Fredericton, NB - For those who ventured out to the Upper Deck on Wednesday, October 17th, they were treated to an energy-packed hip-hop bonanza. MuchVibe.ca in collaboration with Figure IV Entertainment has sent all all-star lineup of Canadian hip hop stars on the road. Entitled 'The Firestarter Tour', this crew of Kardinal Offishall, Rascalz, Jelleestone, I.R.S. and Marvel are sure to heat up the spot on every stop of their cross-Canada tour.

The night started out with a "well-planned" strategy to weed out the non-hardcore hip hop fans: the show started late! It was shortly after midnight before I.R.S. (of Scarborough's Monolith Crew) hit the stage. They fell nothing short of getting the whole crowd pumped as emcee Black Cat was as visibly pumped as he was in the video for their hit single 'T-Dot Anthem.' Emcee Korry Deez and turntablist Tracks also kept the crowd in check as the group performed a selection of five to six tracks.

After a short break, an initially unrecognized emcee nonchalantly squeezed his way through the crowd to the stage. This emcee was none other than the very hot Canadian emcee, Jelleestone. Rumored to have not been on the tour, Jelleestone was a very surprising and exciting addition to the night's already impressive lineup. For those who have never heard of Jelleestone, be forewarned, he's on the rise!

In fact, Jelleestone is the self-proclaimed "godfather of rap from Rexdale." When asked about the present status of his career, Jellestone stated, "I've got the top 100 selling single in America right now called 'Money Part 1'. It's in the top 20 across Canada. We've got the new video out for it." Watch for it to blaze up the charts on Much Music! "The album, Jelleestone Thirteen, is out in stores right now. I've been in the game about just that long - 13 years. I started out with an independent company. They tried to rob me, so for all you independent artists, be careful. The game is tricky. That experience made me smart enough to do it myself. So I started my own company called Rex Entertainment. Rex Entertainment has got a joint venture with Warner Brothers records America. Right now, because of the WTC tragedy (God rest the souls of all those that past away) I'm spending more time in Canada and I got a chance to come see yall out here in Fredericton. Big up to the Brunswickan. Basically, I'm not new to the game. I'm just new to the fame."

Somehow Jelleestone made the energy level rise even higher. He worked the crowd better than any emcee I'd seen perform in Fredericton. He upped the fan participation by getting all the ladies to say "Out. In. Out. In. Baby we can do this from ten to ten," which when coupled with the guys saying "Black Sex", made for an impressive chorus. Then things got a little crazy as he started throwing out hundred dollar bills. My scramble to make as much money as I could was foiled by the fact that all the bills had Jelleestone's picture on them! By the time my eyes made it back to the stage, he had pulled a dozen or so ladies up on stage with him as he continued to perform throughout the fan frenzy. He then finished up his show with 'I Don't Care', (which "will probably be the second single" according to Jelleestone) and the smash hit 'Money Part 1'.

Afterwards, Jelleestone felt that the show "was hot". He also had a whole lot of praise for Fredericton, stating, "A lot of the smartest things come out of the little towns because people have time to think. The big towns are all hustle and bustle. They try to make you dumb and just be a consumer. So I appreciate the little towns cause that's sometimes where it's even more real than in the big ones." He also added, "Remember this Fredericton and all the people at the show tonight, a wise man once told me: 'The little things control the big things.' Don't forget it."

You can check out Jelleestone online at www.wbr.com/jelleestone/.

Then the Rascalz, minus their two breakdancers, gave Fredericton a second dose of their live show. The Rascalz, consisting of emcees, Misfit and Red 1, DJ/producer Kemo and breakers, Dedos and Zebroc have become international hip hop status symbols. They are currently receiving airplay and becoming popular in foreign countries such as Germany, France, England, and Australia. Despite this fact, I hadn't prepared myself for the show this Vancouver-based crew was about to put on.

