Goin' Out West

It's been a quiet summer here on this newsletter, as I took full advantage of the short-lived Winnipeg warmth to pack my schedule with a variety of fun outdoor activities for myself and my family.

But I was still hustling a little bit: I ran very successful online sale for the one year anniversary of my book "Gritty City" coming out, and I also made the journey out to Edmonton in August to connect with some of that city's hip-hop community.

The idea for going to Edmonton goes way back to when I was doing interviews for "Gritty City" in 2020, 2021, and 2022. I would ask Winnipeg hip-hop artists who had toured across the country which cities had the best crowds. Invariably Saskatoon would top the list, and I went there last summer for the Summer Fling festival (read more about that here), but Edmonton was always near the top. Winnipeg artists would often draw parallels between our two cities: a cold provincial capital, with hardworking blue collar roots often overlooked by outsiders, with a thriving independent arts community operating just below the surface.

Back in the spring I was on the fence about whether I should actually make the sojourn out west this summer or not. I had just undertaken a successful trip to Toronto and was considering potentially returning there to further connect with folks I had made contact with in June and to link up with those I hadn't had time to see.

But in late June I attended, at the suggestion of my good friend Jacob, an artist talk by a graffiti artist unknown to me at the time. While sitting waiting for the talk to commence, the artist came over and introduced himself as Aja Louden from Edmonton, asking if I was an artist. I explained that I wasn't, I was a writer, and I had written a book on Winnipeg hip-hop history. After Aja's fascinating talk on the history of graffiti and some reflections on his experiences as an artist living and working in Edmonton, I stuck around and we talked some more.

Aja was in Winnipeg for a few more days and so the next day we connected so I could get him a copy of my book. At that point I started asking him more about Edmonton, whether it would be a good place to visit. He insisted that, yes, come visit, there's a great hip-hop scene in Edmonton and there will be a lot of interest in my book.

That was all I needed, and so my fiancée and I booked our hotel and planned to drive out in mid-August.

I began reaching out to some hip-hop people I knew were out that way, starting with Epic. A Prairie rap pioneer, Epic started out in Saskatoon with the Beatcombers crew and co-founded the Clothes Horse Records label with Soso back in the late '90s. His 2001 album "8:30 in Newfoundland" is an undisputed Prairie rap classic; my book even includes a story from Frek Sho's Micill Shazzam Write about how that album would be on repeat during their long drives on tour.

Now living in Edmonton, I knew Epic would be appreciative of Winnipeg's hip-hop history. When reaching out to him, he let me know that the week I would be in town lined up with the monthly hip-hop open mic night that he runs with his frequent collaborator Max Prime. So, on the evening of the first full day I was in Edmonton I headed north to 118 Ave. and the Carrot, a volunteer ran coffee shop that houses the open mic night.

Although I hadn't really prepared anything, I was invited up on the mic to say a few words about my book, so I riffed (freestyled?) for a bit, talking briefly about the history of Winnipeg hip-hop. I was joined on the mic by Kaz Mega, a long time Edmonton hip-hop artist, who asked me a few questions. It was a great opportunity to both hear some of Edmonton's up and coming artists get on the mic and perform and also connect with them after and hear their thoughts about the similarity between our cities.

Earlier in the day before heading to the Carrot, my fiancée and I had the chance to tour Aja Louden's studio, which was such a privilege. Although I had seen some of his more recent textile work at his art show in Winnipeg in June, my fiancée hadn't, and the work really needs to be seen in person to under the three dimensionality of it. We also got a brief glimpse into how he creates his work, as well as a look at some finished pieces that haven't been displayed in public as yet.

I knew when going to Edmonton I had to link up with Arlo Maverick. As part of the group Politic Live and later as a solo artist, Arlo has been around Edmonton hip-hop since the early 2000s, and has recently started to document some of the city's history through documentary film. As someone who wrote a book about a part of hip-hop history (and who also has a background in documentary filmmaking) I knew we'd have a lot to talk about.

Meeting for dinner at a downtown Edmonton Jamaican restaurant, we both had much to learn from the other as we tucked into our plates of jerk chicken. There was a shared curiosity in the similarities between our cities, with a revelation of how the history of DJ culture in Canada follows the immigration patterns of Jamaican people to this country. It was fascinating to hear from Arlo about the connection of cricket to hip-hop culture, something he learned about making his documentary "Batting Beyond Borders."

After our meal, Arlo took me around downtown Edmonton, pointing out street corners where breakdancers used to congregate, light rail stations where rappers would meet upon coming downtown, and historic music venues such as the Starlite. This crash course tour on Edmonton hip-hop history reignited the long-simmering thought I've had about establishing a tour of Winnipeg hip-hop's important landmarks.

In all, my trip to Edmonton was relatively short, only three full days, and so there was much I didn't have the opportunity to do. But I left having forged a number of important connections (I also linked up briefly with the late great DJ Grasshopper's cousin Jesse who lives out Edmonton now). Going to a new place for the first time there's always a little bit of anxiety as to how you will be received, or even if there's anyone there to receive you at all, but I know now that there is a strong community in Edmonton and that if and when I return I will be met with open arms. I turned what was just another dot on the map to a place that will live fondly in my memory and my heart.