Politic Live is part of a new generation of hip hop alchemists. With a name that endorses an ideology of balancing business (politic) and representing both your people and your art (getting live) simultaneously, Politic Live is here to help redefine the face of Canadian hip hop. With their debut album, entitled Notoriety, Poli Live has set out to raise the standards of music creation for their peers. Showing a vast range of human emotions Notoriety complements the human psyche. From beginning to end, Notoriety is laced with concepts rather than just lyric braggadocio or tales of partying carelessly 24-7. “We didn’t want to just give the run of the mill. Even if the topics were already out there, the approach and angle was gonna be entirely different”, says Dirt Gritty of the highly anticipated debut. Following suit to this, the flow of Notoriety is like a quiet storm. Capturing the ears of listeners with playful and lighthearted comical club bangers for most of the first half, Poli Live then spoon feed their more serious subject matter in the latter half. Opting for classic material over hit songs, Politic Live spent over seven months carefully crafting and recording their debut. The process, which they describe as a journey into themselves, has produced 15 classic tracks out of over 30 songs that had been recorded in the last year. Poli Live, which is the triple threat of Bigga Nolte (a/k/a Tommy Knuckles), Young Mav (a/k/a Marly Trial), and Dirt Gritty (a/k/a Bishop Griffin), are the products of West Indian parents who raised them on very simple diet: Yam & Dumpling with a dash of Funk, Ackee & Salt Fish with a pinch of Rap, Rice & Peas with a sprinkle of Soul, and a whole lot’a Reggae. “My Dad set up a bar in our basement when we we’re kids. He had a sound system down there and we used to go in and play records when he was out”, remembers Gritty. Insite and Bigga, who are brothers, would be further encouraged to express themselves musically by their cousin Young Mav. “With only 15 tracks it was difficult to give our blueprint, but we covered a lot of ground which will help people to understand where we’re coming from”, says Bigga. Notoriety, which is a subtle reference to what they’re confident their debut will achieve, features guest appearances from “E”lympia’s strongest up and comers. But don’t expect Notoriety to be cluttered with pointless guest appearances for name sake. From Sonny Grimezz’ cuts on “Rep For Your Crew Pt. 2” - to Musa’s retaliation on rap’s criticizers to the reggae influenced soul crooning of Singin’ D on “What Lies Beneath”, all the features were carefully chosen to help construct the right feel for Poli Live’s debut. The diverse moods set on Notoriety comes from the diverse backgrounds of all contributing producers. The production, which is handle by Aliby, Gold Finga and Stress, with Politic Live co-producing their efforts, maintains the balance between club bangers and thoughtful head nodding tracks. Preferring timelessness over present day “hotness”, Notoriety offers beats that are addictive classics rather than inartistic catchy hits. Notoriety differs from modern day hip-hop sounds as it revisits earlier times while pursuing innovation. Notoriety is an album that is full of concepts. Songs like “What lies beneath” and “Hatrix” take common hip hop issues and looks at them from non-traditional standpoints. Rather than regurgitating what’s out there, Poli Live’s lyrics are refreshing. While tracks like “Hatrix” and “What Lies Beneath” command you to listen and dissect, tracks like “Sling Shot”, which is party waiting to happen, and “Big Tings” summon you to the dance floor. On “Dating 101”, Poli Live use comedic punch lines to discuss the unwritten rules of dating. While some people’s first impression will be shock, the clever lyric crafting of Poli Live show you the song is merely about having fun. On “Rep for Your Crew Pt. 2” Poli-Live pay their respects to a friend who died from a senseless murder. Together we 3 deep, and ready for what life brings Soldiers we morn get links on key chains Soldiers we morn get thanks, Songs in their name, Any brother like me, who thinks the same 40 acres will be ours if you focus the brain - Rep For Your Crew Pt. 2 “The Epic of MC” is perhaps the best example of Poli Live’s expert in word play and punch lines. On the track, which is an Gritty solo, lines like: “Got more methods than a Redman/ On a BMX with DMX/ Smoking Canibus, lighting lie/ Cool, just passing me bye on the Pharcyde” will have listeners in awe. Finding inspiration in their earlier years from the likes of Nas, Boot Camp Click, and LL Cool J to deliver A+ material, Politic Live pay tribute on 1200. The song, which features classic wordplay that pays tribute to those who made hip hop, hip hop, is a 48 bar retrospect of hip hops developmental stages. Possibly one of the most chilling tracks on the album is “June 17”. A song that will have listeners finding themselves closely relating to the lyrics, “June 17” deals with the complexity of relationships. But rather than placing blame entirely on his