Winnipeg State of Mind NIGEL WEBBER “Just think while I sink into the brain structure” Erick Sermon Hip-hop music in Winnipeg is in a moment. Artists representing different sub-genres of rap, from boom-bap to new school to trap, all are finding their place in Winnipeg in 2020. While most of the attention is usually heaped on the rappers and DJs, less attention is given to the producers, those responsible for making the actual music in the song. With the lack of attention comes a lack of understanding of proper titles. An important distinction must be made between a producer and a beatmaker. Producers typically work with artists in-studio and are often involved in the writing of the song, as well as the mixing and mastering. A beatmaker typically will make a wide selection of beats. They tailor them to a famous artists’ sound, which is called ‘type beats’, and then upload them to YouTube where other artists can download them and use them in their own songs for a small fee. Winnipeg has its fair share of both beatmakers and producers, but in this special edition of Winnipeg State of Mind, let us take a look at three local producers all with varying levels of experience and expertise. Hoopaloop Hoopaloop is coming at hip-hop production from a different angle than most. Making beats for about three years, Hoop started his musical journey playing guitar and singing in metal bands. He knows that he’s got a lot of catching up to do in the hip-hop world but in 2020, he’s well on his way. The metalhead past has lead to the frequent use of live guitar, bass or piano on his tracks and a noted love for analog recording equipment, particularly the Akai brand and their MPC gear. There is a through line that connects Akai with some of the most impactful moments in Hoop’s music career. Hoopaloop is most associated with the local rapper Kairo. They just released an EP titled Give Thanks in late February. The two first met on the recommendation of Pollyfree, an Edmonton- based rapper who worked with Hoopaloop while living in Winnipeg. Before their first real recording session, Hoop and Kairo had to make a stop at a music store for some headphones. It was on that day that Hoop purchased the MPC X, Akai’s new, software connected, drum machine and sampler. At that first Staged photo of Hoopaloop’s Akai gear photo by Brett Enquist
session together, on the first take, the pair made the up and it’s largely due to what Pascal Beatz is cooking song Radiate. Hoop still regards it as one of the up in his home basement studio. Also making beats favourite tracks he has ever produced saying “Radiate for about three years, Pascal was inspired by his older is kinda what set the bar for us.” The song also got brother, a rapper, to get into production. Starting in a video treatment from director Brett Enquist. A his last year of high school, Pascal quietly learned his few months after the Radiate video came out, Hoop craft, only letting a few people, like his brother and asked Enquist to come to his studio where they cousins, hear his beats. But in 2018 Pascal heard staged a photo that shows all of Hoop’s Akai gear of a new competition for Winnipeg producers and artfully assembled in his Trendkill Productions decided to enter the inaugural Winnipeg Beat League studio. Hoop posted the photo to his Instagram and contest. Looking back now, Pascal remembers, “I moved on. But a few months later, the Akai official was the youngest person there out of like sixteen Instagram page re-posted the photo of his studio. contestants,” but he wasn’t about to be intimidated. As cool as it was to see that, the re-post lead to As that night in November 2018 wore on, Pascal one of Hoop’s biggest successes. One of the people kept advancing to the next round. His trap-style that caught wind of Hoopaloop through the Akai beats had the crowd pumped up. When it was all said re-post was Ishq Bector. A quick PSA for young and done, Pascal was crowned champion. The plaque Winnipeg hip-hop heads: know the name Ishq he won that night is now mounted on the wall of his Bector. Then known as Sunil aka Sun Lo, Ishq was studio. He gazes up at it while telling the story of that a founding member of foundational Winnipeg rap night, saying that winning “gave me the confidence group, Frek Sho. Before moving to India in the early to start sending beats out to artists and posting stuff 2000s to be a Bollywood musician, Ishq rapped and online.” The first of those artists was Myazwe. The produced all the beats for Frek Sho, who started in local rapper made waves in 2019 with the release of Winnipeg in 1994. Now living in Vancouver, Ishq his album Things I Never Said and an opening spot is an undisputed star in India. He’s written songs for YG and Tyga at the MTS Centre. And much of for famous Bollywood movies, written English that rise is fuelled by Pascal’s beats. While not the versions of popular Indian songs and continues to only producer Myazwe works with, Pascal produced produce his own music. Ishq reached out to Hoop more than half the songs on Things and expects and asked if he would do a hip-hop remix of Ishq’s to have a similar amount on Myazwe’s upcoming new song “Chaand Sitare ft. Supa J.” Within a day of album. Pascal entered the 2nd Annual Beat League first making contact, Hoop had the files in his inbox contest in 2019 and placed third. Disappointed not and was developing a remix off a background synth. to repeat his title, Pascal humbly remarks “it was nice Ultimately the remix helped introduce Hoopaloop to to see all the [other] producers in the city pop off.” He a new crowd of listeners and expanded his musical notes that the most important part of Beat League horizons saying “it was a real challenge but [Ishq] and similar events is to build up the community had faith in me so that meant a lot.” While that remix of producers so they don’t feel isolated, but so they remains a one-off, it is Hoopaloop’s work with Kairo can share tips and tricks and just become friends. that is setting him apart. With a big 2020 planned, The other artist making big waves over Pascal’s Kairo and Hoop were compelled to end 2019 with productions is YSN Fab. Pascal initially saw Fab in Never Back Down. Released as a single in the final a freestyle video on Instagram, blown away that such days of last year, Never Back Down and it’s cover art a talented rapper lived in Winnipeg. Although Fab will make sense to anyone who lives in Winnipeg. came through the studio shortly thereafter, it took The art, made by Hoop, is a collection of headlines a while for his second visit to happen. But Pascal from local media, showing the record number of describes that second session as when he knew they homicides that took place in 2019 and other social had something and, “since then we’ve been locked in.” issues such as the liquor store thefts. Kairo reflects That session Fab recorded Nobody Loyal, his first on that in the chorus of “I vow to never back down / single, which currently sits at over 156 thousand All the bad shit occurring in my damn town / I can’t listens on SoundCloud alone. Pascal is tight lipped drown getting caught in negativity / the system that’s here but hints at big things to come from YSN Fab in place was designed just to get rid of me.” Hoop in 2020. Pascal, who doesn’t play an instrument or explains that, “it’s hard to find a constructive way to rap, is in the process of learning to DJ so he can in talk about it [but] we wanted to put light on it in a consideration as a tour DJ for YSN Fab and Myazwe. way that wasn’t just negative yet could embrace the Until then, as his producer tag says, “you already negativity of constantly seeing those headlines.” It’s know Pascal cooking up, right.” been a dark time in Winnipeg of late but Kairo and Malcolm-Jay Rapper-producers are nothing new. Hoop want the community to know there is a way to From Pharrell to Q-Tip to Kanye, producers who talk about it. also rap have been around. Even locally there has Pascal Beatz On the south side of Winnipeg, a new been sufficient representation through the years with movement in local rap is heating Malcolm-Jay performs live with rock band Lounge FM - photo by Carly Boomer
Pascal (left) with Myazwe after winning the Winnipeg Beat League in 2018 - photo by David Akello
12 Stylus Magazine April / May 2020
