We Do Dis Def

Getting Schooled at the Temple of Hip Hop.

The Woodlands has a reputation for many things. In the past, our nickname, 'Tha Hoodlandz', was linked to racial tension, random violence, and strong showings in math and science contests. More recently, however, Woodkids have been dropping a different kind of science. In the past year, the elements of hip hop (the four main ones being MCing, DJing, Breakdancing and Graffiti Art) have begun to permeate the school, adding a much needed shot of creativity to the culture-starved Woodlands masses. Could the future of Canadian hip hop be walking the halls as you read this?

To help me get my finger on the pulse of Woodlands hip hop, I talked to Irfan Bajwa, probably better known as the Ill-Kahn-Apollo, who does production and rhyming for a crew called Chrome Soldiers (or Trilogy). He's also an OAC student at Woodlands.

HTP: "I've noticed that hip hop culture has become really popular in our school the last few years. It's gotten to the point where you can pretty much count on DJing and Breakdancing at any school event. What's your take on Woodlands hip hop? Is it all hype or what?"

Ill-Kahn-Apollo: "I got respect for people in our school. There's enough people who know what they're talking about, but there's always phony ones too. I know of people all the way from grade ten to OAC, some people are spinning, just working on their DJing - there's a lot of young people who like hip hop so in a few years it should be getting bigger and bigger, year after year, after they practice and practice."

HTP: "What about graffiti art? Is there a strong scene for budding young artists at our school?"

IKA: "It is kind of popular, it's just that you don't really see it much, because, where can people do it? Spray-paint our cafeteria and some shit?"

HTP: "The graffiti in our washrooms is pathetic."

IKA: "It's all those fuckin little kids."

HTP: "Everyone's seen th DJing and breakdancing, but what about Woodlands MCs? Are there any MCs in the school other than yourself?"

IKA: "Well... not really. I don't disrespect anybody, but I haven't seen anyone who really has any skills."

HTP: "Other than yourself?"

IKA: "No, No, you know Elane? He doesn't go to our school, he got kicked out, but he can rhyme."

HTP: "Alright. What do you want people to know about Chrome Soldiers?"

IKA: "Our crew, the Chrome Soldiers, ranges from Scarborough to Mississauga. Production is by me, and we got mad shit on the horizon. We're here to take over the whole industry, because we see people on the TV coming out, and they're whack. You know what I mean? But we got the real shit."

HTP: "So, where do the names come from (i.e. Ill-Kahn-Apollo, Killer Chromozone, Vector, Play-doe, Illustrate, etc)?"

IKA: "Our whole thing is concepts. Like we're like the fuckin army of Genghis-Kahn and shit, like the Mongol Empire. You know how they took over all the way from China to the Middle East, man? That's one concept we have, another concept we have is like Greek mythology, Apollo the God of Prophecy."

HTP: "You gave us a track for the HTP Enhanced CD, right? It's called Grail Quest, I think. Do you want to say something about it?"

IKA: "That track that [we gave you] is nothing. I think the tape I gave you is the actual beat, but, we just did the vocals.. we didn't put the samples and shit we just put the backbeat. No choruses were in it, and we just did one straight verse. It's very, very rough, you know, that's not what we would go with. We have a lot of other tracks. We have tracks called Hidden Gem, 5th dimension, and Northern Exposure."

HTP: "Northern Exposure? Was that before 'Northern Touch' or what?"

IKA: "Way before man!"

HTP: "Alright, yo!" [backing off]

IKA: "Way fuckin' before! And what's Northern Touch compared to Northern Exposure? Northern Touch, they bit that fuckin' beat, they can't even make their own beat, what is that? Fuckin Dillinja, [makes squeaky voice] 'runnin up on ya', he's a fuckin mouse, see what I mean? That shit just brings us down. You know producers out here are just so eager to produce someone, they take anybody. They should be selective. That's why you got a lot of fuckin whack shit looding this place. I'm not disrespecting those guys but they gotta become better, man. Like it's good for them that they got out here, but..."

HTP: "It doesn't seem like you have a high opinion of Canadian hip hop."

IKA: "There's enough talent that I like, it's not all bad. Saukrates, you ever heard of Saukrates? He's the illest, right now from Canada, I think."

HTP: "Do you think maybe hip hop isn't as big here because Canadians don't understand it the way Americans do?"

IKA: "No because down there there's whack crap too. It's just they have more MCs."

HTP: "I mean, MCs from the US, they come from Staten Island, Brooklyn - the hard neighbourhoods. You come from Huron Park, man..."

IKA: "I moved there, don't worry."

HTP: "But that's probably a part of it."

IKA: "Yeah, that's definitely a part of it."

HTP: "Tell me who's whack."

IKA: "Who's whack? Come on, Kardinal Offishal... Thrust.. honestly, nuff Canadian shit [is whack]. There's some good Canadian shit like Saukrates and Choclair."

HTP: "You like Choclair?"

IKA: "They're OK, they got some skills, but we could dominate them."

HTP: "Choclair?"

IKA: "If he can make it here, we can blow up here. We're ready to blow up. This is what we're trying to do: blow up here, so that we have some recognition for Canada and Toronto from fuckin America. I know it came from there, but we just want the respect we deserve. Because, I'm telling you, nuff shit that we got here is hype."