MICHIE MEE with BELLE , CALI , JILLIAN CAMERON , DESSY DI LAURO , KELLYLEE EVANS , EKLECTIC SOUL , FRANKEE & JADE , JOY LAPPS , MARTHA JOY LIM , MICHELLE LINDO , LORI NUIC , NIKKI PONTE , VERBAL SWEETNESS , TASHA T , RENEE WYNTER and more as part of HONEY JAM’S 10th ANNIVERSARY at the Mod Club Theatre (722 College), Sunday (August 14), 8 pm. $20. 416-870-8000, www.phemphat.com. Rating: NNNNN
Everyone knows Michie Mee was the first Canadian rapper signed to a U.S. label, but didja know she’s also the only rapper to have collaborated with Jerry Seinfeld?
Okay – “collaborated” is a stretch. But Michie’s name does roll up in the credits of Comedian, the documentary about him. So what’s the deal?
“I’m in it for so little, you wouldn’t even know it’s me,” the always amiable Mich explains over her cell from the studio. “He comes up to me while I’m reading an article, looks over my back and asks, ‘Who’s that?’ I turn around and say ‘Hey, it’s me!'”
While that was just a matter of being caught on tape at the right time, Michie (who in 2000 starred as Divine in CBC’s hiphop drama Drop The Beat) auditions for acting parts all the time. In real life she’s been permanently cast as a hiphop icon, a role that still feels surreal. Even Chuck D tips her as one of his top five femcees of all time.
“It’s strange,” says Mich, who gets approached in public all the time. “It’s also very humbling, because it means that people actually follow my career and are still kinda interested in what I’m doing. Even though I haven’t gone gold or any of that cool stuff, I’ve kinda just remained part of the community and the scene. It means a lot.”
You’ve got to respect how Michie Mee stays in the grind. Besides being the mother of a son who always lets her know which rappers she could take out, two months ago she blew everyone away with her NXNE showcase at the Drake, and she’s been working on an autobiographical third LP that’s piqued the interest of several labels and potential collaborators (she can’t yet disclose what or who).
Not least, for the 10th consecutive year she’s hosting and will perform at Honey Jam, the annual all-female urban artist showcase founded by Ebonnie Rowe. It’s helped build the careers of Nelly Furtado, Graph Nobel, Jully Black and Tara Chase, among others, and serves as a useful networking forum for women behind the scenes in a still gender-imbalanced music industry. As if that weren’t positive enough, Honey Jam also contributes to female-oriented charities like Big Sisters, breast cancer research and Sistering.
As usual, Honey Jam’s lineup includes a promising crop of voices. Michie digs the fresh talent and camaraderie.
“I love hearing what the girls are feeling and thinking. They’re not all hit records, but they’re all true emotions. All these girls go through things in different parts of the city, and they come together downtown and tell similar stories – the same pain, the same fun, the same messages. It’s a place for the girls to unite and grow.”
