Hot Hip Hop Event Brings Edmontons music history into the future

EDMONTON HIP HOP

Edmonton's hip hop tradition runs deeper than most of Canada acknowledges. The Maximum Definitive, a trio from Edmonton, earned a Juno Award nomination for Best Rap Recording in 1993. Rollie Pemberton — performing as Cadence Weapon — served as Edmonton's Poet Laureate while simultaneously building a hip hop career that culminated in winning the Polaris Music Prize (Canada's top album award, $50,000) in 2021 for Parallel World. In his acceptance speech: "I don't want you to forget that. The prairies got something to say. E-town." Today, Edmonton's scene is sustained by a network of independent artists and labels — among them More Than Murder Records — that keep grassroots hip hop alive and locally rooted in Treaty 6 Territory.

LiL Halzz - The First Born brings that tradition forward.

ARTIST PROFILES

LIL HALZZ — Headliner "The Canadian Hitman" Born Halala Dlamini and raised in Logoba, Eswatini (formerly Swaziland), Lil Halzz carries the weight of the firstborn — the one who opens doors and sets standards for everyone who follows. Raised by his grandmother in a household where strength was lived rather than spoken, Dlamini absorbed a sense of leadership and discipline before he had words to describe it. Music was a constant presence in that environment: in homes, at gatherings, during every ordinary moment. It did not feel like preparation at the time, but it was shaping everything. Freestyling came naturally as pure expression — a way to release thoughts and emotion with nowhere else to go. The move to Canada was not a separation from home but an expansion of it. Settling in Edmonton (the YEG, and making home at the 780), Lil Halzz entered unfamiliar pressures: different streets, a different pace, a grind that demanded discipline and focus. Freestyles became writing. Writing became structure. Structure became vision. If Logoba shaped the soul, Canada sharpened the execution. His artistic identity carries no gimmicks — only lived experience translated honestly into sound. His energy is measured, his presence intentional, and his growth deliberate. He speaks openly about overthinking and the weight of expectation, but clarity now leads where fear once existed. "The First Born" is not simply a concert title; it is the thesis of everything he represents.

Connect with Lil Halzz: @lilhalzz — Instagram Lil Halzz Music — Facebook Source: Times of Eswatini feature article (February 28, 2026): times.co.sz — Lil Halzz: 1st born energy, global intent

POOKY G HOUSE — Born and raised in Treaty 6 Territory — Amiskwaciwaskahikan (Edmonton) — Pooky G is an Indigenous hip hop artist, DJ, actress, model, and community builder. She hosts shows on two radio stations affiliated with Windspeaker Media, crafts and records her own tracks, and uses live performance as a medium for healing and empowerment in Aboriginal family and youth support contexts. Her EP "So Far So Hood" earned international recognition, a nomination for an Indigenous hip hop award, and the title of Best Hip Hop Album of the Year in 2022. Beyond music, her first lead acting role in the film "Abducted" earned her a Best Actress nomination. She has been featured in a Parisian fashion magazine and is signed to More Than Murder Records — the Edmonton-based independent label founded by Deffine.

Connect with Pooky G House: @pookyghouse — Instagram POOKYGHOUSE — Facebook More Than Murder Records — Artist Page Source: More Than Murder Records (official artist bio): morethanmurder.com

DEFFINE — Born June 28, 1987 in Fort McMurray, Alberta, Deffine is the founder of More Than Murder Records — Edmonton's independent hip hop label built on the philosophy of killing limitation and self-doubt. Known for gritty authenticity and emotional depth, his bars layer hard-hitting punches with soulful introspection rooted in real lived experience. His debut album My Definition (2010) quickly opened doors to supporting slots for legendary acts including Mobb Deep, Warren G, Travis Scott, Killah Priest, Hopsin, Planet Asia, The Alkaholiks, Obie Trice, and D12. Touring Canada with Doom Squad built his name across the country. In January 2012 he dropped the More Than Murder Mixtape — a 22-track project hosted by K-Blitz — followed by More Than Murder II. His long-awaited Purgatory (January 2023) and Too Heavy (2023) mark a new chapter of artistic maturity. More Than Murder Studios now serves as a platform for himself and a growing roster of Edmonton artists.

