FFA NEWS: Blog

Trench Foot Presents- Halloween Vol 1

By Matthew Kyazze

Trench Foot Presents- Halloween Vol 1

Ottawa Producer Trench Foot has collabed with some of Ottawa's hottest upcoming hip hop artists. This tape features Das Hype, New Age Hip, & Kyazze. For anyone who wants to reminisce the Halloween Spirit these guys have taken things to a spooky level. Listen to the full tape and comment what you think.

Trench Foot: https://www.instagram.com/trenchfootaudio/

Das Hype: https://www.instagram.com/dashype/

New Age Hip: https://www.instagram.com/stonerwithfreetime/

Kyazze: https://www.instagram.com/mattkyazze/

Read more


Download the FFA App TODAY!

By Matthew Kyazze

Download the FFA App TODAY!

The rumours are true, we officially have an App! The boys from FFA are incredibly excited to share this new milestone with all of you. You can now download the app on the App store, and the Google play store.

Download the App below!

App Store: https://apps.apple.com/ca/app/far-from-average/id1532422431

Google Play store: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.app.hashtagffa

New Features 

We have new page called FFA Artists to showcase the individuals we work with. Most are from the city of Ottawa. As time goes by, our team will hopefully grow internationally. 

New Apparel 

The FFA Side bag is here! We have taken the time to create the best side bag possible for our customers. You can only Pre-Order the FFA Side bag for $45.00 CAD plus tax. Link below!

https://www.hashtagffa.ca/products/ffa-satchel

The FFA Baby Onesie

 

The FFA Baby Onesie now avaiable for purchase for $24.00 CAD plus tax. Available for 6 month & 12 month old babies. 

https://www.hashtagffa.ca/products/ffa-baby-onesie

Stayed tuned for New Contests, New Apparel and Consistent Content!

Read more


Dreamland Session 63 ft Kyazze

By Matthew Kyazze

Dreamland Session 63 ft Kyazze

Dreamland studios is back with another Session. Number 63 goes to FFA Member Kyazze. This is one of the first public videos of Kyazze freestyling. 

Produced and Filmed by Quest. Written and performed by Kyazze. Stay tuned for some new music from Kyazze. 

Read more


Young Astronomer Releases Hype New Track “On!” Produced by Utility Beats

By Matthew Kyazze

Young Astronomer Releases Hype New Track “On!” Produced by Utility Beats

Young Astronomer is back at it again and releases brand new single
titled “On!” | produced by the same producer that brought you the
conjoined hit collab with Young Astronomer x Utility Beats “Cloud 9”. That
dropped recently on 170+ major digital platforms & has since
accumulated over 10,000 streams on Spotify & SoundCloud altogether!

The young emcee is working on getting his name out worldwide, bringing together a new sound and vibe + creating a fresh catalogue of
prominent singles and videos throughout this coming year. This is a
true up and coming artist, so watch for his drops!



Young Astronomer starts out very trap inspired, bringing bars with
real subject, rhymes unheard of and the hard sounding signature
delivery from the 26 year old artist that we’ve come to expect. This
single was lightly mixed by Trenchfoot (Ottawa Bass Music) recorded by
Young Astronomer himself and produced entirely by Utility Beats, this
is a real banger! We suggest you take a listen! With more new
music to come, show announcements and features about to release.. we
just had to write this one up and set it in stone!

SONG REVIEW & RATING: 9/10

Presave link for - Young Astronomer - ON! ↓

https://distrokid.com/hyperfollow/youngastronomer/on

Soon to be on all major digital platforms including Spotify, Deezer,
Apple Music, Tidal, Amazon Music, Google Play Music, iTunes etc. with
official lyrics posted on various lyric websites - listen for now on
SoundCloud & YouTube ↙

SoundCloud link for - Young Astronomer - ON! -
https://soundcloud.com/youngastronomer/on-prod-utility-beats

Follow Young Astronomer on Instagram: @y.astronomer

Follow Young Astronomer on twitter: @yoastronomer

Like Young Astronomer on Facebook: facebook.com/youngastronomerhiphop

Search Young Astronomer on Spotify, Tidal, Amazon, Apple Music etc.
for instant streaming of all songs

Latest News, Release Info, Show Announcements be sure to check his
verified Google Page: https://g.co/kgs/iDWZg8

Check out Utility Beats and his latest work here:


https://soundcloud.com/utilitybeats


https://www.facebook.com/UtilityBeats1/

Follow Trenchfoot on social media for his latest tunes:


https://trenchfootdubs.bandcamp.com/releases


https://twitter.com/trenchfootdubs?lang=en

Read more


Am I Next? Being A Black Father In The Year 2020 (Written by: Jonathan Ferreira)

By Jonathan Ferreira

Am I Next? Being A Black Father In The Year 2020 (Written by: Jonathan Ferreira)

It was shortly after midnight on February 1st, 2015 when my girlfriend Lindsay (now fiance) gave birth to our first child, a beautiful baby girl we named Aaliyah Marie. Being a young man in my early 20’s with no siblings or any real experience in terms of parenting, the adjustment into the wonderful world of fatherhood came with challenges and was ultimately quite scary at times. Nonetheless being a dad is undoubtedly the greatest thing to ever happen to me. As cliche as it may be, it’s difficult to describe the emotional connection and unconditional love you have for them “out the gate” but it’s immediate. All of a sudden your personal wants and selfish desires don't matter so much, everything takes a backseat and they instantly become your main priority.