Without the breakers on hand, it was evident that the rest of the group had changed their show's format since the last time I saw them. When asked about the difficulty in performing without their two breakdancers, Rascalz' turntablist Kemo felt that "it brings a different aspect. A lot of times we get shows like this where they can't dance. So, that's part of the progression with the group. The dancers are moving on with their lives, and they don't want to dance the rest of their lives." Could this mean that the breakers, Zebroc and Dedos could be leaving the group? Unfortunately Kemo didn't elaborate.

The Rascalz then proceeded to put on an energy-packed show that was definitely much more hype than their last show here (in September 2000). They performed hit tracks such as 'Northern Touch', 'Dreaded Fist' and 'Top Of The World', but they also threw down some very impressive new material. When asked about this new material, Kemo hinted of great things to come. "Our old material was good, but the new material is going to be different due to progression and growth among myself, production-wise and the emcee's rhyming."

Kemo added that the Rascalz hope to have a new album out in "spring or summertime of 2002". This album will be different because they plan to have "30 songs" from which to "pick 13 to15 for the album." For the Rascalz' previous albums, they "kind of just did the tracks and had only 15 or 16 to pick from." Kemo expected "the songs for the next album to be more energetic and less laid-back." He added, "we're trying to make aggressive songs." which is partly due to all their touring and the fact that "you can't really perform those laid-back songs. They're cool, but you want to have those songs that are up-tempo and hype." This was definitely true of their show. It was a lot more energetic than their last, and I'm really looking forward to hearing their new album. Kemo finally added that "he enjoyed both shows" in Fredericton. "The crowd was live. They were off the hook." What more can you ask for?

At this point, I found myself asking, "How can an already amazing show get even better?" Two words: Kardinal Offishall. This hip-hop artist has the whole game locked down. He's currently receiving massive radio and video play throughout Canada and more impressively, the United States. He won a slew of UMAC (Urban Music Association of Canada) Awards for his new album, Firestarter Volume 1: Quest For Fire, which was given the impressive distinction as "one of five must get albums of the year" by the Source. He's also one of the first Canadian artists to receive mainstream video play on BET (Black Entertainment Television). This Toronto emcee is definitely one of Canada's best and will no doubt continue to rise.

As Kardinal hit the stage, I could feel the crowd's anticipation. The crowd became even more tightly packed as Kardinal set down his lemon tea and picked up the mic. He then proceeded to put on the best show I've ever seen.

With IRS, and Marvel by his side, Kardinal performed a set symbolic of his stature in the hip-hop world. The set felt more like a greatest hits show, rather than that of an emcee with only two full albums under his belt. (Note that his debut Eye & I, received very little support from his record label.) He proceeded to perform 'Maxine' and 'On Wit Da Show'. Then took a break to ask the crowd what the three most important things in life should be. His answer: 1. God. 2. Family. 3. Life itself.

Then Marvel grabbed the mic to perform his single, 'Throw This Ball'. Marvel is a little known member of Toronto clique, The Circle, which encompasses hip-hop stars including Saukrates, Solitair, Kardinal Offishall, Jully Black, Tara Chase, Choclair and Ro Ro Dolla. His track, 'Throw This Ball' had a laid-back funk style that proved itself worthy of an upcoming video for the track. Marvel said that the single "has been out for a while in the form of a 12", but the video is going to be out in a week or so. It's definitely going to be hot. Tara Chase sings the chorus and it features an emcee named RC from Toronto." Marvel plans to release another single before following it up with an album sometime in the future.

Kardinal then stole back the spotlight for the rest of the night, capping the hype night with his hit singles 'Hustlin', 'Bakardi Slang', and 'Ol Time Killin'. Finally, after two and a half hours of energy filled hip hop, the show had to come to an end.

After the show, I asked Kardinal what he thought of the show. It became quickly apparent that he was quite ill. Barely able to speak, he reiterated the feelings of the other emcees, stating that the show was off the hook. He added that he'd been sick for 2-3 days at that point, and could barely speak, but he didn't want to let down his fans. Kardinal added, "I gave it my best, and I can only hope that I satisfied my fans." There's no doubt that he gave it his best. So much so, that it's unlikely that anyone even knew that he was sick.

This was definitely the best hip hop show I've ever experienced!