A very quiet and reserved young man coming into the program’s second semester, Hopeton has progressed leaps and bounds with his production and networking skills. A musician constantly practising guitar or piano, Hopeton is an extremely talented composer for his age. A proud graduate of Remix’s second semester, Hopeton has obtained a full scholarship for the first year of his Architecture program at Humber college through the remix program. Remix has also hired him as the media arts youth leader for our third semester, and he was linked with an architecture and design firm for an internship, which turned into a part-time paid position.

While Cola attended The Remix Project, he produced several artists including Giselle, Obie, Charlie Black, Tony Clip and more. Cola has been mentored in-house on the technical and business sides of music production. Outside artist/producer Slakah The Beatchild has also mentored him. Cola has learned how to network, price, and market himself as a producer. Cola also got a full scholarship to Humber College for their media arts program and was linked with an internship at the Governor Generals office. We see nothing but success for this young man’s future.

Since enrolling in The Remix Project, Obie has learned the importance of networking. His objective was to record a complete album, which he has now achieved. He has taken the initiative to learn how to use the recording software as he recognizes the importance of being familiar with all aspects of the studio. His mentor “Eon” from “Bedouin Sound Clash” has offered to take him on tour as a back up singer in the near future, and Obie has also recorded back-ups on their new album. His new single “Street Life” will be added to Flow 93.5’s rotation this winter, which will be his first record to be played on mainstream radio. Remix also hired him as the Media Arts Youth Leader in June 2007, and he has done an amazing job as part of our team.

CC, a fashion designer has been at Remix to help expand her fashion line. Since being here, she’s had 5 photo shoots, created a resume and a business plan. CC has also had her products shown in a major independent music video and has displayed her work in various fashion shows. She also secured a job at Braze and Hussy; a high-end fashion store on Queen St, and is sewing and designing clothes for the company. She has also been selling a lot of her own designs since graduating the “Business Arts” program, and coming back to Remix for the “Creative Arts” program.

Kyauna is an 18 year old singer who regularly blows our minds with her songwriting and natural talent. Enrolled at an alternative school to try and make up some of her credits in high school, Kyauna is a full time participant in the project and is also doing her coop with us. Earning a series of credits this year, Kyauna’s progress in Remix and in her school life has been astounding. Her teacher after visiting us to do her monthly report spoke of not only Kyauna’s success in the coop program but also the palpable change in her overall attitude at school. Going from despondent and uninspired to excited and engaged, Kyauna’s teacher says that this change in attitude directly corresponds to her time here at Remix.

Photographer, film editor and brilliant is Roxanne. Having graduated from the Creative Arts Program, Roxanne has accomplished LOTS! Mentored by Randal Thorne (RT) from 235 films, one of Canada’s most relevant video directors, Roxanne also earned an internship with 235. They eventually started to contract her to edit behind the scene snippets of music videos. Regularly on set with 235 Roxanne gained a ton of hands on experience through her mentor / internship. She also came along with Remix on our trip to Rio and did captured the entire trip with pictures. She was so moved by the experience she helped organized another trip to Rio with SWB and went back in April 2008 to assist in running a photography program; “A Tale of 3 Cities” (Toronto, New York and Rio). She also has been taking Portuguese lessons and is learning very quickly, and is back in Rio coordinating another photography program for 6 months. We can’t wait to hear about her trip!

Young and motivated, Chantle entered our program a high-school student with an insane talent for writing, and left with her sights soaring. Chantle gained an internship with Urbanology; one of the largest urban magazines in Canada. Working alongside with Priya – Co-Founder of Urbanology magazine – Chantle became a member of the journalist crew and gained valuable insight on how to produce a magazine. She then took her talent for writing and her experience within the industry to create and produce her own magazine, Beeso. Chantle was selected to become a youth leader within the Business Arts program working alongside the Business Arts leader Tyrone. Chantle is currently continuing to help others within the program, while producing her own magazine and working with Urbanology.

