Rellik

Local hip hop artist Bill LeBlanc, A.K.A Rellik is giving back to the Stollery Children's Hospital after it helped save his son more than a decade ago. He will be performing at this weekend's fundraiser "Hip Hop for kidz." - CBC Radio

Local hip hop artist Bill LeBlanc, A.K.A Rellik is giving back to the Stollery Children's Hospital after it helped save his son more than a decade ago. He will be performing at this weekend's fundraiser "Hip Hop for kidz." - CBC Radio

As one-half of Edmonton hip-hop duo Brothers Grim, Stephen “Komrade” Goyette knows all about harnessing the simple power of words to create devastating verses that exhilarate audiences.

But away from the spotlight of the stage and removed from Komrade’s toughened persona, Goyette is a compassionate soul who knows first-hand the impact that even a teddy bear can have on a child during this time of year.

Both sides of Goyette will be on display when Brothers Grim present Hip-Hop On The Ave 5, a free all-ages hip-hop concert that supports Santas Anonymous, on Thursday (Dec. 27) at the Avenue Theatre (9030 118 Ave.) from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m.

The fifth edition of the annual show features over two dozen local hip-hop artists, including Rellik, Red 3, The Overachievers, and Doomsquad, and will be hosted by local comedian Drew Behm.

“I think this year’s show really just shows that we have a lasting legacy,” says Goyette. “It’s been ups and downs ... so I’m just showing people that we’re here to stay, it’s not just a fad to get a little bit of press. It’s something that I truly believe in, a charity that I really believe in, and (showing) that in year 5, we’re here bigger than ever.”

The story of Hip Hop on the Ave is actually Goyette’s inspiring, heartening tale of an underprivileged kid who grew up to give back.

As a child in Beverley, Goyette would be visited each year by Santas Anonymous volunteers bearing gifts.

The acts of kindness by complete strangers resonated with Goyette, just as the lyrics of hip-hop artists like Cypress Hill captured his imagination, and by the time he was in junior high, Goyette was volunteering with Santas Anonymous delivering presents.

He was also honing his craft as a rap emcee, and was barely into adulthood when he and younger brother Patrick “Pat Grim” Goyette released Brothers Grim’s fittingly titled debut album, Don’t Judge A Book By Its Cover, in 2008.

That same year, the first Hip Hop On The Ave was held on Dec. 27 to coincide with Goyette’s 20th birthday. It has since evolved from party to fundraiser (“My idea of a birthday is to rally my family and friends around a good cause,” Goyette explains), first supporting Edmonton’s Food Bank in its second year and Santa’s Anonymous since, becoming the first big event in the charity's fundraising cycle.

“(Santa’s Anonymous) really impacted me ... thousands upon thousands of volunteers come together to deliver presents, and it’s just such a pure cause,” says Goyette. “There’s no debate around whether a child deserves a toy for Christmas ... It’s something that’s close to my heart and it’s a charity that everybody can support.”

The Brothers keep making records – their collective discography now includes three full-length albums along with multiple solo recordings – and Goyette want to break one at Hip Hop on the Ave, by surpassing the event-best 300 toys that were collected at Hip Hop on the Ave 4.

“Come on out, bring a toy – bring more than one if you like – and enjoy a day of hip-hop culture giving back to the community,” Goyette says.

Admission is free with the donation of a new, unused toy for Santas Anonymous. Log on to bit.ly/HHOTA5Event for details.
- Edmonton Examiner

Features on Breakfast television to promote Relliks WCMA nomination and Breakout west appearance - Citytv Edmonton

some local rappers used their musical talents with hopes of bringing home some missing children. a fundraiser was held at a north Edmonton bar last night for the GINA foundation for missing persons. The fundraiser pairs up musicians with a missing child to help raise awareness for their case. This rapper was given Tania Murrell who went missing in 1983. "When the GINA Foundation assigned this for me, I thought this was great and I was honored to try and bring some type of justice to the family and "Bring one home" like they say, and at least create some awareness for other missing persons". You can learn more about the GINA foundation by logging onto our website and clicking on newslinks. DEC 9th Top stories at Noon - CTV Edmonton

http://www.nistamgz.com/pdf/doublecover.pdf - Nista Magazine

PDF version available upon request

The Moonlight Hotel in Bon Accord may not be the first place that springs to mind as the venue for a hip hop show, but that suits Bill LeBlanc just fine.
LeBlanc — better known by his stage name, Rellik — is a veteran of the Edmonton hop hip scene, and will be taking his show to Bon Accord on Friday, April 30, where he said they have been nothing but accommodating.
“I wanted to hit that whole area and start promoting in small-town Alberta, and Bon Accord was one [because of] the infamous Ducky’s Bar that used to be down there for years,” he said. “I had contacted somebody there, and they were very interested in it right off the bat and had a fairly young crowd that frequented there on the weekends.”
In fact, he said, the hip hop scene across the Capital Region is booming, especially over the past five years. - Saint City News

PDF available upon request
“The overall theme was just to drop a solid album that general hip-hop listeners will get into. I needed to do this for myself, and not give people what they necessarily want to hear, but what I’m about — my story, my life and hardships that I’ve had to get past,” he says. “It’s basically a grown man making grown-up hip-hop, and it’s key for me that I’m happy with every single song — it needs to please me first, and hopefully the audience and the industry will follow.”
The hopes of expanding his audience with Mighty Mouth aren’t unreasonable. With so many years under his belt, Rellik has evolved into one of the city’s most in-demand hip-hop producers. He’s stressed the borders of his local fan base, yet there are areas in the country that still haven’t been exposed to his music — or any music from Edmonton, for that matter. - SEE Magazine