Canon

Atlanta artists Canon and Derek Minor put a twist on Richard Pryor’s 1985 comedy, “Brewster’s Million” for the music video for, “Over Do It,” a song off of Canon’s “Loose Canon Vol. 3″ album. The hype hip-hop song wastes no time turning up for the listener, and not only because of the beat. Canon and Derek Minor tag team their verses with skill, switching up the flow, offering perfect variety for the listeners ear. Check out the video above to see for yourself. - Rickey Smiley Morning Show

HipHopDX Exclusive Premiere: Chicago-born/Atlanta-based rapper Canon makes a powerful statement about today’s tumultuous times in his new music video for “Eagles.” The song is available on iTunes and is the first single from Canon’s forthcoming Loose Canon Vol. III album slated for release on September 9 on Reflection Music Group.

In the music video directed by Will Thomas, Canon shows eagles soaring high atop the forest trees and mountains, bringing the song lyrics to life. He raps, “I’m just here to fly above the stat quo.”

Canon says the video embodies his concept. “I am excited to see my vision come forth with clarity,” he explains. “I am excited to see that director Will Thomas was able to capture the visual as well. I am excited to see the outcome of it, the creativity. We like to push the bar just a bit when it comes to producing music videos when it comes to showing the kind of visual we want to put out. Hopefully when people see this music video they’ll feel challenged. In this song, I say if you really want to see the world the way it really is, you got to get above it, fly above the eagles to see how it really is.”

Considering racial tensions and a hotly contested presidential election, the song’s relatable message is especially relevant. Aside from the song’s compassionate narrative, it delivers a knocking, thematic track produced by G Roc that sets the pace for Canon’s poignant, rapid-fire flow.

Loose Canon Vol. III is shaping up to be Canon’s boldest set yet, reflecting his evolution as an artist and man of faith. “When making this album, I asked myself, If you had one last chance to tell somebody something what would it be?” Canon explains. “If you had one last opportunity to change the world in some type of way, how would it look? If you had one good way to show how it looks to be a good husband, what would you show? My priorities are being changed.” - Hip Hop DX

Rapper and producer Canon is on a rapidly growing list of highly skilled MCs who don’t rely on profane lyrics to get their messages across. The Chicago-born, Atlanta-raised artist who has worked with LeCrae and Derek Minor is sure to generate some buzz with his latest release, “The Warm Up,” that premieres exclusively on Yahoo Music, one day before the song’s Nov. 20 street date.

After taking some time off to recover from a terrible accident in December 2014 that left him with a broken jaw, shattered ankle, and concussion after falling down a ravine, Canon is back with a ferocious, lyrical track that shines even without a chorus.

Canon’s not afraid to rap about his faith or shun hip hop’s status quo. He raps, “I don’t need Hov, and I don’t need ‘Ye / I gotta a cosigner bigger than ya DJs.” He also pads his rapid-fire raps with clever wordplay (“I can be a prick when on point / I’m a cactus”) as the beat paces like eerie horror film theme music.

“The Warm Up” will definitely build anticipation for his next still-to-be-determined set. He’s previously released two EPs, 2012’s Loose Canon (EP): Volume 1 and 2014’s Loose Canon V2 that impacted Billboard’s Top 200 chart. In 2013, he released the album Mad Haven. - Yahoo Music

Canon did a freestyle about the Pittsburgh Steelers for ESPN’s First Take. Check it out below. - ESPN

Hailing from Chicago but now calling Atlanta home, Aaron “Canon” McCain is a prominent mover in the Christian hip hop world. Finding religion as a teenager, Canon headed south for college, where he pursued expressing his faith through music with the encouragement from new friend Derek Minor & others in the scene, dropping his first mixtape in 2009. Canon would go on to sign with Reflection Music Group and tour the world with renowned Christian MC Lecrae.

