NEWS: Drake's OVO Sound Receives Grant From Ontario Music Fund

Drake's OVO Sound Receives Grant From Ontario Music Fund

OVO Sound was awarded a grant worth $45,000 from the OMF.

As we reported on the other month, Drake's OVO Fest wasn't awarded government funding this year, although last year the organization, Celebrate Ontario, granted the annual music fest $300,000. However, OVO is still benefiting from the kindness of the Canadian governement. OVO Sound has received a grant from the Ontario Music Fund, although the sum isn't quite as large.

OVO Sound pops up on the list of successful Ontario Music Fund applicants, with a grant worth $45,000. Among other Canadian music initiatives you may recognize, A Tribe Called Red was granted $38,000. You can view the full list from the OMDC here.

We'll have to wait and see how OVO Sound puts this grant money to use. Drake's Houston Appreciation Weekend goes down this weekend, while OVO Fest is happening in August.

VIDEOS: Drake: "Blackout 5 Is Probably The Best Battle Card Of All Time"

Drake: "Blackout 5 Is Probably The Best Battle Card Of All Time"

DRAKE PUTS UP $10K FOR BLACKOUT 5 WINNERS - Full story - http://hhdx.co/1LXjoWt

Drake and KOTD founder Organik spoke with Rone for BattleRap.com while at King Of The Dot's "Blackout 5" press conference in Toronto on Feb. 6. 

Drake speaks on his involvement setting up the event, his love for the league and who he wants to see battle the most.

NEWS: Daylyt Threatens Tyga Over Drake Twitter Diss

Daylyt Threatens Tyga Over Drake Twitter Diss

Daylyt issues a warning to Tyga about dissing Drake and threatens to take his chain.

Daylyt is mad and he is mad at Tyga.

The California lyricist recently decided to put out his own video warning Tyga to never negatively communicate about Drake or his camp again.

"Don't say anything about Drake," Daylyt said in an angered tone in a video obtained by Vlad TV. "Not one tweet, not nothing or we are going to come touch you bro. We came and took that chain the first time and we can do it again."

He begins the video talking about his allegiance to Toronto rapper and his OVO movement.

"I just want to make some shit known and make some shit loud and clear and niggas better get my message," he said. "Tyga, all that shit, just let it go... I don't wanna see no more tweets, none of that shit my nigga. Like I told ya'll I'm fucking with Drake. I fuck with the OVO movement. It's official my nigga so it's ride or die and I'm riding or dying with OVO. I don't give a fuck about you from Cali. That shit don't mean nothing to me bro."

Tyga recently called Drake a "bitch" on Twitter after he heard an alleged subliminal diss on his If You're Reading This It's Too Late album. The tweet was quickly deleted soon after. Late last year Tyga said that Drake was "fake" to him.

Watch the full video segment below:

NEWS: DRAKE JUST DROPPED A 17-TRACK MIXTAPE CALLED 'IF YOU'RE READING THIS IT'S TOO LATE'

 DRAKE JUST DROPPED A 17-TRACK MIXTAPE CALLED 'IF YOU'RE READING THIS IT'S TOO LATE'

Jesus Christ, what a night. A little over two hours ago, I was standing on Flatiron Plaza in the heart of Manhattan watching Kanye West on stage with all of his G.O.O.D. Music friends (Pusha T, 2 Chainz, Big Sean, Travi$ Scott, and Waka Flocka Flame) do like every mob song ever. Rumor has it that Drake was there, too, standing about 15 feet behind me. Turns out, while Drake was standing there, he was plotting the release of a long rumored mixtape. Because, friends, the mixtape is here. It's called If You're Reading This It's Too Late, and you can cop it on iTunes. I haven't listened to it yet because it's still downloading, but it's probably awesome. Is it a coincidence that tomorrow (February 13) is the six year anniversary of So Far Gone? Probably not. Tracklist and stream below.

