Day 2 of the MEC 11 Year anniversary was even crazier than the exhibition battles that took place the night before. Held at OCAD, there were some pretty heaty battles, especially the one between Montreal and Puerto Rico. I died of laughter seeing them get worked up saying sh*t in spanish/french to each other. It was all love at the end, but maaaaannn were they both busting out craziness I’ve never seen before.

Shouts to Ground Illusionz who took home the title and cash prize that day, just like they did ten years ago at the first Bring Da Ruckus, different generation. WORD Up!

Here are the flicks from that day:

[B-girl, Miss Finesse of Fly Antics]

It’s been a busy last week of finishing up classes which is why it’s taken me a minute to finally post up these pics. Apologies to those waiting on them! The weekend was truly an unexpected weekend of AWESOMENESS, starting from Friday’s exhibition battles, after party at the Great Hall for Hip Hop Love, then Saturday’s Bring Da Ruckus 3-on-3 battle, with after party dancing action at Footprints, and then Sunday night’s impromptu house jam at the Chocolate Factory.

Bigglez sure wasn’t boostin’ (although he does that a LOT, lol) when he approached me that random night when I wasn’t working at a party and he said to me he had a “chance of a lifetime” for me and what kind of “family discount” could he get. Hahahaha. Irritated, I replied, “Don’t talk business with me when I’m drunk and partying.” LOL. I really didn’t have any idea how amazing the past weekend would be and what kind of impression it would leave on me with the b-boy community, especially here in Toronto.

[Happy 11th Anniversary MEC, and HBD Nastic!]

If you weren’t there last night… I hope hangin’ out with your grandma and her fat scraggly furred cat was just as fun. Don’t worry, you can make it up tonight, BRING DA RUCKUS. O.C.A.D. 7pm. 3 on 3 battles. Click HERE for full details. MEC, alllllllllll day!

As promised, a follow up video giving you more of an inside look at the Maximum Efficiency Crew, and my time spent with them at the Chocolate Factory. Check it:

Lovehard presents: MEC from Char Loro on Vimeo.

Also! If you haven’t seen the blog post I wrote about them, check it out HERE.

It had been a minute since I frequented this hood. To think it had been more than a year since I stepped out of this same subway station that I walked in and out of everyday for a year. Spread out houses, the blaring light of Popeye’s chicken, and refreshingly, a lot of brown people, is something I can honestly say I didn’t know I missed. Mainstreet, it’s been a minute.

Almost jumping into the wrong brown man’s silver four-door, Bigglez finally showed up and scooped me. I can’t recall a moment when this jolly human is never smiling… that, and running his mouth. Lol. Having met Biggz at the start of summer, I had seen this guy around at various jams — Main Ingredient, Andy’s, this, that and rayray. All I remember of him prior to being officially introduced,  is that his presence is always made known… probably because he’s guaranteed to make a public announcement of it. ;P

Rolling up to the back parking lot of a brown brick building, Bigglez looked over and said to me smugly, “Welcome to the Chocolate Factory.”

[Cubeworks]

I know, it’s taken me long enough to finally post something about MANIFESTO that happened all last week. If you have me on twitter/facebook, then I’m sure you’ve read the incessant blasts about all the events that went down during the week of. None of them were exaggerations — this year’s MANIFESTO was the best yet, and will only continue to get better every year. Believe you, me.

I’m trying to edit as many photos as I can to be able to post, so bare with me. I wasn’t able to get coverage of every single night (some nights I was filming for the DOC team, you’ll be able to see that footage through MANIFESTO TV soon enough.) It’s too much to explain every single night to you, so I’ll just keep it to the super highlights, starting with DAY 4, the MADE YOU LOOK massive art show.

[Still shots: MC Fubb at The Cypher]

This week has been stupid busy. I’m usually busy, but this is like one of those kinds of busy where I have scheduled every hour of the day. Between classes and homeworking, I’ve been gigging every single night since Wednesday. It’s amazing! I can’t be more thankful for all this work coming in. Keeeeppp itt commminnnnn’!

A quick re-cap:

Bilal‘s ‘1st Born Second‘ is on iTunes repeat… so is Jean Grae, and Rich Kidd‘s ‘We On Some Rich Kidd Shiiiiit’ Volume 4.  My agenda is highlighted five times over, BRIGHT yellow, from Sept 20th straight through to September 26th. To all those hollering for chillages, meetings, this, that and what not… You shall get the repeated and automated response of, “NOPE. CAN’T… It’s MANIFESTO.”

This has been a crazy event-packed weekend, but out of all the jams I had lined up, the AZ anniversary was definitely on my much-anticipated list. I’ve heard these guys talk about this celebration ever since I first met them all and it was pretty exciting to see all their hard work and planning finally unfold. I’m not exactly sure who coined the word “wetastic”, but I promise you it is totally not an over-statement. Just stepping into the vicinity of anywhere these guys are dancing, even just for thirty seconds, and you’re… wet. Hahaha. Terrible joke. (But actually preeeettty accurate all at the same time. Lol.)

About a week ago I was lampin’ in Trinity Bellwoods Park when a six-foot-two dude rockin’ a loose beach-bum beater, castro cap and paint-splattered cut-off shorts crouched down to where I was coolin’ out on my blanket, and started to chop it up with me over something called Late Night In the Bedroom. There’s something about the way somebody talks about something as opposed to what they’re actually talking about that makes conversation that much more engaging. This dude, Josh is his name, went off, promoting by word of mouth, about something he started last summer with a few friends of his — a late night talk show in front of a live audience interviewing the creative art, music and culture community here in Toronto. What began literally… late night in the bedroom, grew into their Season finale of 12 episodes at the Toronto Underground Cinema, which I obviously had to come and see for myself.