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Manifesto is around the corner and if you missed it last with headliners like Talib Kweli, Colin Monroe and 9th Wonder you surely dont want to miss the action this year.

Governor General’s “Can We Talk?” with Michele Jean will open the festivities on Sept 20th followed by art exhibition, dance competitions, film screenings, workshops/seminars and more.

MANIFESTO EVENT LISTINGS:

Governor General’s Youth Dialogue – Monday, Sept. 20 4:00PM-6:00PM
Youth Arts Pitch Contest – Monday, Sept. 20 following the Governor General’s Youth Dialogue
Bilal Concert @ Revival Bar – Tuesday, Sept. 21 8:00PM-2:00AM
Film Festival in association with NOW Magazine @ Royal Cinema – Wednesday, Sept. 22 7:00PM
Made You Look Art Exhibition @ Airship 37 – Thursday, Sept. 23 8:00PM-3:00AM
TO Meet NYC @ The Great Hall – Friday, Sept. 24 9:30PM
So Much Things to Say in association with Ryerson Students’ Union @ Ryerson University – Saturday, Sept. 25 2:30PM-6:30PM
Canada Pro 2010 @ Manifesto Warehouse – Saturday, Sept. 25 6:00PM-1:00AM
Main Event @ Yonge-Dundas Square – Sunday, Sept. 26 Noon-11:00PM
New Era presents the Official Afterparty in association with Stylus Group @ Hard Rock Café – Sunday, Sept. 26 9:00PM-3:00AM

So a couple of weeks ago, Joe Budden performed live in Oshawa at Karma nightclub. The real highlight of the night was the opening supporting acts. It was really good to see local talents performing which supports my belief that we have amazing and gifted people living right here in Toronto. The group that I would have to say did an amazing job was 8Bit. Their flow was incredible and they got the crowd right into their music. Take a look at some of the pictures from the event. For more information on this group and to listen to their mix-tape, visit their website at www.threwourframes.blogspot.com.

According to Hiphopwired.com, Lauryn Hill discusses her career…why she took a break from the game and what she’s been up to. The interview goes on to mention the reason why she’s been taking this break

“…partly, the support system that I needed was not necessarily in place. There were things about myself, personal-growth things, that I had to go through in order to feel like it was worth it.”

She goes on to mention that raising her 5 kids is her priority, but now that her youngest child is 5 years old, she can now redirect her focus on music…

“I’m starting to get excited again. Believe it or not, I think what people are attracted to about me, if anything, is my passion. People got exposed to my passion through music and song first. I think people might realize, you know, ‘We love the way she sounds, we love the music, but I think we just love how fearless she is. How boundless she is, when it comes to what she wants to do.’ And I think that can be infectious.”

I can see another epic album coming soon…

Degrassi's Charlotte Arnold, Raymond Ablack, Dalmar Abuzeid, Paula Brancati and Melinda Shankar listen to Drake's new album, Thank Me Later, on the set of the show last week.

The heartthrob Toronto rap star Drake — born Aubrey Graham — is releasing his anticipated first album today. An internationally acclaimed crony of Jay-Z, Kanye West and Lil Wayne, the half-black, half-Jewish 23-year-old has been credited with legitimatizing Canadian hip hop, but he got his start on Degrassi High.

“If you saw him on the street, what would you call him, Aubrey or Drake?” asks Degrassi cast member Melinda Shankar, who plays Alli Bhandari on the show, at a listening session of Thank Me Later in a classroom on the set of the long-running show.

“Aubrey, because that’s what I knew him as first,” responds Paula Brancati (Jane Vaughn on the show), who says she enjoyed performing with Graham, even if he spent much of the time glued to his BlackBerry.

Playing the heavily Auto-Tuned new album, which is equal parts R&B and hip-hop, the Degrassi kids boppingly approve.

“I know she’s pregnant and everything, but I’d love to see them date,” says Shankar of a hypothetical Alicia Keys-Drake romance after listening to Fireworks, Drake’s terrific album opener featuring Keys.

The song is about Drake feeling used by Rihanna, and it elicits approval (and a fair share of envy), all around.

