Toronto Urban Music Festival 2009

From the deep to the soul reality of a generation spawned by the era of the original b-boy comes Crown A Thornz; thought purveyors who create a brand of fly, grown-up hip-hop. They are tempered by roots & culture, forged by inner city life, and shaped by soul, injecting reality on all lyrical levels.

Crown A' Thornz is a creative collective featuring members, J Wyze, Eklipz, & Kolor Brown. Together they create music that inspires reflection and conversation while making heads nod. Their sound is unique to the experience of 'the first of the last generation'. The first generation of Caribbean parents who found their way to North America with dreams of a better life, and the last generation of the foundation Hip hop era.

Crown A' Thornz is consciousness music that addresses grown up issues about life, love, and trying to do better. It's hustle music that speaks to the difficulties of the urban black male. It's soul music to a generation that struggles for a better future. It's hip hop music that is needed as an alternative to the material driven, commercial mainstream.

The union of these storytellers is a result of lifelong relationships with music and the foresight of a man who recognized an untapped potential in three, talented, individual artists. DTS, the backbone of the longest running hip hop show in Canada, CIUT's 'The Master Plan' (89.5 fm), and co-founder of 2004 Justos Mix Tape Award winner, the Soul Controllers sound crew, was the connecting point for Kolor Brown, Eklipz and J Wyze. The union of these artists, and DTS' vision of a trio of emcees and musicians with the ability to blaze both live shows and the recording booth evolved into Crown A Thornz.

2006 saw the spring and summer releases of the well-received mixed CD series, Iron Lion vol. 1 and 2, featuring the singles 'Natty Ride Out' and 'Think It Over' (both of which garnered commercial and college radio spins across Ontario). 'Natty Ride Out' would also go on to be featured in 'Unspoken Promise', a short film by Lumanity Productions Inc. and Sad But True Productions. 2007 has been just as productive with the recent release of 'Hell In A Hand Basket' (featured in Flow 93.5 fm's popular 'Northern Touch' segment) and the addition of 'Not Just Another' to Everybody Dance Now: Songs From Hamilton Vol. 1. In the meantime, Crown A Thornz has opened lived for EPMD, KRS-One, Jeru the Damaja, Supernatural and Akrobatik. They are currently in the studio working on their debut independent album featuring productions by Kolor Brown and Spott Music Producers Tra Boogie & Stevie Talent.

J-WYZE

The dynamic force behind The Trauma Unit (FLOW 93.5FM), J Wyze is the quintessential hype man & MC. A key member of the Soul Controllers, he has a radio background that also includes stints in community & internet radio. J Wyze also has an unrelenting dedication to the community, which has earned

him numerous awards such as the "Arts Starts Upcoming Community Artist Award", "Factor Demo Grant", and "Toronto Arts Council Writers Grant".

Born to a jazz musician father who has toured North America, and Europe with greats like Toots and the Maytals, and a mother who still sings in an inspirational gospel choir, J-Wyze wanted to be an entertainer for as long as he could remember. After immigrating to Canada from Antigua via Bermuda in 1989 at the age of 12, J Wyze began performing at spoken word events in the mid 90s. He was winner of a Sears Drama Festival acting awards/scholarship, SLAM Poetry competition and is a published poet & writer.

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