Wordburglar

Almost three years ago, Wordburglar told me about what he considers “rapplicable skills“:

It’s rhyming, it’s understanding beats, it’s rhythm, it’s timing, it’s being able to just rap in different environments, gigging, staying at it. Developing tenacity…

His previous album showcased all of these skills and more. Rapplicable Skills showed off skilled wordsmith-ery, all while paying tribute to old-school hip-hop. It was, as always, a community effort. Rhyme Your Business is a nice continuation of what makes Wordburglar so insanely fun to listen to (true story: a friend of mine, an inspiring rapper, told me Wordburglar is so good that it almost made him quit rapping altogether).

If Rapplicable Skills was about learning, Rhyme Your Business is about Wordburglar in his element. He invents several words in song titles: “Versonality” and “Verbserker.” He devotes an entire song to explaining the process of and looking nostalgically at renting videos. He and Esoteric have an entire rap about Damage Control, the Marvel Comics group that cleans up after superheroics; he and Mega Ran rap about modifying video games. If you’ve ever been a fan of Wordburglar, these topics won’t come as a surprise to you, but what will is how many eye-opening lines he can fit in one song.

Perhaps no song is a better indicator of this talent than “Mic Heckla,” a hilarious three-and-a-half-minute track that manages to use almost every single rapper (and others) as put-downs, from “Ice Cuba Gooding Jr,., a bad actor” to “Hamburger Bun B.” In the introductory track “Versonality,” he puts forth the most brilliant punchline: “Like Michelle Wolf, I got mad correspondence.” Think about that one for a second.

If you’re generally obsessed with retro stuff (Wordburglar uses the term “retronaut”), you’ll really enjoy the aforementioned “Rental Patient,” which shouts out a number of mostly defunct video stores across Canada; or the fun you can have playing video games the way you want on “Input Blitz.”

When he’s not rapping about something nerdy, his more general songs are a good indication of his ethos. On “Make Fun Not Bore,” he makes fun of his own style and youthful look while also saying that being angry on rap songs is not his style. The self-conscious posse cut “The 2nd Last Song” (with verses from Chokeules, Jesse Dangerously, More Or Les, Savilion, Timbuktu and Touch) muses on putting the best song second-last on an album. Naturally, it is the second-last song on the album.

I don’t want to give away too many of the great lines on this album, so just go check it out already!

Top Tracks: “Mic Heckla”; “Verbserker”; “Input Blitz”

Rating: Proud Hoot (Really Good) +*swoop*

Related
Review - "Rapplicable Skills" - Wordburglar

Michael Thomas
Michael Thomas is the founder of Grayowl Point and a Canadian music fan currently living in South Korea. - Gray Owl Point

Nerd music is a mélange of bands and musicians working in different genres but united around their love for nerd culture, including everything from Star Wars and Dungeons and Dragons to My Little Pony.

“I wanted to put on an event to show off the cool bands I knew that people might not have heard of,” Hatton says by phone from the soundcheck for a Cineplex World Gaming tournament he’s hosting.

The first Nerd Noise Night was at the Rivoli, featured hip-hop artists, including Wordburglar (who also plays on Saturday) and was billed as an unofficial Fan Expo after-party. Hatton wanted to catch some of the people who had come to town for the conference, so he brought tickets to the event and sold them within an hour.

Since then, Nerd Noise Night has established a loyal audience of local fans, as well as enthusiasm from those attending Fan Expo, Toronto ComiCon and other nerd events the shows are scheduled around. (This edition falls smack dab in the middle of ComiCon.) It almost always sells out. It’s popular because it’s fun, and its subcultural origins create a unique vibe.

“At a lot of shows in Toronto, you get a crowd that’s not animated or lively, but thankfully that doesn’t happen at Nerd Noise Night,” says Hatton. The “fandom crowd is not afraid to show when they love something. People get super-into it.”

Like fandom itself, the series is more inclusive and open than you might think.

“It’s no longer a white nerdy guy thing to like science fiction and comic books,” Hatton says. “I see that reflected in the Nerd Noise Night crowd. It’s very welcoming and accepting.”

As part of an ongoing effort to introduce new bands at Nerd Noise Night, Hatton recently put out a call for suggestions for bands fronted by women, those who identify as women, transgender performers and people of colour to boost diversity further.

