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Biography
Infobox musical artist| name = Sweatshop Union| image =| caption =| background = group_or_band| origin = Vancouver , British Columbia , Canada | genre = Canadian hip hop | years_active = start date|2000–present| label = Battleaxe| current_members = Mr. Marmalade DJ Itchy Ron Metty the Dert Merchant Mos Eisley Dusty Melodica Conscience| past_members = Kyprios | associated_acts = Dirty Circus , Pigeon Hole (band)|Pigeon Hole , Innocent Bystanders, Trillionaire$ Sweatshop Union is a Canadian Hip hop music|hip hop collective formed in 2000 in Vancouver , when four politically minded rap acts— Dirty Circus , Pigeon Hole (band)|Pigeon Hole , Kyprios and Innocent Bystander (band)|Innocent Bystander —came together to produce their first album,cite web| last = Klausener| first = Rolf| title = Sweatshop Union| publisher = Dig Your Roots| url = http://www.digyourroots.ca/dyr.php? sect=artists& act=view& id=82| accessdate = 2007-06-19 which was published in 2001.
Known for an inventive and socially conscious sound,Cite news| last =Hollis| first = Susan| title = Sweatshop Union hits the wall| newspaper = Whistler Question| year = 2007| postscript = Sweatshop Union's music focuses on being "honest"—commenting on issues ranging from the Operation Enduring Freedom|war in Iraq , the plight of the poor and working-class, to the negativity and misogyny of mainstream hip-hop.cite web| last = Berry| first = David| title = There is strength in a Union| publisher = Vue Weekly | url = http://www.vueweekly.com/articles/default.aspx? i=2208| accessdate = 2007-06-19 |archiveurl = http://web.archive.org/web/20070928011851/ http://www.vueweekly.com/articles/default.aspx? i=2208 |archivedate = 2007-09-28 Speaking for the group, Mos Eisley put it as:
To me, politics aren’t a choice you make; they’re just a way of life. ... In that sense, I am trying to be more positive than political, because I’m already political to begin with...
I think that, at the same time as there’s a lot of money being put into hip hop that could be deemed negative or misogynistic or self-destructive, by the same token there’s a lot of guys who are coming up trying to be positive and rebel against that, and putting their careers on the line.
The band signed with Battleaxe Records in 2002 and their self-titled debut album was re-released as Local 604 . The group also began touring North America with a number of other Rap music|rap and hip-hop artists, including their label-mates Swollen Members .cite web| title = Sweatshop Union Bio| publisher = Maple Music | url = http://www.maplemusic.com/artists/swt/bio.asp| accessdate = 2011-02-07
Current members of the group include Metty the DertMerchant, Mos Eisley, DJ Itchy Ron, Mr. Marmalade, Conscience, and Dusty Melodica. Like other hip-hop collectives such as the Wu-Tang Clan , the members of Sweatshop Union continue to work, perform and produce separately in addition to their work with the band. Pigeon Hole, Dirty Circus and Metty's side project Trillionaire$ each released albums in 2010. http://exclaim.ca/articles/generalarticlesynopsfullart.aspx? csid1=143& csid2=844& fid1=46620 "Sweatshop Union to Release Three New Albums this Summer". Exclaim! , May 21, 2010. As of 2011, Kyprios has left the group to pursue his solo career.
Their 2004 album Natural Progression led to a Juno Award nominationcite web| last = Lounge| first = Cherry| title = Juno what I’m saying? | publisher = FFWD:Weekly| date = 2006-04-01| url = http://www.ffwdweekly.com/Issues/2004/0401/mus5.htm| accessdate = 2007-06-19 and three Western Canadian Music Award nominations.cite web| last = Rozenhart| first = Adam| title = Looking for the Union Label| publisher = Vue Weekly | url = http://www.vueweekly.com/articles/default.aspx? i=961| accessdate = 2007-06-19 |archiveurl = http://web.archive.org/web/20070928011614/ http://www.vueweekly.com/articles/default.aspx? i=961 |archivedate = 2007-09-28cite web| title = 2004 Artistic Awards| publisher = Western Canadian Music Awards| url = http://www.westerncanadianmusicawards.ca/awards/2004_artistic.html| accessdate = 2007-06-19 |archiveurl = http://web.archive.org/web/20070713061734/ http://www.westerncanadianmusicawards.ca/awards/2004_artistic.html |archivedate = 2007-07-13 They have been called part of "Vancouver's hip-hop renaissance",cite web| last = Turenne| first = Martin | title = Rising In the West | publisher = Exclaim| date = 2002-07| url = http://www.exclaim.ca/articles/research.aspx? csid1=36| accessdate = 2007-06-19 and had their music featured in CBC Radio|CBC Radio's Make Some Noise documentary.cite news| title = Make Some Noise |publisher = CBC Radio | url = http://www.cbc.ca/makesomenoise/music/ep13/| accessdate = 2007-06-19Dead link|date=October 2010|bot=RjwilmsiBot They have expanded their touring to the East coast hip hop|east coast , hoping to increase awareness about their music.cite web| title = Sweatshop Union Aren't Big Blinging It | publisher = Chart (magazine)|Chart | date = 2005-06-08 | url = http://www.chartattack.com/news/38817/sweatshop-union-arent-big-blinging-it | accessdate = 2009-08-10
The band's fourth studio album, Water Street (album)|Water Street , was released in 2008. In early 2009, Sweatshop Union's "Oh My" won in the 8th Annual The Independent Music Awards|Independent Music Awards for Best Rap/Hip-Hop Song. http://www.independentmusicawards.com/ima_new/jukebox2009.asp Independent Music Awards - 8th Annual Winners
Sweatshop's fifth and most recent album, The Bill Murray EP , was released March 1, 2011 on Urbnet Records. It features eight songs, and production from Pigeon Hole, Rob the Viking, and Preme Diesel. http://urbnet.com/artist-sweatshopunion.asp Urbnet Records - Official Site This is the first album on which former group member Kyprios has not appeared. http://exclaim.ca/Reviews/HipHop/sweatshop_union-bill_murray_ep Sweatshop Union: The Bill Murray EP. Exclaim! , March 1, 2011.
Discography
Sweatshop Union (album)|Sweatshop Union (2001)
Local 604 (2002) (re-release)
Natural Progression (2004)
United We Fall (2005)
Water Street (album)|Water Street (2008)
The Bill Murray EP (2011)
References
Reflist|2 DEFAULTSORT:Sweatshop Union Category:Musical groups established in 2000 Category:Musical groups from Vancouver Category:Canadian hip hop groups Category:Hip hop collectives Category:Independent Music Awards winners
