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“ They’ve yet to see the power of the people—but it’s coming.” ASHLEY CALLINGBULL: ENOCH CREE NATION MRS. UNIVERSE DEMANDS JUSTICE FOR MISSING AND MURDERED INDIGENOUS WOMEN
ACTIVISM CONTINUES
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SKIP MARLEY AND CEDELLA MARLEY ON HOW RHYTHM MATCHED WITH RIGHTOUSNESS CONTINUE BOB MARLEY'S GOOD FIGHT
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THE MUSICIAN AND ENTREPRENEUR TALKS MENTORSHIP, MINDFULNESS, AND MEDITATION FOR A GENRATION IN FLUX
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FROM NIGERIAN SUYA TO JOLLOF RICE, CHEF MERCH DISHES OUT AFRICAN BARBECUE WITH LOVE
PUBLISHER'S NOTE
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PUBLISHER’S NOTE I S S U E N º 3 — J U LY 2 0 2 0
KINDMAGAZINE.CA
THE CANNABIS INDUSTRY MUST MAKE AMENDS
PUBLISHER & CEO Joshua Nagel
It’s an important moment for kind magazine, as we dedicate this issue to the social injustice movements and the role of cannabis in the time of civil unrest around the globe. The time has come for us all to do better and we stand in solidarity with all those fighting for equality. We are proud and honoured to feature the likes of Ashley Callingbull, Annamaria Enenajor, Mustafa El Amin, Skip Marley, Cedella Marley, Zach Zoya, Haley Smalls and many other incredible Canadian and international lights that are shining and leading the way in raising awareness, making an impact and creating change—a change, yes, for the betterment of society in general. But also for real situations and real people, right now. We would like to thank Chris Nicholls, one of Canada’s premier portrait photographers, who donated his entire fee to WINhouse, Ashley Callingbull’s charity of choice dedicated to helping Edmonton’s victims of domestic abuse. And of course, we want to thank you, our readers, and encourage each of you to carry with you kindness, empathy, and understanding as we collectively work through this turbulent year. Cannabis is a plant that brings people together and that connects us through music, food, laughter, adventure, wellness and—most importantly—love. There is so much about cannabis that’s kind— but especially the resilient and wonderful people that carry tremendous voices. Let’s use these to fight for what’s right; for reparations and for systemic change.
HEAD OF OPERATIONS/ PRODUCTION DIRECTOR Vanessa Dumais DESIGN DIRECTOR Kyle Nielsen LEAD DESIGN Brenna Preston LEAD PHOTOGRAPHER Tyler Anderson ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR Jenn Sanasie
As the late great Bob Marley sang; One Love, One Heart.
TEAM KIND
ASSISTANT EDITOR Madison Makepeace
SPOTLIGHT CONTRIBUTORS: Soko Fotohaus: Edmonton-based photographer, Soko has frequently photographed protests by Idle No More and Black Lives Matter. His work can be seen at sokofotohaus.smugmug.com. Mariah Callingbull: Professional hairstylist and makeup artist, her credits include Fashion magazine and Nike. She also works with the National Inquiry into Murdered and Missing Indigenous Women and Girls. To follow her on Instagram, see @IndigenousIronWoman.
CONTRIBUTORS: Ashley Callingbull Mariah Callingbull Philip Cheung Paul Dipp Annamaria Enenajor Magdalena Garneau Jake Graham
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Ben Kaplan
Candice Hutchings Heather Loduca Chris Metler Eric Moniz Barbara Olson Oscar Picazo Soko Fotohaus
KIND COLUMNISTS Nicholas Araya – Everything Cannabis Chef Merch – Food, Drink & Music Jacqui Childs – Love & Advocacy Madison Makepeace – Nutrition Jen Newton – Woman & Weed Joshua Ostroff – Gaming & Tech Elias Theodorou – Health & Wellness Karina Vee – Health & Fitness Room + Wild – Travel & Adventure SOCIAL MEDIA Room + Wild DIGITAL Reflektor Digital For advertising inquiries, please contact advertising@kindmagazine.ca
COVER STORY CONTRIBUTORS: Photography: Chris Nicholls Art Direction & Wardrobe: Randy Smith Hair & Make-up: Sabrina Rinaldi at P1M Post-Production: Lorca Moore
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CANNABIS AMNESTY
T H E A M BITION OF JU S TICE IN T HE C A N N ABIS SPACE B Y A N N A M A R I A E N E N A J O R P H O T O G R A P H B Y T Y L E R A N D E R S O N
Why cannabis convictions in this country call out for an immediate redress
The Campaign for Cannabis Amnesty is dedicated to making sure that historical wrongs which are the legacy of cannabis prohibition are made right. We are committed to ensuring equity in Canada’s legal cannabis space and fair treatment for those disproportionately impacted by cannabis prohibition. We began as a group of lawyers, activists, academics and social entrepreneurs who believed that while Canada was doing the right thing by taking the bold step of legalizing cannabis, it was doing so in a way that left behind our most vulnerable and marginalized populations. Decades of cannabis prohibition have saddled hundreds of thousands of Canadians with criminal convictions for non-violent, minor cannabis offences. Moreover, the unfair and unequal enforcement of cannabis laws has meant that marginalized and racialized Canadians have been disproportionately burdened by cannabis convictions. During a town hall discussion hosted by Vice Canada on April 24, 2017, our Prime Minister acknowledged that his late brother, Michel, was once charged with marijuana possession—and that their father’s resources and connections helped make the charge “go away.” Trudeau, himself, also admitted to having smoked, even while he was
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a sitting member of Parliament; despite this confession, he was never arrested for the crime. Simple possession of cannabis was never an offence disproportionately committed by Black and Indigenous Canadians. In fact, prior to legalization, 1 in 10 Canadians admitted to having possessed cannabis. But not all of them were punished for it. Despite similar rates of use across racial groups, these offences were unequally enforced across the country, disadvantaging racialized and Indigenous Canadians for decades. In 2015, for example, Indigenous people in Vancouver were nearly seven times more likely than White people to be arrested for cannabis possession. In Calgary, Indigenous and Black people were roughly three times more likely to be arrested than White people and in Halifax, Black people were over four times more likely to be arrested for cannabis possession than White people. As Minister Bill Blair himself acknowledged: “One of the great injustices in this country is the disparity and the disproportionality of the enforcement of these laws and the impact it has on minority communities, Aboriginal communities and those in our most vulnerable neighbourhoods.” A conviction for cannabis possession can limit employment prospects and volunteer opportunities. It can impact child custody
proceedings and can be relied on to show parents are unfit in child protection hearings. In cities like Ottawa where police services offer what are called “Crime-Free MultiHousing” Programs, a cannabis conviction can screen you out of qualifying to live in certain neighbourhoods. In recent years, the sentences imposed by Canadian courts on those convicted of the crime of simple possession of cannabis have decreased in length. This downward trajectory reflects that fact that our courts—like our public—have come to recognize that the direct harms caused by this former offence were virtually non-existent. Irrespective of how short a person’s actual sentence is once convicted of the crime of simple cannabis possession, however, the continued existence of a criminal record imposed a de facto life sentence of fear, shame and uncertainty long after an individual’s socalled “debt to society” had been paid. Keeping a person’s criminal record for something that is no longer a crime serves no purpose other than to impose unnecessary hardship on Canadians. Yet when the Canadian government proposed legalizing cannabis, it did not propose doing anything to help these individuals. Given the serious consequences of a cannabis conviction, the unequal enforcement of these offences in Canada cries out for redress. People
1. Policing: Including, advocating against illegal police actions around detention, search and seizure, and use of force; 2. Criminal Justice Reform: Including advocating for full decriminalization of cannabis and, in the meantime, for procedural and substantive legal reform around the prosecution and sentencing of cannabis offences; 3. Collateral Consequences of Conviction: Including advocacy to address barriers to employment, education, housing, travel, and volunteer work. 4. Participation in the Legal Industry; and 5. Social stigma. We have teamed up with over ten private sector industry partners to achieve justice in these five areas. These partnerships have allowed us to set into motion a number of exciting projects that we believe will have a transformative impact in the cannabis space. with simple possession records should be The applicant must have been convicted only For example, we are currently developing put in the same position as those people who of simple possession of cannabis. This means a Cannabis Convictions Pardon Clinic, an did the exact same thing, but—because of that although the government acknowledges industry town hall on cannabis and racial factors that have no bearing on their degree of that there are over 250,000 Canadians justice and an employment grant framework responsibility, such as family connections and with criminal records for simple cannabis for individuals with previous cannabis privilege—were never convicted. possession, it estimates that only 10,000 qualify convictions. We believe that Canada’s cannabis for an expedited pardon. Disappointingly, industry not only has the capacity to right In response to the public outcry of this only 423 applications have been submitted to history’s wrongs, but can also become a situation, in June 1, 2019, the federal date. Of them, only 234 were accepted—123 world leader in making sure that those who government passed Bill C-93, An Act to provide did not qualify. Part of the reason that these were disadvantaged the most by cannabis no-cost, expedited record suspensions for simple numbers are so low is that, despite the waiver prohibition have an opportunity to flourish possession of cannabis. This Act allowed people of the waiting period and application fee, the with legalization. who had been convicted under the previous application process is burdensome, complex cannabis prohibition legislation to apply for a and costly. Applicants have to pay for their own record suspension without being subject to a criminal records check and have to personally Annamaria Enenajor is the founder of 5-year waiting period. It also waived the fee for attend courthouse to obtain the records to Cannabis Amnesty. A partner at Ruby Shiller this application. support their applications. This situation Enenajor DiGiuseppe, she practices criminal could have been avoided had the government A year after the legislation was passed, it has chosen simply to expunge the criminal records, defence, regulatory and constitutional law. For more information on Cannabis Amnesty, see failed to bring about any significant relief. First, a decision made by many jurisdictions in the the legislation only applies in narrow cases. United States where cannabis has become legal. CannabisAmnesty.ca.
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While the Campaign for Cannabis Amnesty continues to lobby the government to adopt an expungement model of cannabis amnesty, the Campaign is continuing to prepare for the future. Our efforts are focused around five areas where racialized and vulnerable communities have experienced disproportionate impact:
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ASHLEY CALLINGBULL
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Ashley Callingbull is a Canadian actress, model and spokesperson. A former participant on The Amazing Race Canada, Nike ambassador, and, most famously, the first Canadian, and first Indigenous woman to ever win the title of Mrs. Universe. All of those titles are important to the 30-year-old from Enoch Cree Nation, just west of Edmonton, but they’re not what keeps her up at night. "People think I'm too political on my first day as Mrs. Universe," tweeted Callingbull after winning her Mrs. Universe crown in 2015. "Did you think I was going to sit there and look pretty?"
PHOTOGRAPH: SOKO FOTOHAUS HAIR AND MAKEUP: MARIAH CALLINGBULL
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This summer, we are living through an overdue period of global civil unrest. Sparked by the murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis, it has ricocheted throughout Canada, from the June shooting of Rodney Levi in Metepenagiag First Nation, outside of New Brunswick, to the violent arrest of Chief Allen Adam in Fort McMurray in March, with graphic video camera footage also released in June. To Callingbull, who has shouted from the rafters to pay attention to the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, it feels like her message of protest and resistance is finally being heard. Our country, says Callingbull, is in the midst of a crisis. Ben Kaplan caught up with the activist outside her Edmonton home.
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BK: Five years ago, you were telling the world to listen. Does it feel like, in the summer of 2020, people finally are?
BK: That’s a good transition to your work in the foster care system and your work in Alberta with at-risk women and kids.
AC: It feels like—about time.
AC: I work with kids in the foster care system and let me tell you, that’s the new residential schools. Indigenous People in this country don’t have proper housing, we don’t have clean water, there’s so much wrong with what’s going on in this country, but you don’t see it because the mainstream media doesn’t like to post about it everyday.
BK: It’s crazy that these videos all surfaced—from George Floyd to Chief Adam—all during a global pandemic. AC: The whole world came to a halt just as everyone was calling out injustices and Indigenous people in Canada are facing the same thing as Black people in America. We’re standing in solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement—we’re dealing with the same thing up here.
BK: Were you surprised by the degree of the rioting? AC: There’s only so much people can take and the fact that everyone is taking a stand and saying, ‘Enough is enough,’ there is a tipping point. It’s only crazy that it took so long. That said, I have friends—people of colour—that when the riots happened, they were scared to go outside. They don’t trust the police, that’s one thing, but I don’t agree with people looting or vandalism. For me, it's about the voices and coming together in a safe and healthy way.
BK: You’ve been vocal about the Missing and Murdered Indigenous women and our photograph with the red hand over your mouth was your idea. AC: There’s so many injustices Indigenous People face from the police. If you were a Caucasian woman, you’d be on the news if you were missing; Indigenous women, that happens all the time. Nobody cares. They think, ‘It’s just another Native woman,’ there’s a stereotype about us. We’re not valued. We’re disposable. And that’s the last thing I want Indigenous People to feel.
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BK: What do you mean? AC: Every day Indigenous People are battling a system that was created not for us, but against us.
BK: Do you think that’s how a lot of Indigenous People feel? AC: We’re battling to survive and be here; to fight for our land that was taken from us. It’s a constant battle to get people to understand where we’re coming from, but that’s what I’m here for—to use my voice and educate people. Non-Indigenous people have to be more than just allies. They need to know the history and understand what we’re doing. They need to do more than just show up.
BK: This far into our interview and we’ve yet to discuss Mrs. Universe or The Amazing Race Canada. AC: If it takes a beauty crown or TV show for people to listen to something from me that’s political, well, I’m all about the shock and awe. I basically used pageants to move forward and help other people. When you’re taking on a role like that, when you become any type of ambassador, it gives you a platform to make change and reach people. I’m happy to talk about Mrs. Universe or The Amazing Race—I’m proud of both things, but there’s change that’s needed in the world right now, and that’s what we need to discuss with people looting or vandalism. For me, it's
about the voices and coming together in a safe and healthy way.