significant other, Young Mav points out the role both himself and his significant had in their drama. Contributing to the movement Notoriety is All the Way Live. And although this is in no way a beginning, it’s certainly not an end either for Poli Live. If it need be defined, their debut is merely a tool to introduce them to those who don’t know, but most definitely need to. RHYME & REASON EXECUTIVE SUMMARY This is a spoken word piece written by Young Mav and performed by Shonell Cumberbatch. It describes what going on, what’s happened, where things are heading, and how these issues have shaped our music. REP FOR YOUR CREW Pt.2 feat. Nucasselle Brown “Rep” is a song that communicates the need for unity amongst your fam. In this song we speak on building together as a unit. Originally the song was about being there for your peeps and holding it down for them. After the death of one of our soldiers (Maurice RIP01), we flipped the track and made a remix to pay tribute. In the light of Maurice’s death, we wanted to articulate even more on the concept of holding it down for your crew whether it be in the music business or in everyday life struggles. BIG TINGS feat. Spidey Big Tings is a club banger for our peoples. The lyrics are raw and real. The beat is something that Yardy’s will appreciate more than your average hip-hop fan. SLINGSHOT feat. Theo Gully Slingshot is a club banger laced with playful flows. Bigga Nolte incorporates a dancehall hook over a sporadic Timbaland styled beat. 1200 feat. Theo Gully Politic Live are products of hip-hops infant stage. We grew up listening to Kane, Rakim, Maestro, Michie Mee, and HDV. As much as hip-hop culture has grown, it still runs parallel to the real world where we sometimes forget where we’ve come from. This song pays tribute to an era that we grew up in and artists from that era that helped the culture grow. Throughout the jam, we list off artist whom have inspired and that we used to recite their lyrics on a daily basis in order to rhyme train. HALFWAY feat. Major B To be Halfway, is to “half step”. Whether it’s in the way you look or act. Although this song speaks on women whom have come halfway before, the same implications can be said for males too. The song should to be taken lightly as we are merely joking and having fun. In a way, you could see this song as Coyote Ugly revisited. What or who you see the night before isn’t always what or who you may see the morning after. DATING 101 feat. Diamond Cut This song deals with unwritten rules in relationships. The same situations we describe can be related to both male and female parties. On the first verse Trial speaks on the unwritten rules of casual sex. On the second verse, Bigga speaks on oral sex. On the final verse, Insite speaks on first impressions. The way the verses are crafted, it allows for the rules to applied to both sexes. HATRIX feat. Diamond Cut With the Internet, new forms of haterisms have developed. Hatrix speaks on this new medium of hate which includes chartrooms, message boards, and anti-websites. While this is something that many speak of, Politic Live was attacked twice this year through this medium, by people who saw us and could’ve easily voiced their thoughts and concerns in person, but ended up posting haterisms on message boards. SOUL MERCHANT It’s a track where we revisit what our child hood. For Insite, it was a chance for him to give people a little bit of insight into himself. The song will leave many with the simple truth of life. If we could all lose the chains that hinder us link by link, we could all be free to better ourselves and the world around us. WHAT LIES BENEATH On this track we try to uncover the truth behind the blue shield. Everything from racial probing to false police reports are uncovered. The song will definitely open the eyes of those unaware of the unjust conduct of law enforcers. THE EPIC OF MC 2003 “Epic” details the journey of an MC while incorporating the names of artists who have helped bring the culture to the forefront. The song was, and still is, a spoken word piece. While it appears on Notoriety as a song, at shows Insite spits it as the spoken word piece it was intended to be. DISCIPLINARY ACTION Disciplinary Action is a lyric track. While the majority of the project focused on specific topics, we felt the need to supply hip-hop heads with a bit of battle rap braggadocio. JUNE 17 feat. Nucasselle Brown June 17 is a song that deals with the hardships and difficulties of relationships. While the character in the song has found the woman he plans to settle down with, he contemplates placing this love on hold or having his cake and eating it too. TOP OF THE HILL (INTERNAL AFFAIRS) Top of the Hill is a reminder to all our peers, musical and professional, family and friends that we’re all trying to attain a common goal, to make it to the top. The song is an attempt to destroy the crab theory that plagues many when they assume only a few will make it and the success of someone else jeopardizes their chance. We emphasize reaching for ones goals and being persistent to the end.