For the Record: An Idea of the North
Image credit: Whole lotta breaking goin' onby Tony Bock, 1984
Toronto Star Photograph Archive, TS-1-E-677B-BREAKDANCING3
About the Exhibit
Produced in partnership with Northside Hip Hop Archive, For the Record: An Idea of the North is an interactive mixed media exhibition illuminating the role Soundsystems, radio shows and DJs, as the backbone of hip hop culture, played in the emergence of Toronto's now globally successful popular music scene. Across three generations, from the 1980s to the end of the 2000s, For the Record excavates an Idea of the North built upon carefully crafted sonic landscapes nurtured in what came to be known as the T-Dot and the 6ix.
Listen to hip hop radio shows on cassette. Watch award-winning music videos and DJ sets, DJ interviews, and graffiti art in the making.
Ron Nelson Fantastic Voyage
Unknown photographer
April 4, 1985
Toronto Star Photograph Archive, Toronto Public Library
Honey Jam
Magazine
Summer, 2003
Northside Hip Hop Archive
Graff sketches
Elicser Elliott
2002
Related Programming
Exhibit Launch
Mix, mingle, meet the curators and enjoy the exhibit.
Friday, February 15, 6:30 - 8 pm
Toronto Reference Library, TD Gallery
Please RSVP by emailing: tdgallery@torontopubliclibrary.ca
I Ain't No Joke: Hip Hop DJs and the Evolution of Toronto Hip Hop Culture
The Soundsystem and the DJ have been the backbone of the development of hip hop culture in Toronto. Through various transformations in DJing technology and the industry highs and lows, we will explore the importance and impact of DJ culture in Toronto.
Join hosts Jwyze, DJ K-Cut, DTS, and others to discuss:
- The presence of Soundsystems and their Caribbean connection
- The emergence of DJs and DJ Crews
- Turntablism and Toronto as a breeding ground of Turntable excellence
- Community radio and its role in building audiences
- Events and radio shows critical to the culture's growth in Toronto
Monday, April 1, 6 - 7:30 pm
Toronto Reference Library, Hinton Learning Theatre
Happens all the Time: Lou Robinson of Dream Warriors
Peter Power
August 16, 1992
Toronto Star Photograph Archive, Toronto Public Library
Write On: Journalists and Independent Magazines in Toronto's Hip Hop Scene
Join Host Jwyze and panelists Priya Ramanujam, Editor, Urbanology Magazine; Chris Penrose, Writer WORD & Mic Check Magazine; Phil Vassel, Publisher WORD; Del Cowie, former Music Editor at EXCLAIM!, and Rodrigo Bascuan, Pound Magazine, as they explore the impact of independent music magazines in the 1990s and 2000s.
Tuesday, April 16, 6:30-7:30 pm
Toronto Reference Library, Beeton Hall
Rappin' for Unicef (King Lou of Dream Warriors)
Unknown photographer
January 28, 1991
Toronto Star Photograph Archive, Toronto Public Library
Guided Tours
Please join a Special Collections staff docent on a free guided tour. Meet inside the TD Gallery. Drop in. No registration required.
Tuesdays at 2 pm