BK: The TV show, the beauty crown. Do you see yourself breaking through the glass ceiling for Indigenous women? AC: I remember New York Fashion Week. I didn’t see any other Indigenous models, but OK—here, we go. It humbles me and grounds me. I will never forget where I came from.
BK: This is a magazine handed out in legal cannabis retail locations in Alberta, British Columbia and Ontario. Do you think the cannabis world has dealt fairly with Indigenous People? AB: I feel like Indigenous People would be better represented and should have been consulted prior to legalization. On reserves, it’s used as a healing plant and that’s how we think of it.
BK: What are your views on the legalization of pot? AC: I don’t grow anything. I know my community doesn’t grow anything, but we have a store, and that brings jobs and revenue for the community. And that’s doing well for my people.
BK: So are you pro-pot? AC: It’s not my say to tell anyone how to live their life. If you use it for health reasons, that’s great, it will help you ease pain and be more comfortable. And if you’re using it recreationally, use it safely. Who am I to judge?
BK: You’ve definitely always been outspoken. You think á la Taylor Swift there’s more appetite for our celebrities to have political views? AC: I don’t do anything stupid. For me, it’s
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ASHLEY CALLINGBULL
great to get my name out there and I’m doing work for myself, but it’s important not to forget where I came from. There are other people out there with dreams like mine. I’m opening the door for other Indigenous People.
BK: You’re talking about representation. AC: It’s important for us to take up space. We don’t have that space—not yet.
“I open the door for my self and whoever wants to follow, let's go.” BK: I know you see your grandparents as influences. How come? AC: I learned to help people from them. I need to help people—my people. My people need all the help they can get and I’m going to take it as far as I can. I don’t have to demean myself or do things out of character, but I think it’s right to use my voice and call out all the crap people are saying that isn’t true. I’m not afraid to use my voice, and I’m not afraid of what people will say about me. I grew up in poverty and abuse and I had to grow up fast. I don’t take life for granted.
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BK: The abuse—physical and sexual—that BK: What is your message? you suffered, and saw your mom suffer, and your treatment at the hands of white AC: I lived through a lot of things. Look classmates—you’ve been out in the open where I am now. about all of it. That can’t be easy. And yet you let every interviewer bring it up. BK: And you actually get in there and AC: My story is common in Indigenous talk to the kids and abused women on communities. A lot of us deal with abuse, as the reservations. You stay amongst well as intergenerational trauma, and a lot of your people at Enoch Cree Nation. people are ashamed to talk about it, but I don’t want the kids to feel like they have no AC: ‘I’m here for you.’ I tell them that every one to look at, who came out of it, and day. There’s no telling what you can be. See, who healed. it’s a ripple effect: this is more that I learned
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from my grandparents, you never know who’s listening or who’s watching. There’s always someone looking up to you. It’s powerful.
BK: Tell me about your work as a volunteer. AC: I want to create my own foundation for women and children who are at-risk, who’ve been victims of domestic violence. We need more shelters because there’s not enough space and I know that for a fact. My mom
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BK: And that’s systemic racism? AC: Yeah—we’re targeted. Because we live on reserves, they think we’re not civilized. It’s sickening. My grandfather went to a residential school. The RCMP just rounded up the Indigenous People and took them away. But today, what’s ‘systemic racism?’ It’s that we don’t have Indigenous People at the head table making decisions or speaking on behalf of us.
BK: White privilege is that the decision-makers are white.
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and I tried to escape to a shelter and there was no room for us and our life was on the line. I want to create opportunities for women who had dreams like my mother did.
BK: You’re a good role model. A supermodel, and yet, again, we haven’t spoken once about fashion or your cosmetics line. AC: I want the decisions I make to be good ones. I want fashion campaigns and cosmetics lines, but I also want the kids to see how positive I am. I persevere. I overcame it. I’ve had the same obstacles that they have. My entire career I’ve had people tell me that I don’t belong because of the colour of my skin. They say I’m a ‘reserve girl,’ that I won’t understand what it’s like to be mainstream.
BK: What are you fighting for?
AC: It’s the privilege of power. That’s what scares us. That’s what needs to be checked. Chantel Moore was shot and killed in New Brunswick during a wellness check. We’ll never know her story. But she was afraid for her life because of a boyfriend and a cop came to the scene, and now she’s no longer with us. AC: I open the door for myself and whoever wants to follow, let’s go.
BK: Hobnobbing in Los Angeles, but here in Canada, too. What have you had to explain about white privilege?
BK: So what do we do? You’re Mrs. Universe. Chantel Moore was all over the news. People are listening.
AC: Acknowledge systemic racism. Say it out loud. We can’t address the injustice—people AC: White privilege is not believing that missing, people dying, people suffering— there’s two different Canadas. A Canada with people in power saying how great this where water’s an issue, where there’s a whole country is and then blaming us. We don’t get different perspective on the police. If you anything for free. I’ve had to work harder haven’t grown up with it, learn your history. to get where I am because I’m Indigenous. I don’t say this in a mean way. We need allies. I’m not in politics, but I love to educate But I have no problem telling people why we with kindness. But talk again about white protest. The only way our country can grow privilege. People know that the moment is together. is changing. And losing that privilege, that power, scares racist people. They think that power is what separates us. BK: What does "systemic racism" mean to you? BK: What’s going to happen? AC: A lot of my relatives have been attacked by the police. Around here, we call it ‘the AC: They’ve yet to see the power of the Starlight Tour,’ the police, the RCMP, they people—but it’s coming.
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take Natives out of their clothes and shoes and leave them in the middle of the north to freeze and die. It still happens.
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SKIP MARLEY
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Skip Marley, Bob Marley’s grandson, talks about a life in music, and civil rights
At a time when the world has been asked to slow down, Skip Marley has made a name for himself with his hit single “Slow Down.”
Sandra Green, another fan, commented on the same video, “Bob Marley [is] smiling down on his grandson, sounds just like him.” Born in 1996, Skip never had the chance to meet his grandfather. On the phone from his Topping the Billboard Adult R&B Songs airplay home in Miami, he says “I know him, I know chart in May, the track featuring H.E.R., has him, I didn’t have to know him personally.” put the 24-year-old grandson of Bob Marley at At a time where Bob Marley’s message seems the forefront of the music industry. more relevant than ever, Skip says if his “[H.E.R] is one of the most talented young grandpa were here, he would be uniting the artists of all time,” Skip says as he reflects on people and pushing for change. Soft spoken the collaboration, adding that she can play the and understated, he adds “we are all part of guitar behind her head. this movement, and we are confident in the When Skip was just 13 years old his victory of good over evil.” Grammy-award-winning uncle Stephen gifted Reflecting on the responsibility that comes him his very first guitar. While he says the with the Marley name, Skip says it’s both guitar is his favourite instrument right now, beautiful and an honour to be carrying on the young musician also plays the bass, piano Bob’s legacy, adding “I have to do my duty as and drums. Asked if he’ll be able to play the a soldier.” He reminds us that he’s not in it guitar behind his head one day, he laughs and alone, and credits his family members: cousins, says, “I don’t reach there yet.” aunts, uncles and of course, his mom, Cedella, Expected to release his debut album this for branching out the Marley legacy through summer, Skip reflects on the career ahead of music and beyond. him and his grandfather’s legacy. Skip and his mom are very close. Reflecting Bob Marley urged the world to “Get up, on his first time in the recording studio he says, stand up, stand up for your rights!” Today, “the first time I was in the studio, it was with my Skip joins his family in continuing his legacy, mother.” Cedella, along with three of her siblings echoing Bob’s lyrics, “Don’t give up the fight!” A released more than ten albums as the Melody third-generation Marley, Skip says his mission Makers in the '80s and '90s, winning three is to bring people together through love, unity Grammys, before officially disbanding in 2002. and music. Bob Marley would have turned 75 years You don’t have to scroll long to find fan old this year, and what better way to celebrate comments like “Listening to his voice, I than by creating a track with some of the music could have sworn it was his grandfather…” a industry’s heaviest hitters to promote love comment left by Jose Rodriguez on the music and unity? video for “Slow Down.”
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Skip and Cedella recently collaborated with 19-time Grammy Award-winning writer and producer, Emilio Estefan, The Wailers–(Bob Marley’s moniker band), Shaggy and Farruko on the anthem “One World, One Prayer.” In a press release published by GlobeNewswire, Emilio says, “We are sending a message of ‘One World, One Prayer,’ realizing that we’re all the same.” In April, Billboard reported Bob Marley’s streams are up more than 23%, suggesting that the Marley mantra is just what the world needs right now. Skip laughs as he talks about working with his mom. “She’s a perfectionist,” he chuckles adding that he’s picked up that attribute from her. “It’s always until it’s perfect, no matter how long it takes.” With over 4.4 million views on the music video on YouTube, it seems their audience appreciates the meticulous effort behind the anthem. More so, the message is an essential one as the world maneuvers through a pandemic and global civil rights movement. As Skip reflects on everything his grandfather stood for, he says that this song perfectly embodies that, adding “it doesn’t matter what you believe, some things have to change.” Thinking about the current state of the world, Skip urges each and every person to really understand what’s going on and be aware, “don’t feel like because you’re not popular or a celebrity you can’t benefit your people you are a benefit to your people,” he says. “They try and make love scarce, but love is not scarce.” Finally, he drives home “we always fight the good fight, always, keep on fighting, can’t give up.”
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Cedella Marley on her father’s legacy in the time of George Floyd
“‘Bout time, been our time, that time is now,” Cedella Marley reflects on her dad, the late patriarch of her family, and what he would say if he were alive today.
A musician herself, Cedella released ten albums with the Melody Makers in the '80s and '90s. The band was comprised of four Marley children: Cedella, Ziggy, Stephen and Sharon. The group would go on to win three Grammys, and officially disband in 2002. Bob Marley wrote the song "Burnin’ and Today, Cedella’s passion for music is still Lootin’" in 1973, “This morning I woke up in as strong as ever. She recently released the a curfew/ Oh God, I was a prisoner too, yeah/ song "One World, One Prayer" with her dad’s Could not recognize the faces standing over me/ band The Wailers, her son Skip, Shaggy and They were all dressed in uniforms of brutality.” Farruko. The anthem is meant to unify people The lyrics, read today, feel eerily by spreading the message of love and unity, a representative of the civil unrest sparked by message her dad stood adamantly behind. the murder of George Floyd on May 25th in Scrolling through Cedella’s Instagram feed is Minneapolis by a uniformed police officer. a testament to the legacy left by her father. In a According to Billboard’s LyricFind US chart, caption about her upcoming book, Redemption: from June 13th, the song is in the top 5 fastest Reflections on Creating a Better World, she says momentum gaining tracks in lyric searches “One of the biggest lessons Daddy taught me is and usages globally, which is no surprise given that even in the most difficult circumstances, the worldwide Black Lives Matter movement change is possible [...] Nearly 40 years after it’s amplified by Floyd’s murder. release, the message of 'Redemption Song,' In Bob’s short time on earth he put reggae still rings true today.” "Redemption Song" was music on the global stage. His mission: to tell the last song on Uprising, his ninth and final the stories of his troubled homeland, Jamaica, album with The Wailers. The song’s powerful to the rest of the world. Motivated to fight message has a unique tie to Canada. According social injustices through his music, Bob made to The Canadian Encyclopedia, the lyrics were an impact that has been able to live on and inspired by a speech given by Black rights flourish, 39 years after his untimely death. activist Marcus Garvey in Syndey, Nova Scotia. Today, his oldest daughter Cedella Marley, On October 1st, 1937, Garvey, a Jamaican the CEO of the Bob Marley Group of Companies, civil rights leader spoke to a full house at continues his legacy. “The spirit within music Menelik Hall, concluding his speech with: was very important to him. He understood the “We are going to emancipate ourselves way music could reflect and inspire culture.” His from mental slavery because whilst others music and message continues to live on stronger might free the body, none but ourselves can than ever, at a time when the world seems to free the mind.” need it the most.
Today this message lives on through Marley’s lyrics. Redemption: Reflections on Creating A Better World, is a compilation of quotes, interviews, and writings by Bob, and edited by Cedella. The book explores what it means to seek justice and how to remain focused and optimistic about the future. It promises to deliver “the real Bob Marley to us at a time when we truly need him.” “Be yourself no matter what,” this is the greatest lesson Cedella says she learned from her dad. “It’s given me a strong sense of self. I’m cool with expressing who I am rather than trying to conform to the ways some people expect [me] to be.” As a Black woman who has had a successful career as a musician, author, activist and executive, she says, “Don’t be voiceless, it’s about being seen and heard, no one can take away your value. You have something to contribute to the world, we all do!” Bob’s voice is heard through hers. Her work with The Bob Marley Group of Companies allows her to pass on her father’s vision and legacy to the next generation. Cedella takes pride in the carrying on the Marley message through her music, books, philanthropy and social media. Most recently she shared a video of comedian Amy Schumer’s daughter reading Get Up, Stand Up with her father. When asked about these proud posts, she simply states, “Dada said it best, his music will live on forever.”
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Inspiration strikes for Canadian hip-hop artist Zach Zoya like the spark from a lighter, like the rise of the sun
Riding the bus, a moment of fruition can strike Zach Zoya, and he can forget himself, absolutely. It’s the lightning bolt of inspiration, the moment before your love answers your text, the pop of the champagne cork—the arrival of the muse. “Sometimes it just falls into place and I’m just like, 'Yeah!' and people look around at me like I’m crazy, but that’s the drug part of creativity—it’s where I get my high,” says Zoya, a Montreal-based musician whose last two years in the studio will bear two highly anticipated new Universal Music records this year. “That moment, out of nowhere, beauty is born and I’ll say something or play something back and it’s just—mwah! It’s a masterpiece, and that’s when I start jumping around: ‘We’re going to make it, bro!’ Watch out—nothing is stopping my grind.” Creativity is difficult to define and every artist has their own process. For Zoya, who was born in rural Quebec after his parents moved to Canada to escape the South African apartheid, creativity drips from his vocal delivery—from Drake-esque sing-song choruses to Ludacrisstyled multisyllabic word flows—to his stage show, videos and influential fashion sense. Learning English early on from American artists like Kendrick Lamar and Eminem, Zoya says that first he’ll listen to a beat, process it, then let it stir his emotions to action. Music, for him, is tied to both art and communication.
