Toronto Urban Music Festival 2009

EKLIPZ

It was the late 80's when Grand Master Flashes The Message first hooked Eklipz to the emerging hip hop culture. He began as a B-Boy Breakin for various crews and battling around his hometown of Hamilton. Eklipz then gravitated towards the Mic and developed his skill as an emcee. After spending hundreds of

hours refining his skills in ciphers and winning battles, Eklipz opened for groups like Black Sheep, Naughty by Nature, Public Enemy, Xzibit, The Alkoholiks, Saukrates, K-os, Spragga Benz, Total, and others.

In addition to owning & operating the Boom Spot, one of Hamiltons first hip hop clothing & lifestyle stores, Eklipz is the founder of Concrete canvas graffiti showcase and has also been hosting a radio show at McMaster University C.F.M.U 93.3 for 11 years. He has been featured on numerous releases including the Trupaz 'Island Girl', which had a video in rotation on Much Music, and on Queen Cee's 'Rest Your Mind' which was on the Honey Drop's compilation put out on Universal records.

As an MC, visual artist, radio DJ, and former b-boy, Eklipz prides himself on being the embodiment of the four elements of hip hop.

KOLOR BROWN

Kolor Brown is the definitive contemporary soul artist whose music has evolved through struggle, experience and experimentation. His distinct voice takes you to times & places in memory and his stories are spacewalks through love, pain, angst, & triumph. Trained in visual & performance arts, Kolor

Brown has been living music since he was able to harmonize his first note in the church choir. He has worked with some of this generations most talented musicians over the years allowing him to develop his talent as a singer, song writer, composer & producer.

For Kolor Brown, Art is about the essence of a time, more than the artists themselves. There is the Soul movement of the 60s & 70s journeyed by greats like Curtis Mayfield, Marvin Gaye and Al Green, that represented a time of the Black struggle in America. The Reggae movement that brought forth the Jamaican essence with artists like, Bob Marley, Peter Tosh and Dennis Brown. Then there is the swagger of the Hip Hop movement; the cry and expression of the inner city youth who created their own way and forced the system to feel their struggle. All these experiences have laid the backdrop to his sound & music.

In 2005 Kolor Brown was featured on Rochester aka Juices A New Day that garnered heavy national rotation on radio & video, including a nomination for Best Rap video at the 2005 MMVAs. That summer also saw the successful release of his first EP titled The Kolor Brown Project and a sold out show at Revival featuring an 8 piece band. Kolor Brown has performed in venues all over Toronto including the historic Opera House, the original Bamboo, & the ACC.