By Katherine Kerr

Have you ever asked yourself where you might find someone popping on a hand stand? Well, if so the answer is a dancehall queen competition. Professional dance, pop locking and everything in between, like sport seeks out the most agile, athletic and agile. The capacity to stand on one’s head, balance the entire body on one arm or to fall seamlessly into the splits isn’t a task for the faint of heart. Vancouver sect competitors Stargirl (winner moving on to Toronto), Jamocha, and Carla whined, bounced and swung their hips to jams classic and new, fighting rhythmically to the this lyrically imprinted battles end.

DJ’s also included Arems of Faction Sound Crew, DJ Rexx of Jani Sound and DJ Chizzle and Hoppa of Supa D Sound.

By Katherine Kerr

From the piling, white snow of Winnipeg to the busy, rain touched streets of Vancouver, and back, Winnipeg’s Most not only rocked the crowd but warmed the onlookers with hot lyrics. Hip Hop Vancouver caught up with the up-and-comers in Vancouver and Prince George where they brought a relatable, yet uniquely frozen prairie experience to Hip Hop.

Opening acts came from all over the province, including Vancouver's lineup of Caspian, Snak the Ripper, Evil Ebenezer, Young Sin, Merkules, and Prada West. Prince George's lineup Hosted By: THE HOST includes: Ace Drow, John Doe, Fatal Wordz, Keylow-T, Skitzo, Red Rum, C-Dub, Intimidation, Legal-Liez, Lil T, Red Iculet, K-Man, Skillz Da North, Mr.Classik, G Money, Dynasty, War Dub and Guests.

Also making an appearance were DJ Dow Jones(Shadyville), DJs Sonny Gomez of Noizy Neighbour Entertainment, and Rhek.

Prince George, despite being the smaller city, had 2 big shows: one in the afternoon and one in the evening. Where It’s At Entertainment hyped the group all across BC.

Stay tuned for more as Where It’s At Entertainment moves Vancouver’s well-known Swollen Members.

By Katherine Kerr

Rap is a voice. Sometimes it speaks of pain and love, of triumph and defeat, but most of all it speaks from the concrete. Royce gave the crowd a taste of his extensive catalogue and personal stories of incarceration, overcoming, followed by success. In the words of the man himself when reflecting upon life, career and motivation, “I ended up going to jail, right, and I was not really happy with the direction my career was going. So I was thinking to myself, I’ve been fucking with this game for a long time, and I been patient. Imma kill somebody if somebody don’t make me real rich this year.”

Royce is not only making waves and packing venues with his Success is Certain tour. 2011 was his most successful year to date with the release of Bad Meets Evil, a joint effort with Eminem. He also has an upcoming release as part of rap supergroup Slaughterhouse. If success is a guarantee when you put your mind to it, then Royce was right when he stated, “to anybody chasing your dreams, if I can do it you can most certainly *$^#ing do it.”

Another sick show put on by Digital Motion and Frontline and made user friendly by the crew and entourage making space for this sola female photographer standing on a stage of men.

By Katherine Kerr

A lot has changed since “when I say hey, you say ho.” Music, like fashion, like technology, like change itself adapts experiments and recreates with the ebbs and flows that is this evolving art form. In this case it’s not a matter of which came first the chicken or the egg, but the influences of artists reveal themselves in bits and pieces from sampling to rhyme style. Hopsin, delivered a wild, trashing, stage diving, crowd screaming performance with the vibe of Eminem meets Tyler the creator. Lyrics sharp as razor blades were spit onto a rowdy and mesmerized crowd each agreeing that it’s hot to not give a wow (insert explicit language here). Hopsin, side by side with SwizZz and DJ Hoppa kept the audience close, involved and fascinated while he threw himself, literally into the sea of faces. Pulled out of the crowd on more than one occasion the shock rap style made for a dope show, in addition to the side line entertainment in the form of arrests to opening group members and the occasional tussle. Hopsin held his ground and continued to rock the show from beginning to end.

Shout outs to Evolution, PD+ and Where It's At Entertainment for putting on another dope hip-hop show and Cariboo Brewing for sponsoring!!!

Funk Volume