At only 16, Karla has established herself as one of the top graphic designers in the GTA. Working through her existing networks as well as her newly found connections at Remix; Karla took her love for design and created herself a business. Karla excelled in working with the design programs, and created her own website and blog to showcase her portfolio. She had an internship with Chris Smith Management (Nelly Furtado’s management company) and has since worked with companies such as FCUK, Hiphopcanada.com and artists such as Drake and Kid Famous. Karla gained knowledge about being aware of how to successfully price and market herself as a brand, is already making revenue off of her work. Karla plans to continue to build her clientele within the New Year.

Known to many as “Photo Will,” Will came to us as a photographer wanting to push himself into the field while learning more about art, graphics, and post production. Will started off by shooting for large scale Toronto parties, and progressed to celebrity events. Will photographed for concerts by the likes of the Riza, N.E.R.D, Common, Lupe Fiasco, Rick Ross, Alicia Keys, Clipse, and Kid Kutty, and shot our 4th semester’s graduation photos. He documented various press conferences and worked with Sol from the 4REAL TV series. Will was mentored by Che Kothari – professional photographer and Coordinator of Manifesto – and worked closely with our former Creative Arts Leader, Bryan Espiritu. Starting a blog and gaining a large network of clients, Will branched out into promotion and coordinated events such as Drake’s 22nd Birthday Event. Will has since learned more about the art of photography and how to manage himself as a one-man business.

At 16, Adel Prince Nur – known by all as Future the Prince, volunteered at a record store to have an outlet for his love of music. He Began to DJ with his experience, and quickly used his networking skills to become acquainted with existing DJs. Fast forward several years, and Prince’s ambition had landed him DJ venues within high-profile nightclubs all over the city. As Prince continued to strive to make his name common knowledge he met Tyrone, our Business Arts Coordinator. Prince entered the Remix Project to better himself as an artist and an individual. Travelling with Remix and Schools without Borders on a once in a lifetime trip to Brazil, Prince helped to build a recording studio and work one on one with communities inside the favellas of Rio. Described as a “Life changing experience,” Prince Became more conscious about social conditions on a global scale, and began working with community organizations once arriving back in Toronto as well as direct outreach for the Remix Project. Achieving relationships with even more industry figures, Prince has become one of the most requested urban DJs in the GTA. He has since worked under the Remix umbrella as a Youth Business Arts Leader, aiding youth in the program by networking and providing the missing link between their art and their industry. Prince is now planning and promoting his own events as a successful DJ and promoter.

Benjamin “Royalz” Kwofie came to Canada in his pre-teens from Ghana without an outlet for him to pursue his talent. After dropping out of Humber College within the first semester, Royalz knew that he needed somewhere to go that would allow him the facilities and guidance he was looking for. Since coming to Remix to work on his clothing line, Royalz puts in four to five days a week at the program. He comes in after working the night shift – putting his work before his sleep – and it’s paid off. Mentored by Adrian X of Two Black Guys Clothing and our Creative and Business Art Coordinators, Royalz won a competition that featured a full page spread in Urbanology Magazine and a 200 dollar prize. Royalz continued to push himself by spearheading his own fashion show featuring the likes of other up-and-coming designers within the GTA. Royalz has created both socially-conscious and trendy designs that have been featured on a Remix trip to Kenya, and is working on plans to return to Ghana for both promotional and social purposes. Planning the trip with the help of several participants and leaders at Remix, Royalz is learning more about himself and his unlimited ability to shoot for more success as he reaches his goals.

Addie has been a go-getter from the jump. As a graduate of the 6.0 Recording Arts program, Addie’s drive and persistent work ethic were apparent from the day she stepped foot into Remix. This hard work and dedication is the reason she was awarded Remix’s first ever “Make It Happen” Award and also landed her an internship at Universal Music Canada. Upon graduating from Remix, Addie has been keeping busy, juggling a full time job as well as working as the New Media Production Manager for Remix’s very own Record Label, Honest Music. In this role she has already helped put together several up and coming music projects and was a key member in the success of the first Kendrick Lamar concert held in Toronto. Aside from working tirelessly, she is also the creator of Connected Radio, a youth podcast that will host discussions revolving around youth issues/culture expected to launch in 2012.

