Lyric1
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Lyric1

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"SXSW Compilation CD"

Coulda, Woulda, Shoulda by Lyric1 is placed on the 2006 Tunetank CD at SXSW.
- TuneTank


"Lyric1 on MTV"

Lyric1 wins right to perform with BrassMunk at Tequila Nightclub on the show Breakout. (Video available upon request) - MTV Canada


"Lyric1 in Exclaim!"

Lyric1
Get In on the Ground Floor
(Maintain One Voice)
By Nick Patch
November 10, 2006

Just as Saskatoon is an unlikely point of origin for a rapper, Lyric1 is pleasantly out of step with the underground hip-hop world. On Get In on the Ground Floor, the British-born, Saskatchewan-raised MC imbues his raps with a quiet intelligence. His oft-autobiographical lyrics hit on a laidback introspection, charming and personal (and bravado-free) without being all that revealing. The soulful beats provide a pleasant complement to the rhymes, though the abundance of mid-tempo tracks wears. And while Lyric1's lyrics are engagingly honest and self-deprecating, his voice isn't perfect. He lacks the command to really announce his presence on the mic, sometimes getting lost behind the beats. But if his lyrics are developing ahead of his flow, Lyric1's already worth listening to for his willingness to approach things from a different angle.


- Exclaim!


"Vex Magazine reviews Lyric1"

Lyric 1
Get In on the Ground Floor-3 Stars
Calgary's Lyric One emerges with a very listenable and well-produced hip hop album. With his distinctive flow, Lyric 1 rhymes about his family's interesting international history (fleeing Idi Amin's Ugandan regime, moving to UK, Canada) , and a host of other topics, including his aspirations in the hip hop game. On 'Where Ya From' L1 bigups belly dancers and ethnic pride over a bhangra influenced banger that would surely light the dance floor on fire. Dispelling stereotype, L1 raps "I don't plan shit, so f*** arranged weddings". As a cuckold who is framed for murder, L1 tells an engaging story on 'Dead Man Walking', a track that is helped by a stellar guest performance from Aaron Kukko.
Whether big upping his former hometown atop a Cypress Hill sample (the Cock the Hammer-jacking 'Saskatoon'), or big upping himself on 'Real Rap', L1 supplies a liberal, but not completely overbaring dosage of f-bombs and weed references, which are likely to appeal to some listeners more than others.
Bluntologist supplies his Kanye-influenced slick production style to 4 of the album's 14 tracks, with a host of other solid producers rounding out the remainder, including DJ Rogue, who's work on the title track is outstanding.
All in all, don't sleep on this collection of finely produced tracks that spotlight a talent from Calgary's growing local hip-hop scene.

By Jonathan Stoddart for Vex Magazine - Vex Magazine


"Lyric1 in the college radio charts"

Lyric1 has charted in several college markets including Lethbridge, Halifax, Victoria, Kamloops & Nanaimo. Here is the link to his college radio listings:
http://blog.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.view&friendID=25915585&blogID=185795773&MyToken=3543765b-bdcb-426e-92b7-54f242c50a7a - Earshot magazine


"Lyric1 review by herohill.com"

Reviews:: Lyric1 - Get In On The Ground Floor

Considering we showed Edmonton hip hop some love with our Politic Live review, only made sense to even our review-based battle of Alberta by reviewing some Calgary music. That's where the man known as Lyric1 comes in. He was kind enough to end the hill a copy of his new album, Get In On The Ground Floor, so we gave it a listen.

To say Lyric1 doesn't have the typical life-story of a Canadian MC is a rather large understatement. His parents met in Uganda, but had to flee to England to escape Forest Whitaker's tyrannical regime. Lyric was born in England, but his parents soon headed for Canada, and they settled in Saskatoon. It was in the hip hop mecca that is Saskatoon where Lyric1 began his rap career until he relocated to Calgary in search of opportunities to take his music further. Those opportunities appeared when he met Adollaz and Deezuz, leading the 3 of them to form MOVE (Maintain One Voice Entertainment).

