In Awe of Simplicity by Brockway Biggs

"For me, the most important aspect of hip-hop is making sure the music is fun and the lyrics are real, but community support definitely takes a close second." This hip-hop outlook helps shape the mould of his third album, entitled 'In Awe of Simplicity.'

Simply put, 'In Awe of Simplicity' is diverse. It ranges from the cocky punch line filled 'Clap Your Hands,' to the melancholy 'Another Night;' the spiritually uplifting honesty of 'So Many Purposes,' to the fun vibe of 'Canada Dry.' Also included is a remix of 'Shake Ya Caboose' concocted at the request of Nelly's energy drink, Pimp Juice, out of St. Louis, MO. 'Pinch Hitter' is also included following its 2006 release on KeepItClassic.com's 'Underground Hip-Hop Compilation Volume 5', which featured Mr Lif (Def Jux), Lady Bug Mecca (Digable Planets), El-P, Aceyalone, Murs, LA Symphony, Cappadonna & more.

Collaborations include beats by Halifax's Classified, Brooklyn's Kevin Sakoda (Trek Life), Newfoundland's Hotbox, New Brunswick's Sean One and Prince Edward Island's Nevski & Rob Banks. Featured artists include St. Louis' Prentiss Church (Derrty Ent) of the Grammy nominated Training Day Soundtrack, Montreal's two-time Scribble Jam champ Skratch Bastid, Toronto's former Guinness record holder for longest freestyle, D.O., Halifax's J-Bru, Ottawa's Boz Faramone and the afternoon drive host of Ottawa's CHRI, Nicole Rushton.

Fueled by his song-writing credits with award-winning producer, Gordie Johnson (formerly of Big Sugar), Brockway Biggs' new album displays more confidence and lyrical savvy. The mixing of the album turned into a family affair, as his brother, Colin, used the sound engineering skills he gained at Metalworks studios in working with Our Lady Peace, Emm Gryner, Tea Party, Bob Rock, Ryan Malcolm and more.

Having grown up in Charters Settlement, a dead-end road on the outskirts of Fredericton, New Brunswick, Brockway Biggs admits getting a late start in hip-hop. "I was in grade ten, 1995, when I heard my first real hip-hop song. It was 'The Riddler' by Method Man. I fell in love." Soon thereafter, Brockway Biggs became well known in the city for his compilations, which often adorned the warm-ups for local high school and university basketball games.

This love of hip-hop soon spilled over into writing. In 1997, he took up the pen and began writing hip-hop reviews and interviews for his university paper, The Brunswickan. In 2001, he joined HipHopCanada.com as a senior writer. This affiliation lasted four years and saw the site win an Urban Music Association of Canada (UMAC) award in all four years.

His affinity for writing and poetry was first exposed at age ten when he won Ganong's 'Why I Love the Chocolate Mousse' contest. In Grade eleven, a chemistry bonus project led to Brockway Biggs' first recording - 'Ice Ice Water', a song that has gone on to be recognized as a learning tool by the Science Songwriters' Association. From 1997 to 2000 his stage presence began to grow as he performed this song and other rap covers with a number of Fredericton bands.

Five years later, in 2000, school led to another creation - the video and single for 'Tha PIMP-T Theme.' The low budget video sparked a cult-like following culminating in a 2000 UMAC nomination, video features on MuchMusic's 'Eds Big Wham Bam' and MusiquePlus' 'Dollaraclip,' hosted by Louis Jose Houde.

In August 2002, Brockway Biggs' released his debut album, 'Power Is Mindful Peace' (PIMP), under the moniker PIMP-T. As with most debut albums, it was rough around the edges, but showed signs of greater things to come. It garnered a 2003 East Coast Music Award (ECMA) nomination for Urban Recording of the Year; inspired the release of a second music video for 'Petty Crime,' and led to live performances on MusiquePlus and at the 2003 Canada Winter Games.

Two years later, in 2004, Brockway Biggs released his sophomore album, 'An Urbal Remedy', under the moniker Pimp Tea ('Positively Influencing More People to Excel Artistically'). Accompanied by a vinyl 12" release for 'Shake Ya Caboose' and 'Super Dude (Jorun Remix),' these two songs again attained a cult-like status. They inspired a line of Super Dude merchandise; performances on CBC's ZeD TV; charting on 40+ radio stations; music video for 'Shake Ya Caboose' and a 2005 ECMA Award for Urban Single of the Year.

Despite the accomplishments of his sophomore album, Brockway Biggs wasn't satisfied. "I take hip-hop seriously, and after releasing 'An Urbal Remedy' I still felt I had a lot of room to grow as a rapper. So I made more effort to tour, do live shows and attend open mic nights. As a result, my stage presence and confidence have grown. I was also feeling burdened by the image depicted by the 'pimp' name, so changing my name to Brockway Biggs just felt right. It combines a family name, a place of peacefulness and a street where I lived - my roots."

Inspired by stories of the kind and giving nature of his late Great Great Uncle Don Messer, a fiddling legend, he began promoting his fellow artists in Dec 2003 via the Atlantic Canada Hip-Hop e-Newsletter. In March of 2005, his primarily volunteer marketing and promotion venture, Brockway Entertainment, was launched with funding from NB Innovation Fund. Supported artists have included Skratch Bastid, Wordburglar, Under Pressure, and 2006 Juno-nominees Eternia & Classified. These efforts were recognized by UMAC, resulting in a 2005 nomination for their 'Community Service Award.'

It's an exciting time for Brockway Biggs, but success comes with its share of sacrifices. "I've become a workaholic - driven and dedicated to the passion that is my life: hip-hop. Music is a chaotic business and the art is definitely not for the weak. So naturally, there are days when I find myself in awe of a simple life." Despite being In Awe of Simplicity, Brockway Biggs' passion for hip-hop continues to shine through.

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