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“I didn’t have a dictionary in my mind when I started in music, I had rhythm, and from there I learned flow and melody,” says Zoya, whose neighbourhood didn’t have an underground rap scene or urban outlets, so he learned about hip hop through pop music channels, better understanding 50 Cent than 2Pac Shakur. “When you don’t understand English, melody becomes more important than wordplay and for me as an artist now, I think it’s given me a broad range of tools I can draw from. I let the sparks fly and create.” In the summer of 2020, as protests shake the world from Sydney to Hong Kong, Atlanta to Paris, creativity has almost taken a back seat to pure outrage. The reckoning of systemic racism is affecting everyone, and Zoya, who learned about race and racism from his father who left the overt racism of apartheid, has armed himself, intellectually, for the resistance. “In South Africa, the whole tourism industry is located in the White area where everything is good-looking, big houses, but if you go thirty minutes west to the townships, people barely have electricity and are just now having running water and bathrooms inside the house,” says Zoya, who has made five trips to South Africa and maintains close relationships with family there and feels a deep connection to that country’s ongoing racial struggles. “Overt racism—apartheid—is over in South Africa, but the CEO of the mining company is still white. Systemic racism is about the unfair distribution of power and wealth.”
Things are different in Canada, says Zoya, but that doesn’t mean his adopted country gets a pass. “Canada doesn’t wear its racism as overtly as they did in South Africa, or even in the States with slavery, but there’s so much that makes people of colour less fortunate and provides us with less opportunity,” he says. “Sometimes, it makes you want to give up and cry or riot and express your anger and rage, but I still also think that the time to make the world a better place is coming. I think that time could be now.” A better place is on the horizon for Zoya, who has taken the COVID-19 pandemic to refocus on his health and wellness. A former athlete, the musician has been eating well, exercising and sharpening his new music. He says he’s getting ready to build on the strength of his new single “Slurpee,” which has a video that looks as if it could have been directed by Spike Lee. Zoya says he’s focusing his creativity on the future. “I have a deep story that's part of me—I’m literally the mixed race product of systemic racism and segregation, but that’s part of today’s conversation,” he says. “I make music and that’s how I contribute to the conversation. I work with my tools and I pray on it. I look to the future and think that we’re going to be alright.”
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Despite the success of Canadian urban artists like The Weeknd and Drake, racial injustice in the music industry unfairly blights our rising stars
“I think it has a lot to do with racism, to be honest,” Toronto R&B artist, Haley Smalls reflects on the reasons why urban artists from Canada continuously have to go outside the country to get recognized. Canada is not necessarily perceived as a racist place, she says, but “there’s a lot that gets shoved under the rug.”
posted a video to her Instagram that echoes what Smalls is talking about. “I feel like Canada is home to some of the biggest names in Black music, like The Weeknd, like Drake, like Tory Lanez, you know what I’m saying, and I feel like those artists that I just mentioned didn’t really have a lot of help from Canada,” Reyez says in the interview clip that was originally part of CTV’s "Change & Action: Racism in Canada" special. Reyez goes Smalls has over 200,000 followers on social on to back up her statement with the following media and has been able to forge a successful numbers: career as an independent R&B artist with a • Sony Canada has 90 employees, 8 are Black loyal fan base. She credits her past experiences, • Warner Music Canada has 86 employees, 7 her management team and her producer, are Black Megaman, for helping her build a strong • Universal Music Canada has 175 employees, foundation in a rocky industry. 11 are Black On the phone from her home in Toronto, Smalls, who has been recording music since she weighs in on systemic racism in the she was 12, has worked with music industry Canadian music industry. heavyweights. She had her first taste of virality “A lot of the people that are running the in 2014 when Beyoncé shared a cover of Smalls [labels and radio stations in Canada] are performing “Pretty Hurts” with her cousin interested in pushing White artists more than on social media. Since then she has worked urban artists—period,” Smalls says, as she tirelessly to establish herself as an independent unpacks the difficulties of maneuvering an artist to be reckoned with. industry that is predominantly White. “When you go into the [Canadian] This is not the first time a Canadian artist labels and you see the artists that they are has spoken out about under representation signing, there is a trend and you can see that in the music industry. This June, Jesse Reyez unfortunately race seems to have to do with
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it,” Smalls says, urging the Canadian music industry to take note of the conversations around racial injustices happening globally and follow suit within their own organizations. When it comes to grants, Smalls says urban artists rarely get the support they need to survive in Canada. While it’s not always the case, she insists she has witnessed it time and time again. “When you look at the artists that get support, these are artists that don’t even have the kind of fan bases urban artists coming out of Toronto have. It doesn’t make sense why.” Smalls reflects on an experience she had in Atlanta seven years ago, when she was told R&B no longer existed. “Everybody was saying R&B is dead, the only R&B that exists is ‘blueeyed soul,’” she says. “The way that people were talking about ‘blue eyed soul’ was as if it were a genre.” It wasn’t until later that Smalls would realize what blue-eyed soul even was: they were talking about White artists singing R&B. “The industry put a cap on coloured people singing R&B,” says Smalls, and they started promoting the Adeles and Sam Smiths of the world. She reiterates that she doesn't want to take anything away from Sam Smith or Adele, adding that she is in fact a fan, but rather wants to draw attention to a much larger issue.
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“I’ve noticed the disintegration of coloured R&B, which is where it’s rooted—which is crazy.”
“I’m inspired by being able to learn and spread knowledge.” People of colour generally have to work harder, she also says. “The darker your skin, the harder time you have,” she adds, while acknowledging her lighter skin tone. When talking about the setbacks of systemic racism in the music industry, Smalls remains undeterred. “I use it as motivation,” she says. “I’m inspired by being able to learn and spread knowledge.” When she’s in a position to help other artists, she says she wants to make sure that musicians get a fair chance by providing opportunities and awareness to groups of people who are being ignored or overlooked. She urges her peers to do the same. Smalls is a prime example of an artist leveraging social media and digital marketing to be successful as an independent artist. Without a label behind her, she has been able to make a living off of her music streams and YouTube videos. She says she is shocked how many artists don’t understand how far they can get with their own digital marketing. “Music is a business,” says Smalls. “People look at music like it’s the lottery, but it’s like any other business: if you have a good product and are able to market it, you can be successful.” At a time when artists are experiencing setbacks due to COVID-19 and are unable to perform live, this songstress encourages artists to learn the business of the music industry. “Anybody can do this,” she says. In an email response to kind magazine to Reyez’s comments, Senior Director of Communications at Universal Music Canada, Jennifer Knox says, “To protect the privacy of our employees, we do not publicly disclose this information. Universal Music Canada remains committed to implementing best practices
to ensure diversity at all levels of our organization.” The label also released a statement committing to having difficult and honest internal conversations about how they can increase support for the black community. In the statement, they say: “We use every experience that we go through as an opportunity to learn and improve from. We acknowledge that the "Black community" – including our employees and artists — are suffering, and we realize how important it is to stand alongside them in support — especially now.” David Sterling from Warner Music Canada says the label is supportive of Reyez’s message. In his statement to kind magazine, Warner Music Canada says they have heard the powerful calls for change within the music industry, and recognize the need for change when it comes to equity, diversity and inclusion. Steve Kane, president of Warner Music Canada says, "I hear the voices of our artists and employees telling us we need to change,
and we stand in solidarity with them. We want to be a force for positive systemic change, and are committed to the actions required to make that a reality." The record label says they have already begun reviewing hiring practices and making equity and bias training mandatory. Sony Canada responded to Reyez’s statement via email saying that the number provided by Reyez in the CTV interview was inaccurate, noting that the label employs more Black people than what was stated. In the email statement, Sony Canada says, “We recognize that this is a time for listening, learning, and action. As an organization, we are committed to urgent change and accountable action that continues to fully support diversity, equality, and inclusion within our community. We acknowledge that the Black community—including our employees and artists—are suffering, and we realize how important it is to stand alongside them in support—especially now."
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The road from Sudan to Toronto led Mustafa El Amin from war zones to being homeless to Operation Prefrontal Cortex, with Director X
Music and culture are at the core of everything Mustafa El Amin does. Known to the music industry as “Goncept,� Mustafa has realized the power of positive mentorship through music and is committed to uplifting artists and youth from underserved areas through workshops and unifying experiences. A musician, mentor and entrepreneur, Mustafa is deeply connected to the pulse of the culture. He rounds out his skill set as the business manager of several popular Instagram pages including Real Toronto Newz, Memes for Your Headtop and keep6ixsolid. He is also one of the founding members of 6ixbuzztv. When he was just six years old, Mustafa immigrated to Canada with his family to escape civil war. Immigrating from Sudan, he lived through multiple wars, and says the trauma he experienced as a child would inform his young adult years.
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Drinking a glass of water, from the suburbs outside of Toronto, Mustafa says, “I remember having to tape Xs on our windows,” as he talks about being in Saudi Arabia during the Gulf War. The tape was to prevent the window from shattering into pieces if there was a nearby explosion. After moving to Canada, Mustafa and his family began their life as new Canadians. As a fan of rap music, he laughs and remembers his favourite way to learn English: writing out the lyrics to his favourite rap songs when he was seven years old. “Hip-hop spoke to me differently, because those people looked like me,” he says, adding it’s always been one of the most impactful influences in his life. His love for hip-hop inspired him to get involved in rap battles with older kids in his neighbourhood. He remembers the energy being infectious and overpowering, starting his love affair with hip hop, and giving him a sense of community. Mustafa’s new friends would unfortunately get him involved in crime. He says, “because I was hanging with the ‘cool crowd,’ and the cool crowd at the time were the kids that were getting into trouble,” it was inevitable that he would get caught up in the lifestyle. When asked if rap and violence are directly related, Mustafa says “I mean, I’m not going to say [it’s not]—but it’s a matter of perspective.” Hip hop is telling the stories of struggle within certain communities. “It tells what’s going on,” he adds as he reflects on the question. At 14 years old he would become homeless, fending for himself, and looking for support from a youth homeless shelter to get a roof over his head. One year later, he was signing a record deal with an independent record label. While it felt like he had achieved one of his ultimate goals, he knew he still had work to do.
Today, Mustafa is still very much involved in the hip-hop community. As the founder and CEO of North Block Entertainment (NOBL), he uses his experiences to advance artists from different backgrounds and works very closely with his partner 4x Platinum producer Eestbound and NBA Champion Serge Ibaka. Mentorship, mindfulness and meditation are three key tools that were able to pull him out of a life of violence and trauma, setting him on the right track. Today he uses these three pillars to inform everything he does.
“I love who I am, and I’m glad that I went through what I did,” Mustafa says, adding that trauma can create resilience. While he wears his experiences as a badge of honour, he hopes that the generation coming up behind him has more opportunities. Working with his close friends, Danell Adams and music video director Director X on Operation Prefrontal Cortex, he is committed to bringing mindfulness and meditation to marginalized youth. The program introduces youth to the practices which can alleviate the causes of gun and mass violence.
Mustafa is proud of his work with MyStand, an organization he created to give marginalized youth—especially those who come from immigrant backgrounds—the resources to create real change in their lives. Heavyweights like Murda Beatz and his manager Cory Litwin have seen the value in this program and supported it from day one, being involved in the launch and first provincial grant win.
According to the Operation Prefrontal Cortex website, “studies have shown a connection between violent and aggressive behaviour and the amygdala—the part of the brain that regulates emotions like fear and anxiety—as well as the prefrontal cortex, the part of the brain responsible for thinking, planning, reasoning and decision making.”
The organization customizes programs with a holistic approach. Thinking back on his accomplishments and the lives he’s been able to touch, Mustafa talks about Christopher Ambanza who started in MyStand as a mentee, and is currently working as a mentor.
A victim of gun violence himself, Director X was shot at an event in Toronto in 2015. This traumatic experience led him to champion radical social change, bringing his friend, Mustafa onboard to help share the message through his channels.
“I love who I am, and I’m glad that I went through what I did...” Ambanza grew up in Alexandra Park Toronto, and was wrongfully convicted of a crime. After spending more than two years in prison, he decided to take matters into his own hands. With no access to a law library, he would call his parents and get them to source information. Working closely with a public defense attorney, he was eventually able to prove his innocence. It’s stories like this that make Mustafa proud, and it’s why he provides the resources for people like Ambanza to tell their stories, inspiring youth in similar situations to think differently.
It’s not easy leaving a war-torn country to start a new life in a place where you don’t know the language or the culture, but as Mustafa reflects on his life he says, “I feel rich,” referring to the amount of lives he’s impacted. A father, mentor, music executive and producer, Mustafa is committed to bringing young people together to shape the music, culture and mindset of tomorrow, and urges others in his position to do the same.
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“ W E W E R E B U D S F I R S T. CO-WORKERS SECOND. AND WE NEVER HAD A PROBLEM SHARING A S P L I F F.” Gord Sinclair and The Tragically Hip changed Canadian rock music forever but were dedicated to nothing more than each other’s love. Today, Sinclair is releasing his first solo record, Taxi Dancers, and took time out to remember the past, talk about getting high with his buddies, and why Gord Downie was the frontman for our times. B Y
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The Hip, the best-selling band in our country between 1996 and 2016, were Rob Baker, Paul Langois, Gord Downie, Johnny Fay, and bassist Gord Sinclair, the man who rode the rhythm on such classic tracks as “Courage,” “Grace, Too,” “Ahead by a Century,” and so many more. Taxi Dancers is his hard-driving rock record about loss that also celebrates a life well lived, the people and memories worth acknowledging, and the power of Kingston, Ontario, especially on a steamy summertime Saturday night. Ben Kaplan caught up with Sinclair from his home in Kingston, where he reflected on his band, talked about cannabis, and broke down what made The Tragically Hip something that we’ll never see again in our lifetime.
