GroundBreakers
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GroundBreakers

Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
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"ABORT MAGAZINE:AUDIOTOPSY:GroundBreakers"From The Ground Up"EP"

AUDIOTOPSY
We take an album and dissect it track by track. The results can sometimes be, well...messy.
GROUNDBREAKERS: FROM THE GROUND UP
Vancouver’s own brotherhood of the
Boom Bap, Groundbreakers, feature the
lyrical skills of Attikus and Babie Paul, the
beatbox and production skills of GBoxx,
cuts by DJ Leaf, and the awesomely solid
and funky bassplaying of Backbone.
Their original mix of Golden Era Hip
Hop with live bass and beatbox has been
rocking crowds and turning heads on the
West Coast for years, and their LP “From
The Ground Up” offers a solid selection
of diverse tracks displaying the skill and
dedication of this talented collective. With
a foot firmly planted in the Old School,
and the fresh sound of artists who are true
to themselves, Groundbreakers are here to
bring the noise.

1. Like It Or Not – the opening track rocks
like Granville on a Saturday night – the
feeling’s right, the music’s tight, and At-
tikus flows deep in the cut over Babie Paul’s
soulful groove.

2. The Grunt – reminiscent of Dream War-
riors’ classic “My Definition (of a Boom-
bastic Jazz Groove), Attikus’s baritone
bears witness to the Boom Bap science in
a bold anthem of respect for the roots.
3. Second Nature (Move) – rallies the
troops over a stadium size bass groove
from Backbone – if you don’t move, your
chest cavity might explode from the hype-
ness!

4. Don’t Cry – drops a mini-motivational
speech for the massive to help keep heads
nodding in times of despair.

5. How Long – the mood gets fresh with
Attikus and Babie Paul reminiscing like
veterans on the years spent repping.

6. VanCity Basics – some 70’s style sax
and Backbone’s brick wall of bass provide
the backdrop for a scenic painting of the
side of Van seldom seen by the superficial.

7. Shadowtalk – a wailing guitar loop and
dub bass worthy of Lee “Scratch” Perry
frame Attikus’s linguistic gymnastics
as he meditates on the dopeness and the
darkside.

8. Get Mine Get Yours – steady on that
money grind, Attikus reps for the hard-
working hustlers and runs through meta-
phors for miles.

9. Short Leash – some right in your ear rap
from Attikus and Babie Paul, keeping the
mic in a tight clutch.

10. Showtime – flexes the laid back lyri-
cism, like those rare sunny summer days
in East Van.

11. What I Do – digs deep into a more
underground dopestyle, the definition of
MCing.

12. Kruella Deville – shows off double-
time flows, waxing nostalgic about the
lady lost to time.

13. Shadowtalk (remix) – injects a deeper
current of funk into an already solid track,
proving Groundbreakers ain’t no light-
weight shit!
www.myspace.com/vancitygroundbreak-
ers
By Dave “Corvid” McCallum - Abort Magazine;Dave"Corvid"McCallum


"ABORT MAGAZINE:MNL Show REVIEW:R.A. The Rugged Man w/ Brass Tackz&GroundBreakers @ Monday Night Live November 16, 2009, The Modern, Vancouver BC"

Monday night was live and rugged at The Modern in Gastown- another packed show cementing MNL’s spot as one of Vancity’s longest running and most popular nights. What works:

MNL proves that, living amongst us, there are still honest-to-god hotties that love rap and at least tolerate rappers. So just because your art forces you to spend all your money on boutique clothes that don’t match or fit doesn’t mean you have to court a janky weedhead with gum in her beard if you don’t want to. That’s right fellas, there are fly women out there who, while under the mysterious and demoralizing spell of hip hop, will let their butts be squeezed ad nauseum and might even buy you a drink after.

