No More Xo for Derek Wise
In disturbing news, Toronto rapper Derek Bissue, aka Derek Wise, has been arrested on 15 charges connected to a human trafficking investigation involving a 21-year-old woman who says he forced her into the sex trade. Bissue is part of Toronto’s Get Home Safe collective, which is affiliated with the Weeknd’s XO crew. Bissue’s Twitter bio (@TripppFontaine) no longer mentions XO or GHS, and Wise’s manager, Quincy Nanatakyi, released a statement calling the investigation “shocking and offensive,” and the accuser “mentally unstable.” Sad.
Tasha’s Tiger
Remember back in August when Toronto MC Tasha the Amazon shot a music video that involved walking through Kensington Market with a Bengal tiger? It caused an, um, uproar with animal activists and concerned citizens, though Tasha was careful to have handlers on set and the streets blocked off to automobile and pedestrian traffic. The video – for Thru The Fire from Tasha’s debut mixtape, FiDiYootDem – is finally ready for viewing:
Blowup Turns 20
Britpop nightlife fixture turned British cuisine maven Davy Love is throwing a 20th-anniversary bash for his club night Blowup on Saturday (December 20). The party features performances by Toronto singer/songwriter Tess Parks and indie pop group the Holiday Crowd plus a roster of veteran Blowup DJs on the decks. It takes over two floors at the Great Hall (1087 Queen West), which also houses Love’s pub, the Bristol.
More Tidbits
Radio Ryerson will be back on the air in 2015. The Canadian Radio-Television and Telecommunications Commission approved Ryerson campus radio station The Scope’s application for an AM licence on December 11, committing to 126 weekly hours of music and spoken word programming.
Shows at Adelaide Hall have been moved to other venues after a recent fire. That includes Jason Collett’s Basement Revue on Thursday (December 18), now at the Opera House.
