melanie fiona

This one is for our Canadian readers, and I feel that this post is well-deserved since there has been some crazy hip-hop and R&B to come from Canada in the last year (for all our other readers, in a nutshell, the Juno’s are to Canada like what the Grammy’s are to the US). As you’d guess, Drake leads the nominations for the hip-hop acts, followed by K’naan and Classified. Both “Best I Ever Had” and Class’ “Anybody Listening” got nods for best single, with the latter also getting a nod for best video (which it definitely deserves). Check after the jump for a list of categories in which our finest in hip-hop and R&B got nominations in and for a link to the full list.

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It’s been a while since I’ve dropped any posts, but people get busy and especially at this time of year. Anyways, I got for you some more T.O. goodness with the Ghostface remix to Melanie Fiona’s “It Kills Me”. There has been some great R&B this year with artists like Maxwell and Jazmine Sullivan doing it big, and Melanie still managed to get some shine while these dope American singers were taking centre stage. It’s obvious enough that someone like Ghost would jump on this, and while his bars feel a bit forced because of the slow tempo, you can’t deny his prowess on R&B tracks. Shouts to NR.

Download: Melanie Fiona – “It Kills Me” (Remix) feat. Ghostface Killah

I was debating between this and a Portishead video but Melanie Fiona was more up my alley so I hope you all enjoy it. Sorry to Felipe for taking so many Toronto posts recently but honestly it has been the most consistent city in terms of releasing their artists on the web/blogosphere/net. I am liking the Motown-esque beat too and how she adds her very modern vocals to it and creates a style all her own. Her album The Bridge is out now.

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These songs are dope and I wish Wale released these before the ridiculous Gucci Mane assisted song. “Mirrors” (above) is already my shit because Bun has always been one of my favorites and I have been riding for Wale for a long time. They make a play on the “mirror, mirror on the wall” line for the chorus and both deliver witty verses over a funky bass line and some nice horn loops. The other song is also better than “Pretty Girls” and both will be on the album. Nice recovery Wale, I got to give props where it is due and I am glad to eat my words pertaining to what I said about the album being a sell out due to Gucci’s inclusion, I just hope some of these other quality tracks make it to radio. Get the official tracklist and downloads below.

Edit (by Felipe): I have to jump on this post, because “Beautiful Bliss” is the first time I have heard a major DMV/Toronto collaboration (Melanie Fiona is from the one and only TDot), so big ups to that. And don’t think lightning can’t strike twice in the same place: yet another DMV/Toronto joint was leaked today and that’s “TV In The Radio”, this time featuring K’naan (grab the download link for that as well after the jump).

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Some more Toronto love, this time for our R&B talent. Melanie Fiona is a singer who is well on her way to international stardom. Her first single, “Give It To Me Right”, was played non-stop on Toronto’s Flow 93.5, and it even broke top 10 on Billboard charts in Italy and Greece. She even opened for the Europe portion of Kanye’s tour in 2008, before her break-out single was even released. Now signed to SRC/Universal Motown, Melanie will be releasing her first album, The Bridge, on September 22. She’s sexy, she has a killer voice – what more can you ask for? Download “It Kills Me” after the jump. Read the rest of this entry »