"My music is full of peanut butter and milk and gluten and pollen and dander and bee stings and a lot of people are allergic to it."
The Joe was not anything for a long time. There were parts of what he would be that were going off to high school and speaking languages like French and English and eating food and voting for politicians. Before that there were parts of what he would be pioneering western Canada and sailing boats to North America. Even before that and all along there were all these different parts of what The Joe would be one day that were busy having heated conversations about things that were happening long before The Joe happened. People then were concerned with many things they are concerned with now: stars, ethics, construction, health and well-being, spirituality, financial security, and what being a man means. And then, one day like most other days, on a whim most likely, The Joe was created out of a malignant fraction of these many concerns and doings and topics of discussion blended thoughtlessly with the best sort of ignorance humans have: Sex.
Next things Next, The Joe found himself under the affectionate gaze of his Mother, Kimberly. The Joe likes the name Kimberly. The Joe's father looked like a lion or a member of Credence Clearwater Revival, a quasi-contemporary country rock band that existed twenty years before The Joe got begotted. His Father was a glass fitter and his Mother was a waitress. They made two more boys that look similar to The Joe but behave very differently and then they went their separate ways. Somewhere along the way The Joe had his circuits bent by God or a bully or a bohemian upbringing and he found himself looking for validation in some more tangible attention-earning ways. One day it occurred to The Joe that he could see this validation come to fruition in a very tangible way: record sales! He started knocking on all the doors of his thoughts and connecting the words that sounded alike. All those conversations of his macro-ancestry became inexhaustible in their utility. He could gather and weave their meandering thoughts on stars, ethics, construction, health and well-being, spirituality, financial security, and what being a man means into elaborate 'rap' songs wherein the subject of focus was rhymed incessantly in it's verbose delivery, be it a lesson, a diatribe, or a dissertation. Ever since he has been busy collecting smiles and frowns and knowing glances on the bus. He has subliminally documented all those special occasions when he has been snubbed, overlooked, praised, over praised, and sold CD's, respectively. Every firm handshake builds his heart. It has all compiled into an ambient blend of bitterness, confidence, self respect, and most importantly, priceless validation. The Joe doesn't foresee an end to this madness. He is always hungry.
What does the MAN think?
"Gurba need not worry. His legitimacy stems from the integrity and scope of his creativity. And besides, Ut Oh is really good. Gurba's appetite for mile-a-minute lyricism can leave your head spinning if you're not prepared to keep up with how smart he is, and how much weight he can pack in a rhyme, whether he's "re-thinking the 'battle rap' problem" or calling out the absurdities of a white-Canadian, middle-class upbringing. His collective creativity results in an infectious, hilarious examination of a post-Facebook existence, candidly (w)rapped in his sincerest geek-rap sensibilities. While hip hop and Old Ugly may provide a safety-in-numbers for Joe the rapper, Gurba the artist possesses all the talent and skill to go it alone."
- Mike Angus, VUE Weekly
"Combining emcee Paul Barman's esoteric wit with Aesop Rock's baroque rhyme schemes and Busdriver's vocalese flow, Gurba is easily the most technically impressive independent rapper in Alberta's small-but-growing hip hop scene this side of Cadence Weapon."
- Kyle Francis, FFWD
"Listening to him, you can hear the inspiration from a bountiful ingestion of prolific writers, art house films and indie rock. The amount of ideas compacted into each of his songs is the blood infusion that the anemic hip-hop industry desperately needs more of these days. His wisdom is palpable through rhymes saturated with enough reference material for you to gain an entire university degree via a library card. His angle is rich and unique in the genre and his fast spoken words engulf the listener."
- Melissa Bishop, Beatroute Magazine
"The Joe doesn't attack with the usual cocktail of bling, wheels and women on Ut Oh--he aims for the jugular with a mind-boggling, bookworm-driven, literate style and a wicked sense of humour, calling people out on their lack of social awareness and civic responsibility."
- Francois Marchand, Edmonton Journal
"A truly gifted lyricist with a talent that will surprise, amuse and downright move you. Forget what you thought about Alberta hip-hop -- The Joe will renew your faith in not only the art of rhyme, but in all forms of popular music."
- Chris dela Torre, CBC Radio
"Edmonton based rap artist, Joe Gurba, a.k.a The Joe has paid his dues tirelessly promoting gigs, producing tracks and performing along the way with his unique style that maintains an authentic tone and timbre - an increasingly difficult task outside the ghettos of NYC or LA.
A true performer at heart, he takes his method seriously enough to spit smart and yet create an ambiance of fun around his live shows and recordings. Not afraid to rip apart the cliches of his genre, he seamlessly blends prankster and gangster without ever losing his charm. A venerable enigma, The Joe is a lyrical machine finely tuned to seduce you with his slick spiritual stanzas, just before blind siding you with a cheap shot to your ego.
Look for this sophomore MC to have a break out year in 2009 with his forthcoming release, 'Uh Oh'."
- Jordan Schroder, Jam Union Creator: Podcast, Events, and Promotions
"The Joe is of the more intellectual variety, although not to be mistaken for pretentiousness... The lyrics showcase a passion for the English language, something Joe carries with him above all else."
- Edmonton SUN
"...garnering an audience in a scene that swoons for synth, he released two albums and won a Covenant Award..."
- VUE Weekly
"...the biggest misconception you can make about the hip-hop scene in Edmonton is that a rapper should be anything like what you would expect. The Joe is living proof of that rule."
- HYPE Magazine
"He's a real poet. He knows what words are for."
- Alice Major, Edmonton's First Poet Laureate
i use my top 12 friends as a playlist for what my myspace
mixed cd would sound like. its updated monthly, and i have put one of
your ace tunes on this months 'cd' (track listing in blog).
come swing by and check it out if you got a minute, great tunes -- i think you'll enjoy.
tak,
dress up like a hooker, i'll be charlie sheen
Plex phones in and talks about his win at the North American Indigenous Image Awards. We announce a show taking place on National Aboriginal Day in Edmonton. New music from Famous, D-Sisive and hiphopcanada.com
playlist for this show:
Classified - Inspiration Famous ft Mayhem Morearty & Blake Carrington - A Kid Tryna Make It D-Sisive - Wonderful World
Team Rezofficial - Lonely JonC ft Azmatik - Northside Swag Joey Stylez - Livin Proof Manik - Commercial Drive
Infored ft Nysa & Antony- Lift Ya Fst Wab Kinew ft Tinsel Korey - Last Word ***Plex Interview*** Plex ft Rellik and Touch - Spare Change
K'Naan ft Damien Marley - I Come Prepared Bad News Brown - Long Days, Long Nights Self Help - Dead Cities
Supaman ft Sabotage - Deadly Pens Red Cloud - Ridiculous Junk
this show is dedicated to Muriel Frances Crowfoot aka Grandma Crowfoot (Nov'33 - Apr'09)
......