RBC Bluesfest, Ottawa’s largest annual music festival, is just around the corner and SHIFTER will be there! Although there’s not much local hip-hop scheduled for the 10-day festival, unlike previous years, there are still some great shows to look forward to. Here the shows we’re looking forward to at RBC Bluesfest 2019.
DJ Prosper⎹ July 9-10
Ottawa Senators DJ and “crowd motivator”, DJ Prosper, was added to the schedule after support from the fans and he won’t disappoint. He’s not just a DJ, he’s an MC and the ultimate hype man who has a gift with the microphone. This will probably one of the most energetic shows of the festival.
Jessie Reyez⎹ July 10
Jessie Reyez performed last year at Bluesfest and delivered one of the better shows. Unlike other performers her age, she has great crowd engagement and knows how to engage with her fans. She’s a true artist with a message and a natural performer. She won’t disappoint.
Logic⎹ July 10
I was never a big fan of Logic, but he can spit so you have to respect his pen game. He’s one of the rare rappers today you can actually call an MC so we’re hoping he throws it back to the hip-hop concerts we fell in love with in the 90’s and early 2000’s (before rapping over your own vocals became a thing).
Murda Beatz⎹ July 11
Having worked with the likes of the Migos, Drake and Nicki Minaj, Fort Erie native Murda Beatz is one of the biggest success stories in Canadian music in recent years. He’s produced some of the hardest and catchiest hip-hop beats from “Motorsport” to “FEFE” so we expect this to be one of the best shows of the festival. He also brought out DMX during his Coachella set to we never know what we’re gonna get with Murda.
Blak Denim⎹ July 12
Blak Denim is a staple in the Ottawa music scene and they’ll be bringing their soul and high energy to the Bluesfest stage. We’ve seen this group perform live and they always seem to put a spell on the crowd. They usually have something for everyone, from the hip-hop heads to the casual fan so we expect them to bring it.
T-Pain⎹ July 12
T-Pain makes hits. He’s one of the artists who really ushered in the era of “singles over albums”. Alongside Akon, he’s given us some of the catchiest hooks ever so we’re looking forward to taking a bit of a trip down memory lane.
The Sorority⎹ July 13
Toronto female hip-hop group, The Sorority, has been having a great past couple of years, individually and as a collective. Group member Haviah Mighty released her debut album 13th Floor earlier this year to stellar reviews and was on XXL’s list of the “15 Toronto Rappers You Should Know”. Meanwhile, Keysha Freshh just released her new EP Field Trip. As a group, they’ve continued to generate buzz in Canada and the United States and are guaranteed to bring some ridiculous energy to the Bluesfest stage. We’ve played them enough on our morning hip-hop show The Morning Shift so we’re excited to finally see them live.
Wu-tang Clan⎹ July 13
Hands down, this is our most highly anticipated show of the festival. Wutang member, Ghostface Killah, put on a great show last year, including covers of well-known songs like Nirvana’s “Smells Like Teen Spirit”, so we’re looking forward to seeing the full crew together all in one place.
Snoop Dogg⎹ July 13
Snoop is now a staple on the Bluesfest stage. He returns every few years rocking a Sens jersey and playing to the Ottawa crowd. Although he’s been to Bluesfest many times, our team has actually never seen Snoop perform live so we’re looking forward to finally seeing the West Coast legend on the big stage.
Vi⎹ July 14
After her appearance on CTV’s The Launch, Vi is back to perform in front of her hometown crowd. It’s been clear for years that it was only a matter of time before Vi became a star and now the world knows it. Since her appearance on the show, she’s become even more comfortable on stage so we’re looking forward to seeing how she’s grown as a performer in recent months.
Backstreet Boys⎹ July 14
We’re not going to lie – next to Wutang, this is the show we’re looking forward to the most. Backstreet Boys has one of the best catalogues for a group no matter the genre. It doesn’t matter who you are, when songs like “I Want It That Way” come on you’ll be singing at the top of your lungs.
Local acts to look out for: Rebecca Noelle, Blak Denim, Garcons, Mia Kelly, Del Hartley
Listen to SHIFTER on The Morning Shift on CHUO 89.1FM, Monday to Friday, 6am to 8am
