Sudbury gets a taste of 'politically charged' hip-hop

Hip-hop took on an unconventional purpose at Rhymes of Resistance.

Max Merrifield, better known on stage as Silvertongue, brought two southern Ontario hip-hoppers to Sudbury to discuss the upcoming G8 and G20 summits.

Testament and illogik, known as Test their Logik when they are together, facilitated a discussion before performing at Myths and Mirrors on Frood Road on June 9.

“These guys have been pretty active in the whole activist community,” Merrifield said.

He said shedding light on what is expected to happen at the G8 and G20 summits is vital.

“I think our voice has to be heard there,” he said.

At Rhymes of Resistance, Merrifield learned he and his partner The Troubleman would be performing at the G20 summit.

Merrifield said there were a range of people at the workshop, from different perspectives and knowledge backgrounds.

“Some people did not know what the G20 was and learned a lot, while there were also very active organizers present, which made for a quality discussion.”

After the workshop led by Test their Logik,  Merrifield and The Troubleman performed.

Merrifield and The Troubleman are part of “The Subterraneans,” a group of Sudbury hip-hop performers dedicated to elevating the genre. 

“We deal with positive things, positive messages,” he said. “We try to make our music very (easy to relate to).”

Rhymes of Resistance was an all-ages show.