Epic & Deadly Stare drop their Turntables in the Van

 

Capturing the dizzying buzz of the road and the excitement of nightly shows with horns, claps, and raps, "Turntables in the Van" cranks up the boom bap and takes us along for the ride. Inspired in part after witnessing Fugazi’s tour van washing machine routine and realizing the need to tour smartly, especially when traversing Canada’s vast landscape. Epic and Deadly Stare cram the band into the van to bring their music to the people. What is a band without turntables, anyway?

Written and performed by Epic

Produced and mixed by Deadly Stare

Mastered by W.C. Spicer

Artwork by Shauna Doris

Epic & Deadly Stare have "So Much Class"

“So Much Class” is the first single from Epic & Deadly Stare’s album A library called Calder.  What happens to old legends when time pulls them away from the game? After more than a decade, Epic returned to a local freestyle night in Edmonton, AB to find an alien landscape. Unlike the warm welcome he had found in the past, the new denizens of the cipher were on a whole new tip. Unshaken by their apparent hostility, Epic did what he has always done and cut through the noise with dope raps and so much class. Featuring gut-rattling production from Deadly Stare (Triune Gods, Endemik Music), Epic is back with a sharp reminder that legends never die.

Written and performed by Epic

Produced and mixed by Deadly Stare

Cuts by Deadly Stare

Mastered by W.C. Spicer

Cover art by Shauna Doris

Epic & Rob Crooks - Nassau Manor

 

After a hip hop hiatus of about 15 years, Prairie rap pioneer Epic returns with his first album of new songs since Aging Is What Friends Do Together in 2008. It’s a hip hop team up with rapper-producer Rob Crooks, who produced and recorded most of the album in his Winnipeg, MB apartment in the Nassau Manor apartment complex that also provides the title of the album, with Epic laying down his vocals in a closet padded with a cut-up used cubicle bought at a surplus sale. This DIY aesthetic permeates the album. Those familiar with Epic will be happy to discover that he has retained his blending of absurd braggadocio, politics, very personal memories and nostalgic Canadiana all wrapped in a dry sense of humour and delivered in his unique folk rap flow. Over Rob’s jazzy and soulful boom bap beats, Epic raps of sad white rappers on “Sad Rapper Jack”, the tricks of the DIY recording method on “Blanket Over the Head Emcee”, and reminisces on the good ol’ days with “Younger Days”, plus he pays homage to fellow Canuck crew Frek Sho with a cover of Ismaila’s song “Way Back When”, on which the original cut up Epic on the hook. Rob Crooks also drops a solo song with “Saskatchewan”, and Kitz Willman makes a guest appearance on “University of Arizona”. Nassau Manor is not just the return and re-introduction of Epic, but it’s also the first in an upcoming onslaught of albums as he enters into his most prolific period of his music career.

Written and performed by Epic, except:
“University of Arizona” by Epic and Kitz Willman
“Saskatchewan” by Rob Crooks
“Blanket Over the Head Emcee” by Epic and Rob Crooks
“Way Back” written and originally performed by Ismaila of Frek Sho

Produced by Rob Crooks
Cuts on “Green Tablecloth” by Baggylean

Epic & Rob Crooks introduce "Sad Rapper Jack"

 

Epic & Rob Crooks present “Sad Rapper Jack”, the second single from their forthcoming album, Nassau Manor, on Hand’Solo Records. Writing to the melancholy, ethereal beat by Rob Crooks, equal parts soulful and jazzy, Epic was thinking of a good friend of his that was sad all the time when he realized Jack was part of a much larger sad rapper movement. Were The Smiths to blame? Using Jack as a surrogate for this phenomenon, Epic delivers his message with a dry sense of humour and in his unique folk rap flow. “Sad Rapper Jack” was recorded at the Nassau Manor apartments in Winnipeg, MB in a closet padded with a cut-up used cubicle bought at a surplus sale. That’s a different kind of sad.

Written and performed by Epic 
Produced by Rob Crooks

The video was filmed and edited by Rob Crooks, featuring Epic rapping around a wintery Edmonton, AB at landmark sites such as the West Edmonton Mall, the Starlite Room, and his own basement and backyard. Also includes cameos by local rappers Touch and Emprime.

Epic - "Ah Hemsky"

 

Epic's classic ode to Edmonton Oilers player Ales Hemsky gets the maxi-single treatment to support the 15th anniversary celebratory 12” vinyl release of Aging Is What Friends Do Together. Included alongside the smooth original are remixes from Newselph, who provides a laidback summer vibe, and Saskatoon Folk Rap Records label mate emprime, who provides a crunchier but still chill vibe with additional vocals from Halifax, NS MC Christ Sampson, who adds a further melodic layer to Epic’s abstract, sing-song delivery and then becomes the star of the show with his own cover version of the song. The maxi-single also includes radio edits and instrumentals for each. Ah Hemsky, you're so good!

Written and performed by Epic

Produced by Maki

Remixes by Newselph and emprime

Cover version by Christ Sampson