Annakin Slayd

Annakin Slayd's first LP, Stalwart Empire is a groundbreaking and visionary work of progressive rap music. Unlike any hip hop album ever released, the fifteen track epic explores imagery based on the works of Spaghetti Western director Sergio Leone and bridges the gap between numerous genres by calling on the spirits of Pink Floyd, Johnny Cash, Donny Hathaway, Izaac Pearlman, Public Enemy and Gil Scott Heron. With guest appearances from Wu-Tang's Killah Priest, Montreal rock duo the Damn Truth, folkster Nir Bloo, British MC the Twin Lizard and Montreal rappers Eye 2 Eye, the album has already been showcased by the National Film Board for their Citizen Shift project citing the song 'Wigger' as a work promoting social change. With a flurry of gut wrenching, head turning bangers such as 'Afraid', 'Lies' and 'This Piece That Peace', the recognition and acclaim for Stalwart Empire are bound to be a plenty.

In Hip Hop these days, imitation is found more often than inspiraton. Enter Annakin Slayd, armed with witty and provocative lyrics, pulse pounding beats, hair raising melodies and a ferocious live band that help make him one of the most unique voices in modern music.

Annakin was inspired at a young age by many genres, including Soul/R&B, Heavy Metal and Hip Hop. He has artists such as Stevie Wonder, Suicidal Tendencies and Nas to thank for the fusion of lyrical aggression, unbelievably catchy hooks and heavy musicianship that created his distinctive style, not unlike a merging of Linkin Park & K-Os. Even though he has only been making music since 2003, Annakin has been in the entertainment business since the age of 20. Trained as an actor and playwright, he started his own theatre company called Untimely Ripped Entertainment (He is now a screenwriter as well, with his first pilot now being developed for CTV). He soon found himself living poor in Brooklyn, New York doing Off-Off-Broadway theatre. It was in Jamaica, Queens where he was so desperate for work that he auditioned for an upstart label called Full Blaze Records. With only the experience of rapping for kicks with friends back home, Anni nevertheless auditioned and Full Blaze signed him. However, the company failed to flourish and Anni came back to Montreal to start rocking shows with some of the city's best including Offsides, Butta Babees, D-Shade and ICM. That was when releasing his first single became the next logical step.

The controversial American Bitch was a comedic romp with heavy political undertones that stirred up buzz across the country. Then, Warning Tracks: The Annakin Slayd Mix CD, thick with biting satire (Bell Mobility Ballad) and assaults on issues in the news (Red Light District of Columbia) became an overnight street success that shook up Montreal Hip Hop.

Not to omit his seven piece band Blue Collar Hubris, Slayd fuses rap, funk and rock, involving keys, strings and female vocals making them the Arcade Fire of Hip Hop. They have played high profile Montreal venues such as Metropolis, Cafe Campus, Bourbon Street West and Le Swimming.


Websites
www.annakinslayd.ca
www.myspace.com/annakinslayd

Discography
2004 - The Truth Is God EP (EP)
2005 - American Bitch (Single)
2005 - Warning Tracks: The Annakin Slayd Mix CD
2007 - Stalwart Empire (LP)