That brings us to Get In On The Ground Floor, which is 14 tracks strong and features production from the likes of Adollaz, The Alchemist, DJ Moves, DJ Rogue, and Bluntologist. Lyric1 has a fairly honest and straightforward approach with his lyrics, telling stories from the unique vantage point his upbringing has given him, and like all good underground MC's in this day and age, discussing the trials and tribulations of the rap biz. I did notice that Lyric has kind of a different flow - it kind of feels like he's a little off-beat when he's rhyming, so at times it sounds like he's trying to catch up to the track. It's not a huge problem though, his lyrics are interesting enough to keep you listening.

Intro (What If) is a good way to get things started, as Lyric1 talks about his life up until this point and how things would be different if his parents didn't have to leave Uganda. Real Rap has a mighty catchy beat with some nice piano stabs and solid horns (always bonus points for the horns). Creative Source also features some nice horns on the track, and it matches Lyric1's flow perfectly as he and Nicademus talk about their devotion to hip hop. Coulda, Woulda, Shoulda has a nice soul- sampled beat produced by the unfortunately named Bluntologist and finds Lyric1 talking about how choices people make impact their lives.

Where Ya From has a bhangra-style beat supplied by Adollaz and finds Lyric1 bigging up his culture, while at the same time letting people know he's a product of his environment and isn't down with all the old customs ("I do my own thing, I know where I'm headin' / I don't plan shit, so f@ck arranged weddings"). Get In On The Ground Floor has some catchy vocal samples that almost sound like a harmonica, and Lyric1 switches his steez up and comes with a double-time flow. It's different from anything else on the album, but I think it works. Forever Movin' warrants mentioning because of it's big-name production credit (The Alchemist), and it's kind of a laid-back, jazzy affair.

After a few listens, I think Lyric1 has a decent album here. The production is solid, and I like where he's coming from lyrically, covering a lot of ground people can relate to. I think if he gets his flow tightened up a bit, there could be big things ahead for him. So if you're looking for Canadian hip hop, get in on the, ahh, ground floor, and check out Lyric1.

By: Shane Nadeau
- herohill.com


Discography

Get In On the Ground Floor - June 2006
SXSW 2006 Tunetank New Generation Compilation - March 2006
The MOVEment Volume 1 - July 2005
Bachelor Of Applied Lyricism (UK release) - December 2004
Back to School EP - August 2004

Photos

Bio

Lyric1's story can be traced back to Uganda where his parents first met. After having to flee Uganda in the 1970's due to the Idi Amin regime, they would touch down in England where Lyric1 was born. In an attempt at a better life, they would eventually move to Canada in 1984.
While growing up in Saskatoon, an unlikely hotbed of hiphop, Lyric1 began writing his first raps at the age of 14 and began making local tapes with his neighbourhood crew. While the crew would later disband in 1997, Lyric1 kept writing and searching for opportunities to expand his musical career. His search would take him to Calgary where he would meet Adollaz and Deezuz and form Maintain One Voice Entertainment (MOVE). This would lead many opportunities such as appearing on MTV Canada on BreakOut as well as a spot on the 2006 SXSW Tunetank Festival CD.
He has also performed throughout British Columbia and Alberta and has opened for DJ Kool Herc, Moka Only, DL Incognito and r&b singer George.
Lyric1's raps have been able to transcend geographical borders as he was able to release a UK-exclusive mixtape in 2004. His music has been played all over Canada and his latest release "Get In On The Ground Floor" has charted in several college markets including Victoria, Kamloops, Nanaimo, Lethbridge and Halifax. He has also been a featured artist on CBC Radio 3.
Lyric1 blends clever wordplay, catchy lyrics, great storytelling ability, unique concepts and an amazing live performance to be one of Canada’s only all-around emcees. His style is very innovative with both his flows and content bringing something very fresh and original to Canadian music and hiphop as a whole.