Manifesto has been rocking in Toronto for 10 years now. If you’re unfamiliar with Manifesto, here’s the quick breakdown. Created out of need for a new urban arts platform for Toronto youth, local artists combined with community organizers and event promoters came together to give local artists an opportunity. Today, the non-profit organization helps inspire and empower the diverse youth in Toronto through the arts and culture.
MNFSTO10 kicks off today and we chopped it up with Said Yassin, the Festival Coordinator to get a better understanding of the festival, hip hop culture and their goals as an organization. Read the full interview below.
Hip Hop fundamentally I feel is about bringing people together and giving the youth a creative outlet to express themselves.
First, congratulations on the 10-year anniversary for Manifesto. This is truly a great accomplishment for a couple kids from Toronto.
Thanks bruh bruh
Why do you think it’s important to use hip-hop as an avenue to bring together the people in the city? Is it the inclusiveness of the culture? Is it the spread of talent (i.e. MC’s, Breakers, Beat Boxer, DJs, Graffiti Artists, Producers, etc.)?
C. All of the above.
If you listen to the monologue in episode 4 or The Get Down the guy who plays DJ Kool Herc breaks it down. I’m trying to stay away from some cliche answers but it’s kind of hard to not say the same things that have been said over and over again. But Hip Hop fundamentally I feel is about bringing people together and giving the youth a creative outlet to express themselves.
How were you first exposed to hip-hop? And what can you tell us about that experience?
I think I was about 6 or 7 years old when I was first exposed to hip-hop. Growing up my uncle always lived with me and my fam, he’s 11 years older than me and I always thought he was the coolest guy in the world, so whenever he would be at work or just out of the house I would sneak into his room and press play on whatever tape he had in the stereo and jump up and down on his water bed. It was the early 90’s so it was a lot of Tribe, De La Soul.
Rap is a young mans game, it always has been and the youth are ones who are going to push things forward.
Recently, a lot of OG’s have become vocal about hip-hop today and how they feel the culture is turning on itself? Especially in the case of the MC. Where do you think hip-hop is in a general sense of the culture?
I’ve always felt that like hypocrisy is one of the biggest parts of rap and hip hop, and for the most part those who say these kids who are coming up are ruining the culture and are not paying homage to those who came before them are either not relevant anymore and are hanging on to what they have left or are the same people who were catching hate from the generation before them. Rap is a young mans game, it always has been and the youth are ones who are going to push things forward. And even lyrically is “I said a hip hop, the hippie, the hippie, To the hip, hip hop, and you don’t stop, a rock it” any different or any more thought provoking than whatever Lil Yachty is saying?
What is your goal when curating the line-up for Manifesto festival? How do this year’s artists embody this?
I think this year we’ve really tried to diversify the lineup as best we could while still being true to who we are. The staff here at Manifesto is a little older so we tried to bring in as many young people into the office to get their opinions and hear about who they thought we should bring in this year.
I mean if you look at the lineup of this years festival, we’ve got A Tribe Called Red, Big Lean, Dj Ohso, Anderson Paak. and Kaytranada all headlining shows this year. That group itself is super diverse itself and that’s just a small small sample of what we’ve got in store.
How do you feel about the hip-hop scene in Toronto?
I think definitely feel like a lot of rappers are trying to ride the wave of what’s hot in the city right now. I think it’s amazing that we have a wave to ride and a sound that we can call ours.
I think Toronto is on the map in terms of rap and hip hop and people are watching I just don’t feel like enough people are taking that opportunity to showcase something different while the eyes are on our city.
We’ve noticed a massive crossover in genres like hip-hop and EDM, do you think Manifesto can embrace or evolve to include other genres to help spread the message of community and culture? Why or why not?
I think the mandate will always stay the same regardless of what’s happening but trying to stay current and relevant is a big part of pushing forward.
10 years later, how does Manifesto stay relevant?
I’ve only been with Manifesto since June so maybe I’m not the best person to answer this, but I think I first heard of Manifesto in 2007 and even comparing the festival then to now you can see how it’s evolved. I’ve always felt like community organizations that are based in hip hop kind of become irrelevant at one point or another. I think mostly because the staff at these organizations lose sight of whats current and whats happening today and continue promote what was cool when they were coming up. I think groups like Manifesto and The Remix Project do a great job of keeping their ears to the streets and staying relevant as time passes.
For anyone who hasn’t attended any of the exhibits or shows before, what would you say to describe the festival?
I’d say that its kind of like the first time you go to Honest Eds. There is something for everyone and you never know what you are going to find. But joking aside, its all love at every and each of our event and everyone is welcomed with open arms.
If you’re in Toronto from September 9th to 18th, check out MNFSTO10. You can see all the events and get tickets here.
