The Runaway

A Brief Word

Bubbling beneath the surface of Canada's hip-hop scene is a passionate young man who desires to take the spirit and soul of hip-hop's glory days and inject it with a modern sound in hopes of winning folks back to the art form. Known as The Runaway, this artist has used his years of development in the music industry to craft A Brief Word, a hotly anticipated debut sure to touch hearts and minds.

The beauty of The Runaway's story is in his evolution. Doubling as an emcee and spoken word artist, his love affair with music began in the womb, then became a compulsive force in the years after his birth. An gifted and informed writer, he went on to contribute to a number of websites and magazines, including Echo and FEED. A long-time promoter of positive hip-hop, Runaway took the torch at Wilfrid Laurier University and crafted the popular radio show The House Party, which garnered online listeners in Canada, the United States and Japan. With a fervent desire to contribute to the art form, The Runaway began Hip-Hop Helps, a charity project designed to raise awareness of local social justice issues. Through all this he has been able to rub shoulders with some big names. Shad K, Manafest, ILL Seer, Braille of Lightheaded, and The Listener of Deepspace5 have all allowed him to share their stages.

With A Brief Word, The Runaway steps into the spotlight, crafting intelligent and uplifting songs that provoke deep thought and give the audience the solid food they need. Runaway contributes both verses and beats to the disc, but is the first to admit the importance of community in bringing the project to fruition. Relic, Tony Stone Theory Hazit and N.I.F.T.Y. all provide production help, while Shad K, Sivion, Titus, N.I.F.T.Y. and ILL Seer each make guest appearances as emcees. The result is a delicious combination of engaging beats and hard-hitting, poignant lyrics that are sure to garner attention.

Indeed, a debut this fresh hasn't come along in a while, and A Brief Word is "fresh" in every sense of the word—not just in terms of sound and overall quality, but also in philosophy. Like many respected emcees before him, The Runaway sees the current state of hip-hop and knows the art form is not what it once was—and certainly not what it could be. "People have given up on hip-hop for its discouraging messages," he says, "but there was a golden age of hip-hop, that a lot of hip-hop fans sorely miss. That time contained a spirit that was about elevating the community, spiritual health and a commitment to social justice. I believe that this spirit can still be represented in our commercial age. It won't sound the same as it used to, but the spirit will be there!"

With A Brief Word, Runaway seeks to begin the journey back. Grab the album on May 1 and make sure you're along for the ride.

Album drops May 1, 2007.

Visit myspace.com/runawayjc for more info.