The Main Ingredient: March 2011 | Janelle Monae + Shad freestyle

The Main Ingredient March 2011 installment went down this past Saturday at Revival. A special Canadian Music Fest special edition featured early performances by The LYTICS from Winnipeg and Toronto’s Art of Fresh. The party segment featured a very special guest host, Janelle Monae who performed the headline set at The Indie Awards earlier the same evening at Royal York Hotel Ballroom.

We didn’t push this as a media draw to the show, but some tastemaker media and bloggers were in the spot, including Chedo of The Come Up Show (www.thecomeupshow.com) and here’s just a slice of what went down on-stage that night with Janelle and her Wondaland crew.

Enjoy…and Toronto, thank you for your support!

DJ Mensa Hibernation Mixtape

Our very own DJ Mensa of The Main Ingredient has just released a smooth chillin-in-the-warmth-of-your-dwelling mixtape entitled simply Hibernation.

Here’s how he breaks it down…

For better or for worse, this has been the winter everyone’s been waiting for. The one we were bound to get because we’ve been getting it too easy with global warming the past two years. The east coast’s been Pacquiao’ed with packed snow for two months straight. My city’s about to be tucked in another 30cm blanket of it tonight, and bumpers everywhere are going to be bruised over the next week. No fun for most.

Unless you have a reason to stay in.

Which is where this mixtape come out to play.

Following up where Cabin Fever left off, Hibernation is an exploration in lo-fi: soft keys, warm bass, and all kinds of intimacy. Look out for some amazing remixes of R’n’B standards, left field covers of others and, of course, The-Dream. Far from a slow jam tape, but definitely a gateway to foreplay, or something.

Use your sick days up wisely.

DJ Mensa – Hibernation (track listing)

The Roots ft. George Benson – Breezin’
Oliver Daysoul – Finer Things In Life
John Legend – Live It Up
Ayah – 4:15 (Apollo Brown Remix)
J*Davey – No More
J. Cole ft. Drake – In The Morning
Terri & Monica vs. Elephino – Sexuality (DJ Mensa Blend)
Slakah The Beatchild – Something Forever
Aaliyah – Rock The Boat (Mawkus Remix)
R. Kelly – Number One Hit
Avila Bros. ft. Shelea – Let It Go
Teedra Moses – Be Your Girl (Siik Remix)
Sade – Love Is Stronger Than Pride (Paul Nice Remix)
Brittany Rosco – It Was You
Mara Hruby – Alright
Foreign Exchange ft. Jesse Boykins & Median – Make Me A Fool
Peven Everett – Testin’ Me
Janet Jackson – That’s The Way Love Goes (Acapella)
Zhane – Crush (k15 Remix)
Quadron – Horse
Sonnymoon – Houstonlantavegas
Mayer Hawthorne – Thin Moon
Saidah Baba Talibah – Good Morning Baby
The Dream – Fancy

DOWNLOAD HIBERNATION:
http://www.djmensa.com/mixes/djmensa_hibernation.mp3
(FOR PC, right click, save as | FOR MAC: control + click, save as)