3 BANDS. 3 CITIES. LIVE HIP-HOP & SOUL.
8pm doors 9pm R.Q. Tek [New York] 9:45 iamChelseaiam [New York] 10:15 The Dirty B-Sides [Toronto] 11pm Milla Thyme [Montreal/Toronto] $10 cover
(pronounced ‘boom*bap’) BMBP Presents the .:PASSPORT SERIES:. We'll be bringing the best in independent live hip-hop & soul acts from around the world. The PASSPORT SERIES promotes live band hip-hop exclusively, bringing bands and developing new live show productions with artists. All artists perform exclusively with live bands in this series.
::: R.Q.Tek ::: New York Righteous Quest That Enters Kingdom, (R.Q. Tek) is a rapper/poet from the Upper East Side of New York. This artist is literally on a quest to have any and everyone that comes across his path feel and embed the lyrics that he has within their heart to free their minds as well as touch their souls. Metaphorically, he is able to paint vivid pictures that detail struggle, pain, sorrow, hope and love. He is a four time winner of the Nuyorican Poets Cafe Slam competition and has performed throughout the United States and has been featured at the legendary SOBs in NYC. R.Q. Tek has also performed internationally in various of countries and continents such as Puerto Rico, India, Canada and as well as Africa. This artist was on "The Dean's List Tour" by Scott Morris and currently pushing his newest EP "All Most".
::: iamChelseaiam ::: New York With a New York State of Mind and a Midwestern Spirit, Singer/Songwriter iamchelseaiam uses her guitar to deliver melodic riffs, taking audiences on a rhythmic journey which has often been compared to Tracey Chapman. Her songwriting process always starts with lyrics in the notes area of her phone. Inspired human connection, every-day conversations & relationships are what drives iamchelseaiam to create music. Her tagline, The Urban Hippie, is not only a catchphrase but how she lives everyday life. She recently released her first studio project "A Beautiful Mess" which explores the subjects of life, love and loss.
::: The Dirty B Sides ::: Toronto This hip-hop collective was founded in 2011 with a mission - to develop fresh approaches to live hip-hop performance for independent artists and develop a community to support musicians on this path. In 2013, they established #BOOMBAPHUMPDAY, Toronto’s first open-stage live band hip-hop freestyle cypher jam session. They met many new artists, so they started The Honour Roll sessions in 2015, a smaller cypher challenge event focused on the skill and musical development of the artists. In 2017, they met brass band leaders to co-lead Toronto’s hip-hop & trap brass band, the T.Dot BANGERZ Brass, a response to venues closing and taking hip-hop into the streets, fronted by artists coming out of our cypher events.
After a jaw-dropping, career-changing experience running music direction for The Heard 5th Anniversary showcase, The Dirty B-Sides became Toronto’s first-call hip-hop showcasing band, performing at Manifesto, CMW, Camp Wavelength, Red Bull SoundSelect, and more, and they led music direction for CBC’s Sounds of the Season live-to-air Metro Morning 2016 & 2017 showcases at Glenn Gould Studio. In 2016, they were offered their own slot at Harbourfront Centre to showcase a handful of their artist debuts at the Beats Breaks & Culture festival. Then they got offered a whole stage for two weekends of programming and music direction with their full artist rosters for the 2017 Beaches Jazz Festival, and were able to take their cypher culture to the Beaches StreetFest. Between the two weekends, over 30 musicians showcased original music with 20 local artists.
Performing backing up 40+ acts locally, nationally, and internationally, The Dirty B-Sides will be releasing their debut album in 2018.
::: Milla Thyme ::: Montreal/Toronto
Steeped in the Soul tradition Disciplined by Jazz Raised by Hip-Hop
Milla Thyme is a true, devout artist, building on the foundations set before, and fearlessly moulding it to the present day and time. Based out of Montreal Milla Thyme has been working on his crafts of emceeing, bass playing and songwriting each for over 10 years, this dedication and persistence is the essence of what his music embodies. Being influenced by so many different genres, musicians, and artists; Milla Thyme’s sound cannot be defined within one category it is unique, and remains his own. Until recently, Milla Thyme was in between both worlds. Hushed behind the bandstand accompanying various artists and musicians; then, unreserved, rapping in front of hundreds of people. It is this seamless adaptability that has earned him props from Canadian renowned musicians in both the hip-hop and jazz/instrumental communities. Finally, Milla Thyme is ready to take off the sideman suit and step out as the frontman/bandleader of his own project with the debut EP entitled “Eternally The Student”. This EP touches on various genres but is rooted in his musical passions: Soul, Jazz, and Hip-Hop. The title is a reflection of his approach to both music and life itself: to be constantly always open to learning and growth.