Anami Vice

...release. A national tour i sin the works to be announced next month.WATCH // 'OMGoodness' Vice?s slightly sarcastic, yet optimistic sound has been compared to the likes of Mac Miller, Asher Roth and Mickey Avalon. Known for infectious hooks and clever, confessional lyrics. Vice is self described as ?reluctant to make rap music" - he prefers boots & a collar to Air Force Ones - but has found a way to be hip hop... - http://mickey-avalon.musicnewshq.com

...release. A national tour i sin the works to be announced next month.WATCH // 'OMGoodness' Vice?s slightly sarcastic, yet optimistic sound has been compared to the likes of Mac Miller, Asher Roth and Mickey Avalon. Known for infectious hooks and clever, confessional lyrics. Vice is self described as ?reluctant to make rap music" - he prefers boots & a collar to Air Force Ones - but has found a way to be hip hop... - http://mickey-avalon.musicnewshq.com

Discovered by Josh Ramsay of Mariana’s Trench, comes Vancouver hip hop artist Anami Vice and his debut single 'Time I Ever Had'. The song is an end-of-summer anthem, reflecting on the best and worst of life’s experiences. A video will be shot for the single next week in Toronto by MMVA-winning director, Ben Knechtal (Carly Rae Jepsen, 'Call Me Maybe'). Anami Vice’s third studio album is slated for release later this year on 604 Records. Having recently signed to 604, home to Canadian stars like Mariana’s Trench, DiRTY RADiO and Carly Rae Jepsen, this record marks his first commercial release. A national tour i sin the works to be announced next month.

Vice’s slightly sarcastic, yet optimistic sound has been compared to the likes of Mac Miller, Asher Roth and Mickey Avalon. Known for infectious hooks and clever, confessional lyrics. Vice is self described as “reluctant to make rap music" - he prefers boots & a collar to Air Force Ones - but has found a way to be hip hop without becoming cliché. Alongside his band The New Future, Vice’s live show has developed a reputation for charged up renditions of his studio tracks, using a solid back up of instrumentation.

Using his smile and wit to connect with his audience, Anami's high-energy performance gears up quickly and doesn’t slow down to drop you off. He flawlessly reproduces his vocals without a back-track and as he would put it, “no hype-man.”

- altsounds.com

Discovered by Josh Ramsay of Mariana’s Trench, comes Vancouver hip hop artist Anami Vice and his debut single 'Time I Ever Had'. The song is an end-of-summer anthem, reflecting on the best and worst of life’s experiences. A video will be shot for the single next week in Toronto by MMVA-winning director, Ben Knechtal (Carly Rae Jepsen, 'Call Me Maybe'). Anami Vice’s third studio album is slated for release later this year on 604 Records. Having recently signed to 604, home to Canadian stars like Mariana’s Trench, DiRTY RADiO and Carly Rae Jepsen, this record marks his first commercial release. A national tour i sin the works to be announced next month.

Vice’s slightly sarcastic, yet optimistic sound has been compared to the likes of Mac Miller, Asher Roth and Mickey Avalon. Known for infectious hooks and clever, confessional lyrics. Vice is self described as “reluctant to make rap music" - he prefers boots & a collar to Air Force Ones - but has found a way to be hip hop without becoming cliché. Alongside his band The New Future, Vice’s live show has developed a reputation for charged up renditions of his studio tracks, using a solid back up of instrumentation.

Using his smile and wit to connect with his audience, Anami's high-energy performance gears up quickly and doesn’t slow down to drop you off. He flawlessly reproduces his vocals without a back-track and as he would put it, “no hype-man.”

- altsounds.com

Vancouver’s Anami Vice plays the dual role of rapper/producer on this self-released album (available for free download at www.anamivice.com), and over the course of its eight songs, he carves out an exciting persona as both MC and beatmaker.

Although it sounds like Anami is serious about his music, he’s not taking himself too seriously (as one might surmise from the Don Johnson-evoking moniker)—Anami Vice mixes in plenty of humour, alternately swaggering and self-deprecating, with his fluid, natural delivery. This sense of fun and humour, combined with the storytelling, the conversational flow and the melodic, catchy-as-herpes [ed. Ew.] beats makes this album somewhat reminiscent of classic Pharcyde (in a good way).