Nerd Noise Night, like nerd culture, encompasses many genres, so robots like the Cybertronic Spree regularly share stages with hip-hop artists like Wordburglar, aka Sean Jordan, a comic book creator, actor and comedian who’s been rapping about comic books, orcs, video games and sandwiches since he was a kid. He plans to release his sixth album, Rhyme Your Business, in the summer and tour in fall.

“I’ve always rapped about what I love,” Jordan says. “Being nerdy about comic books is the exact same thing as being nerdy about records. It’s really just about being an enthusiast and really committed to immersing yourself in things you love.”

Jordan says playing Nerd Noise Night is a chance to share. “There’s a real sense of community,” he says. “Every Nerd Noise Night is filled with the positive energy of nerdy people who just want to have a good time.”

That fits the mission of the Cybertronic Spree, too. “We’re a party band, and we have a message about the power of rock,” Arcee says.

Without hesitation Hotrod adds, “May the power of rock unite us all.” - NOW Magazine

Gritty instrumentals and zany lyrics don't need to be mutually exclusive in hip-hop. That fact is proven by Haligonian rapper Wordburglar, whose latest album sounds hard and will leave you laughing even harder. The quirky MC has dubbed his eighth studio LP Rapplicable Skills, and has stuffed every moment of it with ludicrously hilarious lyricism. But all that silliness doesn't detract from the release's fine craftsmanship; Wordburglar delivers those foolish lines in triple- and quadruple-entendres over a backdrop of splintered, RZA-style beats.

Case in point: the gloriously titled "Je Ne Care Pas," on which Wordburglar spits complexly structured goofiness. Fans will also enjoy hearing Wordburglar hit peak geek on "Narc Hi-Score (In Nintendo Power)," which features an instrumental laced with that classic gaming console's primitive blips. The MC shows equal enthusiasm for sports history on "Bill Mosienko (21 Seconds)," a song named after the legendary Chicago Blackhawks right-winger, which may very well be hip-hop's first ode to hockey.

Wordburglar's longtime hometown followers will be elated to hear the local references on "Channel Halifax," and "The Other Shop," which features the perfectly apt line: "Women didn't go there, everything smelled like donair." Rapplicable Skills will leave you giggling as you nod along to the catchy beats. Hip-hop would do well to have more fun-loving, finely crafted albums like this. - Exclaim! Magazine

EXPERIENCE THE WORDBURGLAR'S G.I. FLOW

Canadian rapper SJ the Wordburglar is known for his skillful wordplay, a penchant for rapid-fire similes and an almost encyclopedic knowledge of comic book canon, but if you've ever spent any time interacting with Burg you likely know that his love for the G.I Joe property nearly rivals his steadfast dedication to true-school hip-hop, at least with regard to pure intensity. Last year's 3rdburglar saw the artist combine these twin passions in stand-out track "Fred Broca," and earlier this week he released a free (triple!) single as a lead-in for his upcoming Joe-inspired full-length Welcome to Cobra Island.

Deeply rooted in the fiction of the Larry Hama-era Marvel Comics series – not to mention its more contemporary incarnations from Devil's Due and IDW Publishing – Welcome to Cobra Island delves deeply into a more nuanced narrative of the continuing battle between the titular paramilitary group and its terrorist foil that many who only watched the G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero cartoon may have missed. "A Letter from Snake Eyes" parts one and two linger over the engaging but sometimes convoluted back-story of the Joes' silent martial arts master, while "Rap-Viper" sees Wordburglar insert himself into Cobra's highly specialized Viper squadron.

The team at Hand'Solo Records assures me that the full album "features fully poseable, swivel arm, kung-fu battle grip and is suitable for ages 5 and up." So, while you anxiously await its May 30th release, check out the embed below before heading over to Bandcamp to download your free copy of this fantastic teaser. - Wired.com

BY ERIC GOLDMAN Canadian rapper Wordburglar delivered a love letter to G.I. Joe last year in the form of an entire album about the Joes and Cobras, entitled Welcome to Cobra Island. Earlier this month, Wordburglar also released a video for one of the songs on the album, "Rap-Viper."

