Candy Coated Killahz
Encyclopedia
CCK are an urban trio from Toronto
, Canada
, known for their blend of hip-hop, r&b, and electronic styles, a sound the group has termed "Ghettotronic" Hailed by The Globe and Mail as one of the bands responsible for Toronto’s emergence as a “music capital”, original group members Tasha Schumann and Icon the Anomali released their debut album “It Factor” in 2008 after becoming a staple in Toronto's Queen West
music scene, and soon came into national visibility in 2009 with their debut single "Playboy". Following the single’s success at radio and its appearance in Tyler Perry’s
blockbuster movie, “I Can Do Bad All By Myself
”, CCK added DJ Danthrax, the third member, and together the group wrote and produced the sophomore album, "Neon Black" (released July 2011). Singles include Neon Black (remixed by DJ Green Lantern
, Che Vicious, and Bonjay) and Light Up This City.
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, known for their blend of hip-hop, r&b, and electronic styles, a sound the group has termed "Ghettotronic" Hailed by The Globe and Mail as one of the bands responsible for Toronto’s emergence as a “music capital”, original group members Tasha Schumann and Icon the Anomali released their debut album “It Factor” in 2008 after becoming a staple in Toronto's Queen West
Queen Street West
Queen Street West describes both the western branch of Queen Street, a major east-west thoroughfare, and a series of neighbourhoods or commercial districts, situated west of Yonge Street in downtown Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Queen Street begins in the west at the intersection of King Street, The...
music scene, and soon came into national visibility in 2009 with their debut single "Playboy". Following the single’s success at radio and its appearance in Tyler Perry’s
Tyler Perry
Tyler Perry is an American actor, director, playwright, entrepreneur, screenwriter, producer, author, and songwriter. Perry wrote and produced many stage plays during the 1990s and early 2000s. In 2005, he released his first film, Diary of a Mad Black Woman...
blockbuster movie, “I Can Do Bad All By Myself
I Can Do Bad All By Myself
I Can Do Bad All by Myself is a 1999 play directed by, written by, and starring Tyler Perry. The play marks for the first official appearance of the well-known fictional character Mabel "Madea" Simmons, who is portrayed by Perry.-Plot summary:...
”, CCK added DJ Danthrax, the third member, and together the group wrote and produced the sophomore album, "Neon Black" (released July 2011). Singles include Neon Black (remixed by DJ Green Lantern
DJ Green Lantern
James D'Agostino , better known by his stage name DJ Green Lantern, is an American-Italian-Puerto Rican DJ and hip hop music producer from Rochester, New York. In 2002, D'Agostino was signed by Eminem to become the official DJ for Shady Records after DJ Head stepped down for undisclosed reasons...
, Che Vicious, and Bonjay) and Light Up This City.
Band formation
Band members Icon the Anomali and Tasha Schumann (aka Tasha Dash) met in 2007 while working at a downtown Toronto restaurant during university. At the time, both were working on solo projects which were put on hold after the two began writing together. With Tasha as producer, the group’s sound quickly evolved from street hip hop to a sound the group has termed “Ghettotronic” a blend of hip hop, old school dance, and electronic.Tasha "Dash" Schumann
One of the industry’s few female music producers, Tasha Schumann is the band’s beat-maker, co-writer, and front-woman. A classically trained pianist, and multi-instrumentalist, she sometimes performs under the stage name "Tasha Dash". Originally from Kitchener-Waterloo, Ontario, she grew up playing in rock bands and moved to Toronto after high school because of a lack of “opportunities to do hip-hop and electro” in her hometown. The German-Jamaican musician often cites groups such as Outkast, TLC, 2Unlimited, and No Doubt as influences for her production style.Michael "Icon the Anomali" Akinlabi
Nigerian-born, Michael Ayodeji Akinlabi, is CCK frontman and performs under the stage name Icon the Anomali. Also a comic book creator, and video-game designer, Icon has cited Michael Jackson as a major inspiration.Studio recordings
- Neon Black (2011), MapleMusic Recordings & Hot Steam Records
- It Factor (2008), Hot Steam Records (Independent)
- Bloodsugar: The Mixtape (2007), Hot Steam Records (Independent)
Singles
- Light Up This City - Written by T.Schumann, M.Akinlabi, D. Hartrell, Produced by D. Hartrell & T. Schumann
- Neon Black - Written by T.Schumann, M. Akinlabi, D. Hartrell, Produced by T. Schumann & D. Hartrell
- Playboy - Written by T.Schumann & M. Akinlabi, Produced by T. Schumann