Come hear the beats and bars of some of the best hip hop artists on the East Coast – from both sides of the border!

New York hip hop fixture Wiki is coming to light up the Marquee Ballroom with Lord Unknown. They’ll be joined by local legends DJ Uncle Fester and Tachichi, as well as rising stars BASYL and Hatlfield.

Wiki

Wiki (Patrick Morales) is a critically acclaimed, independent rapper from New York City. He has released many celebrated projects, including albums produced by Tony Seltzer (14K Figaro in 2023), The Alchemist (Faith is a Rock with MIKE in 2023), Subjxct5 (Cold Cuts in 2022), Navy Blue (Half God in 2021) and NAH (Telephonebooth in 2021), as well as tracks with Ghostface Killah, Earl Sweatshirt, Princess Nokia, Skepta, and Madlib. Wiki is a staple of the New York underground, where he rose to prominence as the frontman of Ratking. The trio’s groundbreaking 2014 LP So It Goes remains a landmark in experimental hip hop. One of this generation’s best lyricists and storytellers, Wiki brings his talents to Atlantic Canada for the first time when he performs with Lord Unknown at the Marquee Ballroom in Halifax on May 2nd, 2025.

Praise for Wiki’s 2023 album Faith is a Rock with MIKE and The Alchemist
“Faith Is a Rock is one of the most flat-out beautiful rap albums I’ve heard” – Alex Hudson (Exclaim!)
“Blending emotional transparency with nuance and a knack for descriptive writing, the LP finds profound human truths in mundanities . . . It’s as frank as it is poetic, with everyone involved being able to find delicate beauty amid existential fear” – Peter A. Berry (Stereogum)
“MIKE and Wiki have a lot to say. Their knack for lucid self-awareness and radical honesty is only matched by their sharp social commentary . . . Here, two worthy champions sit on a throne crafted from their own excellence” – Matthew Ritchie (Pitchfork)

Praise for Wiki’s 2021 album Half God with Navy Blue
“The New York rapper’s latest is one of his greatest. A wise and angry Wiki reveals what it’s like to come of age in the city: the way it shapes, hardens, prematurely ages you . . . Wiki has always wielded his considerable talent to paint cityscapes with words, but with Elsesser’s production, they become transportive” – Matthew Ismael Ruiz (Best New Music – Pitchfork)
“Half God is just a beautiful record . . . Wiki and Navy Blue’s New York sounds like the most glorious place on earth. I hope both of them stay in that place, literal or metaphorical, and I hope they make more music like this, together or apart” – Tom Breihan (Stereogum)

Lord Unknown

Hailing from Brooklyn, NY, producer Lord Unknown has built a reputation for his eclectic and innovative sound. His impressive catalog boasts collaborations with prominent artists such as Rich the Kid, Jay Critch, Wiki, and DJ Lucas, papo2oo4 x Subjxct 5, Starker x Yl, and Lunchbox among many others. In 2018, Lord Unknown launched his acclaimed “Lord Knows” series, which has since grown to include four installments. This collection showcases his versatility, featuring remixes, beats, and unreleased tracks that blend different eras and styles into something fresh and exciting. Lord Unknown’s approach to collaboration is characterized by a deep sense of creative synergy, as he pushes boundaries with fellow rappers and producers. His unique sound has captivated audiences and established him as a hidden force in the music scene.

DJ Uncle Fester

A veteran and OG of the Canadian hip hop scene, DJ Uncle Fester is always creating. A founding member of the Backburner Crew, Fes has worked on many award winning albums and with artists from all across North America. Recording, engineering, producing, beat making, touring and DJing for various MCs in Canada (Ghostface and Raekwon), as well as various bands, are all ways in which Fes has spread his sound across the map. From working with Ali Shaheed Muhammad (ATCQ) on the award winning Extremities (w Fresh Kils) project, which blended live band recordings and musicians with a traditional hip hop approach, all the way to arranging and mixing tracks on Chan Hays album “Here” featuring Conway, Roc Marciano, Benny The Butcher, El Camino, Pharoah Monch, etc. With underground heavyweights AP The Overlord, John Creasy, Roshin, Justo the MC and more, Fes continues to push his craft forward. With all this work already put in and no signs of slowing down, look for many projects to come.

Tachichi

Tachichi is a Halifax hiphop legend whose resume is as superb and as big as his talent, with his fingers in everything from writing to production to video directing. Tachichi has released around 15 albums to date and played hundreds of live shows across Canada and the U.S. While much of his previous catalogue over the last 20 years has been alongside Canadian producer and DJ Moves, Tachichi has multiple solo LPs and has released music with just about every influential and celebrated hip hop artist from the land of the maple leaf, including Buck 65, Classified, Quake Matthews, Ghettosocks, Skratch Bastid, Snak the Rapper, and countless others. He is a ferocious emcee who puts the art and bars above all else with a flow like lava.

BASYL

For BASYL, music is more than just a career; it serves as a profound avenue for self-expression. Hailing from the heart of the Middle East, BASYL, a Palestinian rapper, crafts a unique style that blends the melodic vibes of R&B with meticulously crafted lyrics and an infectious, rhythmic flow. BASYL delves into themes such as freedom of speech, oppression, personal growth, and love through his music.

Hatfield

Hatfield, formerly known as “Khaki Ka$h” and “Just Q” is a Canadian rapper/singer-songwriter from Weymouth, Nova Scotia. Influenced by artists like Earl Sweatshirt, LUCKI, Sufjan Stevens, Ruby Waters, Aldean Alliston, Nirvana and so many more, Hatfield started rapping and playing instruments in his prepubescents, honing his skills for decades and dedicating himself to his craft. From early golden era boom bap hip hop records, to modern day auto tuned vibes and everything in between. Hatfield’s versatility knows no bounds, a true artist led by his passion and determination to express himself at all costs.