Northern Power Summit nov 24-26, toronto

Northern Power Summit Returns With Gone Global on March 20

Northern Power Summit (NPS) returns with “Gone Global” on March 20, 2021, the third and final part of their three-part series that began in January. 

Mental health was the theme of January’s session, followed by a celebration of Black excellence in February, and now with March’s event, the focus will be on artist growth with international opportunities at the forefront. Musicality will be spotlighted as well, led by conversations with producers and beat-makers. 

“Many things have changed in the music industry over the years, but one thing that remains the same is that artists want to get their music out all over the world – in a pandemic or not. We want to keep artists ready by focusing on the quality of their music, where they can gain access to funding and can hear from someone that has built a long-term career,” says Duane 'D.O' Gibson, NPS co-founder. 

Acclaimed producer and hip-hop artist Classified is the keynote speaker for March’s session. A true Canadian success story, Classified has built his career from the ground up and continues to excel through his own releases and his collaborative efforts with other artists. 

Adding to the international theme, Croatia’s Phat Phillie and Niall Doorley of Barcelona’s Future Music Forum will speak about breaking into the European market. 

Gone Global will also feature expert industry sessions from Charlie Wall-Andrews, Garrett Van Dusen, Tone Mason, 4Korners, 80 Empire, DJ Greedo and more. 

Gone Global will run from 1-6 pm on March 20, with registration rates ranging in price from $0-$20 to make the event accessible to all who wish to attend.

Northern Power Summit online series continues in February  

Northern Power Summit (NPS) continues to deliver its 5th annual conference virtually with an event called Black 365 on February 20th. Over 2,000 people registered to attend the January session (called Re.sound.ED) which focused on mental health in the music industry, and NPS organizers hope to build on that when they present a celebration of Black excellence in music and the arts in February. 

The event will include keynote addresses from legendary Canadian Hip-Hop pioneer Maestro Fresh Wes, and founder of the New Skool Rules Conference and Festival in the Netherlands, Henca Maduro. 

Staying true to the previous in-person editions, the online series will continue to provide education and tools, in addition to access to individuals who can help Canadian artists and industry professionals develop their careers. A portion of all registration revenue for February's event will be donated to Black Youth Helpline. 

“Our February session is called Black 365 to highlight black excellence in Canada and abroad. This has been a challenging year. From Black Lives Matter to the impact of the deaths of George Floyd to Breonna Taylor, there is a need for this information. It was inspiring to see so many people stand up for equality over the summer. We want to be able to deliver more tools so that we can seize this moment in history,” says NPS Co-founder D.O. Gibson. 

Largely regarded as the Godfather of Canadian Hip-Hop, Maestro Fresh Wes enters 2021 as one of the only Hip-Hop artists to have consistently released music in each of the last five decades, including the 2020 hit “Wish I Could” and his latest single “Slick Rick Status”, released in January. 

Henca Maduro is the force behind New Skool Rules, Europe’s leading Hip-Hop conference.  Based in Rotterdam, Netherlands, the conference has been a launching pad for talent internationally, spring-boarding the careers of LMFAO and Nico & Vinz. The event has featured dozens of Canadian acts over the years and will continue to do so in 2021. 

Black 365 will also include panels featuring Grammy winner Wanz, Toronto rapper DijahSB, Vancouver emcee and educator Ndidi Cascade, JUNO award-winning singer Dru, platinum-selling producer Jarel the Young, and Vancouver rapper Terell Safadi.

Black 365 will run from 1-6pm on February 20th. A portion of all registration revenue will be donated to Black Youth Helpline, and thanks to Believe Distribution Services Canada, advanced tickets (available until February 13) will be available for a donation of any amount to ensure the event is accessible for anyone with an internet connection.

Happy New Year! Some news from NPS. 

Urban Music conference “Northern Power Summit” to be held virtually in 2021. 

With new Platinum Sponsor Believe Digital on board, Northern Power Summit (NPS) will deliver its 5th annual conference virtually as a 3-part series beginning on Saturday, January 23rd, 2021. Parts 2 and 3 will take place on February 20th and March 20th respectively.  Staying true to the aim of previous in-person editions, the online series will continue to provide education and tools, as well as access to individuals to help Canadian artists and industry professionals develop their careers. 

“Traditionally, our focus has been on how artists can develop their career internationally – and that is still a focus, but we want to offer support and guidance to artists that are dealing with the effects of the pandemic,” says NPS Co-founder D.O. Gibson. 

January’s session, called Re.sound.ed, will focus on mental health and the independent hustle.  Keynote speakers include Tom MacDonald and Wendy Day. MacDonald, a Canadian-born rapper currently living in Los Angeles, has used music as an outlet to address struggles with his own mental health. Working without a manager or a label, MacDonald recently hit #1 on the rap charts on iTunes in the US while garnering over 100 million views on his YouTube channel. Wendy Day is a long-time music executive that helped rapper Lil Wayne and label Cash Money Records sign their groundbreaking record deal, and was also instrumental in Eminem securing his first contract with Interscope Records. 

Re.sound.ed will also feature expert industry sessions with Allhiphop.com CEO Chuck Creekmur, The Bloom Effect’s Fiona Bloom, The Hook & Company’s Michelle Allman-Esdaille, and multi-genre producer, songwriter and hip-hop artist Myer Clarity. 

Re.sound.ed will run from 1-6pm on January 23rd. A portion of all registration revenue will be donated to Unison Benevolent Fund, and thanks to Believe Digital, advanced tickets (available until January 16) will be available for a donation of any amount to ensure the event is accessible for anyone with an internet connection.