Old business, new business or I fear for the future of Canadian hip-hop: Alias Donmillion v. Reviera Regime

OK, first of all, some old business... last week's winner was Rancid.

Here's the victory vid, "Ruby Soho."


Good shit... now on to some new business.

OK, so, almost every one of these battles has been between two videos that I really enjoy. In fact, there's only been two that haven't been: Lil' Wayne v. She Wants Revenge (where I was a little ambivalent about both bands, although six months later, both acts have grown on me quite a bit) and In Extremo v. TaTu (which was wildly hilarious). This video combines aspects of both those battles.

Let me start by saying that I'm not really that worried about the future of Canadian hip-hop. Kardinal's on the American charts, Famous has a Juno nod, K'Naan looks like he's about two months away from being an international megastar, things are mostly OK. That said, there are a couple causes for concern.

The Main Event

In the Red Corner, from the IDF's Golani brigade, by way of Jane and Finch, the two toughest Jewish gangsters since Bugsy Siegel, RIVIERA REG-IIIME!

Toronto-born Klee Magor and Boston-born Benny Brahmz met while serving in the Israeli army in 1997. According to the lore, the two would freestyle while under fire in South Lebanon. They recorded their first album after getting discharged from the IDF in 1999, but quickly packed it in and headed back to North America after getting pissed off by Israel's weak hip-hop scene.

In 2001, Klee convinced Brahmz to join him in Toronto, and in 2004, they released their second album Thugs of War. A kid was stabbed at their album release party.

In 2005, the Regime met Necro on a trip to NYC. Necro and the Regime got along like a house on fire; they were all violent nihilists, they all liked drugs, and they were all Israeli. Necro got the group signed to his Psycho-Logical Records label. In 2008, they released Real Soldierz Ride. He also got them to join his Jewish rap supergroup Jewish Gangsters.

I'm not going to crack too hard on these guys; they clearly have more gangsta street cred than pretty much anyone else. They've really killed guys as part of the IDF, and really been shot at. My problem isn't that I think they're faking, it's that I think the video is so fucking ham fisted. Hip-hop isn't a genre that thrives on subtlety, but Riviera Regime seem to have neither the creativity to do something indie-filmish and high concept nor the budget to do an all-out bitches and bling ball fest.

This is "Sacrificial Offering," off Real Soldierz Ride.


The Competition

In the blue corner, from Allenbury, a guy who's on Muchmusic, but doesn't make much music, ALIAS DONMILLION!

Alias Donmillion started rapping in 1994. He founded his label, Donmillion Entertainment, and released his first album in 2000, but her really didn't blow up (in relative Canadian terms) until 2006. when he released his album Music Money and released the video for the single "Dirty Dot," which was nominated for an MMVA. Shortly after the MMVAs, he was arrested on a gun charge and spent two years in Kingston Pen.

This is his new video for "Back on the Block."



Here's my basic objection to this video. He spends the whole song telling us that rapping isn't very profitable for him, and that he makes most of his money from narcotics sales.

Here's the thing; I can't decide if Alias is lying about his dope dealing, or if he's just a really bad criminal. If he's lying, or exaggerating, then he would be in good company. (I think most rappers are overstating their criminal pasts.)

If he's not lying, then he's out of his mind. Again, let's get this straight; he's been free for less than a year, and he's already making a video where he confesses to multiple felonies. What the fuck are you doing, dude?

As always, votes due by Friday at midnight, comment to vote.