If you're a G.I. Joe fan, there's a lot to love here, from the CGI versions of classic Cobra vehicles like the H.I.S.S. Tanks and Rattler planes to the image of Cobra Commander as a DJ. But the lyrics are what really deliver, with an incredible amount of specific Cobra references packed into the song. Wordburglar obviously knows his G.I. Joe history, incorporating Cobra elements from the cartoon (like Cold Slither) to the comic books (Doctor Venom!) along with some of the less renown Cobra characters, like Headman.

My personal favorite lyric? "Back when Big Boa taught me how to box, in-between swimming laps with Croc Master's crocs."

You can download the entire Welcome to Cobra Island album here and it's a lot of fun, with songs like "A Letter from Snake Eyes" (Parts 1, 2 and 3!), "Call Destro" and "Chuckles." - IGN.com

Gritty instrumentals and zany lyrics don't need to be mutually exclusive in hip-hop. That fact is proven by Haligonian rapper Wordburglar, whose latest album sounds hard and will leave you laughing even harder. The quirky MC has dubbed his eighth studio LP Rapplicable Skills, and has stuffed every moment of it with ludicrously hilarious lyricism. But all that silliness doesn't detract from the release's fine craftsmanship; Wordburglar delivers those foolish lines in triple- and quadruple-entendres over a backdrop of splintered, RZA-style beats.

Case in point: the gloriously titled "Je Ne Care Pas," on which Wordburglar spits complexly structured goofiness. Fans will also enjoy hearing Wordburglar hit peak geek on "Narc Hi-Score (In Nintendo Power)," which features an instrumental laced with that classic gaming console's primitive blips. The MC shows equal enthusiasm for sports history on "Bill Mosienko (21 Seconds)," a song named after the legendary Chicago Blackhawks right-winger, which may very well be hip-hop's first ode to hockey.

Wordburglar's longtime hometown followers will be elated to hear the local references on "Channel Halifax," and "The Other Shop," which features the perfectly apt line: "Women didn't go there, everything smelled like donair." Rapplicable Skills will leave you giggling as you nod along to the catchy beats. Hip-hop would do well to have more fun-loving, finely crafted albums like this. - Exclaim! Magazine

Halifax's Wordburglar states early on in his second LP that hiphop sans wordplay sucks. But even by this point that's been well established. In Wordburglar's world, self-referential punchlines connect with wit-soaked puns intersect with metaphorical double-entendres and collide head-on with left-field braggadocious non sequiturs. As with the concentration of slapstick gags in Zucker Brothers movies, not every joke works, but there are so many, something's bound to hit you (such as "I've got more lines than cokeheads playing Tetris"). That said, track after track about how clever you are can exhaust like the pipe sticking out of your car (that one's mine). So slight diversions like Let's Get Romantical or Pigeon John's cameo provide very necessary relief. Wordburglar releases Burglaritis Friday (July 21) at the Boat.

Rating: NNN

(July 20-26, 2006)
- Jason Richards (Now Magazine)

Wordburglar
Burglaritis
Hand'Solo Records

5/5

Not all the best hip hop comes from the US...

Once in a while, you come across something and you'll wonder where it's been all your life. I got that when I heard Burglaritis, the second album from the Nova Scotia native emcee Wordburglar. Hailing from a country who's hip hop scene has been growing like crazy recently (Canada for those who's geography isn't too great). With artists such as Buck 65, Cadance Weapon and Swollen Members all representing Canadian hip hop recently, Wordburglar could easily surpass their efforts with this, his first effort on Hand'Solo Records.

The main thing about this album is the fact it is so fun to listen to. The first time I listened to it, I must have looked like the crazy guy on the back of the bus who talks to himself (of course, I was just dancing to myself, but you know what I mean!). His flow is tight and he delivers enough punch line notes to satisfy you for the year. You need to listen to it over and over to catch them all!

The album kicks off with one of the catchiest tracks on the album in 'The WB' and doesn't let up for the next 19 tracks. None of which is filler. 'Breeze,' which features Quannum member Pigeon John, is a laid back track that would be perfect for chilling in the garden in the summer with a beer. 'Eight Rappers & The Mason' is a feature heavy club banger and 'Lets Get Romantical' is the nearest thing to a ballad you're gonna get on this album!

