Arts Community Dialogue

The First 50: Toronto's Hip Hop Architects

Warden's Office Hallway Talking Walls Exhibition

This event is part of We do it for the Culture: A Hip Hop at 50 Event Series / Hip-Hop Education Year 5 / Hip-Hop Education

The First 50: Toronto’s Hip Hop Architects
provides the following accessible services:

  • All gender accessible washroom

    All gender accessible washroom across the hall from the event.

Sep 22 – Mar 3, 2024
Jones Amare Au-Duke & Jeff ’Spade’ Duke, ”The First 50, 2023.” Image courtesy of the artists.

About

Hip Hop’s story in Toronto (the epicenter of the culture in Canada) begins as early as the mid-to-late 1970s. In neighbourhoods such as Jane/Finch, Flemingdon Park (Flemo), Regent Park and 400 (Scarborough), Toronto youth engaged with the elements (graffiti writing, breaking, deejaying, and emceeing) and curated expressions of the culture that uniquely represented the locales and multi-ethnic and multi-racial demographics of the city. College radio broadcasters who were eager to promote local and international Hip Hop, created community engaged platforms that became hubs for the scene’s growing pool of artists. Promoters hosted events that pit local talent against Hip Hop stars from the American market in ways that levelled the playing ground and honoured Toronto’s unique Hip Hop identity. Television broadcasters – acknowledging the growing interest in Hip Hop’s social and political value – created programming that elevated the scene to national and international visibility.

In the midst of Hip Hop’s momentous fiftieth anniversary, we have curated a list of 50 of the most influential figures of the Toronto Hip Hop scene (between the years 1980-2000) – with an added list of honourable mentions. While there are certainly more than 50 architects who have built Toronto’s scene and contributed to the culture’s impact across the globe, we believe that the time is ripe to recall the names (both of those who are commonly referenced, as well as those less familiar to the public) of the architects who cultivated the scene and shifted the needle and pulse of Hip Hop expression in Toronto, during its first three decades. Unlike many Hip Hop 50 lists, ours places practitioners alongside those who have worked in industries adjacent to Hip Hop artistry. We hope that “The First 50: Toronto’s Hip Hop Architects” generates conversation, a collective remembering and exchange about Toronto’s Hip Hop history, and inspires our city to see the value in preserving its individual and collective Hip Hop stories.

