Spirit of Hip Hop was delivered with an in-depth editorial from Apple Music’s editorial department, an honour not given to every project that hits their platform. And they were here at the end, and the last song I recorded was “Helpless.” I'm actually singing on that song in the chorus with them. Hearing it over and over and over. On the one hand, Spirit of Hip Hop is a testament to Strickland’s reputation as one of the most respected audio technicians in the rap game—the sort of guy who can rope in legends like EPMD and Redman for features with a quick phone call. It’s a small little circle that we have. For me, the album is a history lesson and culture lesson. I first met Drake in Atlanta at the concert. How did you meet Drake? “The debut album as a solo artist from Grammy Award-winning Toronto-based engineer David Strickland is really three records in one. And they were here at the end, and the last song I recorded was “Helpless.” I'm actually singing on that song in the chorus with them. Indie-folk songwriter Ian St. Arnaud finds catharsis with debut LP, The Cost of Living. The people who set up this structure are all dead and gone, but it remains in place and if you’re still benefitting from it, then that’s the same thing almost. Sebastian Gaskin, Que Rock, The North Sound, FxckMr, Wolf Castle, Violent Ground, Silla and Rise. I'm just trying to shed some light on the community. Strickland’s perspective that hip-hop and First Nations culture run parallel is a refreshing take and provides some insight as to why Indigenous hip-hop has become such a notable sensation in Canada and beyond. I had to stand down as far as hierarchy; he's the boss. While his name may not be immediately recognizable, David Strickland is synonymous with modern-day hip-hop. We have similar stories and worked with many of the same people and there’s just natural chemistry that we have which comes out in anything we do together. The artists are, in order of appearance, Artson, Ernie Paniccioli, Northern Eagle Singers, Bubblz, Charlie Fettah, Jon C, Aspects, Nataanii Means, Northwest Kid, Chippewa Travelers, Violent Ground, King Reign, Que Rock, Saukrates, Supaman, Spade, JRDN, Whitey Don, Def Squad, Drezus, Hakeem Rose, Snotty Nose Rez Kids, Sten Joddi, EPMD, Leonard Sumner, Maestro, SouFy, City Natives, Joey Stylez, Carabella301, Chase Manhattan, Frankie Payne, Joey Stylez, and Hellnback. , Artson, and Que Rock, plus household heavyweights like Def Squad, EPMD, and Saukrates. I was DJing. In keeping with the spirit of promoting Canadian hip-hop and the excellent, diverse talent coming from this country, we’d be remiss not to shine a light on individuals like veteran David Strickland (aka Gordo). I got a verse on there, but it's about these artists. Most people don’t know the amount of incredible talent we have in Indigenous communities because we’re not exposed to it and a lot of times we get put in the Indigenous category. So by the time he got to, I did an album with them at the time and a song with them called “Rez Life.” So when I was doing this project before “Helpless” [f, eaturing Violent Ground and Chippewa Travelers], , I was like, “They gotta be on the album. The way it happened was kind of magical. I'm going to bring "Rez Life" back, but make it like a "Northern Touch." Why do you think you two get along so well? What do you think will be the outcome of these protests, the awareness, and public statements by individuals, companies, and politicians? So that helped me progress. Sometimes by the time a song is released I can’t even listen to it for a long time. Me and [producer] Gadget [Noel Campbell] mixed a bunch of songs. They just started bringing them to me. I was up in a very remote area. I was down there with Erick Sermon and 40 was in town. Doing things I never imagined I could do. We connected with Strickland who explained to us how a life in music isn’t so different from a life in quarantine and how his latest project, although it may have been a nightmare to mix, was a natural and organic coming together of important voices to tell stories that don’t get told nearly as often as they should. I set my release plan in motion and the universe set the stage. And I don't want to say "help.” I'm just trying to expose them. Did you try and get Drake on Spirit of Hip Hop? 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This connection is one of the leading narratives on his latest creation, , a collaborative album that gives even DJ Khaled a run for his money, featuring an immaculate mix of Indigenous voices including. Were you consciously trying to find a balance between these things while you were pulling it together or did it come organically? The takeaway? How did you meet Ernie? What is one thing you wish you knew when you were first getting into music that you know now? Yeah, it’s a producers’ album, but it's not about me. Me and [producer] Gadget [Noel Campbell] mixed a bunch of songs. His drawings and paintings have been featured in galleries across the country, including the famed McMichael Canadian Art Collection. Not everybody stays in the circle. There were a lot of firsts back then. It was a moment that brought the whole thing full circle for me, as far as starting back in the early days of Rumble and just working on all the records with Sauks and Kardi and Choclair and Jully [Black]. It should be an ongoing process. Complex talked to Strickland about his start in music, the importance of knowing your history, his hope for the album, and his views on the Black Lives Matter protests. So by the time you got to me, little things were mentioned, but then you move on. There were a lot of firsts back then. Spirit of Hip Hop has such a solid mix of culture, activism, and classic hip-hop fun. That's how I got everybody on it [Violent Ground, Que Rock, Drezus, Joey Stylez, and Hellnback). Over time, it sorted itself out. He was a b-boy. It’s time! When you were working with all the Canadian legends—Sauk, Jully, Choclair—back in the day, did you talk about your Indigenous heritage? Karen is a Toronto music journalist who's interviewed everyone from Eminem to Beyoncé. The essence was there so it was just a matter of sitting down and doing the work. I wish I knew how much mixing a song is like torture. That’s what started it. His success in Canada also brought opportunities stateside, with the likes of Pete Rock, Erick Sermon, EPMD, Keith Murray, Redman, and Method Man. I was young and things were moving fast. Violent Ground, Que Rock, Drezus, Joey Stylez, and Hellnback). Toronto’s David “Gordo” Strickland worked on Drake’s debut studio album Thank Me Later a decade ago, but Aubrey Graham was still a kid when the destined producer, engineer, and mixer got his start in Toronto’s burgeoning hip-hop scene as a b-boy, then DJ—then behind the boards. I had an idea about doing this kind of record back then and I was up there with my cousin teaching. He’s worked with everyone from k-os and Kardinal Offishall to Divine Brown and. It was a survival tactic, but then it became more of a shameful thing. That was just after that mixtape [, I engineered on there. A lot of people didn't hear the original version, so I changed it up a bit, made it a new song. Emerging from behind the scenes, the esteemed producer calls in old-school heavyweights including Def Squad and EPMD to light up Indigenous voices. I don't want to give examples, but as far as Indigenous goes, yeah, most people aren't exposed to it.

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