Music
Press
Toronto Hip Hop squad Tru-Paz are back elevating minds with their newest offering State of Emergancy on Incognito Entertainment (Tru-paz.com). After inciting revolution and upliftment for the oppressed on 'One Day', Tru-Paz calls for fathers to man up and take care of thier seeds on teh family unifying 'Sunshine Children'. With a mountain of jewels through the LP Tru-Paz does its darnedest to drop edutainment for the people. - The Source
Tru-Paz is a trio. Boozie and Akim write the tracks, Dj Unknown does the production and arrangements. the collaboration is a seemless one, based on what I'm hearing on Concrete Kings. The tracks, to a one, are uniformely interesting, the beats solid, the raps positive, the R&B sensibilities which infuse each track perfect.
As Dj Unknown notes in his liner notes, his father exposed him to lots of old skool artists in his younger years, and it shows. "Street Intuitions", a reggae-informed track, explores the contradictions of the street, the conflicts which make staying straight and staying alive mutually exclusive sets. Still, the majority of the tracks - "Dust Yourself Off", "Count Your Blessings", "People Are People", "When We Were Kings", "My Lady" - are positive while those that present a darker tone - "Black Rose", "Up and Down" - never resort to the simplistic exaggeratin that has unfortunately become a staple of others in the genre. And while there's an old skool influence that permeates CONCRETE KINGS, it's an original work, in every way.
CONCRETE KINGS by Tru-Paz is beautifully produced - no mud on the whitewalls here - and while there's a parental advisory sticker on this bad boy the positive message more than outweigh the very occasionally gratutious potty-mouth lapse. All that, and virtually every track is radio-ready to boot. If you're not hearing this yet, your local programmer needs some new ears. - Music-Reviewer.com
Tru-Paz addes to their ever growing discography with their most recent release, The Young Nation (EP), their second EP, in addition to three full-length albums, with the latest being 2007's Concrete Kings. The Toronto-based trio have found a nice niche with Boozie's voals, Akim's rhymes and Dj Unknown's production, which allows them to be socially concious without coming across as overbearing or trite.
First track "The Young Nation" is the catchiest of the three, wtih Boozie singing of staying the course and keeping positive despite ever-present hurdles and roadblocks people can encounter, while Akim's lyrics tell of the effects of never having and always needing. The third cut, "Everyday Goes By", is a Tru-Paz version of 'to be or not to be', which is laid out nicely over a contemplative beat and samples that are well suited for the verses on the track.
The Young Nation (EP) emphasises quality over quantity and in three tracks, Tru-Paz accomplish what many acnnot with an entire album. - Exclaim.ca
Discography
R-Evolution - LP - 2002
State of Emergency - LP - 2004
Dust Yourself Off - EP - 2006
Concrete Kings - LP - 2007
Young Nation - EP - 2009
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Bio
With a MuchMusic Video Award nomination for the 2008 "Best Rap Video" of the year (http://youtube.com/watch?v=FRhzUxThLeE), five videos in rotation, four albums released on URBNET/Fontana, and concert bookings across the country, it is no wonder that Tru-Paz career is gaining recognition internationally.
The Tru-Paz collective consists of three members Boozie (Vocalist) Akim (Lyricist) and DJ Unknown (Producer/DJ). Their sound is a distinct mixture of classic roots reggae, RnB and hip-hop that can be heard through the vibrant vocals of Boozie complimented by the conscious hip hop that is portrayed through the lyrics of Akim; mixed with the unpredictable selections of rock, soul, hip-hop and reggae from DJ Unknown. These variables make the Tru-Paz sound one that is unclassifiable by today's music genres. The groups' ability to captivate fans by their unique sound is already making a permanent imprint in Canadian music history with tracks like "Hotel Hell'' and "Dust Yourself Off" gaining recognition internationally.
BOOZIE, born and raised in rural Jamaica at the height of Jamaica's infant political in-stability, captivates his fans and uplifts the audience with his mystic messages that are influenced by his struggle during his early years. Boozie brings a spiritual influence to the music with profound and passionate vocals; liberating the listeners by bringing social awareness of the oppressed and suffering. AKIM spending time in Trinidad in his youth and raised in Toronto shines light on many of the metropolitan social issues through his heart-felt lyrics. His conscious messages tell personal stories that illustrate the broken social infrastructure and the influence these struggles have had through his personal journey. DJ UNKNOWN is a multiplatform, dynamic addition to the Tru-Paz collective. Not only is he the groups Dj, he is also the Producer and can be attributed as an integral part of the groups unique sound. Unknown has been Djing since the age of 13 and influenced by his father's passion for music as a radio broadcaster; his diverse musical interest and influences include everything from Tool to Radiohead, Marley Marl, Dj Premier and EPMD.
The groups' collective of unique personality & artistic expression is deeply rooted by their passion for music & their humble approach to being a successful Canadian group. Their friendship and longevity in the game enables them to individually express themselves pushing the boundary of many genres to recreate the musical formula of a new genre of music. Tru-Paz Movement
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