The First 50 Didactic

The exhibit didactic provides an explanation about the artists who where commissioned to develop The First 50 poster, and an overview is outlined in the about section above it. It also provides biographies of the two artists Jones Amore Au-Duke and Jeff 'Spade' Duke.
A smiling man with a forward-facing baseball cap on with the phrase 100 Miles on it.
Garie Miles Adamson, founder of fashion brand 100 Miles, 2023.
A bald-headed man with a serious demeanour and black rimmed glasses on his face.
Adrian Aitcheson, co-founder of fashion brand Too Black Guys, 2023.
A smiling man with short black locks.
Richard 2Rude Coombs, record producer and independent label owner (Rudimental Records), 2023.
A group of four men, two of whom are wearingforward-facing baseball caps, and one who is wearing his hair braided.
Baby Blue Soundcrew (Kid Kut, KLC, C-Boogie, and Singlefoot), a DJ and producer crew, 2023.
A smiling man with a goatee and black rimmed glasses wearing a short brim hat.
Craig Big C Mannix, music industry executive, 2023.
A group of four men, two of whom have their hair cut low to their head, and another whom has locks.
Brassmunk (S-Roc, Clip, May One 9, and Agile), a DJ and producer crew, 2023.
A man with a short moustache and round rimmed glasses.
Kareem Choclair Blake, emcee and independent label owner (Knee Deep Records), 2023.
Two men, one of whom is wearing locks and cuts in his eyebrows, and the second of whom is wearing a toque.
Citizen Kane (Jeff J-Spade/Spade Duke and Rob Blye Paris), an emcee duo and co-owners of independent record label Treehouse Records (with Spade also working as a b-boy, graffiti writer, and record producer), 2023.
A man who is wearing shoulder-length black locks.
Dalton Higgins, journalist, author, publicist and university instructor, 2023.
A man who has a short beard and is wearing shoulder-length black locks.
Daniel Dan-e-o Faraldo, emcee and actor, 2023.
A man with a serious expression and who is wearing a medium-length ponytail tied behind his head.
David Gordo Strickland, engineer, mixer, producer and DJ, 2023.
A man with a serious facial expression and who is wearing black sunglasses.
Devon Devon Martin, emcee, 2023.
A man with a short beard and who is wearing fairly large rimmed glasses.
Christian Little X/Director X Lutz, music video director, filmmaker and founder of Operation Prefrontal Cortex, 2023.
A man with a thin goatee and a sideways-facing baseball cap on.
DJ Power, DJ, music producer and co-founder of The Masterplan Show, 2023.
A man with a fairly heavy black beard and serious facial expression.
Adrien DJX King, radio host, mixshow DJ, event DJ and record producer, 2023.
Two men, one of whom has his eyes closed and is wearing a front-facing basebal cap, and the second of whom has a fairly heavy black beard and a baseball cap with the brim lifted high.
Dream Warriors (Louis “King Lou” Robinson and Frank Capital Q Allert), emcees, 2023.
A smiling man with a small goatee, a front-facing baseball cap with the letters DTS on it, and large headphones over his ears.
Dave DTS Clarke, DJ and co-founder of The Masterplan SHow, 2023.
A man with dark black hair, slightly raised eyebrows, and a serious facial expression.
Eugene Tam, founder of record store Play De Record, 2023.
A smiling man with a thin goatee and hair cut low to his head.
Farley Flex, artist manager, radio executive, and Canadian Idol judge, 2023.
A man with a fairly heavy beard, shoulder-length locks, and a toque on his head.
Noel Gadget Campbell, sound engineer, 2023.
Two men with short goatees, one of whom is wearing a baseball cap with the brim lifted, and the second of whom is wearing a knit toque.
Ghetto Concept (Kwajo Kwajo Cinquo Boateng, Lowell Dolo Frazer and Desmond Infinite Francis), emcees and independent record label owners (7 Bills Entertainment), 2023.
A man with a serious facial expression, short black locks, a goatee, and a New York Yankees baseball cap.
Desmond Infinite Francis, emcee, 2023.
A smiling man with his hair cut low and a very thin goatee.
Ivan Berry, co-founder of Beat Factory and manager, 2023.
A man with fairly thick eyebrows, a thin goatee, and a baseball cap with the brim turned to the side.
David Jellestone Carty, emcee and founder of independent label (Rex Entertainment), 2023.
A man with a faint smile, thin goatee, and an Oakland A’s baseball cap on.
John Jonbronski Adams, writer, music editor, co-founder of The Masterplan Show, music executive, and filmmaker, 2023.
A man with a serious facial expression and a thick black beard and black eyebrows.
Jonathan Ramos, music executive and event promoter, 2023.
A man with a serious facial expression, slightly raised eyebrows, a medium sized goatee, and a forward-facing baseball cap.
Shawn K-4ce Morrison, emcee and creator of the term T-Dot, 2023.
Two men with serious facial expressions, one of whom has his hair in short twists, and the other of whom has his hair slightly grown out.
Main Source members Kevin K-Cut McKenzie and Shawn Sir Scratch McKenzie, DJs and producers, 2023.
