Blog - The Movement Fam, Independent Hip Hop Record Label - Toronto + Montréal
Viewing entries tagged
soulful hip hop
Today, Thursday November 8th, is Notion's born day and we're kicking off with the first visual from his new project with Toronto-based producer Egward. "Notion Island Vol. 1" is a soulful journey through the last 18 months since Notion's debut album "Heart On My Sleeve", and this first visual acts more as a teaser than a full length video.
While Notion is putting the finishing touches on the EP, he connected with his brother Cee, Toronto's The Mighty Rhino and regular collaborator Digital Junkie for this uplifting, soulful banger. "Back To Life" sees the three artists drop positive bars focusing on progression, dedication, focus and the neverending search for happiness, all tied together by Digital Junkie's razor sharp cuts.
Once again helmed by King Richard with assistance from 9 Block Productions, "Hurt" follows the four MCs through a dusty Quebec summer, with Notion commandeering a beat up vehicle picking up hitchhiking rappers while they all speak their truth about the pain in their respective lives. Jonathan Emile's moving, reggae-infused hook paves the way for reality bars over Myer Clarity's sample-laden, boom bap production.
Produced by, and featuring, frequent collaborator Myer Clarity, "What We Want" captures a Jackson 5-esque, "College Dropout" era Kanye vibe with both MCs delivering positive messages of their dreams, aspirations and plans, with a splash of side-eye.
You never forget your debut, and this project means the world to Notion. As the title suggests, "Heart On My Sleeve" is a deeply personal album, containing music he's worked on over his time in Canada and touching on subjects that he's never spoken on before. At times dark, introspective, reflective, emotional, positive, quietly confident and inspirational, "Heart On My Sleeve" has something all of us can relate to. Notion conveys his emotions in a way that not many other MCs are bold enough to put on display, and this admirable trait makes this project all the more important. Written and recorded through an often tumultuous time of his life, the record expresses the whole breadth of human emotions, while the soulful, boom bap vibe is a breath of fresh air in today's brash, disposable musical landscape.
