Music
Press
All Hail Canada's rising queen of hip-hop and R&B
Addictiv
Adam Robinson (THE CONCORDIAN ONLINE)
Issue date: 3/21/07 Section: Music
Addictiv isn't afraid to throw down a challenge, especially a big one, when it comes to two of her closest passions: music and Canada. She's stamping herself as the Canadian queen of hip-hop and R&B, and is ready, even encourages, anyone who wants to challenge her. I connected with the Montreal-native over the phone, at the end of her whirlwind week in Toronto.
"It's not disrespect to anybody in Canada," she said. "Nobody else has stepped up. My name's Addictiv, and that's a lot to live up to. I'm representing properly and strong."
Before her debut album drops early summer, her first track Little Game is getting big radio airplay and a lot of traffic on her myspace page. Checking out the scene last week at Toronto's Canadian Music Week, Addictiv was also in town celebrating two nominations for best new artist at the Canadian Radio Music Awards. "I'm not a diva . . . yet," she laughed. "I haven't earned that. Right now it's about working on the music, blood and sweat. First I have to execute."
Independent label Urban Heat Music has already invested a lot in Addictiv, aka. Tasha, recognizing a true artist because of her dedication and love for the music. They are also confident backing up her claim to the northern hip-hop and R&B crown. Urban Heat owner, Miguel Lopez, said "She doesn't rap, loves rap, but she's a singer. To be honest, she's the closest thing Canada has to Mary J. Blige. And she lives the hip-hop and R&B way of life. She's hanging out with the boys, going out bowling with the boys. She's a real person and down to earth."
She's opened for Erykah Badu and Ashanti, and has worked with international artists like Papoose and Kay Slay, but stays focused on her commitment to making music, which she says has always been in her blood. Growing up there was always music playing in her house, from her dad practicing piano during the day to more lively evenings. She credits her family for inspiring her taste for music as a kid, and these days for helping her stay grounded.
She also gives others around her a lot of credit for keeping her head level, like Lopez, Urban Heat, and her management. Despite some education in New York City and feeling out the flavours in Miami and Los Angeles, Addictiv picks up knowledge in other places to bring it home to Canada. "I'm representing here," she said.
And she hopes to see a bit of a shake-up in the Canadian scene. "There's only a small handful of names from urban sound in Canada and I know we've got talent. We're not raising a big enough buzz and rely on American acts too much. Forget that. We can do it. Radio needs to take on a Canadian artist and play the (grunt) out of it, and knock off some Americans. We gotta change that, and so it's not just rock in Canada."
The debut album will show off her range and power as a singer and song-writer with a mix of commercial tracks and introspective ballads and mid-tempo tracks, in what could be described as her 'biography.' "Music is the soundtrack of everybody's lives, and mine," she says. "I try to put myself in other people's shoes, and also think about what I like to hear. What we listen to before we go out to the club, or when we get sad, or mad . . . everything that's around us, there's a song for it. A song can be about nothing, some hooky track with a good vibe you hear at a club."
With an album and tour on the horizon, the singer, who describes her R&B style as sexy and class, not slack, holds some secrets back. "I don't want to pull all my tricks out of the bag at once." She does mention a cross-country tour she'll be undertaking to visit high schools, promoting things like safer-sex, the dangers of drugs and the importance of education. Sharing a good image with kids is another important part of her growing success.
Get Addicted.
Visit the official website www.addictiv.com
or www.myspace.com/addictiv
- Adam Robinson (THE CONCORDIAN ONLINE)
Discography
Little Game - peaked at #27 (BDS/MediaBase)
Everything - regular video play on much vibe
Tonite - peaked at #13 (BDS/MediaBase)
Just Breathe
Photos
Bio
The first sentence that comes to mind and a perfect way to start this R&B/Pop artist’s bio would be… “This is the life of a determined artist and her rising success story”.
Tasha, who goes by the stage name Addictiv, has got to be one of the hardest working and most humble artists to emerge from Canada today. Addictiv’s musical background is definitely one to talk about. Her voice has become well recognized in the city she lives, Montreal, and all started when Addictiv emerged as key background vocalist on most records coming out of Canada. During this venture, she shared the stage opening for artists such as; Eryka Badu, Ashanti and Usher. That was just the beginning of a solo artist in the making.
In the summer of 2006, Addictiv was introduced to, what she now calls “the rock of her life”, her independent label Urban Heat Legends. The C.E.O. of Urban Heat Legends, Miguel “The Crazy Mexican” Lopez heard Addictiv sing accapella and said, “If you can sound like that live accapella, with a little Urban Heat magic we could make mountains move and shock a lot of people. With this magical duo in the making it has ended up to be a match made in heaven.”
In that same year Addictiv set off the radio waves and hit the Canadian music Industry and audience hard with her first single “Little Game” featuring Pit Bull and her sister, also a singer, Dee. The single hit Media Base charts landing at #27, which earned her two nominations at the Canadian Radio Music Awards. It was a successful single on the rise and put her on the map.
In 2007 Addictiv released a follow up, “Everything” featuring Papoose(N.Y.C) and “Touch it remix”. A perfect blend of R&B and Hip Hop and something that Canadians haven’t seen in a while; a Canadian female artist that collaborates with even the hardest cats in Hip Hop. This track earned Addictiv the respect she was due from DJ’s across Canada, a nomination at the Stylus Awards, and an award at the S.O.B.A. (Sounds of Blackness Awards) in Montreal for “Best Revelation of the Year”.
Addictiv delivered it to Canadians even harder in 2008 with “Tonite” which swept across Canadian radio and video channels and hitting high on Canadian singles charts (Hot AC, Billboard, Media base, etc.). It became a Canadian hit and has launched Addictiv into international focus by landing her on European charts. She has received many shout outs as having one of the hottest Canadian songs out today.
Addictiv’s music versatility allows her to take you to a romantic place then shuttle you off to the bling bling of Hip Hop, U-turn into the club and give you something to let loose and dance to. This has earned her the title, “The Queen of R&B and Hip Hop”. Addictiv’s response to that title; “I am so a Queen as are all women and we need to be treated as such, like Queens”. Amongst all this, Addictiv has managed to remain a very humble and a down to earth artist, coming from great influences in music having her own father, a pianist, exposing her to a vast variety of music at a young age.
This has helped Addictiv to define her own sound and style of music thus naming the upcoming album “Everything” where she will be giving everyone exactly that “Everything”. Addictiv definitely has “Everything” on her side and is an artist on the rise to success.
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