This album is pretty much all you could possibly want from a hip hop album. It's fun, the beats make you wanna constantly move and the lyrics are funny without being too in your face. Why are you still reading this, go and listen to the damn album!


PauLo - Paulo (Daily Dischord)

Wordburglar - Burlgaritis
I'm not really sure when Nova Scotia began growing as a hub for independent hip hop, but it's clearly happening. If we needed more proof, here it is: A slickly twisted barrage of obscure words and dope beats that are tough to make a blanket classification on, which might be why it's so damn intriguing. The hooks are there, but it's the verses where these songs step out and shine. Tying together strings of syllables with more focus on witticism than narrative cohesion, the vocabulary is deep enough to warrant multiple listens. Thankfully, though, this is far from novelty rap, as the beats are sample heavy and there's records being cut up left and right. Adding to these elements that may serve to legitimize the music (some folks are such purists!), this cat can really work the mic, switching up his style countless times to mirror the music. While people may try and pigeonhole this as a "nerdcore" album, that may be selling it short. What we have is here is straight up enjoyable hip hop, and I don't think there's anything wrong with feeling the flow and leaving it at that.
- CD Baby

WORDBURGALAR
Burglaritis
([Hand Solo])

Combining the goofball humor of Check Your Head-era Beastie Boys with the lyrical contortionism of 2Mex, Nova Scotia’s Wordburglar uses Burglaritis to orchestrate a musical beat-scape bubbling over with pop culture detritus, tongue-in-cheek self-deprecation and dictionary-mangling couplets. Despite the lack of melanin, WB’s clever rhyme constructions, DYI ethos and good-natured sense of humor should thwart any Eminem comparisons and establish him as a self-made word-smith capable of stealing (or burgling?) the show.

Grade: B+

(December 2006) - Roberto C Hernandez (Mean Street Magazine)

WORD BURGULAR
'Burglaritis'
(Backburner Recordings)
www.wordburglar.com

Is this Canada's answer to Eminem? On the real it's that cheeky punch-line Hip-Hop that Marshall made so famous. It's kind of like it's already been done and done well but in all fairness Word Burglar does it hold it up. Personally for me the best moment has to be the posse cut 'Eight Rappers & The Mason' which sees Word Burglar really drop with Jesse Dangerously, Mr. Bix, Jay Bizzy, Ghettosocks, Cal, Ginzu 333 and Jorun Bombay. Other rappers that feature include More Or Less, Selfhelp, Thesis Sahib and Pigeon John and the production by SJ The Word Burglar and Beatmason is tasty too.
- Tricksta (Rago)

WORDBURGLAR - BURGLARITIS
With clever snappy punchlines Canadian MC Wordburglar is looking to stamp his mark on your concsiousness with his second full-length release. Metaphors abound across the 20 tracks as Wordburglar brings his smile-raising skills to the fore following good receptions on the live circuit as he is backed by production from the likes of Beatmason, Uncle Fes, Fresh Kils, Jorun Bombay and Ghettosocks. Meanwhile the guests enlisted by the Wordburglar are strictly underground including LA Symphony and Quannum Projects' Pigeon John. While not every track hits wuith full impact, at his best Wordburglar delivers a comic-book style with his tongue wedged firmly in his cheek and recalls the light-hearted raps of the Fresh Prince with the off-the-wall appeal of the Beastie Boys. 'Burglaritis' sees Wordburglar having developed his skills without selling out from his punchline led flow and looks set to see an increase in his following among rhyme focussed below-the-surface denizens. - DJ Slim

...My pick of the month for an album to track down would be from Wordburglar. This Canadian fella has released Burglaritis on Hand Solo label. It’s one of the funniest and cleverest things I’ve heard all year. Not available locally, but check his MySpace page if you doubt me. The metaphors and similes will keep a smile on your dial...

