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In spite of many accolades, and a contact book that runs deep
into the corners of the Canadian hip-hop scene, two visions
remain strong with Ottawa rap emcee Brockway Biggs. "For me, the
most important aspect of hip-hop is making sure the music is fun
and the lyrics are real, but community support definitely takes
a close second." This hip-hop outlook helps shape the mould of
his third album, entitled 'In Awe of Simplicity.' |
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Simply put, 'In Awe of Simplicity' is diverse. It ranges from
the cocky punch line filled 'Clap Your Hands,' to the melancholy
'Another Night;' the spiritually uplifting honesty of 'So Many
Purposes,' to the fun vibe of 'Canada Dry.' Also included is a
remix of 'Shake Ya Caboose' concocted at the request of Nelly's
energy drink, Pimp Juice, out of St. Louis, MO. 'Pinch Hitter'
is also included following its 2006 release on
KeepItClassic.com's 'Underground Hip-Hop Compilation Volume 5',
which featured Mr Lif (Def Jux), Lady Bug Mecca (Digable
Planets), El-P, Aceyalone, Murs, LA Symphony, Cappadonna & more. |
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Collaborations include beats by Halifax's Classified, Brooklyn's
Kevin Sakoda (Trek Life), Newfoundland's Hotbox, New Brunswick's
Sean One and Prince Edward Island's Nevski & Rob Banks. Featured
artists include St. Louis' Prentiss Church (Derrty Ent) of the
Grammy nominated Training Day Soundtrack, Montreal's two-time
Scribble Jam champ Skratch Bastid, Toronto's former Guinness
record holder for longest freestyle, D.O., Halifax's J-Bru,
Ottawa's Boz Faramone and the afternoon drive host of Ottawa's
CHRI, Nicole Rushton. |
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Fueled by his song-writing credits with award-winning producer,
Gordie Johnson (formerly of Big Sugar), Brockway Biggs' new
album displays more confidence and lyrical savvy. The mixing of
the album turned into a family affair, as his brother, Colin,
used the sound engineering skills he gained at Metalworks
studios in working with Our Lady Peace, Emm Gryner, Tea Party,
Bob Rock, Ryan Malcolm and more. |
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Having grown up in Charters Settlement, a dead-end road on the
outskirts of Fredericton, New Brunswick, Brockway Biggs admits
getting a late start in hip-hop. "I was in grade ten, 1995, when
I heard my first real hip-hop song. It was 'The Riddler' by
Method Man. I fell in love." Soon thereafter, Brockway Biggs
became well known in the city for his compilations, which often
adorned the warm-ups for local high school and university
basketball games. |
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This love of hip-hop soon spilled over into writing. In 1997, he
took up the pen and began writing hip-hop reviews and interviews
for his university paper, The Brunswickan. In 2001, he joined
HipHopCanada.com as a senior writer. This affiliation lasted
four years and saw the site win an Urban Music Association of
Canada (UMAC) award in all four years. |
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His affinity for writing and poetry was first exposed at age ten
when he won Ganong's 'Why I Love the Chocolate Mousse' contest.
In Grade eleven, a chemistry bonus project led to Brockway
Biggs' first recording - 'Ice Ice Water', a song that has gone
on to be recognized as a learning tool by the Science
Songwriters' Association. From 1997 to 2000 his stage presence
began to grow as he performed this song and other rap covers
with a number of Fredericton bands. |
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Five years later, in 2000, school led to another creation - the
video and single for 'Tha PIMP-T Theme.' The low budget video
sparked a cult-like following culminating in a 2000 UMAC
nomination, video features on MuchMusic's 'Eds Big Wham Bam' and
MusiquePlus' 'Dollaraclip,' hosted by Louis Jose Houde. |
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In August 2002, Brockway Biggs' released his debut album, 'Power
Is Mindful Peace' (PIMP), under the moniker PIMP-T. As with most
debut albums, it was rough around the edges, but showed signs of
greater things to come. It garnered a 2003 East Coast Music
Award (ECMA) nomination for Urban Recording of the Year;
inspired the release of a second music video for 'Petty Crime,'
and led to live performances on MusiquePlus and at the 2003
Canada Winter Games. |
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Two years later, in 2004, Brockway Biggs released his sophomore
album, 'An Urbal Remedy', under the moniker Pimp Tea
('Positively Influencing More People to Excel Artistically').
Accompanied by a vinyl 12" release for 'Shake Ya Caboose' and
'Super Dude (Jorun Remix),' these two songs again attained a
cult-like status. They inspired a line of Super Dude
merchandise; performances on CBC's ZeD TV; charting on 40+ radio
stations; music video for 'Shake Ya Caboose' and a 2005 ECMA
Award for Urban Single of the Year. |
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Despite the accomplishments of his sophomore album, Brockway
Biggs wasn't satisfied. "I take hip-hop seriously, and after
releasing 'An Urbal Remedy' I still felt I had a lot of room to
grow as a rapper. So I made more effort to tour, do live shows
and attend open mic nights. As a result, my stage presence and
confidence have grown. I was also feeling burdened by the image
depicted by the 'pimp' name, so changing my name to Brockway
Biggs just felt right. It combines a family name, a place of
peacefulness and a street where I lived - my roots." |
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Inspired by stories of the kind and giving nature of his late
Great Great Uncle Don Messer, a fiddling legend, he began
promoting his fellow artists in Dec 2003 via the Atlantic Canada
Hip-Hop e-Newsletter. In March of 2005, his primarily volunteer
marketing and promotion venture, Brockway Entertainment, was
launched with funding from New Brunswick Innovation Fund (NBIF).
Supported artists have included Skratch Bastid, Wordburglar,
Under Pressure, and 2006 Juno-nominees Eternia & Classified.
These efforts were recognized by UMAC, resulting in a 2005
nomination for their 'Community Service Award.' |
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It's an exciting time for Brockway Biggs, but success comes with
its share of sacrifices. "I've become a workaholic - driven and
dedicated to the passion that is my life: hip-hop. Music is a
chaotic business and the art is definitely not for the weak. So
naturally, there are days when I find myself in awe of a simple
life." Despite being In Awe of Simplicity, Brockway Biggs’
passion for hip-hop continues to shine through. |
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