More importantly though, Monday Night Live, currently in the capable hands of young MC/promoter extraordinaire, Emotionz, provides the stage for a rotating caste of local talent, affording up and coming acts the opportunity to share bills with rap heavyweights like R.A. The Rugged Man, J-Live, Cunninlynguists, and countless others over the years. Vancouver’s own GroundBreakers were among the hungry milieu to touch the mic this night. Still pumped from the recent completion of their forthcoming album “From The Ground Up” the fresh-faced five, no strangers in the local scene, kicked a bomb set that fused contemporary hype and a hard nod to the golden era. - ABORT Magazine - Vancouver,B.C.


"Choclair in Vancouver with GroundBreakers and Guests [Review]"

Vancouver, B.C. – Tonic nightclub launched their new Live N Direct Thursday nights this week, and who better to make the premiere than one of Canadian hip-hop’s godfathers, Choclair, who also debuted his new music video “Made to Move Mountains”.

The festivities were kicked off by local group Westcoast Familia, and after a quick smoking break, Storiez hit us with some soul-hop. Following that, the Groundbreakers graced the stage to bring it back to the essence with a new school twist. The group, which has a beat-boxer, a bassist as well as a DJ and two lyricists, rocked the house. With clocks hanging from their necks and caps tilted to the side, this group definitely had an old school flavor about them. To wrap up their set they broke into a live version of Dead Prez’s “Hip-Hop”, with the beat-boxer providing the drums while one of the rappers kicked a freestyle.

At 1 a.m. Choclair’s new video for “Made to Move Mountains” was introduced. The crowd watched the video attentively, all the while anticipating Choclair’s arrival. After a drawn-out introduction, the man of the hour hit the stage. He put his arms up and soaked in all the screams from the crowd, before dropping into a barrage of lyrics. Dressed in a simple t-shirt and jeans, you could tell he was a veteran by how comfortable he was on stage. By this time the crowd had significantly thinned out but, like a true professional, Choclair was not fazed, and continuously expressed his love for Vancouver and the West Coast.

He started things off with the C4 produced “Fired Up”. The crowd was quickly swinging their arms in unison. After that he brought it back with his Jully Black assisted “Light it Up”; there was a lot of bumping, grinding and hip-swinging going down on the Tonic dance floor, as opposed to the usual straight arm-swinging you’d expect at a hip-hop show. This didn’t stop with the Ice Cold classic “Rubbin’”. This segued nicely into a string of classic Choclair songs – “Who out here remembers the old Choclair stuff? The stuff that got me here today!” – he challenged the crowd. “What it Takes” and “Twenty-One Years” followed. Choclair threw some shades on and kept things moving with “Skyline” and ode to his haters, “Love ‘em All”.

The crowd was then surprised, as one of the Groundbreakers came on stage waving his “Ice Cold” vinyl as “Love ‘em All” went on. While Choclair signed the vinyl, one of Westcoast Familia grabbed the microphone and said “Red1 (One of the Rascalz) is in the building, everybody make some noise!” Choclair’s eyes perked up. He quickly brought him on stage and they blessed the crowd with an impromptu performance of “Northern Touch”. The crowd was more than grateful as they sang it a capella after the guys were done. The energy in the room was at an all time high. After some shout-outs, he broke into his Boogie Down Productions tribute “Breath Control,” freestyling on the second verse. “Made to Move Mountains” followed after, and the night was complete with 1999 hit “Let’s Ride”.




- Written by Mazin Sidahmed for HipHopCanada


"HipHopCanada.Com - ALBUM REVIEW: GroundBreakers "From The Ground Up" LP"

Vancouver, B.C. – Straight from Vancity’s underground, the Groundbreakers bring their good-time-party-vibe hip-hop to the surface. A combination of DJ, two MCs, beatboxer and live bass, these guys do what they do for one reason and one reason only, for the love of hip-hop; their release From The Ground Up makes that love and commitment to the culture apparent.

