Spotlight on Toronto's own T-West:
T-Dot State of Mind By T-West
Tristan "T-West" West is an underground hip
hop artist from Toronto, Ontario, Canada whom is certainly worthy of a mention.
This week I want to draw your attention to a music video by T-West: T-Dot. This
video is quite well done and portrays a darker side of Toronto and its
underground hip-hop culture. Canadians will enjoy the footage of Ontario's
capital which is captured through a gritty street-perspective.
The entire video is shot during the night, using quick
choppy clips that keep you watching. T-West is shown rapping the lyrics in
several clips and also taking a trip on the deserted subway at night. The video
has an creepy feel to it that matches the lyrics as well as the high-pitched
piano that composes a major part of the beat. I've always enjoyed hip hop and
rap artists that can create a very distinct and purposeful feeling to their
song. This often comes hand in hand with a candid ability for telling a fluid
story. In T-West's case, this is certainly evident. I feel that this is a song
and video that will draw the listener in and make them feel what the artist is
feeling. That is something not every artist can achieve and is definitely a
sign of great talent. Check out this video and some of the others by T-West,
you won't be disappointed.
More on the Artist..
T-West recently released his new album: Maybe it's
Okay. This album is the product of a lot of hard work coming to fruition and
T-West is now on a mission to get his fans to listen. A few of his songs have
already become fairly popular on YouTube, including Black History
Month and Black Kid/City Life. T-West is a fresh new artist that
portrays the wit and intelligence that much of today's rap and hip hop is
missing. Black History Month is a track by T-west released at the end of February
which is actually the month dedicated to Black History. The track expresses
soulful emotion and portrays T-West's pride of the perseverance of the Black Community.
The other track gaining popularity, Black Kid/City Life has a very unique and
upbeat tempo that is matched by a chorus sung by T-West but distorted heavily
in a fashion reminiscent on many music hits of the 80's and 90's when the
popularity of the synthesiser had soared. The video and lyrics tell a story of
urban male trying to work an honest 9 to 5 and get by, well facing the many
pressures of urban city life. The chorus did not sit well with me in the
beginning. My ears at first could not get accustomed to the pitchy distortion,
but like many addictive tracks, this was soon stuck in my head. The chorus is
unique and sets an appropriate pace for the rest of the song.
Aside from his work on his new album and feature
videos, T-West has a blog in which he does not just give fans updates on his
own music progression, but also gives content such as reviews on other artists,
new releases and much more. T-West also offers marketing services for other
underground hip-hop artists seeking promotion. He claims he will design an
entire online marketing campaign for an artist, album release or other music
related promotional need. This is very unique and entrepreneurial for an artist
today and something I have not seen offered by anyone else. T-West posts
opportunities to his Facebook such as scholarships offered in the community,
business events and seminars and much more. This is another side of the artist
that is rarely seen in the underground hip hop community. Most new rap artists
focus on materialistic personas and likely do not show their true colors.
T-West is an MC worth c-ing.
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