Project Wyze
Encyclopedia
Project Wyze was a Canadian
rap rock
band active from 1996 before breaking up in 2003 to pursue their side-project Dead Celebrity Status
.
and Bobby McIntosh started out as a hip hop
duo under the name of Project Wyze in 1988 when they were teenagers in Sudbury, Ontario
. While attending high school, Project Wyze established a reputable image in the underground hip-hop scene by opening for acts such as Dream Warriors
, Maestro Fresh Wes and Michie Mee
. They were also one of the first Canadian groups to open for the influential American
hip-hop group, Public Enemy.
The pair subsequently moved to London, Ontario
after high school. In 1995, Yas and Bobby were invited to perform with a punk rock
band.
The experience was such a positive one that the two groups fused together. The hip-hop group Project Wyze had now evolved into a rock/rap band including members Adam Arsenault (guitar), and Tye Thomas (bass). The band started writing new music and they released their first EP
, Trapz of Poetic Poison, on an indie label in 1996. Project Wyze toured the United States in 1998, performing with artists like Papa Roach
and the Step Kings.
After the success of the first EP, the band enlisted the talents of Sasha Kosovic (guitar), Brad Dean (drums) and Elie Abdelnour (bass) to round out the line-up. In 2000, with the new band established, Project Wyze released a longer sophomore EP, Only If I Knew. Growing record sales and an expanding fan base grabbed the attention of major labels. They subsequently signed to Sony Music and released their major label debut, Misfits.strangers.liars.friends
, in 2001. That album spawned the Canadian hit singles "Nothing's What it Seems" and "Room to Breathe". Their major label debut, misfits.strangers.liars.friends
, was released in 2001.
After internal conflicts, members of the band started to disband. Yas and Bobby formed Dead Celebrity Status
as a side project. Though it started as a side project, DCS became a main project for both of the vocalists. Yas and Bobby now devote their time to DCS.
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...
rap rock
Rap rock
Rap rock is a cross-genre fusing vocal and instrumental elements of hip hop with various forms of rock. Rap rock is often confused with rap metal and rapcore, subgenres that include heavy metal-oriented and hardcore punk-oriented bands, respectively....
band active from 1996 before breaking up in 2003 to pursue their side-project Dead Celebrity Status
Dead Celebrity Status
Dead Celebrity Status is a Canadian hip-hop group originating in Sudbury, Ontario. Rappers Yas Taalat and Bobby McIntosh, both former members of the rock/rap band Project Wyze, teamed up with onetime DMC World Champion DJ Dopey to form Dead Celebrity Status in 2003.-History:Following the breakup of...
.
History
Emcees Yas TaalatYas Taalat
Yas Taalat is a recording artist and song writer residing out of Toronto. He is the co-founder and lead singer of the popular gold selling status band Project Wyze and currently the successful hip hop group Dead Celebrity Status. Yas had been making music and performing since the early age of 13...
and Bobby McIntosh started out as a hip hop
Hip hop music
Hip hop music, also called hip-hop, rap music or hip-hop music, is a musical genre consisting of a stylized rhythmic music that commonly accompanies rapping, a rhythmic and rhyming speech that is chanted...
duo under the name of Project Wyze in 1988 when they were teenagers in Sudbury, Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
. While attending high school, Project Wyze established a reputable image in the underground hip-hop scene by opening for acts such as Dream Warriors
Dream Warriors
Dream Warriors were a Canadian hip hop duo from Toronto, Ontario, comprising King Lou and Capital Q. Described as "a pair of deft, intelligent rappers" by Allmusic, they were major contributors to the jazz rap movement of the early 1990s. Their 1991 debut album, And Now the Legacy Begins, is...
, Maestro Fresh Wes and Michie Mee
Michie Mee
Michelle McCullock , better known by her stage name Michie Mee, is a Canadian rapper and actor. As Canada's first notable female MC, she is considered a national hip-hop pioneer.-Early life and career:...