1. Legend

2. Energy

3. 10 Bands

4. Know Yourself

5. No Tellin’

6. Madonna

7. 6 God

8. Star67

9. Preach (feat. PARTYNEXTDOOR)

10. Wednesday Night Interlude (feat. PARTYNEXTDOOR)

11. Used To (feat. Lil Wayne)

13. Now & Forever

14. Company (Feat. Travi$ Scott)

15. You & The 6

16. Jungle

17. 6PM In New York

NEWS: Pat Stay on defending title at Blackout 5; connecting with Drake

Pat Stay on defending title at Blackout 5; connecting with Drake 

East coast hip-hop journalist and enthusiast Jacob Smith linked up with KOTD Title Match winner, Dartmouth’s own Pay Stay, to discuss his recent victory at Blackout 5 this past weekend and the impact Drake had on the event. Check it out below.

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Toronto, ON – A Dartmouth battle rapper has just claimed another victory in his fourth North American title match.

Over the weekend, in a pay-per-view battle at the Queen Elizabeth Theatre in Toronto, Pat Stay defended his title in King of the Dot’s Blackout 5 against rapper Charron.

This was Stay’s third time defending the title and easily his biggest battle to date.

In addition to the pressure of performing in front of a crowd of roughly 1,500 fans, Blackout 5 was co-presented by Grammy-Award winning rapper Drake and his label, October’s Very Own Sound.

“I’d like to say [having Drake there] didn’t put pressure on me, but of course it did,” Stay told CBC News on Monday.

“I had to come correct and that’s what I did.”

Drake opted not to go to Sunday’s Grammy Awards — for which he was nominated for three awards — in lieu of hosting, participating in and judging Stay’s battle against Charron.

Stay has a lot of respect for Drake.

“He likes me a lot and I like him a lot and we just have a respect for each other. We’re friends and I don’t try and capitalize off of that,” said Stay.

At a press conference the day before the match began, Drake upped the ante by offering an additional $10,000 to the winner of the battle.

“He didn’t hit me with it yet, but it felt great because now I can pay off my bad credit,” Stay said jokingly.

What started as a hobby for Stay has now become a career.

Stay to appear in reality TV show

Later this year, Stay will become a member of rapper Eminem’s reality TV show, Road to Total Slaughter, which will see eight emerging battle rappers compete to co-headline a main event match-up in Eminem’s Total Slaughter Battle Rap League.

Even with the recent endorsements by some of music’s biggest stars, Stay said the support from his fans has been the most rewarding.

“It means so much to me, more than anybody could ever imagine, knowing that my people support me. It touches my heart,” he said.

An on-demand version of Blackout 5 is available for purchase at KOTDTV.com until Feb. 28. All the battles, including the finals, will be available to the public though the KOTD YouTube channel after Feb. 28.

10 Canadian Labels That Should Sign Lil Wayne

10 Canadian Labels That Should Sign Lil Wayne

It’s no secret that Lil Wayne and Birdman’s relationship has seen better days. After spending nearly two decades as Cash Money’s cash cow, Lil Wayne took to Twitter to let his fans know that he wants off the label. Since the falling out in December, the hip-hop rumor mill has been churning non-stop, with a hoax suggesting that that Birdman sold ’s Wayne’s contract to Jay Z for $50 million, and speculation that Master P may be interested in signing him to No Limit Records. 

If all else fails, Lil Wayne could head north and find open arms at any number of our iconic labels. Here are ten Canadian record companies we think should buy out Wayne’s contract, and sign the best rapper alive.  

1. Arts & Crafts

Established: 2003, Toronto, ON

Roster: Broken Social Scene, Feist, Timber Timbre

Website: arts-crafts.ca

Lil Wayne would feel right at home in Toronto’s go-to art rock collective. Just trade bass-heavy, sample-driven hip-hop production for a thousand layered guitars all strumming the same note. Put a guitar in Weezy’s hands, and he’d be happy as a clam marathon jamming with Kevin Drew, until the inevitable falling out when Wayne tells Emily Haines that she “acts like she needs dick in her life.”

2. 604 Records

Established: 2002, Vancouver, BC

Roster: Mariana’s Trench, Theory Of A Deadman, Faber Drive

Website: 604records.com

As a part of 604 Records, Wayne can swap out the Birdman hand-rub for the Chad Kroeger power-thrust. With the frontman of Nickelback as his label boss, Weezy stands a real chance at breaking through to the sought after mainstream rock audience he failed to ensnare with the nu-nu-metal abomination Rebirth. Wayne would probably also be required to grow a goatee and wear Ed Hardy exclusively, in keeping with the strict style guidelines at 604. 

