Girls Rights are Human Rights Too: TOUR WRAP UP

I have finished touring Ontario & Quebec with WHAT’S THE 411 “Girl’s Rights are Human Rights Too” School Tour.  In light of Obama’s recent win in the American election, I hope the spirit of positive change will come.  I would like to do my part…here are some reasons I have chosen to be on this tour:

1. Because 1 in 3 women are the victim of physical abuse.  More women are killed OR injured by Domestic violence then from war, cancer, malaria and traffic accidents combined.

2. In Haiti, children as young as 7 are thrown into prison with other adults.  Child slavery is also a major issue here, and girls that are these “domestic workers” are victim to sexual and physical abuse.

3. Girls around the world are affecting change in their communities, whether demanding an education (1/2 of the world’s women can’t read or right), refusing early marriage (girls as young as 8 can be married off in parts of the world like South Sudan), and speaking out against the injustices that face girls & young women.

I believe this is an important message for both males and females and decided to go into the highschools to help provide information to young people to form their own decision.  Thank you to the schools that have welcomed us in, and been so accommodating.  Most of all…thank you to all the students we met that shared this experience with us.  I had so much fun!!!

To learn how you might get involved or learn more about GIRLS RIGHTS check out the following links:

BECAUSE IM A GIRL CAMPAIGN

GIRLS of LATTITUDE (MTV)

PLAN CANADA YOUTH

Each day of the tour has been listed here!  Scroll down!

IF YOU ARE A STUDENT THAT HAS PICTURES FROM THE TOUR, SEND THEM INTO MASIASNAPSHOT@MASIAONE.COM and receive FREE STUFF (Ringtones, videos) care of MASIA ONE!

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TOUR WRAP UP!

Whew!  What an exhausting 2 weeks!!!  I’m finally home and taking a much needed hiatus to catch up on work and emails…and to drink hot coco and play with my dog Dema. I will be posting upcoming dates shortly…I’m heading out to the Leftcoast California to chase some destiny in the next 2 weeks.  All my Killa Cali heads holler!

Thanks again to What’s the 411 & Plan Canada for organizing such a great tour!  Click the picture below to check out a piece The METRO ran on the tour.  Check my blog section for the full tour wrap up…I have to come up with a new pose cause I’m rocking more Peace Signs than the 70s. LOL.

My tour blogs are also republished on DOSE MAGAZINE’S WEBSITE or check out Eternia’s blog HERE

TOUR Day 10 / Nov 14 Jean Vanier & Pope John Paul Catholic SS (Scarborough)

Jean Vanier was a really dope school.  We got there early so I dipped to the cafeteria only to discover the world’s best cookies for breakfast! LOL.  The crowd was super responsive and willing to learn what they did not already know.  It was good to see some familiar faces from the “HerStory” workshop I had performed at a couple months back.  Homegirl that threw down on the dance battle was really dope.  I’m always happy to see girls that step up to the plate for dance battles and DONT throw down the easy booty bounce.

By the end of the tour, Eternia and I had the propaganda set up down pat!  LOL.  Pope John Paul Catholic was huge with around 1500 kids in one gymnasium.  Even still the peoples were attentive, throwing in their opinions and making me go half deaf when I announced that George was performing live in “studio” LOL.  I gotta give a shout out to my girl Maryloise that held it down again during the dance battle.  I’ll add more pictures from this show once I receive them!

TOUR Day 9 / Nov 13 Loretto College & CR Marchant

Ok, so my camera battery died today, so I will post some images once I receive them!

Loretto was a beautiful school!  I remember before we got started the grade 12 and grade 10’s reluctantly going on a field trip and missing the show.  The teacher had politely request that we keep it down as other classes were in session but once we started…LOL there’s no keeping the crowd’s cheering down.  JEN HOLLET (formerly Much Music VJ) came through to the show as well, having helped produce a few of the segments.  I found out that she had spent the past little while in Sierra Leone…it was great seeing her again!

CR MARCHANT had such an amazing audience! I couldn’t believe they packed 500 kids into that gym but they did it, and no mobs and riots broke out! LOL.  The dance battle at this school was really memorable too – i remember every kid that hit the stage was unbelivable.  This one likkle yute could flip and dance better than a lot of the grown bboys I know!  CBC TV came out to this show and caught footage for an upcoming TV series about young people engaging other young people with activism and participation.  My favorite moment was doing the Q&A after and asking this boy what he learned from the day.  He replied,”I learned that some girls rap better than guys”.  HAHAHA! Sweet!