Addy Papa is a connector. A natural born facilitator with a passion for bringing good people together to do great work, Addy is a graduate from Remix 1.0, our first round of programming back in 2006 and hasn’t kicked the bug since. As an alumni, Addy worked tirelessly to bring prospective participants to the program while seeking out opportunities, partnerships and mentorships for his peers on a strictly volunteer level. With his own Blueprint Imaging Printing company serving as a success model and support for Remix at the same time, Addy has been steadily making the transition from printing and imaging into his passion of the music industry.

Brand manager for Rich Kidd and Ridgeway Entertainment, Addy has helped to guide Rich Kidd’s career forward while bringing different collaboration opportunities to the table and managing relationships across North America.

With his dedication to the movement, the highest quality of artistry and bringing people together to the benefit of all involved it was an obvious choice for The Remix Project to name Addy as Label Manager of our collaboration with EMI Music Canada; Honest Music.

Born in Hargeisa, Somalia, Ayanie moved to “these frozen plains” at 8 months old via Mogadishu and then New York. Growing up in Mornelle Court in Scarborough, Ayanie’s passion for storytelling can be attributed to his ancestral culture as much as it is a very personal valve of creative release.

It was at Remix that Ayanie first flexed his filmmaking muscles, conceptualizing and then creating a short film called “Forgotten”. Mentored by filmmaker Charles Officer, “Forgotten” revolved around the story of a young man growing up without a father in the inner city of Toronto. Dealing with emotional trauma and lessons learned, “Forgotten” was a brilliant first film financed completely through himself and his crew of young creative men from the east end. This film ended up winning the young director the coveted Lindalee Tracey award at the international Hot Docs Festival for “Emerging Filmmaker”.

Running with this impressive feat, Ayanie enrolled in our City Life Film Project and, after a grueling work period, was awarded as one of 3 young people whose stories were green lit into production through powerhouse Temple Street Productions and Team 7. Mentored in this instance by Clement Virgo and Randall “RT” Thorne, the resulting body of work, entitled “Balancing Act” was a touching story of inner city life for the 12 year old son of an addict and premiered at TIFF’s prestigious Bell Lightbox facility.

Beza came into the Remix 7.0 Creative Arts Program with the intention of reporting for a video project she had in mind called “The Remix Time Capsule”. She envisioned herself being in front of the camera, partnering with someone to do the back end directing/editing – however Beza surprised everybody, including herself, when she took full reigns of the project and completed every aspect of it on her own. With no prior knowledge of shooting or using editing equipment, Beza was determined to learn the Final Cut editing program and used her savings earned from the two jobs she juggled to purchase her own camera. Around the same time she graduated from Remix, she also graduated from high school, earning an honours distinction, and was accepted into Ryerson’s competitive journalism program. Currently, Beza is working towards her Journalism degree and is also a reporter for T.O. Campus Sports of Rogers TV.

Gabriel “Beyo” Deneke is an introspective young man with a penchant for storytelling. Gabriel, a graduate of Remix 4.0 emerged out of the Recording Arts stream of programing. After graduating from Remix, Gabrielle decided to further his education and enrolled into post secondary school where he spent a year at Seneca College. Not stopping there, Gabriel successfully applied for the City Life Film Project embracing his passion and knack for crafting intriguing tales. After several workshops and revisions of his story, Gabriel’s script was one of three selected to go into production. An experience that one can’t buy, Gabriel maximized the opportunity – one of which was being interviewed on set of his film by E-Talk Canada, an interview that was aired on national television with 850,000 viewers. Cul-De-Sac, written and directed by Gabriel Deneke, was premiered at the TIFF Bell Light Box to a sold out show filled with industry professionals, peers and members of the community. Gabriel is currently a full-time student at York University.