5 months after celebrating our daughters 1st birthday, a 32-year old black man from Minnesota by the name of Philando Castile was driving with his girlfriend and her 4-year old daughter. When he was pulled over during a traffic stop and fatally shot 7 times in front of his loved ones for explaining to the police officer that he had a registered firearm in the vehicle. Being a bi-racial father in North America, I am absolutely terrified to walk outside and carry on with my daily routine over concerns that I may not make it home to my wife and kids one night. The events which transpired that day resonate with me and instinctively my primary thought is; how is this going to affect that little girl in the backseat who just witnessed her mother’s boyfriend get murdered in broad daylight by a police officer? Her life will never be the same after experiencing something that traumatic at such a young age. I couldn’t begin to imagine the challenges she will face growing up, all of which emerged from this terrible although realistic first impression of the world we live in.

 
 Jonathan Ferreira and his son Malakai 

I now find myself nervous commuting to and from work on the daily basis, looking over my shoulder for no particular reason. Going out on a limb, I can confidently say that I am not the only coloured individual whose heart has sunk into their stomach while being behind the wheel and passing a police cruiser or hearing the sound of sirens approach, that adrenaline eventually makes you paranoid. My fiancé drives our vehicle whenever we go out as a family, mainly to relieve my own personal anxiety and to ensure we take every precaution to avoid a confrontation with law enforcement. Not because we’re committing a crime or performing illegal activities, but because these days you don’t have to go to jail to receive the death sentence. You could get killed in your vehicle, house, even on your own front lawn by the same people appointed to serve and protect you. Asides from enforcing the law and investigating crimes, the role of a police officer is to keep the peace and protect the people. All people! I’d do anything for my kids, it’s my job as a father to ensure their safety and well-being but instead of doing your job, you’re making mine harder. 

What do you tell your kids?

I remember as a child my mother sitting me down and explaining, “you can go out with your friends just be home before dark and if you run into trouble call 911,” I couldn’t imagine myself having that same conversation with my kids today. Instead, am I supposed to tell them the truth? Since you're a member of the black community, and considered a person of colour, you will unfortunately in most cases be viewed as a suspect, regardless of the situation. Furthermore, expect to get judged, abused (mentally and physically) not to mention labelled throughout the course of your life. Being a person of colour, not only is it every man and woman for themselves but you’re ultimately considered the underdog in society and given limited opportunities compared to others whether that be in the form of education or within the workforce and beyond. 

 Jonathan Ferreira and his daughter Aaliyah Marie

Segregation is real! For example, my mother is the 1st child of 13 others and had a significantly lighter complexion in comparison to her siblings. I’ve heard of racism within black people, family members like my mom’s who shunned her out for being different and insisted my grandfather had an affair with a white woman. With that being said I think it’s important to note that racism comes in many forms, although we’ve seen a large number of incidents stem from white supremacy groups and corrupt justice systems, (undoubtedly leading to trust issues between members of the black community) these aren’t the only sources of discrimination. According to the 1860 census, an African-American cotton gin maker and blacksmith by the name of William Ellison Jr. owned 53 slaves making him the largest of the 171 black slaveholders in South Carolina alone. 

There is only good vs. evil regardless of skin colour, what we need to understand as a minority is that classifying a group of individuals is ultimately what created this divide and you can’t fight fire with fire. There are good people throughout the world, who are ready to stand together for equality and put an end to the violence we’re experiencing today, within our communities. We need to encourage and support one another regardless of race, colour or background to get the message across - it’s everybody vs. racism! In my lifetime I’ve accumulated my fair share of racial encounters making me question some people’s morals, beliefs and up-bringing as racism isn’t born, it's taught. Since becoming a father I’ve begun to question our position in society as a black community and realized that nothing has changed in 100 plus years, as Will Smith said, “racism isn’t getting worse, it’s getting filmed.” 

The movement and phrase “Black Lives Matter” is not denoting members of other races or ethnicities but was created as a cry for help by the black community who continue to lose sons, daughters, husbands and wives because of the colour of their skin. I don’t want my children to be the next it’s time for change, if not now then when? What if Ahmad Abrey was your son? What if Regis Korchinski-Paquet was your daughter? How many more do we need to lose for it to matter? How close to home does it have to hit before you decided to stand up and speak out? I’m not willing to wait and find out, neither should you! Enough is enough. 

