#ygkPlaylist: April 2017

The April edition of the #ygkPlaylist takes a deep dive into the city’s hip hop scene with three of the city’s most promising solo artists slash groups.  While the size of said scene pales in comparison to that of the guitar-led variety, that doesn’t mean it’s constituents are any less seasoned, talented or worth turning it up for.  These performers are in the limelight because they rhyme tight … and if you don’t know, now you know that rap, hip hop and reggae are alive and well in Kingston.  Hit play on the #ygkPlaylist for April (explicit lyrics alert).

Scraggy: Haitian-born, Kingston-resident Scraggy performs Haitian roots music, commonly referred to as “mizik rasin” in Creole, which is a style that melds elements of reggae, rock, and funk into traditional Haitian music.  This singer, songwriter draws inspiration from Haiti, which is prominently featured in the background of his music videos.  He is also involved in fundraising efforts supporting humanitarian relief via Helping Haiti.  Find Scraggy on Facebook, and YouTube.

Falconer: Born in Hamilton, raised on Vancouver Island and making his way in Kingston, Falconer combines top-notch lyricism with his penchant for storytelling to create emotionally-driven music. Falconer’s debut EP, released last Fall, showcases some of his best work. Covering a variety of topics from family to the summertime to the prison-industrial complex, Falconer puts forth his take on a wide range of experiences. Find Falconer on Facebook, and YouTube.

Bag Money: aka BAG$ is a brand new hip hop group featuring accomplished artists Cap’t Footbags (of Slaves of Spanky fame), Grampa aka Crackmoney (of Hobo Coasters’ fame) and Death Metal Bob.  After year’s of tweaking and “general Laziness” BAG$’ impressive debut album was released into the wild late last month.  The project includes tracks with notable guests BRich and Speaka D English.  Find BAG$ on Facebook, BandCamp and YouTube.

Every month, we comb Soundcloud looking for sounds that are unique to Kingston. We are constantly seeking out active musicians to show off to the local community and beyond. If you’re a musician who wants to be included in a future #ygkPlaylist, the first step is to get your original music up on Soundcloud and then follow us. We promise to follow you back, listen to your work and consider it for the monthly #ygkPlaylist.

Thanks to Tim Trentadue for the photo used in the background of of this month’s #ygkPlaylist.