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FYI

Lou Phelps: word

The Juno-nominated rapper returns with a strong new cut produced by WondaGurl. He spits out lines with rhythmic ease, and the entertaining video complements it neatly.

Lou Phelps: word

By Kerry Doole

Lou Phelps - "word" (Last Gang): The 24-year-old hip-hop artist from Montreal burst out of the blocks as a solo act with 2017's Juno-nominated debut, 001: Experiments (it racked up over 1 million plays on SoundCloud), and last year's follow-up, 002 / LOVE ME, produced by his Polaris prize-winning older brother Kaytranada, also made a splash.


Ths new track and video offer further evidence of Phelps' talent. He enlists another star producer in the form of WondaGurl, as the pair linked up during a Samsung Studio Sessions collab during the Vancouver Junos last year. Together they make real magic, with Phelps spitting out lines with rhythmic ease.

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The cut is accompanied by a clever and entertaining video, was directed by Lou’s longtime collaborator, Igal Perets. In a press release, Phelps explains "every time I make a song I have an idea of what the video could be or the visual behind it could be. I watch a lot of movies; I’m a very visual person. I have a feeling that when I hear something, I can visualize what I have in my head and I can translate that to the director, who makes that happen. I think it’s very important to have good visuals when you’re an up and coming artist.” 

"Visuals are really important for an artist because you can drop great music, but if you don’t have the great artistry that accompanies it, whether that’s the visuals or what not, it limits you in what you can become. You become someone who has talent but doesn’t know how to exploit it properly. I feel like that’s the way I see it … I don’t want to be just a rapper; I want to be an artist.”

Phelps is currently on the road in North America with French artist, FKJ (French Kiwi Juice).

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Publicity: Indoor Recess

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Not By Choice on MuchOnDemand on MuchMusic in 2002.
Courtesy Photo

Not By Choice on MuchOnDemand on MuchMusic in 2002.

FYI

Obituary: Mike Bilcox of Ajax, Ontario Pop-Punk Band Not By Choice

Former drummer and now head of Round One Sports & Entertainment Liam Killeen pens this tribute to his former bandmate, with words from The Feldman Agency's Jeff Craib, Sum 41's Dave Baksh, Simple Plan's Chuck Comeau and more.

Mike Bilcox, lead singer and guitarist of Ajax, Ontario’s second most famous pop-punk band, Not By Choice, passed away on June 21, at age 48.

Mike started Not By Choice with his Ajax High School friend Glenn ‘Chico’ Dunning back in 1997. They had initially played a few shows under different names that may or may not be suitable for print, but our moniker came from Mike bothering his younger sister Chrissy at the dinner table. When she couldn’t take any more of his taunting, she promptly told her Mom, Pat, that he was annoying her – Pat yelled ‘Well, he’s your brother!’ to which Chrissy quickly replied ‘Yeah, not by choice!’. With that, a real band was born.

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