Flash forward to 2014 – Canon is making waves and reaching the Billboard charts with his newest album, Loose Canon, Vol. 2 and enjoying opportunities like freestyling on ESPN’s 1st Take before a big Monday Night Football game!

Doc Watson, CEO of Reflection Music Group, has chosen TuneCore to distribute singles and albums for his growing label over the years. He’s a great example of a label head who develops strong relationships with his artists and creates a ‘family-style’ atmosphere. Canon and Doc were kind enough to discuss the album, Canon’s background, the Christian hip hop scene and more in an interview below…

Tell us about how your upbringing in Chicago influences your lyrics and style:

Canon: My upbringing in Chicago has a big impact on my style. I grew up in the church and we were surrounded by that specific culture. I played in the praise band and sang in the choir. Being involved in those areas really influenced my music. I remember the cadence changes and the fast and harmonious vocals we would deliver. That was a big deal to me. I remember my brother playing the drums and he would ride the hi-hat and I remember thinking to myself that the speed of which his drumstick rang on that hat is how fast I wanted my rap to sound. The midwest and southern rappers that were out at that time also influenced me. I loved the beats; the southern drawl that they had. It was dope.

How early did you know you wanted to rap? And when was it that you made the decision to merge your faith and your love of hip-hop?

C: I’ve always had a passion for hip hop and rap music in general but I realized when I was around 11 years old that this was something that I wanted to do. However when I was 14 is when I became a believer and stuff got real for me. My faith became real and I knew then that I wanted to do this for the Lord.

You seem to have surrounded yourself with great people. Tell us about your relationships with artists like Lecrae, Derek Minor, Doc Watson, and Reflection Music Group.

C: I am extremely grateful that God has put these dynamic brothers in my life. They have all had a powerful impact on my life and I am extremely thankful to have them as my brothers. Lecrae has imparted so much wisdom on me. As someone who is a veteran I take his influence to heart. I would say the biggest thing that I have learned from him is how to lead and live responsibly as a man of God in this industry. Derek has challenged me so much especially in the area of being a great artist and a great leader amongst other artists. Doc has kind of taken what both Lecrae and Derek have taught me and has helped me navigate through those areas. He has also helped me maximize my talents, be a responsible godly leader, and a great artist/businessman. RMG as a whole has taught me how to steward my platform well.

Doc, what did you first see in Canon when you two first met?

Doc Watson: Canon was about 19 when I first met him. He was always working and learning his craft. At RMG we are a family, so he fit that perfectly. Since the beginning he has been like a brother and has always pushed himself to get better in production, recording, and fashion.

How would you describe the independent Christian/Gospel hip hop scene as a whole?

C: In the independent scene, everybody is building up their own resources to change the world. It’s done in a sense where they may co-labor with other individuals or a group. Nobody is signed to any major labels. Reach [Records] is probably the only major label that we may have in the movement. Everybody is primarily independent because the genre itself is independent. It’s not held together by major mainstream sources.
DW: I think it has become more creative and thoughtful of its message. I feel like some in the genre are able to connect with the mainstream a lot better than before. The genre has grown and the music has been improving constantly.

Canon, what does being independent mean to you?

C: It means being able to create a movement and rally resources and people to believe in the vision of your specific message in the movement. It also means to create your own resources as well as live off of your own resources and have people believe in the movement that you have created.

Canon-artist-page

As an independent label manager, how has TuneCore made your life/business easier?

DW: TuneCore is so great from an independent level. It gives us more access to stores, more control of our music, and also more options when it comes to marketing. Obviously it’s great to keep all of our royalties, but the customer service and transparency of TuneCore is what makes it really great. I have never had a problem getting paid, we see trending reports to help with budgeting and forecasting. TuneCore also helps us discover our markets, (which are strongest and which are emerging), per our artist.

What kinds of stories are you sharing on “Loose Canon Vol. 2”?

