Acrpost: A Project of the Pacific Association of Artist Run Centres

Event Description

The closing night of Garden City Grooves 10th Anniversarty is a celebration of rich hip-hop legacy of the west coast. We are so excited to present this show as a chance to celebrate the deep, rich legacy of the incredible rap that our little part of the globe has birthed.

Headlining this night of hip-hop celebration will be XL the Band - featuring west coast icons Prevail and Rob The Viking, from the 4-time JUNO Award winning hip hop group Swollen Members, who have performed and toured internationally with household names like Avril Lavigne, Rihanna, and the Black Eyed Peas. Musically, they have collaborated with well established artists such as Nelly Furtado, Everlast, and Wondagurl. XL the Band also includes Liesa Norman who holds a doctorate in music performance and composition and is also a part time model and actress. Liesa has also composed for film and TV internationally, including the world-renowned BBC. Neph - from Western Canadian Music Award nominated rap group Alpha Omega - has years of touring and performance under his belt. His debut solo EP The Blackbox garnered him attention in the Canadian rap scene, and his musical contribution to XL has helped sculpt the band’s sound.

XL the Band will be joined by one of Vancouver Island’s greatest rap ambassadors, the mighty Sirreal. Sirreal has worked tirelessly honing his craft, delving deep into the personal to create some of the most powerful, hard-hitting rap to come out of the Canadian west coast. His immense talents have seen him share stages with some of hip-hops most legendary names – Redman, Tech N9ne, Ghostface Killah and Nelly, to name but a few. Flanked by his live band, Blue Satellite, Sirreal puts on one of the tightest, most engaging live rap sets you’re likely to see any time soon. Also joining the bill is another pillar of the west coast rap community, Mo Moshiri. Moshiri is a longtime veteran of the scene, including being a founding member of the legendary Sweatshop Union. His thoughtful, passionate lyrics touch on the most human parts of us, while the beats he uses get dance floors moving and headphones thumping.

Seattle's veternan hip hop heavyweights, Prometheus Brown aka Geologic of The Blue Scholars and Khingz from Abyssinian Creole will round out this bill. Prometheus Brown and Khingz have been deeply involved both individually and through their own projects. They both are inspired by social justice and their passion is evident in the conscious rhymes that they sling.

This show will feature the best in contemporary reggae and Caribbean sounds in before, in between and after each set courtesy of Judah Roots who also runs a bi-monthly Reggae Food Drive in Victoria!