Masia One

MASIA ONE :

"I was born in Singapore, which is a metropolis in SE Asia smaller than the size of the Greater Toronto Area. When I was 8 years old, I spent my Chinese New Year money on 2 bootleg tapes in Bedok Market. The first was Bananarama…I won’t lie…Venus was a very catchy song. The second was Public Enemy’sIt Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back. I fell in love with this foreign music, and remained intrigued by Flavor Flav’s giant clock! While my cousins listened to Taiwanese pop music, I was screaming “Don’t Believe the Hype!” and scribbling “911 is a joke” across my school binders, which of course went over very poorly with my Chinese mother.

We moved to Vancouver, BC for my dad’s job when I turned 9 and I couldn’t believe how much more accessible Hiphop was this side of the world. I fell in love with Graf styles and looked up as much as I could about the art. I discovered Asia One and Z-Boogie shortly after, marking the first time I saw women doing their thing in this culture of Hiphop. Friends began calling me Masia One for my respect to the Bgirl, and I began tagging that name.

I read an article in Source Magazine years ago, citing Toronto as the “Mecca of Hiphop” in Canada. Before graduating high school, I decided I would have to get a scholarship that would afford me the ability to go to The University of Toronto. I did just that, and graduated in Architecture with a minor in Economics. Go figure! I still really appreciate how buildings are designed, and how to make money. After moving in with The Ichiban Son, Editor in Chief of www.thecyberkrib.com, I got more involved in the local Toronto Hiphop scene, attending open mics and meeting heads from around the way that were establishing their art and name in this city. My roommate was throwing a show called “I Still Love H.E.R.” featuring Mystic from Oakland, and asked if I knew any female emcees interested in performing. I volunteered myself! I had always written rhymes and spit rhymes in secret, but never found the confidence to get over my shy afflictions. I promised myself that this would be the 1 time I performed to show myself that I could break out of my comfort zone. I loved feeling the energy on stage, got a VIBE commercial out of it, and I guess the rest is her-story."








MASIA ONE SITE: http://masiaone.com/