Thursday, March 31, 2011

Toronto Hip-Hop Documentary “1 to 4” Released

Toronto, March 28, 2011 – The most important three hours for hip-hop in Toronto has always been Saturdays from 1-4 p.m. on CKLN 88.1 FM. The impact of this musical institution is captured in the brand-new short documentary, “1 to 4.”

It all began back in 1983, when legendary radio host/concert promoter Ron Nelson first broadcast The Fantastic Voyage from Ryerson University’s campus, making it the first hip-hop radio show to exist anywhere in the nation. The timeslot continued to gain historical significance and cultural relevance with the three shows that followed – The Power Move Show, The Real Frequency and Mixtape Massacre. CKLN’s been rocking the airwaves and our eardrums for nearly 30 years, making it the longest-running source for hip-hop music in Canada.

On Saturday, February 12, 2011, a monumental gathering took place when all four generations of radio shows came together for a single broadcast. Thinking it would be their last, Mixtape Massacre invited their predecessors to each play one hour dedicated to the era of hip-hop they represented while they were on the air.

CKLN had its license revoked by the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) at the end of January due to problems with how the radio station conducted its operations (Decision 2011-56). But the day before its last broadcast, CKLN was granted a stay, allowing the station to remain on the air pending a decision by the Federal Court of Appeal. The mood that Saturday quickly turned from somber to celebratory.

“1 to 4” is a six-minute documentary capturing the historic radio show that took place on February 12, 2011. It features footage and interviews with Canadian hip-hop legends Michie Mee, Ron Nelson, Thrust and DJ X, along with P-Plus, Arcee, DJ Linx and Big Jacks. Fans are taken into the studio and treated to interviews with the on-air hosts and DJs who helped shape our city’s musical identity.

We hope that this timeslot lives on forever. Without it, Toronto hip-hop will never be the same.

Timeline of Saturdays, 1-4 p.m. on CKLN 88.1 FM

Fantastic Voyage: 1983-1988

The Power Move Show: 1988-2000

The Real Frequency: 2001-2005

Mixtape Massacre: 2005-present

Watch the short documentary "1 to 4" here:

VIMEO: http://www.vimeo.com/21464839

YOUTUBE: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rbf1HS5enZU

To hear the historic broadcast from February 12, 2011, please visit:

http://therealfrequency.podbus.com/blog/2011/02/16/podcast-mixtape-massacre-back-to-the-future-edtion/

“1 to 4” is the first documentary produced by Wavel Edwards and Celine Wong. Edwards is a freelance editor who’s also known as Musiklee Inzane, a DJ for The Real Frequency radio show and Wong is a hip-hop journalist who wrote for The Source, XXL, Vibe and Rap Pages before becoming a TV producer/director. They’ve both spent plenty of time at CKLN’s studios on Saturdays from 1-4 p.m. and credit the timeslot for molding their musical tastes and knowledge.

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