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By C. Ho - HappyGrrls.com
As someone who's never been a fan of Canadian hip-hop, I was surprised to learn that Swollen Members, a relatively veteran group that gained mainstream popularity in 2002, was Canadian. I resolved to stop listening to their songs, but after heavy airplay on Canadian television and radio, there was no escaping them. That didn't mean that I had to like it, but I did. Swollen Members broke me down, baby.
After three CDs, Swollen Members has managed to rack up two Junos and four MuchMusic Awards. Their first video, Bad Dreams, was homage to the cult hit From Dusk Till Dawn. Since then, the beats haven't stopped. From Fuel Injected to Steppin Through to their new single, Breath (featuring Nelly Furtado), they have managed to sell over 50,000 records worldwide and went platinum in Canada.
Although it may seem like Swollen Members became an overnight success, in reality their smooth sound took six years to cultivate. The year was 1995, and hip-hop had taken a back seat to the grunge and punk scene. As respected MC's in the underground hip-hop scene, both Canadian and American, Mad Child and Prevail met in San Francisco. Despite talks of teaming up, they left things unresolved. Mad Child returned to his native Vancouver, where once again, he was reunited with Prevail and his partner, Moka Only.
Mad Child wanted to remain solo, and in 1996 traveled to the B-Boy Summit in San Diego, where he was initiated into the Rock Steady Crew, one of hip-hop's most highly respected collectives. Swollen Members are only one of three Rock Steady Crew affiliated groups.
With a newfound confidence in their talent, Mad Child and Prevail set out to record their first album under Mad Child's independent label, Battleaxe Records, which is home to other artists such as Moka Only, Buc Fifty, LMNO, Mr. Bundy, and Abstract Rude. A compilation of all the artists has just been released.
Swollen Member's debut, Balance, earned them respect in the cutthroat hip-hop world. Guests, such as Moka Only, DJ Rob the Viking, and Charli Tuna of Jurrasic 5, leant Swollen Members an edge over their rivals. Their latest effort, Monsters in the Closet, features Canadian talents Nelly Furtado, Saukrates, and Sarah McLaughlin. Moka Only and Rob the Viking were also recruited, and are now official members of the group.
Their sound is fresh, raw, and smooth - a welcome change from the stale state of Canadian hip-hop. Breath, their duet with Nelly Furtado, is enough to satisfy any hip-hop fan out there. If Swollen Members is any indication of the new sound of music, then 2003 is going to be an exceptional year for Canadian hip-hop.
[HappyGrrls.com]