Brian is a humble, down to earth, young man who edits his work through the night, and is back to shooting in the AM. A graduate of the 6.0 Creative Arts Program, Brian not only perfects the details of his videos with his keen eye, but also completes his work at lightening speed, always ready and hungry for his the next video project. Sleep does not play a factor in this young man’s busy schedule. Brian is the owner and creator of his company CreAction Media Group and has done several high profile video pieces for clients such as Shawn Desman, Danny Fernandez, GQ magazine’s website, and the ‘Project’ Fashion Show in NY to name a few. He also co-directed Manifesto TV for the 2011 Manifesto Festival. Currently Brian is attending the New York Film Academy, furthering his skills as a talented director and is excited to explore this new and exciting venture in his life.

Church has an energy that draws in a crowd whether he’s performing on stage or tearing it up in a free-style battle. Before Remix, the rapper says he “didn’t feel engaged”, however upon entering the Recording Arts Program in round 7.0 his focus shifted and has since taken off further and faster than anybody could have anticipated. Church’s quick wit championed him as the winner of Much Music’s Rap City Hashtag Freestyle Competition. His video for the single “I’m Comin’ “ from his first mix tape entitled “Go To Church” pulled in 20k views in its first month alone of being released. Church’s many performances include the Manifesto Festival, 106 and York, North by Northeast Festival (where he was the only Toronto performer), and Youth Day (where he performed in front of a crowd of 12 thousand people). He has also opened up for the internationally recognized group D-12. Church continues to perform and get his name out there and is currently looking forward to his newest mixtape “Go To Church 2” with features from Adam Bomb, M Deezy, and fellow Remix alumni Jelly!

Jebril Jalloh aka Fresh keeps it exactly that. As owner and head of Get Fresh Co., Jebril has built a brand for himself that is at the forefront of urban and street fashion in the Canadian market. Whether in clothing & fashion distribution, retail, or wardrobe styling, Jebril and his Get Fresh brand have been doing some incredible work. After graduating from Remix 3.0, Jebril landed an internship at styling powerhouse The Bossy Girls. Working his way from intern to managing the company in just under a year of rewarding hard work, Jebril’s passion for fashion and business has helped the company reach new heights. Seeing 6 separate projects that he’s worked on earn MuchMusic Video Award nominations and 1 Juno nomination in 2010 has only served to stoke the already powerful drive that has propelled Jebril so far already. Building relationships across Toronto, New York, Miami, Las Vegas and Los Angeles, Jebril and Get Fresh Co. is poised to break down both boundaries and borders in a really exciting way.

Aside from being the freshest out, Jebril has taken his experiences at Remix and in the tradition of “Each One, Teach One” has made to himself a lifelong commitment towards helping other young people achieve their goals as well. Serving as an ambassador and success story for youth everywhere, Jebril was tapped by the Canadian Club of Toronto, DiverCity, and the office of Her Excellency, Governor General Michaelle Jean to be a panelist at Drive to Inspire: Empowering New Leaders in the 21st Century Canada as an expert on the subject.

Giselle has made an incredible use of The Remix experience. A graduate of our Recording Arts program 3.0, Giselle’s mentor was Zaki Ibrahim, which went so well that Giselle herself was invited to perform as a part of Zaki’s band when she opened up for international recording artist Erykah Badu here in Toronto. With a strong desire to pursue post-secondary education, Giselle earned a scholarship to Humber College through The Remix Project in order to study Film & Television Production.

Not stopping there, Giselle has since been a finalist in our City Life Film Project and earned herself an internship with film and television director Clark Johnson. Despite her awesome successes in the world of film & TV thus far, in true renaissance woman form, Giselle has not forsaken her love of music but instead has been building a steady buzz in the city playing with her band, Those Who Run.

The man, the myth, the legend…Hagler aka Mr. Triple Threat. A recording engineer, talented music composer/producer and an MC in his own right, Hagler has parlayed his experience at The Remix Project into becoming our studio assistant. Hailing from the east end of the city, it is really this Remix Alumni’s (session 3.0) work ethic that has contributed to his shine. Using Fruity Loops as his weapon of choice, you can regularly find this beatsmith crafting melodic mayhem in the dungeons of Remix. Able to fly on Pro-Tools, Hagler is not only our studio assistant and a youth leader as relates to The Remix Project’s non-profit programming, he is also a lead in our for-profit side of the studio. Through Blackboard Marketing, Remix’s for-profit initiative, Hagler works diligently to generate income for the charity through his unique skill sets as a recording engineer. All hail Hagler the Great.

