Monk-e @ Sino Shop Jan 27 2012

Monk-e put on an exhibition of some of his recent works at Sino Shop this past Friday. I stopped on through to check out his latest, crack a brew, and chill with some folks. For the most part it was a pretty good show backed by some solid beats, and good company. The place was pretty packed and there was a lot going on from one end of the room to the next. People were conversing, checking out the paintings, black booking, there were ciphers popping up randomly, and in general there was a good feel to it all. 

 

But I think that's kind of how it is with Monk-e. Although I didn't think this was his best work to-date, the pieces and the show were very much in line with the type of character this gent is. In general, his spiritualism and thirst for a higher consciousness tend to be prevailing themes in his work. As are culture, sexuality, enlightenment, visions of the inner mind, of things that should or could be, and the need to see the world in a different way. I would even go so far as to argue that a primary message in his work is not only to see the world in a better, more inclusive and positive way, but to construct the world in those better, more inclusive and positive ways that we imagine in our minds. In any case, I think the work he had up at the show was very true to the kind of person he is, or at the very least, aspires to be. Anyone who is a fan of his work in general will most certainly enjoy the series he has up at Sino Shop this month.

 

There were portfolio binders showcasing his other works, both legal and not, that many were avidly checking out though out the evening. The shelves just below the left wall had a constant stream of folks pouring over them. Monk-e was a great host too, you could catch him kicking up random ciphers with groups of folks through out the shop and I even got me a couple on film too. The sound quality wan;t the best as I don't have an external mic (mental note) but I'm sure there are some vids of it all out there and yet to be published as there were a few videographers covering the floor as well.

Monk-e is part of a larger hip hop collective of writers and artists call ed K6A. He's been performing and doing music for years. I remember seeing him perform in Lachine years ago when I first got into all this so it's great to see him reaching for higher successes with the crew still to-date.  K6A recently dropped a new album and got a lot of stuff going on. If you haven't checked their new video "Protège Ta Nuque" that's a solid ode to the original Wu-Tang's Protek Ya Neck from '93 then check it out here. It's a pretty awesome and well choreographed video that you can tell a lot of work went into. If you want to get a copy of that album, old albums, other goodies or if you just want to keep up with what's up with K6A then check out their website here or their facebook page here.

I genuinely enjoy this guy's work and the show as I have been following him for the better part of the last nine years on the street and the gallery. Do yourself a favor and check it out if you're around Sino Shop and maybe you'll find something that reaches out to you. You can check shop hours here at the Sino shop website or for more details if you are interested in purchasing.

More to come soon. Stay posted.

Rooftop Edition: Vol 2

I got the chance to flick a few more rooftops at the beginning of the month. I wanted to lock down a couple of spots along St Caths, particularly above Sex Cite and Super Sex. I was able to get up above Super Sex, but the rooftop above Sex Cite required a little more foot work and the shitty boots, wind, and ice didn't make for the best combination for a rooftop escapade. In any case I think I got me some pretty solid shots of the area. The last time I went up was easily a few years ago so it was nice to get re-aquainted with that upper part of the city.

Again, these are shots only from a few select locations in and around St Caths and St Laurent. I know there are plenty of spots out there, and believe me, I'll get to them in time. And when I do I will most definitely be posting them up here. I tossed in a couple from TA too, for the RIPs to Mitch and Dylan. And some of these aren't really rooftops, but they are close enough, high up at the top of stairwells and such. Regardless, if it's high up there, it's gonna get represented.

Lots of nice stuff up there too, some of it going back easily a few years. There were some shots I wasn't able to fit into the last rooftop post so I threw them into the mix here  which is why some of these shots look from a few months back. These are some great spots with cool views of the city and streets too. Here are the rest of my most recent rooftop shots.

I got some juicy stuff from the streets and some goodies from the vault to let out so stay posted. I also attended the Monk-e exhibit at Sino Shop on Friday night so I'll be posting on that shortly.