- Blaze (Mental Combat issue 821)

Wordburglar
Burglaritis

It would be really nice if this cat starts to get some of the attention he deserves with this new release because Wordburglar has such a comically gifted flow that needs to be heard. This Nova Scotia poet’s lyrics are like Lord Finesse with ten times more “I’m this like that” analogies, and the way he tapes them together are really quite remarkable as Burgy gives numerous Toronto name drops from Osgoode subway station to Kelly Gruber’s triple plays. Even when it comes to the corny “Let’s Get Romantical” he somehow manages to work enough cleverness into his sex rhymes that you run along with it rather than roll your eyes. Added to the formula is the incredible production of Beatmason who is becoming one of the nicest beat makers in Canada right now as he delivers the goods on the majority of Burglaritis. This is nice because the album tends to sink a little when we don’t have the Wordburglar/Beatmason combination providing the vocal and musical highlights. Burglaritis clocks in at a somewhat hefty 70 minutes and there is definitely enough filler that could have easily been shed off to make it a tighter release, but the good moments definitely shine bright and one listen should have you locked onto Wordburglar’s highly entertaining flow. - Noel Dix (Exclaim)

INTERVIEW: WORDBURGLAR STRIVES FOR MR. T-LIKE INFAMY

Walking up Toronto's hectic Spadina Avenue with a cellphone to his ear, SJ The Wordburglar (sadly, not his birth name) sounds like a Titanic passenger making his final call as the band proudly play and the rich folk lose their collective shit.

"There's a crazy guy with a recorder," Wordburglar hollers over the sound of said crazy guy's recorder. "There's also some woman yelling and holding fruits. It's out of control!"

The Halifax native has undoubtedly become accustomed to such bustling scenes since moving to Toronto four years ago.

"A lot of my friends were going to Korea to teach English as a second language. I moved here," says Wordburglar, apparently under the impression that Toronto and Korea are comparable locations.

Despite the area code change, the MC still has a warm, gooey spot in his left ventricle for his first hometown. "By the time I hit grade eight or nine, I really got into the Halifax hip-hop scene," he remembers.

"I loved guys like Hip Club Groove and DJ Moves. And I got really into the vibe, which was guys trying really hard to make good music that was original. Buck 65 did a song about KISS. There's a guy rapping about the rock band KISS! That's never happened before."

Following in this tradition of artistic originality, Wordburglar's second LP, Burglaritis, is a uniquely wordy, nerdy and funny listen. "I've always had a strong sense of humour, so that's what I do," he says.

"I love comic books, so I rap about that. I love girls, so I rap about that. Rap what you know, not what you think people want to hear."

Unfortunately, a lot of Canadian MCs position themselves as generic American gangstas in an attempt to make cash, which Wordburglar believes is a largely unattainable goal.

"There just aren't enough people in Canada to generate the millions of dollars rappers make in the States, so unless you can get a big hit down there — be a Celine Dion of rap — there's not going to be that much money."

No money, mo' problems, as they say. Painfully aware that "burgling words isn't that lucrative," our hero spends his days working in a Toronto comic shop. He also performs with sketch comedy troupes in both Toronto and Halifax, and has even written and illustrated his own comic book. Snakor Pizza's Super Special Special is about the former supreme ruler of an evil snake society who now works at a pizza joint.

But with the release of Burglaritis, music might be Wordburglar's main focus for a while. He's planning a Canadian tour and has begun work on a "zero budget video" for the song "The WB." His only hope is that the finished product will be half as good as his all-time favourite video, "Mr. T's Commandments," by the commanding Mr. T.

"I did an interview for MuchMusic recently, and I asked for a video request and I requested that," Wordburglar enthuses. "I never saw if they played it or not.

"It's Mr. T rapping about honouring your parents, not stealing and being a good person while he's beating the shit out of all these thugs in an abandoned warehouse, throwing them through doors and smashing crates on their heads. It's amazing."

*************

REVIEW: WORDBURGLAR Burglaritis (Backburner/Hand'Solo)

Where on God's green earth did SJ The Wordburglar come from? Did MC Paul Barman and Mr. Peabody conceive a love child? On his sophomore full-length, the Halifax MC — backed by Beatmason's catchy, scratch-happy instrumentals — packs line after line with nerdy verbal gymnastics and shamelessly enjoyable wordplay. Sure, there are a few jokes that could have remained in the rapper's crossword-puzzling mind ("He does his own thing like a hermaphrodite"). But every single spin of Burglaritis reveals hilarious hidden gems like, "You said your girlfriend looked like Drew Barrymore/I met her, she looks like Drew Carey more."
- James Simons (ChartAttack.com)