You are a devout Toronto hip hop fan. You love cruising the city reciting all the lyrics to Choclair’s masterpiece, “Situation 9”. Craving some more of that Toronto lyricism, you turn on the radio scouring the airwaves for some raw Toronto talent. Frantically switching from station to station, you find a repetition of the same songs, same artists, and same sounds. Not a terrible thing if it’s what you are looking to enjoy but how many of us hip-hop fans can name Toronto’s most talented underground rappers? Unless you are ingrained in this scene, some may consider this a little difficult to do.

BSMT 254 is looking to change this. With a new monthly initiative, BSMT 254 is committed to doing its part in revitalizing Toronto’s underground scene.

A venue to reflect the level of talent in Toronto is hard to come by. From Fili, to Archxtect to B Well The Prophet, these underground artists you hear about from conversations happening within communities. But where are these communities? You have to do some hardcore digging around. Sure, folks like Ricochet and Dalton Higgins strive to simplify the process but shit is hard. Especially when it comes to finding the perfect venue for these artists.

The importance of BSMT 254 is that it has become akin to church for cultural pastors looking to preach their gospel. We’ve been to Yonge & Dundas. It’s hard for a pastor with no home to get their message out but church... brings the congregation together. It builds community and just as importantly, it provides a time for parishioners to meet and rejoice.

A venue true to its name, BSMT 254 is in an underground location with a rustic look and feel. Its appearance is as friendly as the staff and fosters the sense of community that had been missing for so long.

I had the opportunity to speak to Vas, co-owner of BSMT 254, who admitted that Hip-Hop From The Underground came about when he was working on a Spotify playlist featuring Toronto rappers. He was speaking with Lord Fury about some of the artists that had piqued his interest, and Lord Fury, being the connector that he is, so happened to know a few of them. Together they curated a roster of performers that would go on to grace the stage that night. And boy it did not disappoint. It all began with local hip hop DJ/Producers Mercilless & Finn spinning quintessential hip hop records; providing a taste of what the crowd was to expect from the evening's performers. The music was ON POINT! Cuts and transitions from Biggie to Big Pun to Das FX to the Beatnuts. Just bass and lyricism blaring from the speakers as the crowded head nodded and recited every word. Mercilless and Finn could have been the main feature and we would have all been okay with it but ALAS, it was showtime.

The legendary Lord Fury, with a presence larger than life, strolled to the stage and addressed his parishioners with a sermon to kick off the night's service. This was about to be church! He had a way with words that got the crowd going before every performer hit the stage. I would love to delve deeper into Lord Fury's contributions to the music scene, especially in Toronto but that's a conversation for another time.

That night, the stage was graced by Phara, Usual Suspektz, Snackz, Lord Juco, Asun Eastwood. All I can say is WOW! From beginning to end, the artists rocked the mic, kept the crowd hyped, and left us wanting more. It was a night to remember that's for sure.