BK: The weather outside is so gorgeous. It just feels like The Tragically Hip weather and a time for Another Roadside Attraction. GS: The loss of festival season is really going to hit people right about now, I think. Festivals are such a big part of everyone’s summer; congregating with music as the backdrop, those were some high times, man. A lot of good fun.
BK: Congratulations on your record. I know it wasn’t easy getting back on the horse. GS: It was therapeutic, actually. A lot of time had gone by and after we stopped playing, it was hard enough living through the last little bit with Gord. Gord was a real inspirational guy. We put the band together when we were still in school and drove off in the van together and the last year of his life—he was still working hard, still making music, still trying to get it out there.
BK: So you took your cue from him? GS: I figured the best way I could honour his memory was to pick up the guitar. I know he wouldn’t want any of us to stop working. We spent our lives growing up together.
BK: A tough act for anyone to follow, but you definitely have your own shine. GS: I was resolved, and Paul from the group reaffirmed it, ‘Fuck man, if I’m going to do it, I have to sing it.’ I couldn’t get Roger Daltrey to sing my tunes... although that would’ve been good.
BK: Sucks you can’t be out there this summer to tour it. GS: I played close to a dozen shows with The Trews and got up on the stage and croaked out the tunes. I enjoyed it more than I thought I would, but I can say when I finished this process and got a master copy of the record, I realized that was the catharsis I was seeking. I had done it.
BK: Done what? BK: I know you wrote a lot of the early Hip tunes. GS: I’ve always been writing and had a backlog of tunes. I wrote “In the Next Life” and invoked memories of Gord and my relationship with him and another old friend of ours from university. It all comes flooding back to you in your late middle age, losing friends and losing a big part of your youth. I think I was able to write a song that encapsulated those ideas.
BK: It’s hard being a singer after so many years backing up a singer like Gord. GS: Being the front guy is not my thing. You spend your career in a band with Gord Downie—he was so fucking good at it, he had that ‘it’ quality, whatever it is—talent and charisma and dedication. He was meant to be in that spotlight. And when Gord first started writing the lyrics for the band, he could convey them in an honest way; he lived the lyrics through his performance.
GS: Honoured my buddy's memory.
BK: What do you miss about your band? GS: I miss making music with the guys in The Hip.
BK: What would it be like when you’d wrap a record? GS: The Hip would get a record wrapped, we’d get the master and even before we started touring, we thought about the next record. ‘I hope this one does OK, so someone could give us the money to do another one.’ We just lived to play together doing what we loved.
BK: 1987, you release your first record. What’s the goal of the group at the time? GS: When we were kids, the idea of having an original band doing your own
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On The Tragically Hip’s final tour of the country, people in the audience weeped as Gord Downie and his lifelong friends took a last bow playing the songs that helped define many a Canadian childhood.
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material—no one did that. Even in university, you couldn’t get a gig in a corner bar as an original band. Creedence Clearwater tribute bands, Doors tributes—no one was hiring bands playing original tunes.
BK: How’d you guys meet? GS: Robbie and I had a band doing punk rock tunes by The Clash and The Sex Pistols and Gord and his buddy were doing The Ramones and we knew each other, and a little time went by and we went our separate ways until three or four years later. Rob had done a few gigs with Gord and towards the end of that run, we played with Johnny and the passion for performance, it just felt real good. Shit man, seems like yesterday.
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GS: Oh, for sure, man. It was part of the routine for us. Readily available anywhere and everywhere and certainly part of our recreational psyche. We were buds first. Coworkers second and we never had a problem sharing a spliff.
GS: The opposite of that. There were plenty of times he reminded the rest of us to appreciate what we had. He was thankful, and made sure we all were.
GS: It was just fun, and it continued to be fun for the next 35 years.
BK: Tell me about meeting Gord Downie.
BK: What do you mean?
GS: Very, very, very modest and quiet. A
GS: It’s one thing to play a sold-out show
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BK: He never had lead singer syndrome?
GS: Our country has a long-standing tradition of producing great live music because this is such a hard country to tour if you’re an up-and-coming band—long drives, no money. It’s a grind. So the bands that get through those first couple albums and stick to it, they get it. They get better. They get really good.
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in your hometown, but what this country does is teach you to play a Tuesday night in North Bay with ten people in the audience. It teaches you how to play for those ten people so the next time you come through town, there’s forty people. That’s what Canada does for you.
BK: What did Canada mean to your band?
BK: What was it?
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reserved guy as a person and lifelong friend but put a microphone in front of him and he had an emotional attachment, an emotional commitment and he went right there and performed from there, from the heart. He was honest, inspiring. We were engaged with each other and the audience every night. As a fan of live music, that’s what I miss. The interaction between the audience and the band.
BK: You guys had the magic on day one? GS: The first rehearsal.
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BK: Canada also is pretty good at getting you high.
BK: It’s cool that you were the first Canadian celebrities to get onboard with cannabis legalization in this country GS: We had a lot of experience with it. Over the course of our career, it seemed to sort of follow us around.
BK: Any stories? GS: Seems like every eighteen months we’d wind up in Amsterdam. We hubbed out of there, and once we arrived in the middle of the Cannabis Cup that High Times puts on,
BK: I remember meeting you at the Newstrike event at the farm. Despite my best efforts, I couldn’t stay awake around the fire as late as you guys. GS: Practice, my friend. It builds stamina.
BK: You had no problem putting your weight behind cannabis? GS: I’m loath to advocate anything. ‘I’m Gord Sinclair, and I smoke weed and you should, too.’ That’s irresponsible. I just know for a fact no one has gone home, smoked a joint, and beat up his wife. Maybe that’s the guy who should put the brown water down and try a puff. It was definitely an interesting and gratifying thing to be involved in.
BK: Then what happened? GS: We played that first show in Victoria and before we walked on the stage, I didn’t know whether it would actually happen. If he came to me and said, ‘I can’t do it,’ I’d have walked off with him and that would’ve been it.
BK: But that didn’t happen. GS: The opposite happened, and as the tour progressed, the love and the energy and the support we were getting back from the audiences lifted the whole band up and we got better and better and Gord got stronger and stronger—healthier. We didn’t want it to end.
BK: What had happened? and we found ourselves really embracing the culture.
BK: You had a pretty impressive knowledge of strains.
GS: After a career of smoking weed I could safely say to a newbie: ‘don’t jump right into the White Widow, maybe you should try a puff of Pink Kush.’ Things like, ‘if you try and GS: It was cool the way the Dutch managed take your pants off over your head, maybe their soft drug regulations. You can be free to try the Indica…’ do whatever you want as long as you’re not being a goof, but as soon as you are being a goof, people will tell you about it. The rest of BK: I have to tell you, man. I the time: ‘Hey man, just be cool.’ I love that saw two of those last shows and aspect of the culture. it’s something I’ll never forget.
BK: That sounds like just about the funnest thing ever.
BK: So when weed in Canada became legal— GS: When we were originally asked to become involved with Newstrike, take away the demonization of ‘the evil weed,’ like our American cousins have labelled it, making everyone afraid, we thought we could approach legalization without the baggage. Let adults discover whether or not it’s for them. It doesn’t work for everyone. But we know alcohol doesn’t work for everyone, so we thought this might be a good alternative for people.
GS: Before we went out, Gord was really sick. He just had surgery and it’s very sad, but his short-term memory was impaired. He couldn’t remember the words to his own songs.
BK: Did you think the tour was even possible? GS: We started playing together just for fun, for the company, but Gord really wanted the tour and I just went along with it because I love him and he’s my friend. I’ll indulge him. I didn’t think he’d actually be able to do it.
GS: We had gone off into the great unknown.
BK: Thank you for doing it. Thanks for The Hip albums and thanks for your record. Thanks for your time. GS: It’s amazing how this little band from Kingston, Ontario, and Gord primarily, was able to rally the country and I’d just say, during this crazy time, you know, listen to music, listen to albums—whole albums. There’s never been a better time to engage with music, man. It’s a rewarding thing to do for your brain and your health. I just think it’s the best thing going.
“There were plenty of times he reminded the rest of us to appreciate what we had. He was thankful and made sure we all were.”
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Cooking, for Chef Merch, has always been about sharing: sharing his culture and joy and sharing his passions for health and food. In this special issue, Merch brings it back home to his African roots with Nigerian Suya flavours to his chicken, ribs and lobster with some Jollof Rice to bring it all together. So whether you’re in the backyard, by the pool, public park or the lake this summer, try these tasty recipes with your friends and loved ones. From Chef Merch to you, fresh outdoor cooking, served right, piping hot, and always with love.
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ICONIC STRAIN COLLABS AVAILABLE IN PENS, 510 CARTS AND PAX® ERA® PODS
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S U YA CHICKEN INGREDIENTS 3 pounds skinless chicken thighs 4 tablespoons peanut butter or peanut powder ½-1 tablespoon cayenne pepper 1 tablespoon smoked paprika 1 tablespoon garlic powder 1 tablespoon onion powder 1 tablespoon white pepper 2 tablespoons liquid bouillon/Maggi 1 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon cumin 2-3 tablespoons vegetable oil
W H AT Y O U N E E D Medium bowl Wooden skewers Grill or grill pan
F O R M ORE CHE F MERC H R E C I PE S VISIT kindmagazine.ca/category/food-and-drink
INSTRUCTIONS 1
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Clean and pat chicken dry with a paper towel. Slice the chicken into medium-sized pieces.
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Spread spice mixture all over chicken evenly. Refrigerate for 24 hours for the best effect or at minimum 1-2 hours.
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Soak skewers for at least 20 minutes submerged in water before using to prevent burning.
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Grab the seasoned chicken and begin to thread onto the skewers, about 4 per skewer.
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Heat grill to 450°F.
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Lightly spray oil on a paper towel and wipe on the grill to prevent the Suya from sticking.
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Drizzle skewers with oil and grill for 6 minutes per side or until fully cooked.
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In a medium bowl, combine garlic powder, onion powder, smoked paprika, white pepper, cayenne pepper, peanut butter and bouillon/Maggi and mix thoroughly.
Sprinkle a bit of peanut powder to finish and enjoy.
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BACARDI MANGO MOJITO INGREDIENTS 2 ounces Bacardi white rum 1/2 lime, juiced 5 mint leaves 1 teaspoon agave syrup or sugar 4 ounces mango nectar club soda (to taste)
W H AT Y O U N E E D Cocktail glass Ice
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In a cocktail glass, add rum, lime juice, mint leaves, and agave.
Muddle your mixture together until the mint leaves begin to bruise and the sugar starts to dissolve.
Fill the glass with ice, top with mango nectar, stir and top with club soda.
Serve with a lime wedge and sprig of mint.
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How to build a beautiful and delicious plant-based charcuterie experience for everyone Hi! I’m Candice, chef and creator of “The Edgy Veg.” Since turning to a vegan lifestyle 10 years ago, I truly believe I have been put on a mission to revolutionize how we think about food, eco-conscious living, and feminism. I hated any vegan food I came across, so I decided to teach myself not only how to cook, but how to make vegan food more appealing to the masses. I am the author of The Edgy Veg: 138 Carnivore-Approved Vegan Recipes, a delicious cookbook for any dietary preference, that delivers bold vegan recipes with attitude and comedy. Edgy by nature, I use my YouTube channel and Instagram page to disrupt the vegan community with my candid and humorous take on activism not only for animals and food built differently, but also mental health, the environment, and female empowerment. I love hosting chic summer get-togethers in my backyard. What I don’t love is: a lot of dishes, mountains of prep, and being stuck in the kitchen while everyone else is having a great time. So, over the last few years, I have mastered the art of the vegan grazing table. A grazing
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table (or vegan charcuterie) is easily prepared in advance without much fuss, has minimal clean up, and is easy to put together. At the same time, it looks impressively bountiful, fresh, and artfully high-end. Instead of a formal sit-down dinner, you will find your guests standing, drinks in hand, socializing and nibbling away throughout the day or evening, keeping the energy up. After all, it’s hard to mingle with the cute guy or gal at the other end of the party when you have your butt glued to a chair. Traditionally, these boards are filled with arranged meats, cheese, crudité, seasonal fruit, and even flowers, so may be thinking to yourself, “Candice without all that, isn't it just a veggie plate?” One of the many joys of being a vegan or plant-based, is all the gorgeous plant-based alternatives to meat and dairy now available, without ever having to compromise taste, texture, or flavour. Let me share my top tips for a plant-based grazing platter, where no one will even miss the animal-products, while also saving you some money.
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VEGAN CHARCUTERIE G R A Z I N G TA B L E STEP 1: THE BASE You’re going to need a surface to arrange this food on. Any interesting table, giant piece of wood, marble, concrete, or tablecloth will work. I like to tailor my base to whatever my decor or theme is, which is usually “rustic boho.” I use a giant wooden slab, placed on a table. One pro tip is to ensure the table is not pushed against a wall or in a corner, you want your guests to be able to access it from every side, creating a “kitchen-party” atmosphere that won’t disrupt flow.
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STEP 2: THE FOOD When it comes to magazine-worthy grazing tables, variety is key. The last thing you want is a table of brown, or beige. I always ensure there is colour by using vibrant fruit and veg, as well as a variety of textures and flavour combinations to create a varied experience. Vegan grazing tables tend to be cheaper than traditional, because you are forgoing expensive animal products.
