TOP CANADIAN URBAN PLAYERS

Urban Music Ambassadors of 2001

By Kevin Jones & Cheryl "Nneka" Hazell

With urban music at the top of the food chain, as the hottest selling category in the music industry these days, WORD Magazine felt it was time to take the temperature of the emerging Canadian urban music scene.

Many Canadian urban artists such as Dream Warriors, Deborah Cox, Tamia, Maestro, Choclair, Kardinal Offishall, Rascalz, Saukrates and Baby Blue Soundcrew are household names coast to coast. Some have generated a buzz and are selling their music in the U.S. and outside North America. This is in large part due to MuchMusic, campus radio, club DJs, the internet and a few commercial radio stations including the new FLOW 93.5.

But who are the people behind the scenes? Who are those tireless movers and shakers that get the job done away from the spotlight?

We wanted to know.

WORD conducted an informal survey of industry folks to get the lowdown on those who have a significant influence in shaping the "urban industry." Others have gone before these and we need to honour them as we continue building this annual list. So in the true spirit of moving things forward, here are some of the key urban players in the first annual Canadian Urban Players list -- people moving the urban scene forward in 2001.

Craig Mannix
National Director of Urban Music Marketing, Virgin Records

Since making his initial foray into the Canadian urban scene over 14 years ago, Craig Mannix has blazed a trail unmatched by anyone in the industry. His career is a culmination of firsts, and as such, it is difficult to acknowledge it's full value within the confines of this brief overview. He was responsible for creating the urban department of BMG Music, and was also the first official Street Representative this county had ever seen. Early on in his career, through his very own urban consulting company, Mannix was able to instruct heavyweight labels like Tommy Boy, EMI, and Sony on the nuances of urban music and culture, with the overall effects of this relationship still continuing to this day. He even had a chance to shape MuchMusic's Rap City, during a brief internship with the company, where he helped to transform it into a themed daily. It is the recognition of these, and other, achievements that lead to Mannix's current position, where he sits as director of Urban Music Marketing for Virgin Records; the first black man ever to achieve the level of director in the Canadian music industry, and the first black person to be named Director of Urban Music. Russ Hergeert was the first.

Duane Watson
Artist Marketing Manager, Urban A&R Representative, Sony Music Canada

Throughout his nine years in the music industry, Duane Watson has, quite literally, worked his way from the bottom up. Starting out as a writer for Access. Chart, Abstract, and Metro Word Magazines, Duane earned his first label gig at BeatFactory Music, where he was charged with the task of organizing national promotions. This experience would later land him a similar position at Sony Music Canada, where he would later be promoted to Marketing Manager. His next stop was Virgin Music, and with another title added to his name (this time Urban Marketing & Promotions), it seemed the path to his current position was set. Recently, Duane was hired for the first Urban A&R Representative position for a major label in Canada, a title that grants him the power to comb the countryside with the purpose of signing and developing artists, based on his own knowledge of the urban music industry. The significance of this move rests both in the fact that decisions (at Sony) to sign an urban artist to a contract is actually being made by someone who has an idea about that artist's music, and in that it serves to finally recognize urban music in Canada as a legitimate artform, and one worth investing in.

Chris Smith

Chris Smith Management

Chris Smith has become one of the most successful managers in the Canadian music industry, selling more music per capita than many of his more famous counterparts in the United States. That seems to suit his style fine -- actions speaks louder than words.

In fact, he could probably retire on just the success of Nelly Furtado. Chris Smith Management is Toronto-based artist management company with offices in New York and Jamaica. Smith represents artists such as Nelly Furtado, Jacksoul, The Philosopher Kings, Lenn Hammond, Yogie and Prozzak. Fiwi Music, the reggae division/record label manufactures, distributes and promotes 7" vinyl from Jamaica. Fiwi Music has released in excess of 15 singles /albums since 2000. The prinicipals are Chris Smith, Stephane Lecuyer, David Oey and Ray Hammond. You can learn more about the artists by visiting the website at www.chrissmithmanagement.com

Muchmusic/Musiqueplus
Namugenyi Kiwanuka - VJ
Malik Shaheed - VJ, host, producer & reporter
Trevis Belcourt - Producer, Rap City, Da Mix

VJ Namugenyi Kiwanuka who now hosts Da Mix is often hot on the heels of urban-related events as a videographer. She has covered PhemPhat shows, stories on racism and AIDS. Her coverage airs on Much News, Rap City and Flow. Namugenyi has also plied her hand at the written word with an article on Warchild appearing in Chart Magazine.

Malik Shaheed is a VJ, host, producer, and reporter on MusiquePlus. Celebrities who have appeared on his shows, Hip Hop and Groove run the gamut from Eminem and Vince Carter to the Isley Brothers and Destiny's Child. Malik's presence in this milieu has brought him face to face with hip icons such as Russell Simmons and Snoop Dogg.Once considered Montreal's primary urban promoter, Malik is now focused on his new-found success in television. His involvement with youth communities is like fodder for his company, Versatile Entertainment, through which he organizes annual summits and musical tours. Malik has acted as a Juno award juror, has stood in as a body double for Denzel Washington and hosted parties and concerts for Snoop, Ronny Jordan, Prince and Wyclef Jean.

Over at Much, Trevis Belcourt, has picked up where Tony 'Master T' Young left off. Producing Rap City and Da Mix, the 31 year old Belcourt brings his production experience at CTV and Sportsnet to the table.Not one to back down from a challenge, Trevis' plans for re-branding, creating two new shows and snagging a new Rap City host, have kept him pretty busy since joining the station in March.
www.muchmusic.com
www.musiqueplus.com

FLOW 93.5
Denham Jolly - President
Michelle Price - PD
Farley Flex - MD

FLOW 93.5 is Canada's first urban radio station. February 2001, the dream came true after a 10 year quest, led by Denham Jolly, President of Milestone, to get the license in Toronto, Canada's largest urban market. Critical to FLOW's success is Jolly's leadership and the work of his two guiding lights: Program Director, Michelle Price and Music Director, Farley Flex. They bring their experience on the urban playing field to an audience raised on college radio, that has been hungry for a commercial role in mainstream radio.

Farley Flex, a Toronto urban household name, has been on the scene since the late 80s and has been a concert promoter and hip hop artist manager, managing Canada's most successful solo rap artist, Maestro. Today's hot urban market is very different from the fledgling beginnings which Farley witnessed coming up. Besides acting as FLOW's music director, Farley is the host of Reflections, a show that makes us remember how it was "back in the day." www.flow935.com

Michelle, a Georgia native, has worked her way up the corporate radio world ladder and was instrumental in establishing many a new urban station in the southern United States. Always up for a challenge, her savoir-faire, industry experience and engaging personality has made her the perfect fit for an urban station breaking new ground in a city as multicultural as Hogtown. But she still gets a little on-air time of her own - as the host of the gospel show, Joyful Noyze, Michelle delivers music for the spirit and words for the heart.



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