TOUR Day 8 / Nov 12 J. Clarke Richardson (Ajax), Contact (Toronto) & Havergal College

Today was a marathon day, with 3 shows and 3 schools ranging from 500 to 50 people!

J Clarke Richardson in Ajax was a really dope school and I was so impressed with the students from this show.  They all seemed so well informed, opinionated yet attentive.  I think Eternia mumbled that if she ever had kids she would send them to this school!  I gotta give a shout out to DEM DEM that hollered after the show…keep dancing homey! Send pics in if you’re from J Clarke!

Next up was CONTACT school.  I remember performing at this school years ago when I first started in the rap game.  Back then, I remember the students being very mature from life experience and we broke out into a cipher after the show.  When we first arrived, this young girl came around the corner, saw that a special presentation was going on and yelled, “WAAAACK”.  I wondered why she had done that, and also wondered if she ever thought that could be discouraging for a performer that was underslept but continued to tour this message because it was an important one pertaining to women like herself.  Once we got started, the mood changed and I had girls in the front taking pics and video like the video cell phone paparazzi! LOL.  The same girl that had stormed in and dismissed us as wack, was asking questions and participating in the discussions.  This was real good to see.  I guess all I’m trying to say is, I know being young sometimes comes with a very short attention span, but I would challenge all the yutes to not dismiss the opportunities and destinies that they meet so quickly, and allow their imaginations to build upon the crazy ways in which these things can change their worlds for the positive.  After all, when I was 8 stumbling upon a Public Enemy tape…I never in a million years thought I would become an emcee.

HAVERGAL in the evening was a good show as well!  The school itself is so beautiful and impressive, and the young ladies from this institution are extremely well informed.  I suspect that you ladies will be in the position of leadership and influence as you graduate, and I feel encourged that these young women are equip with both education and compassion.  It tripped me out when one of the girls told me she first saw my video while in Venezula!  So crazy…international hustles are great.

TOUR Day 7/ Nov 11 Westview Secondary School

Westview was live!  There was a moment where I feared for George’s safety and sanity LOL but he managed to dip out the back doors.  Y’all stay fresh and chill – I’ll stay GREEEEZY still.

TOUR Day 6 / Nov 10 WL Mackenzie & Mary Shadd PS

The road home to Toronto was fairly quiet.  Nothing out of the ordinary…stopped for some junk food and Timmy’s and was finally so glad to collapse in my own bed!  Couldn’t wait to do some Toronto dates!

I forgot my camera for both these shows…I’ll update once some pics get sent!

TOUR DAY 5 / Laval Liberity HS

Back to back shows performed at Laval Liberty, first for an all female assembly then for both guys & girls in the older grades.  I think an interesting thing happens when girls are seperated into an all female assembly – suddenly they speak up a lot more, participate and generally seem more willing to be heard.  That said, both shows were great, and I got to reconnect with some fans that had known me since “Split Second Time”.

TOUR DAY 4 / Nov 6 Royal Vale, Montreal

I love Montreal in the Fall…it’s probably why I named a record after it! After reaching the Mount Real, I wandered the city streets lost and content.  I love the changing leaves, the long stairwells and of course the political graffiti scrawled on passing walls.

Royal Vale was a blast!  I was still groggy from the morning as the beds in the Montreal Hotel was SOOOO cushy and warm.  The yutes were so well behaved and got so hyped for the dance battle.  I love the graduation hats that are flying in the background of the pic above!

After my aimless wanderings, I was late meeting up with the rest of the crew for dinner.  We met up for supper at Mango Bay and I ordered up a healthy serving of Ackee & Saltfish mmmm!  Now that’s what I call an all day breakfast!

We head out to the Radio show K103 with Don Smooth after our bellies are full.  Don is indeed smooth and cool as a cucumber.  Thanks again for having us on your show Mr. Smooth!

TOUR DAY 3: Queen Elizabeth PS & Earl of March

Queen Elizabeth was an early morning, so we were all shaking off some grogginess…including George! LOL.

Eternia public service announcement regarding the historic election of America’s first Black President Obama & the new First Lady. Yeah, you know? It’s the simple things in life that make it so true.

Earl of March had a real nice auditorium! We had the merch set up real crispy that day and I sold out of my Masia 1 LOVE (heart) Tees. Big up to Chris Thomas of DOINITWELL.COM for the design.

TOUR DAY 2: Mother Teresa Catholic HS & Lester B Pearson HS

Alright!  Day 2…still sniffling like crazy but again the energy for the students I’m meeting is making me forget my drowsiness.  We headed out 7am first to Mother Teresa Catholic School this morning.  George found himself a stuffed dog he affectionately named “Lassie” back stage and proceeded to moonwalk the dog.  LOL.  I will upload this footage as soon as I can – the hotel seems to have put a ban on YOUTUBE uploads. The dance battle was great as 1 kid brought the crump styles, and the other stayed true to the Bboy-izms.