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Fruit & Veg: This is a great opportunity to highlight the fruit and veg that are in season. Ensure you are choosing items that are varied in shape, texture, and colour. Dippable items are also something I look out for. Plant-Based Cheese: There is a wonderful variety of dairy-free cheeses now available at most super markets and specialty stores. Again, I like to choose a variety of textures and flavours. One neutral soft cheese is a must, but don’t be afraid to also include some aged flavours, vegan cheddar cubes, or my favourite: a truffle spread. If you don’t have access to vegan cheese, you can use an array of spreads and dips. I like to include items like hummus, spinach dip, and patés along with my vegan cheese. Plant-Based Protein: This is where a lot of folks go wrong. Your protein can be as simple as smoked tofu and sliced animal-free sausages, just ensure you’re providing options. Again, choose an assortment of flavours and textures. Sriracha-smoked tofu, sliced vegan European bratwurst, thinly sliced seitan, and smoked carrot lox are just some of my favourite choices. Carbs Carbs Carbs: The more variety the better. Create the opportunity for a different experience with every bite! I always include bread, crackers, breadsticks, chips and baguette crisps. The Finishing Touches: Finish off your table with a variety of nuts, jellies, preserves, jams and pickled items. This will also help enhance your guests’ experience, nothing rounds off your platter like some tiny gherkins, and pickled onions. I like to look at this process as if I am giving my friends the opportunity to build adult “Snackables” with luxurious garnishes. Place your beautiful ingredients in an eye-catching way: Use a variety of bowls, stands and trays of various on top of your board or table. I recommend placing your dips, bowls of garnish, or nuts down on the platter first and then lay down the rest, creating movement, getting rid of any white space. The goal is abundance. You can fill in any gaps with nuts, edible flowers or fresh herbs. Enjoy!
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THE MACK DADDY The Big Mac is an unquestionable fast food icon, weaved into the fabric of our society like the mason jar, and the Kardashians. We couldn’t call ourselves "the comfort food vegans" if we didn’t include our version of the famous two non-beef patties, special sauce, lettuce, vegan cheese, pickles, and onions, on a sesame bun, now could we?
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In a small mixing bowl, whisk together mayo, french dressing, relish, minced onion, vinegar, sugar and salt. Cover and refrigerate. (This is your Mack Daddy sauce). Heat a grill pan over medium-high heat. Brush with oil and cook burgers for 3-4 mins on each side until heated through (or according to package instructions if different). Cut the top off each bun, and discard one of the tops, so your bun has 3 parts. This will become the middle bun of the Big Mac.
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INGREDIENTS ¼ cup vegan mayo 1 tablespoon French dressing 1 tablespoon sweet pickle relish ½ tablespoon white onion, minced ½ teaspoon white vinegar ½ teaspoon sugar 1/8 teaspoon sea salt 1 tablespoon coconut oil 4 thin veggie burgers of your choosing 2 sesame seed hamburger buns ½ small onion, sliced ½ cup iceberg lettuce, shredded 2 slices vegan American-style cheese slices 12 pickle medallions
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Lightly toast all three buns by tossing them on the heat grill pan, face down, for 1 min. To assemble the burger; spread 1/2 to 1 tbsp Mack Daddy sauce over the bottom piece of each bun. Add about 1 tsp minced onion, half a handful lettuce, 1 cheese slice, 1 veggie burger and 3 pickle medallions. Top with the middle portion of the bun and spread with another 1/2-1 tbsp of Mack Daddy sauce, 1 tsp onion, another 1/2 handful lettuce, 3 pickle medallions, second veggie burger and top with burger lid. Serve with a side of fries, wait for an hour, and then go to a spin class...
• If you use thick burger patties, halve them by cutting through the centre to make them thin. • Mack Daddy sauce is even better when it’s made a day in advance. • Easily make “dirty animals” fries by topping fries with Mack Daddy sauce, minced onions and a veggie patty. A sloppy and delicious mess.
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VEGAN MEXICAN STREET CORN Delicious roasted corn on the cob topped with Mexican dairy-free cashew sour cream, and dairy-free cheese, chopped cilantro, Ancho chili powder and a squeeze of fresh lime. These vegan Elotes, also known as Mexican Street Corn, are a fun and delicious way to celebrate the coming of spring and summer! Perfect for your vegan Cinco de Mayo party, or if you’re looking for some fresh and easy vegan BBQ ideas this summer. Whether you roast them in the oven or atop your grill, these are going to be a crowd pleaser! These are often cut in half and served as an appetizer in Mexican restaurants, but are also fantastic alongside tacos, burritos or whatever you love to cook at your meat-free BBQ. If you do not have a BBQ, not to worry! You can roast corn in the oven. It’s actually one of my favourite ways to eat corn! How to roast corn in the oven: Preheat oven to 400°F. Place corn directly onto the rack of your oven and roast for 20 mins. If using a BBQ: Cook the corn on the grill until it is cooked through and has light charring, about 20-30 mins. Keep warm.
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CORN INSTRUCTIONS 1
Cook the corn according to your preference, stove or grill. Meanwhile, in a medium sized bowl whisk together the cashew sour cream, vegan mayo, minced garlic, cilantro, and salt until smooth. When the corn is ready and cooled enough to handle, but still warm; spread the cream mixture all over each piece of cooked corn and garnish with vegan cheese of choice, a sprinkling of chili powder, cilantro, and lime wedges.
RAW VEGAN SOUR CREAM Prep time: 10 mins | Total time: 10 mins | Serves: 5 Recipe type: Sauce | Cuisine: American
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Drain and rinse your cashew really, really well!
Place all ingredients in a high-speed blender and blend until smooth.
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Slowly add more lemon juice (to taste) and water until desired consistency is reached.
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Try this sour cream in raw or vegan tacos, latkes and as a sour cream substitute in any recipe! Ingredients 1 cup raw cashews, soaked and rinsed well ¼ cup water ¼ teaspoon salt 1-2 teaspoon apple cider vinegar ½ -1 lemon, juiced
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FIGHTING THE COVID-19 POUNDS WITH ELIAS THEODOROU The first professional athlete sanctioned to consume medicinal marijuana B Y
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Running is perfect conditioning for a global pandemic. It’s safe to say 2020 hasn’t gone as planned— not just for myself, but for all of you reading this as well. I don’t think a global pandemic was first on everyone’s “office football pool,” unless your name is Bill Gates, I suppose. Yet we’ve all had to drastically course-correct for this nearly complete worldwide shutdown. I’m sure, like me, you’ll always remember when you realized this “corona thing” was here to stay. Those first mandated retractions from society we all had to make will never be forgotten—whether it was one’s social life (closing of bars), not going to work (possibly also at a bar), or maybe it was when we noticed how important it was to hashtag #stayathome on Instagram and share our first quarantine moments. Binge-watching Tiger King and Ozark was fun, but that didn’t last; the endless memes definitely helped to describe our collective disarray of the “new normal,” and hopefully you had a few laughs along the way at least. The most important thing is that I hope you and your loved ones are healthy, safe and employed. Increasingly, as days turned to weeks and eventually months, more and more plans for 2020 went by the wayside—postponed until later this year, pushed until 2021 or even out right canceled, like the 2020 summer concert and festival season. Other events that were years in the making, like the 2020 summer Olympics now pushed to next year in Tokyo. Or, for the cannabis fans, the case of 4/20/20, a whole decade of waiting, disappeared!
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reopening and the highly anticipated Fight Island in Abu Dhabi now three events deep by the time you read this article. Still, there is still so much unknown about the state of professional and amateur sports. There is going to be huge swaths of athletes sitting a whole year out of activity as we figure out life during this time. Fight Island itself is an attempt to keep their international talent active during the pandemic as flying to the US is either very hard or out of the question, depending what country you come from. It could always get harder moving forward with continued virus “hot spots” in the US. As a professional mixed martial artist— one who recently became the first ever sanctioned medical cannabis athlete in professional sports via a governing body (British Athletic Commission)—the plan was to validate it soon after it was approved in February and written about in the last issue of kind magazine. Instead, the planned April For many, the cancelling of sporting event I had was cancelled, much like most events was another huge indication to both things in 2020. Not only that, but all gyms fans and athletes alike that this pandemic closed too in the height of the shutdown. was here to stay and so too were the very Even now with Phase 2 starting in most areas real repercussions. The NBA, MLB, NHL and of Canada, the gym is still one of the most even the UFC (despite their best efforts) hard-hit locations. By now, many of us have were forced to close up shop to ensure safety now gone months without working out. of the fans and athletes. Even if professional The “COVID 19(lbs)” is definitely REAL, sports do come back for a modified season, even for this pro athlete. I found myself we’re all likely watching the new 2020 season needing to course-correct my behaviour from home instead of in the crowd at an when my office (the gym) was closed. It’s arena. The UFC, however, is already back up hard to stay motivated and work out in the and running shows with 7+ UFC events since condo I live in, especially with limited I had a totally different 4/20 plan before the shutdown—we all did—but now with huge crowds and shared giant blunts out of the question in the COVID-19 era, most of us made the switch to virtual sessions, with social distanced hot-boxes and sharing the historic cannabis moment with friends and other cannabis connoisseurs via the many different platforms offering online good vibes. I myself took part in a 24-hour 4/20 session viewed globally. Yet, once the smoke cleared, more and more of 2020 seemed to continue to slip away.
“ Much like toilet paper, gym equipment was a real hot commodity and very hard to find.”
BC PINK KUSH. GROWN TO TIGHTER TOLERANCES.
THC 22.5% ± 2.5%
Learn more at flowr.ca/precision. © 2 0 2 0 F l o w r. A l l r i g h ts re s e r v e d . * T i g h te r To l e ra n c e s a re b a s e d o n B C P i n k K u s h g ro w n f ro m J a n u a r y 2 0 2 0 to J u n e 2 0 2 0.
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“ I would run with a skipping rope, busting it out every red light I was stopped at, most of the time missing the light change with a good song in my ear, only to sprint away the next time my mood changed.”
and the need to use cannabis is the reason for my therapeutic use exemption in athletics. It is an alternative to the firstline medicines that either outright don’t work for me, or worse yet have debilitating side-effects that compromise my ability to perform as an athlete and even my quality of life as a patient. Beyond my own experience, cannabis is already prominent in the running world. Many marathon and ultra-marathon weights and equipment and no coaches for to take my training seriously ten years ago, (50+ miles) runners heavily use edibles chalked daily direction. Furthermore, it’s even harder my gym was only open in the evenings, so up with doses of THC and THCAA (when to train when your job requires constant for someone like myself who was looking to cooked) to minimize pain and inflammation human contact with your team and training make this a full-time job, running, sprints during and after long periods of running. partners, with endless drilling, sweating and and shadowboxing provided a crucial avenue This time under home and gym lockdown breathing heavily in the confined spaces we for me to get in “two-a-days” of cardio to allowed to me re-examine my cannabis call a gym. Especially with human contact keep up my work rate during the day. protocol as well with this “new normal” essentially becoming illegal, or at least a My early running became a vital tool affecting my training schedule. First off, severe fine when caught doing so outside helping me develop my “will to win” a I can certainly medicate before running your approved social circle. I know quite a fight. This mentality allowed me to focus easier than before training. As much of my few fighters that have moved in together on my body and mind all while pushing prior cannabis use was for post-training during COVID in order to work around that a ferocious pace down the path I was recovery, with a focus on pain management “no touching” rule to keep training under running. My will came from overcoming the and my condition. Alternatively, medicating quarantine rules. countless kilometres I would run, sometimes just before a run has those same anti I did not move in with a training partner, sporadically adding 10's of kilometres on a inflammatory properties, but layered into so I did have to get creative working out at dime with a burst of “can-do” energy. I would the “runner’s high” one already feels when home and outside during the first months often turn my planned 10km run into a “just running for a long period of time. This all of quarantine. Much like toilet paper, gym because” half-marathon, or longer. The comes from the same use of the cannabinoid equipment was a real hot commodity fastest time wasn’t necessarily the point as I system, as both a “runner’s high” and and very hard to find. I would see 30-lbs would constantly run with a skipping rope, the release of endorphins and naturally dumbbells for hundreds of dollars on busting it out every red light I was stopped occurring chemicals. A daily double-dose of Amazon, the most expensive one I saw was at, most of the time missing the light change each is a reoccurring state as I look to run for 80lbs dumbbells at $900 (plus tax) and a with a good song in my ear to skip for long, fast, and hard and keep myself not three-plus long month wait time even with another “just because” few minutes only to only active, but actively bettering my own that ridiculous mark-up. Needless to say, sprint away the next time my mood changed. knowledge and understanding of my own securing a home gym took time, but as I Unlike when I first started running ten cannabis use and journey. waited, I was able to get back into one of my years ago, I now medicate with cannabis favourite things to do: run. daily to manage the pain associated with my Running has always been an important medically-diagnosed bilateral neuropathy part of my MMA career. When I first started in my upper extremities. This nerve damage
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SEX IN THE TIME OF SOCIAL D I S TA N C E I N T H E S U M M E R O F O U R D I S C O N T E N T, J A C Q U I C H I L D S M A K E S S E N S E O F G U I LT, S E N S U A L I T Y A N D P L E A S U R E
What a time to be alive. When asked to be the sex and cannabis writer for kind magazine, I was excited to share my infused escapades—but then the world changed. A virus, a pandemic, a global and historical disaster. How much sex would I be having when the world was shutdown, protests were happening rightly, and we were all quarantined? Did I want to reminisce about all the wild times? As the world shifted, so did my focus, I went inward, of course with the help of cannabis (which I'd like to add became listed by our government as essential). Self-love, self-care. When I see those trending hashtags I usually roll my eyes. Who has time for that? Well, thanks to the current state of the world, I’ve found a little more "me time." (And yes, I see you, Gloria, homeschooling the children, but this deep dive into self-pleasure is also, maybe most importantly, for you).
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I went online and started to fill my cart with infused teas and chocolate, pink Kush and blue dream. I thought to myself: "Ya baby, that's self-love." With these uncertain and uncomfortable times, would I even be able to get out of my own head? I arrived at my local dispensary to grab my curbside pick up, looking like a bank robber (quarantine chic) and grabbed the goods and headed home. I had big plans for myself tonight, and if nothing else, a great night's sleep. It was late afternoon, which was the perfect time to enjoy some pink Kush and a lil’ piece of Chowie Wowie-infused chocolate. Before long I had some tunes on and actually felt like having a bubble bath. "Self-care is any activity that we do deliberately in order to take care of our mental, emotional, and physical health," I’ve read. A smoke, some chocolate and a bath. I think I've covered the meaning of self-care. Now for the more intimate— relaxing my mind and my body. "Self-love means having a high regard for your own well-being and happiness." I have to admit, the self-love part of my journey has been a little harder for me. I have to get out of my head. I need to forgive myself. I must let go of shame and guilt and just be. Most people find being still and calm is actually one of the hardest parts of self-love. As usual, cannabis never ceases to amaze me. I can already feel myself letting go.
