Now that we’ve got a bit of important history out of the way, let’s talk about the live show.

Last Friday Toronto’s Mod Club open its doors for Jessie Reyez’s last show on the Kiddo tour. The show was sold out, packed wall-to-wall with excited fans patiently waiting for Reyez to take the stage. As soon as she did it was clear the audience knew exactly what they were there for, nearly everyone knew every word and on more than one occasion Reyez let the audience sing the song. The room was vibrating with all sorts of positive emotions and radiating support. Reyez thanked her parents, her friends, The Remix Project, and a thousand times the adoring audience: “My gums are gonna hurt from smiling at the end of this show – thank you, thank you, thank you!”

Each track came with a personal story, something about her life and childhood, something about the music industry, and a lot about her emotional state, love, and relationships. “Can I talk to you for a moment? I want to talk to every single one of you, be quiet… seriously shut the fuck up!” she smiled, and as the room went quiet she proceeded to give an inspirational speech about being strong, fighting for what you want, and never letting anyone hold you down.

As the show went on Reyez played through Kiddo, her favorite covers, a few unreleased tracks, and more than one surprise that got the audience to freak. Right after talking about The Remix Project, in which she participated last October, Reyez brought out on stage King Louie with whom she collaborated on a track, “Living in the Sky” at that time. Reyez ran off stage giving the spotlight to King Louie for “Live & Die In Chicago.”

The next surprise on stage was Toronto’s own Allan Rayman, another up-and-coming musician who has been taking the city by storm. Rayman and Reyez have also collaborated on a track recently, “Repeat,” an equally bare, emotional track mostly performed by Allan Rayman. Once again Reyez left the stage leaving Rayman in the dim spotlight to be himself.

Opting in to do another cover Reyez began singing Alessia Cara‘s “Here,” something tells us another experience she can personally relate to, but let’s be real, we’ve all been to this party. A few lines in another voice joins in and no one other than Alessia Cara herself steps out on the stage to sing through the track with Reyez.

“I’ve been dreaming about being a singer since I was [a little girl], you being here, buying my shit makes me so happy!” Reyez wrapped up the show with “Figures” and a highly energetic encore with “Blue Ribbon.” After raiding the merch table the energized crowd flooded out on the street, and each one was handed a red balloon.

The post Real talk with Jessie Reyez – live at the Mod Club appeared first on Quip Magazine.

“Chicago hip-hop has an attitude,” says city native and playwright Wendell Tucker. “It talks about the struggle, but will still have you bobbin’ your head.”

Chicago has produced some of the most recognizable MCs in the industry – from Da Brat and Crucial Conflict to King Louie and Kanye West – the gritty music that makes up the Chicago hip-hop culture is ever-evolving from generation to generation.

There was a time when Chicago MCs were viewed only as great rappers, each generation bringing something different to the table. But over time, they have become much more than that – they have evolved into great performers, community activists, and leaders. They’re also learning to brand themselves and become skilled businesspeople.

Many of Chicago’s MCs have a tendency to stay true to their roots – just because of their love, respect, and obligation for the city that made them who they are. Chicago MCs are notorious for giving back to their community through charity or by running for political office, like GLC and Rhymefest.

“Many Chicago artists genuinely love their city. On any given day you can see one of them on the ‘L’ or driving down 79^th Street. They try to stay a part of it…some of them almost to a fault,” says Tucker.

He says hip-hop culture in general has the tendency to make many artists feel like “you better not forget where you came from.” This causes some Chicago-based MCs to become so attached to their city that they fail to realize the benefits of expanding their brand and thinking globally, which hurts their potential.

“A lot of these MCs stay close to their communities, through various means, as an effort to give back or make up for what they took from their community,” continues Tucker.

To locals, however, the culture has evolved to encompass more than just the music – it’s a movement, and Tucker is using his talent as a playwright and actor to be a driving force behind it.

Stay with us as we explore Tucker’s role in Chicago’s hip-hop culture in part two of this series.

The post An identity of its own: Chicago’s evolving hip-hop culture (Part I) appeared first on Quip Magazine.