A Noisey Guide to Saskatchewan's Hip-Hop Scene

DGS Samurai Champs and the Queen City Stoop Kids. Photo courtesy of AThirdTime Photography

Saskatchewan isn’t typically the place people think of as a hotspot for Canadian hip-hop. In fact, when one thinks of Saskatchewan music, the first thought that comes to the mind is the notorious Craven County Jamboree. With a population of just over a million people and an enduring, but misguided image of a place where nothing ever happens or changes, Saskatchewan is seen as something of a cultural backwater by the rest of Canada. If people do know anything about Saskatchewan rap, it’s probably because of the now infamous “My Hoverboard” video by Saskatoon’s J Staxx. Rest assured, there’s a lot more to the province’s rap scene then J Staxx’s viral “hit.” Saskatchewan has always embraced its role as the underdog and behind the stereotypes and YouTube sensations is a small, but dynamic hip hop scene rife with homegrown talent. Saskatchewan’s rap community is centered in the province’s two largest cities; Saskatoon and Regina. The urban landscapes of both cities have had a profound effect on the artists they produce. Saskatoon and Regina consistently maintain some of the highest crime rates in all of Canada, while Regina’s North-Central was previously named the ‘worst neighborhood in Canada.’ This is the reality that many Saskatchewan rappers grew up in.

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“Knowing Saskatchewan like I do, we usually top the country in crime and murder rates, so it’s definitely something that gives us a different outlook than being from some other nice, little, cute place,” said rapper Joey Stylez, “Hardships give one character and I know firsthand. I been through enough storms to give culture to some folks who lack identity.” But this is far from the only influence fueling Saskatchewan rappers. The province’s First Nations history, which dates back to well before Saskatoon and Regina were even thoughts and the arrival of Europeans in Western Canada, has been an instrumental force in shaping Saskatchewan rap. From the lasting legacy of residential schools to the rampant, yet largely ignored mental health issues on northern reserves and inequality in urban centers, Saskatchewan’s First Nations population has never had it easy. But in the face of this painful past and present, Saskatchewan indigenous population as whole, including its hip hop artists, remains proud and hopeful. Artists such as Stylez, Drezus and Eekwol have proudly displayed their aboriginal identities through their music.

Though Saskatchewan’s hip hop community is small, it is tight knit. Artists embrace each other’s individualism and feed off one another’s creativity. The result of this creative incubator is a sound that is both diverse and profoundly influenced by the province itself. While a number of Saskatchewan artists have left to seek out opportunities elsewhere, the community continues to grow inside the prairie province at an astounding rate. “Inclusivity is hard to find in rap, but Regina’s new scene would surprise the most critical hip hop hipsters out east, I believe,” said Kav the Bruce of the Queen City Stoop Kids, “We created it together with others who were clearly waiting for something to just happen.”