Blog - The Movement Fam, Independent Hip Hop Record Label - Toronto + Montréal
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Rapper
The dichotomy of Cee rapping his bars to himself (double time = double Cee) expresses an inner desire to give himself a message of hope and persistence by painting a vivid picture of everything he has gone through to get to where he is. Cee as the stone statue slowly breaking the shackles of his confinement represent the MC and entrepreneur coming into his own as a man, cracking through the hard shell of obscurity into the limelight.
Cee drafted his brother Notion (MC/Producer/Engineer) and Singer/MC Natasha Marie alongside Emile, and the four artists combined their energies to give the cut a refresh for 2017. Cee goes in and delivers some new wisdom while Natasha channels a sultry Aaliyah on the hook, Emile carries smooth and conscious yet hard hitting bars with Notion wrapping things up with his signature flow switch-ups and wordplay.
Rolling snares and horn samples provide the backdrop for an avalanche of bars from the two wordsmiths, with some dirty cuts courtesy of Toronto's Digital Junkie.
To hold the people over until the album drops, Notion returns with a heavy hitting brand new single "Infected". Produced by Saskatchewan's Rayne Drop, the haunting vocal sample, eerie keys and tough drums provide the soundscape as Notion rains bars for almost 3 minutes straight. One of the few remaining true lyricists, the MC let's the people know where he's been at and what's to come:
"I show love, so we talking 'bout the latter / it's mind over matter, MC over rapper, Notion"
This EP marks a return to form for the Aussie MC/entrepreneur, as he explores both the dark and light elements of his psyche - from the uplifting title track to the dedication to his lady on "KeepMyBabyWarrrm", from reflections on his 420 enthusiasm on "UsedToBeHiiigh" to exploring the gender injustices on "MansWorrrld" with Montreal legend D-Shade, from celebrating life on "LoveLoveYalll" with brother Notion to a deeply introspective moment on "AmaliiiaRodrigues". SVNTY6's moving production is steeped in soul samples and is most certainly some of his best work to date, ranging from hopeful and optimistic to melancholy and reflective.
The second single from Cee and SVNTY6's collaborative EP, "Be Better", samples Ms. Rodrigues' classic "O Xaile de Minha Mãe", a song Cee discovered a decade back during Spanish lessons. He had sent the song to around ten different producers over the years, and only SVNTY6 had been able to flip it right.
The lead single, "Holdin' Hands", grabs you as soon as the snare hits with its heart-wrenching sample and Notion's personal, introspective lyrics where he tracks his musical journey and professes his gratitude for his fam and his supporters. Crafted by production team DiazSima based out of Budapest, Hungary, the single conveniently drops on Notion's birthday (November 8th) as a gift to both himself and fans of real, conscious Hip Hop.
Communicating exclusively via email and text, the project was inspired by SVNTY6's recent battle with depression. His motto, 'Be Better', became the mantra and in turn, the title of the project. Steeped in soulful samples, hard hitting drums and funky breaks, SVNTY6 channeled his positive energy into the production to give Cee a canvas to talk through his own demons via a lens of positivity.
Listen as we delve into the wonderful and mysterious world of sampling. Say what you like, but sampling will never go away; it's too unique, inspiring and dope to ever let a couple lawsuits stop the true Hip Hop heads. It's too ingrained in the essence of the genre to let go. Where possible, you should always try to clear your samples or use royalty free ones. But c'mon, if you get busted that means you're making enough noise and you're doing something right. Good on ya. For all of us who haven't been chased down by lawyers because your MPC game is too fire, here are a few quick tips and guidelines to get you there.
It's been a quick minute since we dropped a Notion solo joint on the people, so we figured it was about time. Produced by OhNo Da French out of, well, France (now based in the UK), 'Vaxxine' is a haunting, dirty escapade filled with raw bars and off beat drums all peppered with Nosh's signature introspective realness.
This Episode 22 features Notion as the Emcee Of The Week, ready to drop another album after his already acclaimed "Pride on My Cufflinks" records. Show some love to the man on twitter (www.twitter.com/notionbaby) and on his website (www.notionbaby.com).
Notion has been a busy man in 2014 - dropping videos for singles 'Young & Crazy' and 'Lift Up (Remix)', and featuring in the visual for Cee & Dr. MaD's 'Another Day' (original and the Fresh Kils Remix); mixing, mastering and featuring on Cee's internationally charting debut album 'This Is All I Know'; hitting up three Canadian tours (The Golden Tour with Relic, Ghettosocks & Fresh Kils; The Palmer Squares debut Canadian Tour; The Bodega Brovas debut Canadian Tour); and opening for heavy hitters like Jeru Tha Damaja, Hilltop Hoods and Black Milk. However, he's been relatively quiet on the new music tip since dropping his debut EP 'Pride On My Cufflinks' back in December 2013.
The video was shot in Montreal on a stormy day in July last year, with the Old Port, Quartier des Spectacles, Benelux Brewpub and annual summer fireworks contest providing the backdrop for Notion's moody anthem. With an uplifting narrative that preaches the virtues of enjoying your youth while you still can, this soulful banger lit up every venue on the tour. Shouts to the Fam Cee, Tiffany Alexis and iLLvibe on the cameo tip.
This project is an eight track love letter to the city of Montreal. It was entirely written, produced, recorded, shot and designed in the 514, with the exception of Notion's mixing and mastering in Toronto (he's part of The Movement Fam so it's cool). Dr. MaD's production is enveloped in the art of sampling, with old Soul and Jazz tunes brought to life by his deft chops, dipping them in Hip Hop on the way out. Cee used this sonic landscape to tell real life stories about his experiences in Canada - leaving his home country of Australia to pursue a dream in the great wide north, the tumultuous move to Montreal, dealings with immigration, and his regular battles with fear, doubt and negative energy. Ultimately, it's a story of two artists connecting through the love of music in order to express their 'amour' for the city, the country and the culture of Hip Hop.
"What better way to wrap up 2012 (the world might even end tomorrow, who knows?) than to drop an original track for y'all? This song was originally written and recorded in 2007 for my boy's compilation album. It kinda kicked around since then; I tried to finish it a few times, it just never worked. Until now. Weapon X is prolly my favourite MC out of Australia, and one of my biggest inspirations, so it was a blessing to work with dude. Stoked that it came out how it did. Enjoy." Free Download: Cee - My Dreams x Weapon X (Produced by Mack Sitty)
So this is how dedicated The Movement Fam are to bringing y'all the exclusive. After checking out the Phrase gig and witnessing the above performance in person, I rushed home to upload the footage, not realising that an 750mb+ file takes damn near 3 hours to upload. So I set it up, bounced to the TQ gig (which of course didn't happen) and came back to find the Mac sleeping and the video upload cut off at 95%. Goddamnit. So myself and Theory set it up again and at 5.21am, we have it.
Shouts to Snob Scrilla for doing this for the dude. Show was cool, the popcorn thing was fresh, heads seemed to know what was going on.
Remember that this is the ONLY live footage of the first Bangs gig EVER on the internet and The Movement Fam gave it to y'all first!! Boom!