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After my bath I go to bed with a cup of tea, like most nights. I turn on the TV to see what my tomorrow will look like, and I'm flooded with images that are anything but love. Ugh. I sip my tea and start my lists. Lists? Yep, lists. I make them every night and if it weren't for those lists, I suspect I would get to bed an hour earlier and nothing else in the world would change, lol. "Self-love and self-care," here we go. Day 1: smoked pink Kush, had some edibles, had a bath and some tea. Day 2: smoked blue dream, did a face mask and waxed my lip. Day 3: ate an entire infused chocolate bar, planted some seeds and cleaned out my sock drawer. Day 4 … you see a pattern here? When I'm trying to feel good, and really work on myself, cannabis is always part of the equation. My calmest moments. My deepest laughs. My most memorable orgasms have always included cannabis. No wonder I read that during this pandemic people are consuming twice the amount of cannabis as usual. OK, so perhaps on day four I might have consumed a little more than usual. After all there was no place to go. After days of feeling powerless and out of control, I needed to take the self-love up a notch, which isn't actually that hard ... just add THC. I laid in bed (on my back, I'm not too freaky), turned the lights off (as not to see that my nails hadn't been done in
weeks). I began to relax my breathing, play with my hair, trace my body and smile—a real smile. I couldn't remember the last time I enjoyed my own company and pleasured myself. With a real smile on my face, I began to explore. I felt warm and wiggly. After a few minutes my mind was at ease and my temperature began to elevate. I rocked and wiggled. I giggled and squirmed. A tear fell down my face, and for the first time since this pandemic that tear wasn't for sadness or loss, they were tears of joy. A release of what had been weighing me down. They were honest tears, coming from a place of good that we so often associate with guilt and shame. The moments after seem to last forever. I was glowing, and still glowing, when I awoke the next morning. (Sorry, Gloria, it was a heavenly sleep in which I know you deserve). I'm not saying we can't enjoy ourselves without cannabis, and of course masturbation can and does happen without the assistance of cannabis. I am saying that what if we all took a minute to appreciate and thank ourselves without guilt or shame? What if we forgive ourselves and others a little more freely? What if the world was trying to ask for a pause, a moment of calm, to heal, change and replenish? Self-love. Self and love. We have one's self and we have love. What else do we really need? Now more than ever in our lifetimes—one love my friends—and even you Gloria, I see you. I hope this finds you well. Take care of yourself, my sister. May you all take a minute to be kind to yourselves and each other … until we meet again.
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Jake Graham is a photographer focused on capturing the vast natural beauty of Canada from coast to coast to coast. Through his photos, he aspires to inspire a newfound appreciation for our uniquely beautiful Canadian backyard. His work has been featured on CBC News, and published in books, magazines & branded campaigns countrywide. @JakeGrahamPhoto JakeGraham.Photography
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JOURNEY INTO SOUND B Y
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In Room+Wild Naturals, we connect with extraordinary people making waves in sustainability, design, architecture, wellness and wildlife— from travel and hospitality industry icons to acclaimed architects, designers, influential artists, forward-thinking musicians and media thought-leaders. In this installment, GAVIN LYNCH (better known by his stage name MATADOR) draws on inspiration from his homeland to transport us across the Irish coast through an ethereal collection of original music from his latest LP—Tuesday.
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“ Wild soundscapes become vehicles for teleporting us to beautiful, remote regions of the world.”
In the current state of the COVID-19 pandemic, being grounded in the confines of your home has become a reality, and with that comes new challenges, and for many, a very different way of life. Alongside the immense impact on our public health, the economy and our overall well-being, we also face the mental and societal effects of physical and social distancing. With travel currently on hold, we look to the talented artists who are capable of taking us on a journey with nothing more than a pair of headphones. A revolutionary musician, Gavin Lynch comes with a gleaming reputation for versatility and unwavering craftsmanship. The Dublin-born producer’s signature sound takes on many shapes, styles and moods, propelling his worldwide success and allowing him to explore
very unique and organic compositions. Wild soundscapes become vehicles for teleporting us to beautiful, remote regions of the world. The same raw, untouched surroundings that emulate the spirit of Room + Wild also give birth to ideas in all areas of creation. By examining the connection between landscape and music, we uncover how sound can enable travel, escapism and interconnectedness for both the listener and the creator. The topic of sound as it relates to our human psyche is a profound subject. Of all of our known senses, hearing is considered the most widely used tool in aiding practices for reaching enlightenment. Through mindfulness and meditation, sound does not require one to look outside themself, but gives one the ability to travel within.
What memories from your lifetime stand out to you the most? The silence of a vast ocean before a storm; the thin, sharp echo of the wind in elevated rocky chambers; the low thundering vibrations you feel upon approaching a massive waterfall. These special moments most often coincide with being in natural surroundings— fishing on a secluded lake, driving in the countryside with your parents’ favourite song playing on the radio, hiking through the lush jungle in the tropics, dancing in the rain. We invite you to join us on a journey to the North Atlantic’s wild coast of Matador’s homeland. Below Gavin chats with us about life, music and his timely album, inspired by nature, perhaps at a time we need it most.”
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NV: For those of us that are unfamiliar, tell us a little bit about where you currently live and work? GL: I’m back living on the east coast of Ireland, after 10 years of living in city centres, another small fishing village, and my house is on the beach. We open the back gate and are literally in the sand dunes. We’re under the main flight path into Dublin airport (which is actually how I found the house!), which on a really hot summer’s day, gives it an Ibiza vibe. There’s plenty of wind and rain though, and you really can get four seasons in a day. Lots of fish and shellfish, birds, bees (there’s an apiary up on Howth Head), seals, plant life—it’s a very diverse environment to immerse yourself in. My main studio faces onto the ocean, we’re in a bay here, so there’s a backdrop of the next village over, and Ireland’s Eye and Lambay Island out to the east too.
NV: What made you want to (literally) bring the sounds of the sea and your natural environment into the studio? GL: For this latest album Tuesday, the ambient one, I had dinner with friends planned in L.A. so I wanted to write something that was easy on the ear whilst we ate, or whilst reading, travelling or generally just chilling out. Initially it wasn’t
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something that I had planned on releasing as a collection, it was just for me. But I’d sent it to a couple of artists and friends and they enjoyed it, so I decided to release it as a stream only. I gathered some of the bird song on walks with my dog, put microphones out on the balcony for hours to see what I could pick up, and sat in the forest at Deerpark with my phone to capture the wind through the trees. Evening strolls along the shoreline at the beach, timed with the tide coming in, enabled me to record the sound of the waves lapping on the shore. So I had a pretty extensive collection of field recordings which I could place in some of the tracks I’d already written, and then some which inspired tracks that I wrote around them.
opportunity to relax and reset away from the dance floor. It was a release like no other I’ve done before, in that there was no real PR or press campaign. I’d posted a couple of snippets of it on my own social media channels but didn’t really think too much about it. It was there for people to listen to and take what they wanted from it, if anything. Then Mixmag were interested in doing an hour’s live stream of it from my studio at home and I thought, “why not?” I get a couple of messages every few days from different friends and fans saying that they’ve listened to it whilst doing yoga or tidying their house, and that’s really what it’s for.
NV: If you were to play this album live in the naer nfuture, what would be the most NV: With the current state of the ideal setting (with no limits to budget or entertainment industry, has this been your reality)? way of moving people without having a dance floor? GL: That’s a tough one. Perhaps The Cliffs of Moher, over on the south west coast of Ireland GL: I’d written this album last year before the overlooking the Atlantic ocean. It’s such a current issues that we are facing worldwide, dramatic location, one of the UNESCO geo so it was more a reflection of how I was parks, and home to protected seabirds and feeling at that time. At the end of 2019 I’d rare plant life. I think it would be the perfect decided on the stream release date of March landscape to accompany the Tuesday LP. this year… And then the world went into lockdown—maybe that was the universe at play. I think we all went into overdrive For the rest of the interview, go to our website, longing for the clubs, and live streams www.kindmagazine.ca filled this void, but I guess the Tuesday LP resonated with people and offered them an Article provided by www.roomandwild.com
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“ Evening strolls along the shoreline at the beach, timed with the tide coming in, enabled me to record the sound of the waves lapping on the shore.”
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LEGAL TENDER Canada has made history with our legal cannabis system. It’s not perfect. But it’s a Canadian-made success story—and the culture of weed is celebrated amongst industry leading players B Y
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Andy Palalas, of High Tide Inc., which employs hundreds of Canadians, isn’t as well-known as others in our industry—from celebrities like Seth Rogen or Mike Tyson, or business lords like Bruce Linton and Terry Booth, men at the helm of Aurora and Canopy Growth during the nascent days of our industry. But Palalas has been in the industry since 2016 and fights to preserve the great cannabis culture in the legal industry he loves. It’s what fuels his work. “The best way to fight the black market— yes, it’s price and quality, but it’s also about bringing back culture to legal weed. Legal cannabis has to focus on creating an authentic cannabis experience,” says Palalas, who came into cannabis by bringing smoking accessories to market with Paramount Pictures and Snoop Dogg. “Every day we put culture into cannabis in an accessible way—it’s not just for the wealthy, for the rich. Cannabis is for the people and
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the culture is for everybody that chooses to participate in it. We celebrate that in our industry—we have to—if we want to do our jobs right.” The culture of cannabis is a powerful and enduring thing. It’s timeless as a medicine and current as a trend and has been prevalent in everything from Rastafarian culture and Woodstock to Timothy Leary and Benjamin Franklin. The industry has come a long way and certainly had many accomplishments, yet it still routinely falls short in its treatment of both women and minorities. In Canada, cannabis is sold legally on Indigenous reserves and government-licensed retail locations, from coast to coast to coast. Kevin Anderson is the master grower for Broken Coast, arguably the most popular brand amongst weed connoisseurs. Based in Duncan, British Columbia, Anderson puts his heart into his strains and grows a product he imbues with love. It’s made Broken Coast shorthand for quality weed.
“We stand for growing the highest-quality cannabis we can, and we don't cut any corners in our pursuit of growing premium bud” says Anderson, who began Broken Coast
“The best way to fight the illicit market—yes, it’s price and quality, but it’s also about bringing back culture to legal weed.”
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CANNABIS
with three friends in 2013. “Cannabis culture, for me, is a wholesome lifestyle. It’s a way for me to enhance my life, without alcohol,” adds Anderson, a mountain biker who says the culture in British Columbia is much more open about cannabis than life back in his native England. He says, “I like a mellow, holistic lifestyle and I like to enhance it with weed and I’m proud to be part of the culture, to be in service of the culture. I only grow a product I’d like to consume.” San Rafael ’71 is the flagship flower brand of the Aurora portfolio and it’s named for the mythical stash that was buried out in San Rafael, California—the weed behind the 4:20 story. When Aurora was first launching, San Rafael ’71 and its nod to the culture, was seen as a foundation of what the company wanted to portray. According to Dr. Jonathan Page, the chief science officer of Aurora, celebrating the culture of cannabis is essential for the legal cannabis industry. It only makes sense
to recognize the people and places who first blazed the trail. “Growing up on Vancouver Island, I was very connected to the cannabis world and after I got into cannabis science, I traveled to Humboldt country and spent time with the guys who brought back the first Kush seeds from Pakistan in the early ‘70s,” says Dr. Page, whose intent is to use science to help scale breeding techniques and unlock terpene structure in his cannabis plants.
to women and minorities. However, perhaps we don’t spend enough time pumping out our chest for all that we’ve accomplished. Recreational cannabis was made an essential Canadian service during the COVID-19 pandemic. Think about that. It was illegal before October 17, 2018. Together, we’ve made history. The legal cannabis system—your system—is like the opposite of sticky Broken Coast bud. We believe it’s getting better with age.
“We love the legacy market narrative and know the cannabis industry has come a long “Whether it’s cannabinoid content in medical way and didn't magically spring out of the products or new flavours on the enjoyment heavens on October 17,” says Andy Palalas. side, I think science and data can only help “What we’re trying to do is take all the good build upon what’s already been done in things of pre-legalization time and all the cannabis. My hope is the legal system can add good things about legalization and meld them to the culture by using a scientific approach.” together into the world-leading cannabis The legal system is a made-in-Canada success environment. For legal weed in this country, story, no, it’s not perfect. It remains a work-in- that’s what Canada is supposed to be.” progress, and there’s still more that we need to do around inclusivity, especially pertaining
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COLUMNISTS
BUD D I NG BEA UT Y H I G H T E A . L I F E ’ S J E N N E W T O N E X P L O R E S T H E G R E AT E S T C A N N A B I S B E A U T Y P R O D U C T S
Cannabis emerged as one of my earliest and most consistent habits of self-care, quickly revealing itself as a revered ritual: a choiceful behaviour, a mindful process—an experience just for me. For me, that’s when the gift of self-care rituals—of thoughtfully using plants and herbs to better manage our daily lives—began to bloom. I started seeking herbal remedies over
pharmaceutical, brewing teas to treat health ailments, adding floral essences to baths. All of it, and the mindfulness to go along with it, ushered in by the weed we know and love. CBD and hemp-derived ingredients are some of the most moisture-packed, anti-inflammatory and antioxidant inputs on the marketplace. The transition also allows brands to evolve their product formulations to be vegan, as
CBD is a substitute for beeswax (a common thickening agent used in the beauty and personal care industry), and unlocking a growing segment of new consumers for brands to reach. Read on for some of the most intriguing cannabis self-care products budding up in Canada’s marketplace and how they help carry me through my day. This is HIGHTEA.life.