Connect with Deffine: More Than Murder Records (Official Site) Deffine — Artist Page Source: More Than Murder Records & More Than Motive bio: morethanmurder.com/deffine

SIMPLE CD — Simple CD is an Edmonton-based hip hop artist appearing on the More Than Murder Records roster alongside Deffine and Pooky G. A fixture of the YEG underground scene, Simple CD brings lyrical craft and stage energy built through years performing in Edmonton's independent hip hop community.

Details, social links, and booking information are available through the More Than Murder Records network.

Connect with Simple CD: More Than Murder Records Roster Source: Event brochure (The First Born, 2026) & More Than Murder Records: morethanmurder.com

CHILLCHILLA — ChillChilla is an Edmonton hip hop artist listed on the official event bill for The First Born. Part of the city's active underground scene, ChillChilla is known for a laid-back delivery and sharp lyrical content that fits the YEG hip hop tradition of substance over flash.

Connect via social media and the Alchemy Atrium Nexus network for booking and music updates.

Connect with ChillChilla: Artist Alchemy Inc. — Eventbrite Source: Event brochure (The First Born, 2026); Artist Alchemy Inc.

THE VENUE - Club 97

Club 97 is located at 10225 97 Street NW, Downtown Edmonton, in the historic Shoctor Building — previously home to Brittany's Lounge — in The Quarters district.

Operated by Colin Campbell, Club 97 opened to a packed house at a Caribbean Reggae show featuring Skystar, with a mandate to animate The Quarters neighbourhood and become a staple live music destination in the city. The venue sits at the gateway of Edmonton's historic Chinatown and Little Italy district along 97 Street — one of the city's major arterial corridors running from Jasper Avenue north through Downtown. Club 97 is positioned as a community anchor, with Campbell expressing the intention for it to be a long-term presence: "In five years we hope that Club 97 can be a staple, and influence more and more venues to open in The Quarters."

Address: 10225 97 St NW, Edmonton, AB T5J 0L5 Neighbourhood: The Quarters, Downtown Edmonton Find Club 97: Club 97 on Eventbrite Club 97 — echolead.live listing YellowPages — Club 97 Club 97 Instagram Source: Boyle McCauley News, April-May 2026: bmcnews.org — Club 97 Enters The Quarters

CONNECTIONS - Artist Alchemy Inc.

Artist Alchemy Inc. is an Edmonton-based music development company built around a single proposition: a world where artists can pay their bills, keep all their rights, and connect with their fans on a deep and personal basis. The company recognizes that regardless of which platform pays artists, they never receive a fair share of the money they earn — even after spending sometimes decades refining their craft. On top of that, there are no solid support networks for artists to learn, progress, or network constructively within. Artist Alchemy has built what it calls a "music city with the artist as the focus" — a community-driven model offering guidance, financial advice, networking, state-of-the-art studio and venue space, and innovative compensation structures. The company's Alchemy Atrium Nexus is the production banner under which The First Born is presented. Its facility in Edmonton features a professional recording studio, a podcast and YouTube studio, and the first full LED room of its kind in Western Canada — attracting members from across Alberta and neighbouring provinces.

Connect with Artist Alchemy Inc.: Official Website — aalchemy.ca @artistalchemyinc — Instagram Artist Alchemy Inc. — Eventbrite Organizer Page Artist Alchemy — Meetup Events Source: Artist Alchemy official website: aalchemy.ca | Eventbrite: eventbrite.ca

MISS THE OLD SCHOOL SOLID HIP HOP BORN IN YEG HISTORY?

COME TOGETHER TO HEAR THE NEWEST BEST LOCAL YEG HIP HOP ARTISTS BRING BACK THE POWER OF HIP HOP TO EDMONTON FANS