“If that happened to me, I’d definitely write about it,” says Dalmar Abuzeid (Danny Van Zandt on Degrassi), who, like Drake, also has musical ambitions and plays with his castmates in a band called Soundspeed.

“I remember reading on Perez Hilton about Rihanna’s mystery boy,” Raymond Ablack (Sav Bhandari) says. “We all knew who it was because of this place, of course.”

Drake is famous for his nasally brand of emo-rap (less forgiving critics call it a whine), but notable among hip-hop artists is the fact that he never talks about selling drugs or staging robberies — the well-worn cliches of the genre.

“His greatest struggle was being a black Jew in a white neighbourhood,” Degrassi director Pat Williams says.

“I didn’t know he could be so vulnerable,” says Brancati when the album veers into Chris Brown territory on Karaoke and The Resistance. The album’s energy is restored with Over, the hit song probably blaring from a car passing by your home right now.

“This is for the gangster guys,” says Charlotte Arnold (Holly J. Sinclair), who, like her castmates, raps along to the track.

“The Juno performance of this was sick,” adds Ablack.

“It’s a pump-up song and probably my favourite so far,” Arnold says, “but maybe that’s because I’ve heard it like a million times.”

The album has many guest appearances, and several songs — all excellent — feature rap’s hottest female rapper, Nicki Minaj, a killer T.I. verse and a duet with Young Jeezy, the rapper with hip hop’s greatest capital of street cred.

“What about the T.O. girls?” asks Brancati when Drake shouts out his ladies around the world on Show Me a Good Time and mentions New York and L.A.

When Drake does finally mention Toronto — the musician was raised in the tony neighbourhood of Forest Hill — the classroom explodes.

“Wait, why am I cheering for that?” Ablack asks, momentarily stunned.

Even Drake’s Degrassi cohorts seem affected by his star wattage. They marvel at his friendships with Madonna and Eminem. On Shut it Down, Drake instructs the ladies to, “Put that f–king dress on and work it, girl.”

“It’s like, I want to put on that dress,” Brancati explains.

Director Pat Williams also seems to be taken by the song. “Want to strip to this?” he asks Arnold, whose character Hollie J. will be dirty dancing in an upcoming episode.

“I’m totally down,” she says.

After the entire album has been digested, the Degrassi kids reflect on Drake’s meteoric rise to fame.

“He’s brilliant because he’s able to draw attention to himself without really putting himself out there,” Brancati says, “I think he’s sweet,” Shankar says, “but he’s also still really cool.”

“Overall, I like the album — I’d buy it,” Abuzeid says. “If he sticks with it, I think Drake just might have a shot.”

–Thank Me Later by Drake is in stores June 15. Degrassi: The Next Generation airs Sundays on CTV at 7 p.m.

via Ben Kaplan @ The National Post

So the newest racial controversary would have to come from Slim thug who recently spoke to VIBE.com stating:

‘..its hard to trust black women sometimes because a lot of black women’s mind frame is that the men gotta do everything for her.’

He also stated that white women treat their men like a king and black women feel like they ain’t gotta do ish…black women need to stand by their man more…

Because of his choice of words, many people are on the fence with his opinion. But on the flip side to this controversy he also mentioned that black men need to step it up as well. He states:

A Black man who gets a little bread will go make it rain in the club and be broke the next day or instead of him going to invest in a business he gonna go buy new jewelry or a new car and still live in the hood. Black peoples’ mentality is real messed up in general [and] it’s affecting everything.

He is saying what a lot of people are afraid to say, and its causing quite a stir in the urban community.

So I had the privilege to attend this event on Monday, and I was able to meet with some wonderful people. As I entered the area, it was refreshing to see so many youths coming out to support this event. It was hosted by Mayor David Miller and Melanie Fiona. Before they were introduced, they had live performances by local talent including young break dancers who go by the name of UNITY charity. As the evening progressed food was provided for the many people that came out. Many guest speakers talked about their life experiences and opportunities that lead them to pursue their career. I was also able to meet and speak with Lance Williams the program co-ordinator of the MYCEP – Malvern Youth Community Employment Program. This program offers employment training and preparation through an integrated mix of life skills, coaching, and on the job training. It was good to see so many of the youths from his program there and participating. All in all, it was a nice evening to meet new people and feel inspired to do more in the community.