C: There are so many stories being shared in LCV2. It is a shotgun version of a project. It doesn’t just focus on one theme; I tackle a lot of different issues with hopes to bring a lot of them to light. One of them is the song “Point Of View”: I tell the story of growing up in the hood and people getting at me because I was a silly kid who liked to play and have fun and I didn’t do well in school. I was the one who everybody knew and wanted to be around but struggled with being irresponsible. Back in the day people would look at me and think things like, “There aint no hope for that boy.” In this track I wanted to share that I am someone who’s intelligent and knows a lot about God and how to be a good man. I am more than meets the eye. I also want to show people that I am doing what God has called me to do.

In “Common Sense”, I share the idea that people think that to pursue the American dream is common sense. My challenge is that if we pursued getting all the college degrees and career goals, loading up our 401k’s and have the wife and 2.5 kids with the house and picket fence, what would happen if God calls us to live a life style that is contrary to the American dream? What if He calls us to be cross-cultural missionaries? What if common sense isn’t so common anymore? My goal is not to bash the American dream, but to get people to think that common sense may not be what everyone thinks that it is.

LCV2 debuted at #8 on the Billboard Hip Hop Chart, and #2 on the Gospel Chart! How do you plan on using that momentum to power through the next year?

C: My goals are to use this amazing opportunity that God has given me to put out more great music, make more appearances on tracks, videos, tours etc. The thing that we need to remember is that God opens up these opportunities. I want to submit to what he has for me.

What does the success of LCV2 mean for you and your label?

DW: It’s big for a lot of reasons. Sure the financial side is obvious, but also the momentum is great. Canon has 3 projects that are available, and has released them each one year apart. Each one has sold better than the last, which is great news. Also, we have had a great year as a label with other releases. So this keeps the momentum moving and the growth continuing.

Independent hip hop artists of all styles face struggles. What advice do you have for those looking to break through and take their careers to the next level?

C: I want them to know that it takes a level of commitment and dedication that you haven’t given anywhere else. If you are looking at this as a hobby, then I want to encourage you to think about a different career. This is something that you have to be 100% dedicated to at all times. It takes a lot of time and energy. You need to commit and give everything that you have to it. If you are committed, then stay focused and keep at it.

As someone who is regularly on the lookout for talent, what kind of advice can you offer to aspiring artists?

DW: The first thing, and most importantly, is build your brand. You do this by consistently putting out music and art. Stay creative and get a group of really dope creatives around you to help. Doing things on your own is normal for many artists, but eventually you have to open up and let others into your process. Everything else comes along…but with TuneCore out there, it makes it easy to sell your music. Make sure to stay away from free albums, unless you do it by also selling your music. Like I said before, TuneCore is great for discovery. - Tunecore

On one leg, Canon performed in Trinidad this weekend for the first time since he fell 40 feet and suffered a shattered ankle, broken jaw and concussion.

On Dec. 20, Canon had attempted to rescue a driver who wrecked his car on the side of the road in Clarksville, Tennessee. But the disoriented driver twisted the ignition key, ejecting gas from the vehicle and sending Canon fleeing for safety. Canon, his vision impaired by the night, leaped over a railing and landed 40 feet later on to a creek bed.

His injuries required surgery and his jaw to be wired shut, and he remained hospitalized through the holiday season.

Nearly four months following the accident, as his Reflection Music Group label mate Derek Minor readied to perform Canon's song "Loud Music" in Trinidad at the gospel music festival Open House, two men carried Canon on their shoulders out on to the stage. He later hopped on one leg alongside KB to perform "Paganini," Andy Mineo's song on which both artists are featured.

The Leaf-Chronicle reported in December that Canon had fallen 20 feet, but he told Rapzilla.com in Trinidad that the ravine he plunged into was twice as deep.

In addition to the stage, Canon has also returned to the studio to record new music. - Rapzilla

Atlanta emcee/producer @getthecanon drops off "The Warm Up," a new self-produced banger. - The DJ Booth