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FYI

Prism Prize Videos: Cadence Weapon - "High Rise"

On May 13 in Toronto, the biggest prize for Canadian music videos will be handed out. We will profile some of the potential contenders prior to that, beginning with a clip by this acclaimed hip-hop artist (pictured).

Prism Prize Videos: Cadence Weapon - "High Rise"

By External Source

On February 21, the Prism Prize will announce the Top 20 Canadian music videos competing for the annual honour, to be handed out May 13 at TIFF Bell Lightbox in Toronto.


Leading up to the Prize, we will profile some of the noteworthy clips likely to be in contention. More information on the Prize here

Cadence Weapon - "High Rise"

This thought provoking video unfolds in one long, unending take. Shot from a bird’s eye view perspective 20 stories above street level, "High Rise" seamlessly entwines voyeurism with art by alternating between candid images of oblivious pedestrians going about their days and choreographed shots of solitary figures dancing at streetcar stops, on city sidewalks - and eventually - on the balcony of their very own high rise. The dancers, it should be noted, are ignored by the passers-by (who are themselves entirely unaware that they are part of a music video).

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The video is a political statement as much as it is a work of art. "High Rise" was shot in the Spadina-Fort York neighbourhood of Toronto, a city notorious for an increasingly untenable cost of living and boasting one of the most expensive and densely populated rental markets in Canada. With High Rise, Cadence Weapon and Director Lester Millado didn’t just make a music video; they’ve also made a statement about the monotony and oppressive detachment that are so often the result of gentrification sucking the soul out of the community that existed there before.

Director: Lester Millado
Director of Photography: Lester Millado
Editor: Soji "Shakes" Oyinan
Producer: Imad Elsheikh

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Triumph
Courtesy photo

Triumph

FYI

Thousands of Canadians to Join in Triumph's 'Hold On' As a Cross-Country Sing-Along to Celebrate Music Education

The 1979 hit song is this year's Music Monday selection, an annual event by the Coalition of Music Education that unites the country in performances of the same song, on the same day, at the same time.

"Hold On," one of the biggest hits of Canadian Music Hall of Famers Triumph, will gain fresh life from being chosen as the anthem for Music Monday 2025.

On May 5, 2025 Coalition for Music Education will celebrate Music Monday with a cross-country sing-along to raise awareness for music education. This annual event celebrates the unifying power of music as thousands of Canadians join in singing and performing its anthem at their schools and other community events.

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