I’m talking to the woman in the mirror and I’m asking her for some help for my skin. I turn to the Ho Karan skincare line, a vegan French cannabis beauty brand entering the Canadian market. I slather the Cannabooster Énergie all over face and décolletage (an energizing serum that also boasts a dose of powerful Vitamin C) and follow up with L’huile Stupéfiante, a nourishing face and body oil I’ve been using on the ends of my hair as well (don’t tell).
I finish off with a few cranks of the eyelash curler and reach for MILK Makeup’s HighVolume Kush Mascara, a cult-favourite mascara blend that touts hemp-derived cannabis seed oil to condition and fuse the mascara fibres to the lashes. Our beauty habits these days require a return to natural beauty as best we can. There’s no place for eyelash extensions in a post-COVID world, nourishing our natural assets with care may require more patience than we’re used to, but is worth it versus any quick-fix.
MORNING >>>
I rise bleary-eyed, a result of last evening’s shenanigans. Realizing this will require more than just a lemon-water, I whip up my signature green smoothie alongside a creamy hot coconut milk coffee. I’ve been experimenting with adding collagens and other nutraceuticals to my morning brews. Today I dose both with a few drops of Veryvell Exhale CBD drops: water-soluble, tasteless tinctures by Truss Beverages (available in CBD, 1:1 & THC formulas) designed to disappear in your favourite beverage, so you can dose your own way.
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H E A LT H & W E L L N E S S
JEN NEWTON
AFTERNOON >>>
“ I started seeking herbal remedies over pharmaceutical, brewing teas to treat health ailments, adding floral essences to baths.”
The afternoon heat is oppressive, any hint of refreshment evaporates within the first few steps out the door. I reach for Blessed Edibles infused spring water, a cannabis-infused H₂O offering that taps into the full-spectrum healing properties of the plant. The Train/Treat/Repeat water lineup optimizes CBD & THC dosing. Lineup drops this coming Fall, at your local retailer.
My feet are aching after my long walk across the city; a combination of over-achieving my 10K daily steps and consistently poor (but cute) footwear decisions. I reach for Calyx Wellness’ Smooth CBD lotion, a 600mg-CBD moisturizing lotion formulated with hempderived CBD. Also infused with soothing natural active plant essences like lavender (for reducing stress) and sandalwood (for anti-inflammatory benefits), it’s an ideal product for nourishing pain reduction.
EVENING >>>
I’ve decided to clear my schedule and make a little time to thank me for me. I turn the lights down a little low and run the most high-end bath around, with Nannette de Gaspé’s Bain Noir Cannabis Sativa Bath Soak, available at Holt Renfrew. This soothing bath treatment is the epitome of self-care luxury, boasting hemp-derived cannabis sativa seed oil to nourish and protect the skin alongside scents of neroli and eucalyptus. Highly recommend.
Right out of the bath I reach for Apothecanna’s Extra Strength Relieving Body Cream. I put this sh*t on everything that hurts—achy elbows from tennis, creaky hips from my walk, shin splints, you name it— and wake feeling relieved and less-inflamed the next day. The brand has a wide lineup of cannabis wellness products (from pain relieving, to skincare, personal intimacy oils, even bug spray) that are destined to take a more holistic place in the household medicine cabinet. Apothecanna demonstrates fullspectrum understanding of a woman’s holistic health and wellness needs.
“CBD and hemp-derived ingredients are some of the most moisture-packed, anti-inflammatory and antioxidant inputs on the marketplace.” @ H I G H T E A . L I F E
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CANNABIS
SUMMERTIME HITS > > > C A N N A B I S R E V I E W E R N I C H O L A S A R AYA D R I N K S A N D E D I B L E S A N D O F F E R S H I S G R E AT S U M M E R T I M E H I G H S
TRAILBL AZER FLICKER B U D S $ 5 / G AT 1 5 G Flicker Buds from Trailblazer are an indicadominant strain with good THC potency and terrific value. It has a complex, funky and robust aroma and a calm, soothing effect, thanks to its prevalence of Myrcene.
S A M P L E S T H E B E S T R E C O M M E N D AT I O N S
FLOWR BC PINK KUSH $ 49. 95 / 3 . 5 G
F L O W E R , O N N I N E
48NORTH GRANDDADDY P U R P L E $ 9. 75 / G
This BC Pink Kush is an indica-dominant strain with very strong THC potency and traces of sweet vanilla and candy perfume. Its terpene profile includes myrcene and nerolidol, and it’s available pre-rolled or in 3.5g and g dried flower sizes.
Granddaddy Purple is a relaxing, super chill, indica-dominant organic flower with pale green buds that are covered in adorable purple trichomes. Aromas of rosemary and parsley make Granddaddy Purple a flavourful choice for cannabis connoisseurs.
P O T E N C Y: S AT I S F Y I N G
BRAND: FLOWR
BRAND: 48NORTH
THC: 15.00 - 20.00 % / CBD: 00.15%
POTENCY: VERY STRONG
POTENCY: PRET T Y STRONG
PLANT TYPE: INDICA DOMINANT
THC: 20.00 - 25.00% / CBD: 00.00 - 1.00% THC: 15.00 - 18.00% / CBD: 00.00 - 1.00%
T E R P E N E S : MY R C ENE, C A R Y OPHYL L EN E, PIN EN E
PLANT TYPE: INDICA DOMINANT
PLANT TYPE: INDICA DOMINANT
PROVINCE: NEW BRUNSWICK
T ERPEN ES: PINEN E, C A R YO P H YL L EN E A N D
TER P EN ES : B ETA- C A R YO P H YL EN E, N ER O L IDO L ,
M E T H O D : I N D O O R , 3 -T I E R , S T R A I N - S P E C I F I C
O CIM EN E
P IN EN E
& D ATA- D R I V E N
REGION: OKANAGAN, BC
PROVINCE: BRANT COUNTY
METHOD: INDOOR
REGION: KINCARDINE / METHOD: FARM
PERSONAL NOTES:
PERSONAL NOTES:
PRODUCER: ORGANIGRAM
PERSONAL NOTES:
• Buds are dry and dense • Evidence of some terpenes • One nug breaks up well • After grinding there is a hint of sweet aroma • Burns clean; woody with subtle notes of spice and sweetness • After the first decent haul it’s a smooth, not too overwhelming high
• Light gassy smell on opening the jar • Nice red hairs and a lighter green tone to the bud • Terpenes are visible on most parts of the flower • Flower is light and fluffy • The gas comes out once its ground up and it breaks up well Summer is here ‘cause I’m on a beach! Sure, • Subtle sweet petrol taste it’s Lake Ontario and there’s a nuclear power • Good head high plant in the background, but I’ve packed Flicker • A bit of a body buzz Buds, drinking water and snacks. Trailblazer is known as one of the best value brands in This is an easy smoke, clean; perfect for the country and it creeps up lightly, but isn’t another Ontario day at the beach. I burn down intense. I recommend both the brand, and a joint pretty quickly and within 20 minutes I Lake Ontario, for a satisfying dip. am definitely lifted. I had my feet in the sand for what I assumed was a long time and they were kind of getting numb and tingly. J U L
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• Light veggie green smell on opening the jar • Mild hint of spice • The bud is light and fluffy • Peppery smell after it was grounded up • Good body buzz; feels like you can taste that it was grown outdoors It’s a sunny, breezy morning and I’m heading for a jog through the nearby forest. I got my playlist loaded, I’ve stretched a little, and I take a quick hit of Grandaddy Purple to move me along. Some people like their electrolytes. I prefer cannabinoids when I’m running through the jungle. The trail is amazing, the light shining through the trees is fantastic and I’m feeling like I could be at this all day. Granddaddy Purple for the win.
CANNABIS
TWEED HOUNDSTOOTH & S O D A $ 3 . 95 / 1 X 3 5 5 M L This soda water from Tweed is infused with Houndstooth cannabis, a sativa-dominant strain. Each can has 2mg of THC.
HOUSEPL ANT GRAPEFRUIT S PA R K L I N G $ 5 . 2 0 / 1 X 3 5 5 M L
VERY VELL TINGLE DROPS 1 : 1 T H C : C B D $ 6 4 . 95 / 1 X 2 7 M L
BRAND: TWEED
This soda water from Seth Rogan & Evan Veryvell Tingle Drops provide the freedom to Goldberg's Houseplant is grapefruit-flavoured infuse any food or beverage with cannabis. and infused with a sativa-dominant THC distillate. Packed into a sleek little dropper for precise portions of dissolvable cannabis, it’s LICENSED PRODUCER: CANOPY GROWTH convenient to carry and easy to mix. Plus, it BRAND: HOUSEPLANT dissolves in seconds.
P O T E N C Y: S TA N D A R D
P O T E N C Y: S TA N D A R D
THC: 2.00 MG/CAN
THC: 2.5 MG/CAN
LICENSED PRODUCER: HEXO
CBD: 0.00 -1.00 MG/CAN
CBD: 0.00 -1.00 MG/CAN
BRAND: VERYVELL
P L A N T T Y P E : S AT I VA D O M I N A N T
P L A N T T Y P E : S AT I VA D O M I N A N T
POTENCY: MEDIUM (1:1)
EXTRACTION PROCESS: CO2
EXTRACTION PROCESS: CO2
THC: 7 - 8.00 MG/ML
ALLERGENS: SOY
A L L E R G E N S : S O Y, S U L P H I T E S
CBD: 7 - 8.00 MG/ML
G R O W I N G P R O V I N C E : O N TA R I O
PLANT TYPE: BLEND
LICENSED PRODUCER: CANOPY GROWTH
PERSONAL NOTES:
• Tastes like a hibiscus tea carbonated soda • I garnished it with a cucumber wedge, damn refreshing • One can of soda has no effect on me. Four on the other hand... Sunday, Father’s Day. It’s a gorgeous day to be outside on the deck with ribs cooking away in the smoker. My dad is spending the day with us and he’s drinking a Chilean red and I’m sippin’ on my second Tweed’s Houndstooth & Soda garnished with a fat cucumber wedge. It has a distinct flavour that makes me think of a carbonated lime-flavoured hibiscus tea. It’s great to be chillin’ with my pop and now I get a chance to enjoy cannabis in front of him without it being awkward. By the time I’ve cracked open my fourth Houndstooth, he’s convinced me to give him one of my homegrown cannabis plants.
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EXTRACTION PROCESS: CO2 PERSONAL NOTES:
GROWING METHOD: GREENHOUSE
• Strong grapefruit scent, standard soda taste • No cannabis flavour PERSONAL NOTES: • Requires more than one serving for the • Very easy to pack and utilize for almost average cannabis consumer to feel any effects any occasion • Great option for lounging outside on a patio • No taste or smell of cannabis or in a picnic setting • For the inexperienced, a full packet should be • Consider a delicious ganish like watermelon consumed with a large quantity of liquid or use half a portion every 30 minutes or longer Lounging outside at a picnic with friends, I • 8 minutes = toes tingling can’t help but thinking that the Houseplant, • 15 minutes = feeling a little drowsy made by a company owned by Seth Rogen, has • 20 minutes = very elevated me adopting the laugh of the Knocked Up star. Are my friends that funny or is Houseplant that The Veryvell drops are so easy to mix with good? Let’s just say I’m good for another round. water, they're perfect for trips or basically Well done. anything that you think could be improved by some cannabis. I mix a few drops in a 350ml bottle of water and feel happy about the future of weed.
CANNABIS
AURORA DRIFT RASPBERRY SOFT C H E W S ( 5 P I E C E S, 2 M G T H C / P I E C E ) $ 8 . 2 0 / PA C K
These raspberry-flavoured soft chews are infused with THC from a sativa-dominant cannabis plant. Each pack contains five 2mg soft chews. LICENSED PRODUCER: AURORA P O T E N C Y: S TA N D A R D T H C : 1 0 . 0 0 M G / PA C K
CHOWIE WOWIE BALANCED SOLID M I L K C H O C O L AT E ( 2 P I E C E S, 5 M G T H C / P I E C E ) $ 7. 8 0 / 1 X 0 4 5 G
B H A N G T H C M I L K C H O C O L AT E B A R ( 4 P I E C E S, 2 . 5 M G T H C / P I E C E ) $ 4 . 8 0 / PA C K
Creamy and smooth Chowie Wowie Balanced THC/CBD Milk Chocolate contains one piece of quality milk chocolate with equal amounts of THC and CBD. Leveraging 100% THC and CBD distillate, the chocolate bar is mellow, easy dosing—the kind of thing you can munch on at a music festival all day (you know, like if there never was COVID-19).
Sustainably-sourced cacao and is powered by Indiva. These bars combine rich 48% cocoa and THC and are scored into four pieces. The chocolate tastes good and while I like a CBD:THC mix, the THC also does quite well on its own, thank you very much.
C B D : 0 0 . 0 0 M G / PA C K
L I C E N S E D P R O D U C E R : I N D I VA P O T E N C Y: S TA N D A R D
P L A N T T Y P E : S AT I VA D O M I N A N T
L I C E N S E D P R O D U C E R : H I G H PA R K F A R M S
T H C : 1 0 . 0 0 M G / PA C K
EXTRACTION PROCESS: CO2
POTENCY: BAL ANCED
C B D : 0 0 . 0 0 M G / PA C K
G R O W I N G P R O V I N C E : A L B E R TA
T H C : 1 0 . 0 0 M G / PA C K
PLANT TYPE: BLEND
G R O W I N G R E G I O N : A L B E R TA
C B D : 1 0 . 0 0 M G / PA C K
EXTRACTION PROCESS: ETHANOL
PLANT TYPE:BLEND
ALLERGENS: MILK
PERSONAL NOTES:
EXTRACTION PROCESS: CO2
G R O W I N G P R O V I N C E : O N TA R I O
• Tasty candy • Flavour is good • Full dose taken • Tingly toes and heavy shoulders within the first 15 minutes • Trails/Tracers when eyes were closed with 20 minutes • Fully levitated by 30 minutes
A L L E R G E N S : S O Y, M I L K
The parks have opened and I finally get to catch up in person with a few friends. As a result of COVID-times, passing around a doobie during a pandemic is a terrible idea, so everyone had their own pack of Aurora Soft Chews. Within 10 minutes of eating them all I have a mild body buzz and my shoulders are feeling a little heavy.