The morning was a rough start on this one!  George kept me going and laughing with his new dance move “Walking Lassie” while we were at Mother Teresa. LOL.

We headed to Lester B Pearson next. I gotta say this was probably my favorite school on the tour! The dance battle was off the hook (Big up the Bruck Out Gyals) and the girls were just very responsive and created a real positive dialogue about what can be done to balance the scales of women’s rights around the world.

Big up to my homegirl that sang! She was wondering what the best way to get out there and sing was. The answer is, of course, to just get out there and sing! And she did it right away (much respects. I don’t remember your name! If you email me, I’ll get your name up on this blog! Sorry).

When it was time to go, it was sad. But we got a real nice farewell! Thanks girls.

I have to make an announcement to the young man that bought my MERDEKA Tshirt…you were accidentally sold the DISPLAY Tee, which has a defect in it.  Please email me at info@masiaone.com, and I’ll be sure to mail you a new shirt with some other goodies as my apology for the inconvenience!  HOLLER.

I gotta think MAD FOOT 発売 via. DJ SARASA for the kicks.  I got ENOUGH compliments for my shoes all day.  Japan exclusives baby! LOL.

We grabbed a quick lunch of Shawarma (which incidentally is always delicious in Ottawa!) and headed back out on the road to Lester B Pearson HS.  The school sent us an all female audience. At first I was a little disappointed that non of the guys were permitted to this special presentation – I believe strongly that Girl’s Rights issues should be understood by both females and males (kinda like how schools sent us only their Asian students for Asian Heritage Month).  In spite of this, the girls were amazing with great energy.  Again the dance battle in the presentation was a nice highlight, but I had to stop it short before the Duhtty Wine bruck out in a Catholic School.  LOL.  1 hour 1/2 of autograph signing later, we finally dipped back to the hotel to kick back and await the results of the election over some apple juice served in wine glasses.

Special shout out to Tricia-Ann for your really special email.  Stick to your dreams homegirl, and if you ever want to get your spits up and cipher…just give me a shout!

one love.  Good Night!

TOUR DAY 1: Fielding Drive PS & D’Arcy McGee

After a CRAZY weekend of marathon shows in Toronto, I caught a flight heading out to Ottawa to begin the What’s the 411 “Girl’s Rights are Human Rights Too” Tour. I’m fighting off the start of suspicious sniffles and sneezes right now and I certainly hope this passes by tomorrow.  ETERNIA on the tour has suggested Airbourne…but of course they do not sell that here!  Any quick fixes are welcome…leave it in the comments.  Mental note – doing 5 shows in 1 weekend may not be the greatest of ideas in Cold Season.

I have to mention what an absolute pleasure traveling on PORTER airlines was.  I reached the PORTER ferry terminal with 20 minutes to my flight, and still had enough time to grab complimentary herbal tea, ginger snap cookies and check last minute emails before boarding the flight.  Singer GEORGE and emcee ETERNIA, joining me on the tour, were already there chilling and nerding out on their laptops.

We performed shows today at Fielding Drive in Ottawa & 2 shows at D’Arcy McGee in Alymer Quebec…the audience was amazing, and in spite of feeling under the weather the energy of the students kept everything upbeat and live!  One Love to PARKER JOHNSTON for the email with positive vibrations and support!  Big shout outs to SUSAN as well for providing the pictures below!!!  Thanks for sending the images…you guys rock!

What a long day!  Thank goodness the people I’m touring with are amazingly awesome and chill!  Ok…time to sleep off this cold.  Hopefully tomorrow I’ll be good as new!  Thanks again to all the amazing people I met today – keep in touch through the website and remember to check out the interviews and information you saw today at WWW.PLANCANADA.CA/YOUTH or WWW.MTV.COM/GIRLS

IF YOU ARE A STUDENT THAT HAS PICTURES FROM THE TOUR, SEND THEM INTO MASIASNAPSHOT@MASIAONE.COM and receive FREE STUFF (Ringtones, videos) care of MASIA ONE!

As incentive for all the schools we are reaching out to, remember if you send pictures and video from the shows and email it to SNAPSHOT@MASIAONE.COM, you will receive EXCLUSIVE MASIA ONE content including MP3s, ringtones, and wall papers.  If you send this via Cellphone, you will receive the content straight to your cell phone!!!  Thanks to PHOENIX BLUECASTING for setting up this campaign!