Filthy Animals are a far cry from you’d expect to see and hear
emerging from a city surrounded on all sides by seemingly endless fields
full of crops and livestock. A city where the only signs of life found
outdoors in its winter months are snowplows, and a handful of gallant
souls brave enough to face the brutal elements of your typical Winnipeg
winter. For the citizens of "Pig City", reality here is as cold as their beer.
But like many of the inhabitants of this historical prairie city, the
Filthy Animals are far from typical….
Formed in 2009, made up of members
of the Deepcave Records Collective, the F.A’s have emerged from this
cold climate, smashing expectations and stages alike, serving up a slew
of streetwise party raps over a smorgasbord of slick production courtesy
of co-founding member P-Nutty (ex-Slangblossom/Dead Indians).
But how did the Animals get to be as Filthy as they are today? Well for one....they were born that way.
Following a successful run
releasing numerous albums and touring throughout the U.S (CIB Tour) as Dead Indians, P-Nutty and fellow deadhead, Kenny Wu, would later
join forces with fellow MC and Deep Cave Records founder, Gerry
Sawatzky aka Big Bear. Following a 2008 television interview on Shaw TV's "Signal to Noise" to promote an upcoming event,
the boys linked up with TV personality and aspiring MC Jeff "Broms"
Bromley. After inviting Broms down to Deepcave's studio, the 4 artists
decided to start recording new material under a moniker they felt best
suited their personalities, recording styles, and way of life....they
were to be known as, The Filthy Animals.
Filthy Animals style of Hip Hop is a breath of fresh air in this new
age of mainstream rap music. Prolific song writing, combined with
contagious and illustrious beat making, raw lyrics, and a high energy
stage performance have had industry people talking and true Hip Hop
heads gawking. DJ Lethal (House of Pain/La Coka Nostra), Awol One
(Shapeshifters), DJ Moves (Hip Club Groove/Drunken Arseholes) and
Parrish Smith (EPMD) are just a few the Hip Hop originators who have
directly acknowledged and labeled these four hungry MC's, a serious
force to be reckoned with.
In the first year of the groups existence alone, the super lyrical
foursome (Big Bear, Broms, P-Nutty, and recent addition Kenny Wu) have
enjoyed the honour of rocking opening spots for Swollen Members, Brother
Ali, Talib Kweli + Hi-Tek, EPMD, and Tech N9ne, toured across Western
Canada with westcoast legend Rhymesayers/Project Blowed recording artist
Abstract Rude, released a full length independent album ("Sounds of
Nature") featuring original artwork by Awol One, an independent music
video for lead off single "The Plot" featuring Winnipeg sports icon
Dancing Gabe Langlois, as well as being voted the "3rd BEST NEW MUSIC
GROUP" by the people of Winnipeg in Uptown Magazines "Best of Winnipeg"
survey.
With a new album already in the works, as well as two new music
videos planned in the very near future, you can bank on the fact that
the Filthy will be around for a very long time. In addition to the work
the FA's have put in over the last year, the Deepcave Records imprint
has become one of the longest running independent record labels in
Canadian history, promoting shows such as "Deep City Holla" (central
Canada's largest Hip Hop festival) a 5 day event featuring local Hip Hop
artists as well as international mainstays such as the legendary Masta
Ace, Wordsworth, Maestro Fresh Wes, and Eternia just to name a few.
KRS-One once said "Rap is something you do....Hip Hop is something you
live". These four best friends and fellow MC's are one of the best
examples of this in the genre today.
2010 marks the dawning of the Age of the Filthy....are YOU Filthy enough?