Wasiu wants to give a much-needed spotlight to Montreal’s Hip Hop scene. The rapper hones in on the Artbeat movement, which birthed prominent producers like Kaytranada, for his new single titled “Artbeat Cypher.”
“PIU PIU: the word we use to describe the Hip Hop scene in Montreal,” Wasiu told HipHopDX. “VLooper coined that term years ago and it’s grown a lot since then. It’s only right that the sound of MTLiens’ music is described by the noise a laser makes. Because of this emphasis on sound, the city is dominated by our talented producers. We’re mostly known for our beatmakers and not our rappers. This focus on beats birthed the ArtBeat movement where local producers got together and just shared their music. Kaytranada, High Klassified, Da-P, Shash’U and many others are examples of producers who got their local buzz up by being a part of ArtBeat.”
The “Artbeat Cypher” is meant to give people from around the world the feeling of attending one of these shows in Montreal. Waisu says it represents everything coming back full circle by sampling a Kaytranada interview clip and featuring the producer’s brother, Lou Phelps.
AD LOADING...
“This song is a tribute to everyone who was a part of that pivotal movement,” he explained. “It’s me, Lou Phelps and Montreal legend/producer/rapper KNLO in the crowd at an ArtBeat show spitting in a cypher over one of Shash’U’s cuts.”
Listen to Wasiu’s “Artbeat Cypher” above. Look out for future releases with Da-P, High Klassified and Kaytranada.