A man with a seemingly angry expression and a match hanging out of his mouth - which is encircled with a thin goatee - as a cigarette would.
Jason Kardinal Offishall Harrow, emcee, record producer, DJ, and record executive, 2023.
A man with his black hair peaking out from under his forward-facing baseball cap.
Andrew Kish/Big Kish Kishino, emcee, record producer, and voice actor, 2023.
A man with a medium sized goatee on his face and a two line design shaved into the front of his hairline to create a Hip Hop hairstyle.
Wesley Maestro Fresh Wes Williams, emcee, record producer, actor, and author, 2023.
A smiling man with a medium sized goatee and shoulder-length black locks.
Tony Master T Young, television and radio personality and urban music promoter, 2023.
A man with a serious facial expression, a low-cut hairstyle, and a very faint goatee.
Paul Mastermind Parhar, radio DJ and on-air personality, mixtape DJ, and music program director, 2023.
A man with a medium-heavy beard, large rimmed glasses, and a toque on his head.
Lyndon Mathematik Dash, emcee, DJ and record producer, 2023.
A man with a medium sized moustache and a single line design shaved into the front of his hairline to create a Hip Hop hairstyle.
Richard Maximum 60 Rodwell, co-owner of Beat Factory Productions, music executive and television composer, 2023.
A woman with a fairly serious facial expression, nose-piercing on the right hand side, and wavy shoulder-length hair.
Melissa MelBoogie Langley, radio host, mixshow format and event DJ, and tour DJ, 2023.
A man with a large smile (with his teeth showing), a medium-sized moustache, and wavy hair cut into a short hairstyle.
Michael Williams, television personality and radio show host, 2023.
A woman with dark lipstick and smile with her teeth showing, as well as flowing shoulder-length hair.
Michele Geister, creator and producer of RapCity, media consultant, climate activist, gaming app co-creator, 2023.
A woman and man - the man with a serious facial expression and short square hat on his head, the woman with an ear-length hair cut, light highlights in her hair, a nose piercing, and medium-sized earrings.
Michie Mee & LA Luv (Michelle Michie Mee McCullock - an emcee and actor - and Phillip LA Luv Gayle - a DJ), 2023.
A smiling woman (with teeth showing), large hoop earrings, and a head wrap on her head.
Wendy Motion Brathwaite, emcee, screenwriter, spoken word poet, activist, and co-founder of The Masterplan Show, 2023.
A man with a serious facial expression, a medium-sized goatee, and a short hairstyle with his hair in twists.
Patrick Nichols, photographer, 2023.
A man with quizzical face, a small-sized afro hairstyle, round and black rimmed glasses, and large headphones over his ears.
Ron Nelson, DJ, broadcaster, event promoter, producer, and course instructor, 2023.
Two men, one of whom has a short hair cut and his left eyebrow raised, and the second of whom has a slight smile and a hair cut that is fairly low.
Rumble & Strong (David MC Rumble Morgan - an emcee - and Jason DJ Jam on Strong Charbonneau - a DJ), 2023.
A man with shoulder-length black locks and a visor (with a Canadian flag on it) hanging over his right eye.
Karl Amani Saukrates Wailoo, emcee, vocalist, record producer, and co-founder of independent label Capitol Hill Music, 2023.
A man with a fairly serious facial expression and a baseball cap with the brim pointed to the side.
Sheldon Solitair Pitt, emcee, record producer, and co-founder of independent of label and production team Black Jays, 2023.
A man with very short haircut, and a very faint goatee on his face.
Mark Starting From Scratch Gagnon, event, radio, and tour DJ, 2023.
A woman with a slight smile (teeth showing), small hoops in her ears, and a short hairstyle with her hair in locks.
Tara Chase, emcee, 2023.
A group of four men, two of whom are wearing baseball caps, a third of whom is wearing gazelle-like Hip Hop glasses and a duckbill hat, and the fourth of whom is wearing a hat that looks like a fez.
The Get Loose Crew (Kory MC Shadow Neely, Len Mix-Master Len Grant-Stuart, Chris DJ Jel Jackson, and Carl B Kool Badwa), emcee and DJ crew, 2023.
A man with a fairly serious facial expression, a very small beard on his chin, and baseball cap slightly turned right.
Christopher Thrust France, emcee, 2023.
A man with a fairly heavy black beard and locks that are tucked underneath a black headwrap.
Kevin Wio-K Coley, emcee, 2023.

Exhibition Poster

The First 50. Toronto’s Hip-Hop Artists. Poster courtesy of Jones Amare Au-Duke & Jeff ’Spade’ Duke.

Hip-Hop Artists

Poster Artists

Event Metadata

Event Ended

  • Date: Fri, Sep 22, 2023
  • Time & Duration: (all day) (164 days)
  • Cost:

    • All

      FREE

  • Venue:
    Hart House
    7 Hart House Cir,
    Toronto, ON M5S 3H3
    View Map
  • Room: Warden's Office Hallway
  • Event Contact: .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)

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