On Oct. 26, Studio 710 opened its doors to host an open house that showcased the newly upgraded multimedia production space after months of diligent planning and hard work.
But not only did Studio 710 host a bevy of cannabis movers and shakers, it provided a space for some of the finest hip hop artists in the area for an open mic slash cypher sesh.
As Studio 710 Co-Founder Craig Ex said:
“We had a great opportunity to showcase some of Vancouver’s finest talent in action while exhibiting Studio 710’s improved production capabilities.
It was a win-win.”
Getting lit with Vancouver’s Home Grown talent at Studio 710
The funny thing about Vancouver’s music scene is that the city has tons of talent, in practically every genre you can imagine, but you have to know where to look. The open mic cypher was a great chance to bring together heavyweights in Vancouver’s hiphop scene.
As Craig said:
“All the artists that came out are based here. It was great to offer them an opportunity to not only share their talent, but to experience Studio 710 and meet some people in the cannabis industry.”
That’s for sure, as I’m sure you know, cannabis and music are a perfect pair. Like Snoop Dogg and Snoop’s Dream.
The jam featured Vancity rhymers like Creed Taylor, who helped organize the event. It was important to him because, as he said:
“Cyphers are something that have always been a part of hiphop culture. They can happen on a much smaller technical platform, but since we had so many resources available at Studio 710, we created a cultural event for artists to showcase their skills.”
With all the witty one-liners and cool flows, you could tell that everybody was really enjoying themselves. As Craig said, “It was a great vibe. It was awesome to see the turnout and the energy was amazing.”
And that’s not to mention the amount of cannabis consumed. When asked about it, Creed said, “Quite a bit, being a cannabis-centric recording facility and all.”
Freestyles and weed piles
Channeling the free flow vibes, the cypher was focused on freestyles and you could feel the chilled out verbal vibrations as DJs Marleau and Mr. Stee spun a collection of nostalgia-tinged cuts.
There were copious amounts of cannabis. It wouldn’t be the canna life without it, after all!
Creed spit some crazy bars in the cypher, and had this to say about his process:
“It was a combination of lyrics that I already have in my lyrical rolodex, as well as some things that are fully improvised on the spot. A lot of artists chose to do full freestyles and I think the video showcases a lot of the difference between artists performing written verses and artists doing improvised freeflow.
It was a mix of classic instrumentals and original production from Vancouver.”
He went on to say:
“In the video you can see that it’s not always a success for everybody. Some people rise to the occasion and others have their challenges, but it takes a lot of courage to perform and do that on the microphone, live, on camera.
“We’re hoping to make this a monthly kind of thing,” said Craig. “We have the ability to produce well put together videos, and so this was a great chance to explore all of the collaborative opportunities within the community.
Join in at Studio 710!
The easiest way to get involved is to hit up @itsstudio710 on Instagram or email info@studio710.ca and ask to be a part of the cypher session.
The people at Studio 710 will take a look and find the right mix of talent.
If you’re at all interested, reach out. As Creed said:
“It opens up a plethora of opportunities for local artists. I never had the opportunity to come to a facility like this when I first started creating music and content, and I think what Studio 710 offers is incredibly unique.”