Jul. 27, 2011 - Issue #823: The Naked Truth
Prevue
TOA: The Overachievers
Edmo hip hop by way of Sudan
"It took me like a year, to learn how to actually communicate with people," Muta, now 17 and a more-than-able wordsmith in his own right, admits. Alongside his brothers Namso (15) and Moto (13), he deals quite extensively in language these days: the three form local hip-hop trio TOA—that's The OverAchievers—and have spent the last few years doing, as that name implies, more than would actually be required of them to establish a toehold in the scene. TOA has performed some 70 shows in the past two years, after getting its start at the Tegler Youth Centre. Local Old Ugly rappers Mikey Maybe and the Joe led a hip-hop program that the boys engaged in.
The trio were interested in rap from what they saw on television, but the program proved a chance to finally try their hands at it, and even do some recording (it helped the three of them improve their English literacy, too).
"We were trying to rap, but we didn't have a place to record, and stuff," Muta says.
Muta's music is positive, he notes, it doesn't trade in the more violent clichés of hip hop that give the rest of the genre a bad name.
"I was just inspired by what I see on TV, a way to sometimes express feelings sometimes, you know? It's a hobby, something I find myself doing."
TOA is working on its debut album, after releasing the four-song Summer Sampler about a year ago. In the more immediate future, however, is a teaser of what's to come: a music video release for the song, "Freak My Style."
"It's just braggadacious rap song," Muta notes. "It doesn't talk about killing, but it's just a fun track of us."
Fri, Jul 29 (7 pm)
Avenue Theatre, $10
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