Emcees Babie Paul and Attikus kick smooth, effortless flows over classic hip-hop beats and samples with crisp and clear timing. The added components of GBoXX on the beatbox and Backbone’s live basslines bring a nice touch of originality and flavor to the album as a whole. The term ‘Torchbearers’ might be a more apt name for these cats: they’re proudly keeping the spirit of the boom bap alive with their clean, listenable sound. The lead-off tracks “Like It Or Not” and “Second Nature” couldn’t be clearer: the album jumps off with strong headnodders that pull you in right away, and your head stays nodding as the songs progress. The two lyricists cover much ground, ranging from dealing with emotions on “Don’t Cry” to displaying their rhyme skills on “Showtime,” all the while reppin Vancity nonstop and maintaining a positive vibe.

Groundbreakers are coming from the underground but have undeniable mass appeal. Whether rolling in a limo, Lexus or a broken-down Honda, heads across the board would find it impossible to not bob to this joint. These bangers could be bumped anywhere, whether in an underground dive or a glossy club . With From The Ground Up the Groundbreakers may have begun their bubble to the surface, so check for their sound coming up through the cracks in the pavement on a sidewalk near you.
- Written by Jesse Furnell for HipHopCanada.Com


Discography

The GroundBreakers have just released their debut album "From The Ground Up",a 13 track EP,out of Paranoyd Sound Studios,early Dec.2009.

Photos

Bio

This recipe is one of my favourites. Start with two fresh emcees, one baked, one raw, and lay on a bed of hot buttered bass and all-natural mouth percussion. Next, crumble in echoes of Motown, 70’s funk for colour, and the timeless clap of the boom-bap golden era and mix thoroughly. Finally, to tie the flavours together, generously drizzle dish with a 3 decade, crate-aged, vintage Hip-Hop sound, score the surface with some precise cuts, and you’ve got GroundBreakers – a Canadian specialty that’s in demand year round: whether on boats or in bars, at daytime festivals and all night raves.

A feelgood five man Hip-Hop troupe, GroundBreakers are set apart from other rap acts by their big band sound, due largely to an airtight rhythm section consisting of beatbox virtuoso/90’s heartthrob, GBoXX, nimble-fingered DJ LEAF on the wheels of steel, and BACKBONE: a bass player and multi-instrumentalist who spends more time deep in the pocket than lint. ATTIKUS, head emcee in charge of regulating, dominates the jam with imposing stature, coy, velvety flows, and visual lyricism while doubling as the group’s business savvy manager. Alternately, BABIE PAUL (aka The Break Charmer)’s bouncing, grainy rap style has drawn him comparisons to an Asian Chali 2na (which I guess would make him Ahi Tuna..?).

Inspired by a wide spectrum of artists such as Krs One,Main Source,Tribe Called Quest,De La Soul,Nas,Gangstarr,Kool G Rap,Atmosphere,Brother Ali,The Roots,Run Dmc,Motown Records,and many more,the GroundBreakers unleash a wide array of intelligent flow and live instrumentation creating a pure sound embraced by a highly diverse crowd of appreciaters.

GroundBreakers’ recipe for movement does away with the flavour-of-the-month approach to Hip-Hop, keeping it all the way boom-bap for crowds across the country, as well as instituting its signature sound as a mainstay in the Vancouver scene. From humble beginnings playing in the back of the old BRUISE Skateshop in New West Minister, GB have gone on in a short while to share stages with Zion – I, J-Live,Choclair, R.A. The Rugged Man, LuckyIAm,and other rap legends, as well as rocking locally with Vancouver heavy hitters the likes of Snak The Ripper(Brass Tackz), Emotionz, Sweatshop Union,Conspirituality,Dj Murge and Moka Only to name a few.

December of 2009 marked GroundBreakers anticipated first release, "From The Ground Up", a 13 song EP recorded and engineered at Paranoyd Sound Studios. It has since been met with audience enthusiasm and critical acclaim from Hip-Hop Canada.Com and ABORT Magazine among others.

Nigel Mojica,
Staff Writer,
ABORT Magazine