3. Last Gang

Established: 2003, Toronto, ON

Roster: Purity Ring, Ryan Hemsworth, Death From Above 1979

Website: lastgangentertainment.com

As far as non genre-specific labels go in Canada, Last Gang is the illest of the ill. Their artist roster reads like the production credits for our dream Wayne record. Ryan Hemsworth, Corin Rodick, and Egyptrixx are all Canadian producers who could singlehandedly save Wayne’s career. If they tossed Weezy a couple of beats each, it would change rap, nay, the world, forever. 

4. Telephone Explosion

Established: 2007, Toronto, ON 

Roster: Teenanger, Actual Water, Soupcans

Website: telephoneexplosion.com

If Lil Wayne ever wants to release a split 7” with Ty Segall, Telephone Explosion might be his best bet. Teenanger bandmates Jon Schouten and Steve Sidoli have released a metric ton of wax for viscerally exciting bands in the weirdo-punk sphere under the Telephone Explosion banner. It’s safe to assume that they would be extremely psyched to make a grunge-hop record with Dwayne Michael Carter Jr. 

5. Profound Lore Records

Established: 2004, New Hamburg, ON

Roster: Krallice, Asunder, Pallbearer

Website: profoundlorerecords.com

This Canadian metal mainstay started as a hobby among friends in the small town of New Hamburg, Ontario, but has evolved into a full-time gig for founder Chris Bruni, who routinely brings the most brutal metal releases to Canadians as both a label and a distro. I doubt Lil Wayne knows what doom metal is, but when he finally hears it, just imagine how good Tha Carter 666 is going to be. Hail Wayne. 

6. Mint Records

Established: 1991, Vancouver, BC

Roster: cub, Pick A Piper, The Evaporators 

Website: mintrecords.com

If only for the fact that we want to see Wayne interact with Nardwuar more often. 

7. Six Shooter Records

Established: 2000, Toronto, ON

Roster: Whitehorse, Justin Rutledge, Luke Doucet

Website: sixshooterrecords.com

Weezy F baby, and the F is for folk. This Toronto label definitely favours ramblin’ acoustic ditties, but there are some outliers, including Polaris-winning Inuk throat singer Tanya Tagaq. If she gave Wayne some pointers, he might finally be able to ditch the autotune. And if you add a little pedal-steel to “I Feel Like Dying”? Divine. 

8. G7 Welcoming Committee

Established: 1997, Winnipeg, MB

Roster: Propagandi, The Weakerthans, Noam Chomsky

Website: g7welcomingcommittee.com

With the inception of G7 Welcoming Committee, label founders Chris Hannah and Jord Samolesky hoped to “create a label that politically radical bands and speakers could unflinchingly support and call home.” The label is on indefinite hiatus, but an album of protest songs by Lil Wayne just might be the only thing that could get them back in the game. There’s just one catch: like G7’s founders, Wayne might have to go vegan. That should be no problem—as we all know, Tunechi is already a militant vegetarian, because he “only eats beats.” H'yuck.

9. Battle Axe Records

Established: 1999, Vancouver, BC

Roster: Swollen Members, Slaine, Rob The Viking

Website: battleaxewarriors.com

‘Cause Swollen always brings it home. Swollen Members (along with frequent collaborator Moka Only) were the defining sound of Canadian rap between the years 2000-2002 B.D. (Before Drake), and they’ve maintained a loyal following ever since, through their own Battleaxe Warriors movement. Battle Axe would be a perfect Canadian home for Lil Wayne, but based on Mad Child’s one-time Hell’s Angels affiliation, this label could be blood in, blood out. Your call, Wayne. 

10. OVO Sound

Established: 2012, Toronto, ON

Roster: ILoveMakonnen, PartyNextDoor, OB O’Brien

Website: ovosound.com

The teacher becomes the student, a tale as old as time. Drake signs to Wayne, Wayne signs to Drake, thus completing the record label Ouroboros and causing a wormhole that swallows us all.