Kimba grew up feeling as though her dreams of becoming a director/videographer were out of reach. That is, until she enrolled in the 7.0 Creative Arts Program. Her strong intuition guided her through the program and encouraged her to dedicate all of her time and energy into her true passion of telling stories and invoking emotion through video. This dedication paid off, because in less than a year of choosing to pursue her dream full-time, Kim acquired many successes under her belt. While at Remix, Kim was able to work for/with some big name Toronto artists. She shot the official behind the scenes footage of a Stereos music video, created an Andreena Mill behind the scenes video, and became Jully Black’s official videographer, all while still learning how to edit and utilize Final Cut. Since graduating from Remix, Kim was accepted into the City Life Film Project where she was chosen as one of three finalists to direct a short film from an original script she wrote entitled “Baby Half Lie”. This film premiered at the Tiff Bell Lightbox and will be submitted to several different film festivals around the globe.

After several years of moving in and out of different neighbourhoods and school systems, Quentin finally re-settled in the Jane and Finch area where he enrolled in high school and had the opportunity to learn about Remix through a school presentation. Quentin’s interest in the program eventually lead him to becoming a participant of the Creative Arts Program in round 5.0. Quentin was able to cultivate and nurture his diverse creative skills in graffiti, illustration, painting, graphic design, and spoken word during his time at Remix. These skills actually helped him earn a spot in his high school’s Dual Credit program, which helped land him a teacher’s assistant position at George Brown College (where he even taught a few classes!). At his high school graduation, Quentin was awarded 9 scholar awards along with several scholarships and is currently pursuing a degree in Fine Arts at the Ontario College of Art and Design.

Quentin’s work has been exhibited and sold globally from NYC to Cape Town, South Africa. His mural with Artstarts won best mural of 2009 in both the Toronto Star and NOW Magazine. Aside from school Quentin is currently part of the Tdot Renaissance movement and is also the Creative Arts Facilitator for Lost Lyrics, a grass roots alternative education program.

Born in Toronto to immigrants from the West African country of Ghana, Richie Acheampong aka Rich Kidd is a creative whirlwind. A recording artist and burgeoning music producer, Rich has been successfully expanding his creative scope with the intent to be a young multi-media mogul.

With a keen interest in storytelling, Rich’s passion for film has been burning intensely for years but up until now, hasn’t found an outlet. Creating storyboards for, and then directing, his own “home” music videos was Rich’s first taste of the visual game.

Having produced records for hip-hop superstars Drake, k-os, and Bustah Rhymes, the pseudonym Rich Kidd has been gaining notoriety in the rap music world and creating quite a buzz for himself. With the recent release of his “We On Some Rich Kid Sh#! Vol. 3”, Rich’s reputation is preceding him into rooms across the country.

With a passion for all genres of music, acclaimed Toronto based DJ Wristpect has been able to experience a wide array of achievements. A Remix 3.0 graduate, Shez now has an extensive catalog of nightclubs, concerts, product launches, and high profile private events under his belt for the likes of Rihanna, Drake, Eminem, Lady Gaga, Playboy, Nas, Justin Bieber, Kim Kardashian and many more. DJ Wristpect’s ability to cater to a wide spread audience has allowed him to take his talent internationally – playing in several cities including Amsterdam, London, Zurich, Oslo, Shanghai, Hong Kong, Singapore, Kuala Lumbur, New York, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, and Montreal to name a few. DJ Wristpect has received further recognition by being awarded with The Fan Choice Award, Toronto DJ of the Year, Canadian Club DJ of the Year, Toronto DJ of the Year, Mixtape of the Year and the official DJ of the Blackberry Torch Tour. Along with DJing, Wristpect is also the co-founder of The 194 Group, a music agency and talent management firm and has earned a degree in Management Economics from the University of Guelph.