The beats are exceptionally strong and varied on the album, especially for a d.i.y. affair like this. The tracks are mostly built from samples and keyboards, and some live instrumentation really fleshes out the sound, like the guitar solo on opener “This Ain’t Funny” or the saxophone on “Take Your Shirt Off.” When performing in concert, Anami is backed by live instruments and percussion as well as a DJ, and these musical flourishes add a lot to the album.

From a city that’s not really known for hip-hop, this is a promising start in what could be a long career as a rapper, a producer or hopefully both. And at the end of the day, it’s a free, legal album download, so how can you afford not to check it out? - discorder.ca

Vancouver’s Anami Vice plays the dual role of rapper/producer on this self-released album (available for free download at www.anamivice.com), and over the course of its eight songs, he carves out an exciting persona as both MC and beatmaker.

Although it sounds like Anami is serious about his music, he’s not taking himself too seriously (as one might surmise from the Don Johnson-evoking moniker)—Anami Vice mixes in plenty of humour, alternately swaggering and self-deprecating, with his fluid, natural delivery. This sense of fun and humour, combined with the storytelling, the conversational flow and the melodic, catchy-as-herpes [ed. Ew.] beats makes this album somewhat reminiscent of classic Pharcyde (in a good way).

The beats are exceptionally strong and varied on the album, especially for a d.i.y. affair like this. The tracks are mostly built from samples and keyboards, and some live instrumentation really fleshes out the sound, like the guitar solo on opener “This Ain’t Funny” or the saxophone on “Take Your Shirt Off.” When performing in concert, Anami is backed by live instruments and percussion as well as a DJ, and these musical flourishes add a lot to the album.

From a city that’s not really known for hip-hop, this is a promising start in what could be a long career as a rapper, a producer or hopefully both. And at the end of the day, it’s a free, legal album download, so how can you afford not to check it out? - discorder.ca

With a recent deal in place via 604 records, an opening performance for Black Sheep at Fortune and recordings and videos in the bank it is easy to say that Vancouver’s Anami Vice is going where he wants to be. Coming from a background where arts and education were always important Anami manages to take both feats on by pursuing his music career while keeping his eye on his other options. Anami is unique in the way that he, until now, has produced all his own tracks as well as emceed on them. This allows full creative control of his productions which is obvious in the connection between his rhythm and rhyme. With several EPs released in the past Anami is expected to release a full length album within the next year.


Photo: Joel Levy

How would you describe your music to others?

I’m definitely trying to make feel good Hip Hop. Sing along choruses and hopefully with a bit of substance when you get to the versus. But you don’t have to listen to the versus you can just sing along with the choruses.

Write what you would want to perform over and over. What song do you like to perform the most?

There’s a song I have called “Take Your Shirt Off” that gets a great response from the crowd. It’s a lot of fun to do for that reason alone. The band has a lot of fun with that one too.

Who makes the music?

I have made everything myself so far. I’m not going to be doing that anymore. We will talk about that later. When I am on stage I have a bass player and a drummer. What we have been doing lately is using the melody that I make from the beats and drop the bass and the drum tracks out of those and they fill in those parts. It gives a lot of energy to the stage show.
- vancouverisawesome.com

With a recent deal in place via 604 records, an opening performance for Black Sheep at Fortune and recordings and videos in the bank it is easy to say that Vancouver’s Anami Vice is going where he wants to be. Coming from a background where arts and education were always important Anami manages to take both feats on by pursuing his music career while keeping his eye on his other options. Anami is unique in the way that he, until now, has produced all his own tracks as well as emceed on them. This allows full creative control of his productions which is obvious in the connection between his rhythm and rhyme. With several EPs released in the past Anami is expected to release a full length album within the next year.


Photo: Joel Levy

How would you describe your music to others?

I’m definitely trying to make feel good Hip Hop. Sing along choruses and hopefully with a bit of substance when you get to the versus. But you don’t have to listen to the versus you can just sing along with the choruses.

Write what you would want to perform over and over. What song do you like to perform the most?

There’s a song I have called “Take Your Shirt Off” that gets a great response from the crowd. It’s a lot of fun to do for that reason alone. The band has a lot of fun with that one too.

Who makes the music?

I have made everything myself so far. I’m not going to be doing that anymore. We will talk about that later. When I am on stage I have a bass player and a drummer. What we have been doing lately is using the melody that I make from the beats and drop the bass and the drum tracks out of those and they fill in those parts. It gives a lot of energy to the stage show.
- vancouverisawesome.com