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G R O W I N G P R O V I N C E : O N TA R I O
PERSONAL NOTES:
GROWING REGION: LONDON
• 10mg of THC for less $5 is a very good deal • Pretty standard chocolate, not too sweet • No taste of cannabis • Consumed the whole bar at once • Within 10 minutes, my feet were numbing • 25 minutes and I have a very mellow and relaxing body buzz
PERSONAL NOTES:
• Tasty chocolate, nice mild hint of cannabis • Balance is good, 1/1 THC/CBD cannabis products are always fun • Ate both pieces which means 10mg of THC and CBD • Within 12 minutes, my limbs feel lighter • Within 20 minutes, I have a full-body buzz • 30 minutes and I feel TOTALLY AWESOME Another day, another cannabis product to test and the Chowie Wowie I take into the woods. Overall, it was an amazing stroll through the great outdoors. I genuinely felt relaxed and my runner’s high seemed to have stuck around longer than usual.
The chocolate isn’t too sweet, I’m happy. Even for me, this was a hard assignment. This was a lot of herb. I gobbled down the whole bar and relaxed into a nice even buzz. For once, all my cannabis was completed. Now that I was stoned and my work was over, time to chill.
WELL SMOKED , NEVER BURNT.
DUKESMEATS.CA © Conagra Brands. All rights reserved. Questions or comments? 1-800-461-4556
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COLUMNISTS
>>>
SNEAKER HEAD H E AT H E R L O D U C A I S A V O I C E A C T O R , P O D C A S T H O S T A N D A S N E A K E R / T H R I F T C L O T H I N G E N T H U S I A S T I G
@ H E AT H E R L O D U C A
I know we're all sick of hearing about COVID, but like it or not this virus is still impacting our current lifestyle. For this article in particular, I'm going to talk to you about 4 pairs of kicks that are not only cool but are coming to the rescue during these amended times we're living through.
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F A S H I O N
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0 1 – T H E P U M A R S -X 3
03 – THE YEEZY 500
I say this over and over and over again, Puma has some of the most underrated sneakers to date, and I find when people think of hot sneakers, they tend to completely forget about the incredibly diverse lineup Puma always has to offer. The RS-X3 is unbelievable on pavement, chunky, and offers amazing support but is also a shoe that is great for walking and exercising. It's pretty rare to have a sneaker that checks all boxes: they’re either pretty or practical, and I'm always weighing those options in my head when picking footwear. Because gyms are still closed, I've started playing tennis regularly on hard outdoor public courts. To wear a running shoe for that is practically a death wish, and I’ve already seen injuries from making that mistake. I did a lot of research and bought a high-end outdoor hard-court tennis shoe. I compared them to my pumas and there was no contest. The RS-X3 is a great city shoe, that you can also be athletic in and and they will elevate any athleisure streetwear look. They are 2020's "do it all" sneaker. They are definitely on my list.
You know this list wouldn't be complete without including a Yeezy BUT! No, it's not the latest drop. I've included the 500 on this list. First released in December 2017, it's spawned a number of different colourways and patterns with the newest 500's having been released last month. The 500 has become one of the most iconic Yeezy silhouettes. The reason I love it for this 2020 COVID lifestyle we're in is because in addition to being stylish, and unique, it's an amazing standing shoe. I don't know about you, but I've never stood so much in my life as I have this year. You have to line up to get in every store, you have to wait extra-long for elevators because less people are allowed in, and I'm a voice actor so I spend a lot of hours standing in a recording booth. I've never been a good stander—my lower back gets destroyed, but the Yeezy 500's make it comfortable in addition to being pure fire—that's why they've made the list.
I M A G E
C O U R T E S Y
O F
S T O C K X
02 – THE AIR FORCE 1
04 – THE JORDAN 1
You're probably like DUH! But because these are so classic I find they get excluded off of most lists. There is nothing like an all-white Air Force 1. I have them in lows and highs. They are probably my most “go-to” shoe for obvious reasons, but here is specifically why I love them for 2020. Let’s be honest: most of us have been in sweatpants (pajamas) and hoodies for the last few months. I am not judging cuz same bro, same. BUT having an Air Force on hand is a very lazy and easy way to kind of give a shit. You could literally be in plaid pajamas picking up takeout from your lobby and with a pair of all white AF'1's, you'll have actually elevated your look a bit. They make the list because they are the “zero effort” easy sneaker.
I think everyone has their favourite Jordans, and when you have your fave, you kind of overdose on the silhouette you like. For me, it's the classic Jordan 1. Not only do they look amazing, but when you remember what they represent, it's just chills all over. For 2020 I'm really feeling the Jordan 1 Retro Black/White. It's an understated punch, and a sleek add to any outfit for day and night. The main reason why these are on my list of “Sneakers To Watch This Year” is because they pair really well with high-waisted 90's style denim which is 100% in line with 2020 jean trends. They will also be a sneaker you can keep in your closet, honestly... probably forever. They also have an amazing resale value. Check out a few of these pairs if you’re going to be investing in some new sneakers this year.
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TRIBUTE
>>> In tribute to Ben Sutin, donations to the Unison Benevolent Fund are encouraged, a charitable organization that supports the Canadian music community during hardship with matching gifts from Spotify.
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TRIBUTE
T R I B U T E
A SOUND HEART W O R D S : C H R I S M E T L E R & N I C K VA L S A M I S I L L U S T R AT I O N : S A S H A S E M E N I O U G A
The co-founder of artist management agency Sound Mind Presents and lifestyle brand 4/4, Ben Sutin was a bright force within Toronto’s communities of culture—and beyond.
In music, the most impactful leaders foster a faith that gives way to richer, deeper creativity. Ben Sutin had that quality. “I saw him build up junior DJ-producers from nothing to a point they were opening for premier headliners in the world’s most prestigious venues,” reveals esteemed entertainment lawyer and executive Mark Quail. “And, if you thought it was a fluke, whenever things went sideways and an artist decided to go elsewhere, Ben found another and did it all over again. He worked nonstop.” “Ben was a driven chap. Always curating ideas and asking for
my take on them,” adds Daley Padley, the superstar selector better known as Hot Since 82. Sutin was actually the first to bring the effervescent Yorkshireman to Canada. It marked the beginning of a unique globe-spanning friendship. “This can be a very fickle game. Ben wanted to approach it with honesty.” Yes, in an industry that can be merciless at the worst of times— where personal profit or pleasure are too often prioritized over passion—the late Sutin’s legacy isn’t so much about what he took out. It’s about what he put back in.
AMBITION
INCLUSIVIT Y
“Ben had energy. Vision. He was focused on putting Toronto on the global map for electronic music the same way Amsterdam or Berlin were,” explains Adam Gill. As the president of leading Canadian venue operator and promoter Embrace Presents, Gill knows a thing or two about developing emerging talent. “Ben wanted to take it to the next level. To push sounds that weren’t getting a lot of attention. He was very smart. He dreamed big, but still understood the steps that needed to be taken in order to achieve greatness.”
Vibrant vocalist Cédric Gasaida (formerly of Azari & III fame) credits Sutin for being early to accept his defining quirks as an artist. “Ben recognized the importance of inclusivity by adding me to his roster: his first black, queer artist. He made me feel like family, not just a person that could bring in revenue. It was so important for Ben to befriend whomever he represented. It was always about bonding, regardless of race, gender or sexual orientation. He was a ray of light. He made me feel welcomed and safe.”
E M PAT H Y
INTEGRITY
“This industry is as cutthroat as any. Publicly, you get messages of unity. Behind closed doors? Different story,” says Simon Doty, whose own nascent career Sutin had been piloting. He’d helped the DJ secure heavy support from the likes of Sasha, Solomun, Maceo Plex, Laurent Garnier and the Anjunadeep imprint. “Ben had this uncanny ability to understand and share an artist’s feelings. He wanted to see the positives that someone else could bring to music—or life. He embraced everybody. He believed in me in an incredibly deep way.”
“Integrity is missing in our industry. Blame entitlement. Blame a lack of accountability. It’s rare to meet someone so passionate about the ideals they represent, they end up inspiring others.” That’s according to fellow Canadian Neil DeGuzman, the well-respected founder of Republik Management. “Ben had this air of humble confidence. He stood proudly behind his artists. He was first to encourage and support whatever I was doing. This never felt opportunistic. He genuinely wanted to see his colleagues and the scene itself flourish.”
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GAME CHANGER J O S D O L T O O T O R
H U A O S T R O F F O N H O W T H E B I L L I O N L A R C O M P E T I T I V E G A M I N G I N D U S T R Y K O F F F R O M S PA C E I N VA D E R S T O O N T O D E F I A N T
The first sign that the world as we knew it was about to become the Before Times happened at 9:31pm on March 11 when the NBA blew the whistle on the 2019-2020 season a month before playoffs and four minutes after a Utah Jazz player tested positive for coronavirus. By the next day, international tennis, major league soccer and baseball, NCAA, PGA, Formula One and the NHL had all called timeout. But not every league went into lockdown. One segment of sports was practically purpose-built to withstand a pandemic: competitive gaming. After all, pro gamers got so good in the first place by essentially sheltering in place. Led by teams like Overwatch League’s Toronto Defiant, composed of pros recruited from across North America, Asia and Europe, esports have not simply continued competing in the COVID era. They’ve grown exponentially more popular as they became the only game in town.
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Esports matches may no longer be watched in person, but the decentralized nature of multiplayer gaming has allowed teams to keep up their killshots from home rigs while spectators stream via services like Twitch. Of course, esports were already going viral before the virus with audiences tripling between 2012 and 2019 to 433 million people while global revenue bested $1 billion, as reported by UK video game retailer and publisher Green Man Gaming. Statista estimates viewership numbers will rise to 495 million worldwide by year’s end and Business Insider is projecting 646 million by 2023. There are also an estimated 25,000 professional gamers around the world with names like Ninja and zYKK competing for serious cash, including $3 million for the
winner of the 2019 Fortnite World Cup Finals. But how exactly did esports become so enormous? In the Way, Way, Way Before Times, players left their couches with caches of quarters as arcades started springing in the late 1970s, replacing pinball with a thennewfangled technology known as “video games.” While most people played for fun, the extreme challenge of these titles—and yes, old-timey games were way harder than modern ones—naturally inspired competition. Initially, it was for High Score bragging rights on individual machines but in 1980 Atari held the first-ever major video game tournament. The National Space Invaders Championship would become ground zero for a brand-new sport, attracting 10,000 players with 16-year-old Rebecca Heineman racking up 165,200 over
“esports have not simply continued competing in the COVID era. They've grown exponentially more popular.”
G A M I N G
TORONTO DEFIANT
a two-hour session in the finals to win the title. As the Nevada Daily Mail reported at the time: "’Fweep, fweep, fweep,’ went the lasers. ‘Krch, krch, krch,’ went the doomed invaders, insidious and persistent.”
Ironically, with the novelty of gaming’s golden age long gone, esports were becoming both more professional and increasingly niche. That is, until they exploded in popularity across Asia in the early 2000s, bolstered by broadband bringing online As video games became an enduring part multiplayer to the masses. South Korea, of popular culture by moving into living in particular, demonstrated how much rooms, competitive arcade gaming continued potential popularity there was. In 2000, the percolating away with organizations like the government launched the Korean e-Sports Twin Galaxies and Guinness tracking world Association and pro gamers became fullrecords. (In 2007, the classic documentary fledged stars playing Starcraft and Warcraft III in The King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters centered massive arena tournaments broadcast on TV. about a battle for the high score in the 1981 arcade game Donkey Kong after a 25-year record) was finally bested.
“ Ironically, with the novelty of gaming’s Competitive gaming was mainstream enough golden age long in the 1980s golden age to land several gone, esports were seasons of the TV show Starcade and supply becoming both more the plot for the 1989 Fred Savage film The Wizard about kids competing in the “Video professional and Armageddon" tournament. (The first actual increasingly niche.” Nintendo World Championship would happen the following year.) The rise of Street Fighter and Mortal Kombat in the 1990s turned high score-chasing into more familiar player-vs-player competition in international events like Evolution Championship Series, better known as EVO. Soon post-Doom first-person shooters brought multiplayer deathmatches onto the field using LAN, or local area network, linked PCs to run Counter-Strike and Quake tournaments coalescing around organizations like the Cyberathlete Professional League.
By the 2010s, esports were similarly crossing over into North America and Europe, fuelled by new tournaments like World Cyber Games, Major League Gaming and Halo Championship Series, not to mention 400,000 amateurs competing in Nintendo's Wii Games: Summer 2010. But the real gamechanger was when Twitch began streaming competitions to millions of unique viewers. In-person viewership was also surging, with the 2013 League of Legends World Championship selling out the Staples Center,
though that impressive stat was dwarfed by the 2017 edition which boasted a peak online audience of 106 million viewers. No wonder some colleges and universities even started awarding athletic scholarships to gamers and the Olympics began considering how to incorporate esports to attract younger viewers. Still, there was some challenge to attracting more traditional sports fans until 2018 when Blizzard used their 2016 team-based first-person shooter Overwatch to launch Overwatch League with a familiar city-based franchise structure featuring divisions and regular season matches leading to postseason playoffs. Beginning with 12 teams—and reaching 11 million viewers for the first-season finals—it expanded to 20 the following year, including Paris Eternal, Vancouver Titans and Toronto Defiant. But before Defiant could play their first-ever home match in Toronto at Roy Thomson Hall this past April—previously all matches had been broadcast from an LA arena—the pandemic pulled the plug. No matter, unlike other sports this league simply moved online with players booting up their PCs from their bedrooms and regular season matches streaming to the sports-starved masses via YouTube Gaming. As the rest of pro sports slowly starts sussing out how to get back in the game, it remains to be seen how popular esports will become now that so many new spectators sampled it all spring. But after four decades of steady expansion, it's clear that professional gaming is not done leveling up.
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