continue to play in Canada’s music and arts landscape, and how they are working to shape the industry’s future while simultaneously transforming its current moment. Students will have the opportunity to network with key figures in Canada’s music and music business industry; learn how to navigate the barriers inherent in the nation’s music industry as its future entrepreneurs and leaders; and dialogue on the role of gender as it intersects with subjects such as leadership, arts and technology, entrepreneurship, self-management, and the landscape of music business, law and contracts.
This event is presented as part of U of T Entrepreneurship Week 2024.
Light refreshments will be served.
Panelists
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Tinesha Richards-Morris
Tinesha Richards-Morris is the former Managing Director and interim Executive Director for Manifesto. While studying at the University of Guelph-Humber, she was introduced to the non-profit creative world. Since then she has combined her two passions Event Production and Community Building and has worked with SHADE Comedy Festival, AfroChic Toronto, Flaws of Couture International Pop-ups, Piece of Mine Festival, and in her former capacity, led the Manifesto team to produce the organization's largest show to date at the iconic Budweiser Stage. With over five years of event production under her belt, she is a self-proclaimed “Olivia Pope”-type, that can fix, or handle, any issue thrown her way. Tinesha now runs her own company, 925 Agency.
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Annalie Bonda
An advocate for social change, Annalie Bonda is the former Executive Director of the internationally recognized and award winning, The Remix Project. She is a passionate leader skillfully combining business acumen and partnerships to steward connections; elevating creative youth in their professional careers while building and maintaining safe community spaces.
Annalie is also the Label Manager for the newly formed Golly Geng Inc.; an independent record label and artist management company, currently representing the Toronto/Los Angeles-based artist Idman. The company is majority BIPOC owned and operated, with a dedication to elevating and representing artists from marginalized communities.
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Tara Chase
Tara Chase was born and raised in the borough of Côte-des-Neiges in Montreal, Quebec. At the age of 10, she began exploring hip hop culture through breakdancing and writing raps, and by age 14, she had performed her first public rap at a school dance. It was around this time that she also met DJ Genius (Jeremy Harding), a local DJ/producer who taught her about mic control and writing (and would later manage Sean Paul and produce for Beenie Man, Sean Paul, and Elephant Man). Shortly thereafter, Chase joined the Eye Spy crew with DJ Majess, Friday (Ricky Dred), and Mister Phayze – assuming the rap name Scooby. Together, they opened for numerous US acts including House of Pain, The Roots, and Mobb Deep. After completing college, Tara relocated to Toronto to further her education and pursue her music career.
Once in Toronto, she ditched her old rap name and began using her birth name instead. After connecting with local producer DRK and performing in Honey Jam, Tara later connected with the Hip Hop crews F.O.S. (Figures of Speech) – made up of artists such as Kardinal Offishal, YLooK, Marvel, and Anthem Vandal – as well Paranormal – which included artists such as Choclair, KC Thomas, Ro Dolla, and DJ Supreme. She would go on to record music with members of both crews – including her first release on Choclair’s “Just a Second (Remix)”. Both crews would eventually merge to form The Circle (which consisted of Kardinal Official, Saukrates, YLooK, Jully Black, Choclair, Marvel, Solitair, and Ro Dolla).
In 1997, Tara released her first solo recording “Autonomy” on Beat Factory’s Rap Essentials vol 2. – which made history as the first music video by a female Canadian artist to be played on BET and led to a Canadian Urban Music Award for Best Female Hip Hop Single in 1998. Featured on Kardinal’s first two albums, Tara has also recorded with Nasri (of the band Magic), Motion, Apani B Fly, Rascalz, IRS, Marco Polo ft. Arcee, Divo, Eternia, Ricky J, and Shabazz the Disciple. In addition to music, Tara has also worked as an actor (CBC’s Drop The Beat), a guest co-host (Much Music’s Rap City and NBA XL), and voice over actor. Making one last attempt at music, she would go on to join a female rap group named Crew Girl (that included Michie Mee and Angel Duss and was backed by Chuck D). She eventually left the group to complete her studies – and has since graduated from Centennial College (in industrial microbiology) and the University of Toronto (obtaining an Honours Bachelor of Science) and pursued a career in the health sector. Currently serving as Senior Solutions Designer at McKesson Canada, Tara still writes and records for her own pleasure and is not opposed to dusting off the pen for the right project.
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Keysha Freshh
MC, Songwriter, and Educator
Dubbed “Hip Hops kid sister”, Keysha Freshh blends everything you love about the 90’s with everything you appreciate about Hip Hop. Born in Toronto, Keysha found a love for hip hop spending summers in NYC. She was exposed to the culture at an early age, listening to mixtapes her cousins would have. Keysha had her first song published when she was 5 years old, the song was titled “Summers coming” and she has been performing ever since. Keysha performed her first written rap, at the age of 12 while she was a member of the Toronto Children Concert Choir.
After expressing her desire to record music to hit maker and super-producer T-Minus (credits: Lil Wayne, Drake, Nicki Minaj) he referred Keysha to a local studio and she recorded her first song “Pardon my swag”. In 2009, Keysha then went on to record her very first official single “Hollywood Fresh”, which received rave reviews and radio play across North America. Keysha was the youngest female Hip Hop artist to have 3 songs in rotation on 93.5FM (then Flow 93.5) which, at the time was Canadas leading urban radio station. The remix to “Hollywood Freshh” soon followed featuring Gunna (who also produced the beat) and Hip Hop artist MIMS (This is why I’m hot). MIMS along with Hip Hop legend Doug E Fresh also appear in the music video for “Hollywood Fresh”.
After the success of her first single, she has recorded 1 demo project, 3 mixtapes, 4 EP’s 1 collab album (All The Wrong Places; Pearls and bones one group album (Pledge; The Sorority) and 1 solo Album. Keysha has shared stages with artist such as; Joey Bad a$$, Miguel, Drake, Snoop Dogg, Jidenna, The Internet, DVSN, Main Source, Dan Hill, MC Lyte, Smif-N-Wessun, A TRAK, Cassidy, Ghostface and many more. Keysha has since worked with artist such as Maestro Fresh Wes, Saukrates, King Reign, Ray Robinson, MIMS, Doug E Fresh, Diamond D, Geechi Suede of Camp Lo and more.
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