. They were also one of the first Canadian groups to open for the influential American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
hip-hop group, Public Enemy.
The pair subsequently moved to London, Ontario
London, Ontario
London is a city in Southwestern Ontario, Canada, situated along the Quebec City – Windsor Corridor. The city has a population of 352,395, and the metropolitan area has a population of 457,720, according to the 2006 Canadian census; the metro population in 2009 was estimated at 489,274. The city...
after high school. In 1995, Yas and Bobby were invited to perform with a punk rock
Punk rock
Punk rock is a rock music genre that developed between 1974 and 1976 in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Rooted in garage rock and other forms of what is now known as protopunk music, punk rock bands eschewed perceived excesses of mainstream 1970s rock...
band.
The experience was such a positive one that the two groups fused together. The hip-hop group Project Wyze had now evolved into a rock/rap band including members Adam Arsenault (guitar), and Tye Thomas (bass). The band started writing new music and they released their first EP
Extended play
An EP is a musical recording which contains more music than a single, but is too short to qualify as a full album or LP. The term EP originally referred only to specific types of vinyl records other than 78 rpm standard play records and LP records, but it is now applied to mid-length Compact...
, Trapz of Poetic Poison, on an indie label in 1996. Project Wyze toured the United States in 1998, performing with artists like Papa Roach
Papa Roach
Papa Roach is an American rock band from Vacaville, California. Their first major-label release was the triple-platinum album Infest . The group's success continued with their gold album Lovehatetragedy , their platinum album Getting Away with Murder , The Paramour Sessions , and Metamorphosis...
and the Step Kings.
After the success of the first EP, the band enlisted the talents of Sasha Kosovic (guitar), Brad Dean (drums) and Elie Abdelnour (bass) to round out the line-up. In 2000, with the new band established, Project Wyze released a longer sophomore EP, Only If I Knew. Growing record sales and an expanding fan base grabbed the attention of major labels. They subsequently signed to Sony Music and released their major label debut, Misfits.strangers.liars.friends
Misfits.strangers.liars.friends
misfits.strangers.liars.friends was the major label debut of the Canadian Hip-Hop/Rap group Project Wyze which included the hit singles "Room To Breathe" and "Nothing's What It Seems"....
, in 2001. That album spawned the Canadian hit singles "Nothing's What it Seems" and "Room to Breathe". Their major label debut, misfits.strangers.liars.friends
Misfits.strangers.liars.friends
misfits.strangers.liars.friends was the major label debut of the Canadian Hip-Hop/Rap group Project Wyze which included the hit singles "Room To Breathe" and "Nothing's What It Seems"....
, was released in 2001.
After internal conflicts, members of the band started to disband. Yas and Bobby formed Dead Celebrity Status
Dead Celebrity Status
Dead Celebrity Status is a Canadian hip-hop group originating in Sudbury, Ontario. Rappers Yas Taalat and Bobby McIntosh, both former members of the rock/rap band Project Wyze, teamed up with onetime DMC World Champion DJ Dopey to form Dead Celebrity Status in 2003.-History:Following the breakup of...
as a side project. Though it started as a side project, DCS became a main project for both of the vocalists. Yas and Bobby now devote their time to DCS.
Discography
- Trapz of Poetic Poison - EPTrapz of Poetic Poison EPTrapz of Poetic Poison is the first release by the Canadian Hip-Hop/Rap band Project Wyze. It contains 6 tracks. It was recorded over a three-day recording session at Metalworks Studios in Toronto, ON. It was released independently. This would be the only release until their next EP came out in...
(1996) - Only If I Knew (1998)
- misfits.strangers.liars.friendsMisfits.strangers.liars.friendsmisfits.strangers.liars.friends was the major label debut of the Canadian Hip-Hop/Rap group Project Wyze which included the hit singles "Room To Breathe" and "Nothing's What It Seems"....
(2001)