Music

What to hear at Under Pressure

by Darcy MacDonald

All the rappers and DJs at this weekend’s annual hip hop culture festival.

How much pressure can you handle, babies? Saturday, Aug. 10 and Sunday, Aug. 11, the Under Pressure festival comes of age with Montreal’s 18th annual block celebration of hip hop, culture and the elements.

I’ve always been down to support UP, and attend UP, but this summer I am extra-extra UP on it, having helped curate the live hip hop acts performing on the outdoor stage this go-round.

Here’s how the weekend breaks down on the aural tip. To have your retinas blown , simply stroll the site.

Saturday sees BluRum13, Rico Blox, Cee & DJ Midas, Daybi, TO’s Masia One, Sev Dee, Mark the Magnanimous, Markings and Obia & Cotola on the outdoor stage, with DJs Sugarface Nene & Serious Black, Class, Blast, Redd Dredd, Cream, Bliss, Manzo and still others jamming at various other stages around the event site (as always, on and around Foufs).

The Sunday line-up opens with Lex Lanson and Ottawa’s City Fidelia, followed by the big annual break battle, after which Full Course, Quills and Heart Streets put it on alongside DJs Simahlak, Shash’U, Kwite Sane and Blaster. Again, many, many DJs are on board to rock the party all the way around the block, with DJ Mana, Montrilla, Sagewondah, Kid Kebec and DJ Solespin among them.

From 10 p.m., Foufounes Électriques hosts UP’s annual, free closing show with the long-anticipated return of Boston original and indie rap innovator Mr. Lif. Locals Journeymen with guest Regimental Oneton, Boombap Cats with Logic Johnson warm it up alongside BC’s Kids, Ottawa’s Homebased, Masia One and a very special End of the Weak battle showcase with Canadian final champ and one of Montreal’s finest, Monk-E, in the mix for a track or two.

Couple all that dope-ass sound with all the splendid sights of art in the making and you have got yourself a hot weekend plan which will cost you exactly zero dollars to behold. You can even get your kids’ faces painted courtesy of the homegirl Christina Phelps.

Catch me hosting the stages with DShade over the course of the weekend and come say “Hi!” Maybe I’ll even kick you an ill new Cult MTL t-shirt if you get there nice and early.

Here are a couple of things to keep you busy till then:

Aug. 8: UP presents the Women & Hip Hop Culture conference at Fresh Paint Gallery’s new digs. 221 Ste-Catherine E., 8:30 p.m.

Aug. 9: Back to Parc Jean Drapeau for the the no-nonsensically appointed Under the Influence of Music tour, featuring A$AP Rocky, Wiz Khalifa, B.o.B., Joey Bada$$ & Pro Era and Trinidad James — what, no fucking dollar sign in your “S,” James? Too good for that, huh? ■

 

Shinecultmtl@gmail.com

@ShineCultMTL

Posted in Music

by Darcy MacDonald

Contributor
Darcy MacDonald has been with Cult MTL since day one, a decade ago. Which means today, he’s a middle-aged white guy (albeit one more interested in other people’s ideas than in his own). He was previously a columnist and reporter for Montreal Mirror, and has also created content (FKA “written”) for RBMA, Noisey, Montreal Gazette, The National Post and probably some other great places he’s forgotten about. Music, culture, community and miscellaneous questions in search of answers all come across his desk, sooner or later.

Leave a Reply