Aaliyah Marie & Malakai
June 1st, 2020 

Read more


Mutabazi the Hip-Hop/R&B vocalist based out of Orange County, CA.

By Matthew Kyazze

Mutabazi the Hip-Hop/R&B vocalist based out of Orange County, CA.
Mutabazi is a Hip-Hop/R&B vocalist based out of Orange County, CA. His vocal versatility and impactful lyrics have made him one of the most in demand independent artists in Southern California. He's cultivating a unique style while appealing to the masses. His presence in the studio proves he's a force to be reckoned with. He first caught our attention with his song "What's Poppin". 

Cover art by FFA member James Wrinn. 

Mutabazi only started considering the possibility of music as a career in 2015, while residing in Denver, CO. “I used to just mess around and do different voices with friends before I figured out I can sing and switch melodies to how I wanted. I later figured out I was pretty good at it.”

Mutabazi is not only an artist but a partner at the Independent Record Label, Voltron Independent Productions, with co-founder Nick Smith. “We are building something very special and it's completely organic. Although I am mostly on the West Coast and he is in Denver, we are getting a lot of love throughout the whole country. We've had songs played on the radio in the UK. Once Covid is over we want to be able to travel while doing what we love most. I want to entertain the world! I want everyone to feel like a VIP!”
We are very excited to see what's next for the artist, for now stream his new song "Self Sustained"!

 

 

Read more


Eva Shaw's new responsibility in the Hip Hop industry.

By Matthew Kyazze

Eva Shaw's new responsibility in the Hip Hop industry.

For those of you who don't know Eva Shaw, she is a Canadian artist from Toronto. She has had success in the fashion industry, and has marked her territory in the music industry. Known for Djing, song writing, and producing. 

The boys from FFA first met Eva back in 2018, when Ottawa Native City Fidelia performed at the RBC Ottawa Bluesfest. To take things to a whole other level, they unveiled some unreleased heat, with great reception from the crowd.

Instagram Post from @hashtagffa:  

https://www.instagram.com/p/BmMOsMfg3Qi/?igshid=rh0h0vhve9ka

They released the official music video for one of the songs, on March, 29th, 2019, with DB Bantino.

Snakes by: City Fidelia & Eva Shaw feat Db Bantino from LA. 

Now in 2020 she is taking hip hop to a whole level. Dropping banger after banger. One of our favourite projects this year from Eva Shaw is with Montreal artist Nate Husser, titled I Been Doing Great. They dropped a 4 track project and didn't hold back one bit. Check out the official Cover Art & Music Video for the tape below.

"I Been Doing Great"

 

We're excited to see what else she has in store for the year 2020. Who know's maybe we can get an official FFA collab going as well. But for now, watch her latest video below featuring Swagger Rite, Just John, & Lord Afrixan.

Splash GOD (Official Quarantine Music Video)

 

Read more


Canadian Rapper Releases New Song Cloud 9

By Matthew Kyazze

Canadian Rapper Releases New Song Cloud 9

Ottawa born music artist/songwriter Young Astronomer releases his highly anticipated single “Cloud 9” in hopes to bring some upbeat positivity to a seemingly chaotic and busy world.

Real name Colin Gordon Campbell, better known by his stage persona Young Astronomer is most known for many live performances with Gold & Credited artists such as Wifisfuneral, MGK, Freddie Gibbs, Odd Future, Classified etc. & many more. This will be his first official release of 2020, being produced by Utility Beats (USA) and mixed, mastered and recorded by @ripvctr (Canada). With a fresh outlook and talks of much more music being created now and on the horizon with a variety of 613 bred talent, we can’t wait to see what he brings in terms of new tunes.
As for a song review, wow. “Cloud 9” is about as smooth as it comes! His lyrical content, delivery, hook and beat-choice, we’re no doubt in the young emcees mind. When picking the true vibe and feel for this song, it really does make you visualize yourself walking on clouds with the sun beaming down. Which seemed to be his true intention.

Young Astronomer proves to be a real up and coming force to be reckoned with, local & worldwide.  So far, he has accumulated more than 290,000+ streams/plays on all platforms combined and 3 verifications on 3 major profiles. Everyday it seems he’s pushing towards the goal of becoming a musical chameleon of all colours and shapes.

Hear the song right below here!


Follow Young Astronomer on Social Media:
Follow New Alchemy Audio/@ripvctr on Social Media: 
Instagram: @ripvctr
Instagram #2: @newalchemyaudio
Instagram #3: @ghvstz_
Follow Utility Beats on Social Media:

Read more