Tasha the Amazon, of our very own, dear Toronto. Tasha is one of those female MCs (WHO ARE LEGION) who needs more attention, wayyyyyyyyy more attention. She is just so fucking awesome. I know it was 1 am on a Thursday and Torontonians are fairly notorious for their aversion to week night, late night jams but that bar should have been packed. Regardless, despite the sparse attendance, she got the crowd turned up and moving. She bodysurfed, performed standing on a chair and on the VIP area rail and jumped into the crowd. For a couple songs, her fellow TO rapper, Cola of Wifetaker joined her on stage (the two performed the seriously great Scallywags) and the crowd was worked into a near frenzy. Tasha was interviewed in NOW magazine as part of their CMW artists-to-check-out where she described herself as a "party conductor". A title that I love and roundly endorse, although as I watched her amp the crowd I felt like I was at a bootcamp exercise being led by the most energetic, charismatic drill sergeant. Even if I hadn't wanted to put my hands up and dance (of which there is no question that I did) I would have been compelled to by Tasha's take-no-prisoners urging.
What I really liked about her, aside from the fantastic beats and seriously dope rhymes, is how she connects and pays tributes to her fans. Several times during her set, Tasha would alert the crowd that "if you know anything about me you know (this next song/this artist/that... ect)" before launching into her next song. It had the effect of establishing her as both being deserving of fandom and of recognizing her responsibility to her fans – they follow and adore her, she gives them what they want. The acknowledgement of that symbiotic relationship is so refreshing because it gives her the opportunity to take credit for her role as an artist. Too often musicians (and other creative types) are encouraged to stay humble to the point where you'd think it's their fans who do all their work. But Tasha knows she's amazing, she knows that you know she's amazing and she thinks you're amazing for supporting her music. Really excited to see more of her.I do wish that Wrongbar turned up the damn bass, though. Tasha's music should reverberate in your bones.
Photo from CMW.net
Alex Snider sells books and writes and gets into low-stakes hijinks in Toronto. Follow her on Twitter where she'll be super active for a week then be quiet for months – she's a social media cicada.
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