Alright friends, let’s be honest with each other here. Just in case it somehow wasn’t painfully obvious, here’s a big secret from me to you: my knowledge of hip-hop? Sorely, sorely lacking. That being said, today’s profile is of my newest favourite hip hop artist: Abdominal and he’s… awesome! A text from TCR editor to myself stating “Abdominal. Good artist. Canadian?” was enough to get me very curious about this guy. Abdominal? I thought. Yep - Abdominal. When I spoke to the man himself, he had this to say:
‘Abdominal’ came about ‘cuz years ago I was doing 1 of my 1st shows & I lifted my shirt up to wipe the sweat from my face…a random girl in the crowd yelled out, “nice abs!”, & my friends started jokingly calling me Abs afterwards. Kinda just stuck from there.
Abdominal (Andy Bernstein) grew up in Toronto, Ontario where he formed his first rap crew with DJ Serious and Scott C. called Rushholme and right away they started recording tracks. A chance meeting in 1998 with DJ Fase led to them teaming up as Abs & Fase.
They began recording and released the limited single ‘Vinyl Frontier’. This drew the attention of DJ Format and led to a collaboration. Abdominal’s raps became a standout feature on DJ Format’s first album Music For the Mature B-Boy, released in 2003. From 2003 to 2005 they toured as part of Jurassic 5’s European tour while in 2004 Abs and Fase released an album called Flowtation Device. Abdominal also appeared on DJ Format’s second album, If You Can’t Join ‘Em… Beat ‘Em, in 2005, alongside fellow Canadian rapper, D-Sisive.
His first solo album, Escape From The Pigeon Hole, was released in May 2007 in the United Kingdom by Antidote Records and features collaborations with DJ Format, Cut Chemist, DJ Fase, DJ Serious, Notes to Self, Circle Research, Young Einstein from hip-hop group Ugly Duckling and jazz musician Elizabeth Shepherd.
Aside from being a recording artist, Abdominal also appears regularly at the Supermarket Club in Toronto hosting Do Right Saturdays alongside DJ Fase and others from the Toronto hip hop scene.
In June 2007, Abdominal toured the UK with DJ Fase. During their performance at the Jazz Café in London, Abdominal & DJ Fase were joined by DJ Format onstage for a version of Format’s song, “Ill Culinary Behaviour”.
His song “Pedal Pusher”, co-written with Rodney Pleasant, won the 2007 Echo Songwriting Prize, awarded for the best song in Canadian independent music by the Society of Composers, Authors and Music Publishers of Canada.
His latest collaboration with UK duo Jellybass was on a track called ‘Transatlantic’ (March 2008) and is available for your listening pleasure -and mine- on his Myspace page.
If you’re a newcomer to the hip hop scene like I am, take it from me - Abdominal is well worth a listen.
Look out, Canada - he’s setting up to give you a work out!
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