After a long hiatus due to Covid-19, the Northern Arts and Cultural Centre (NACC) in Yellowknife is resuming its school outreach tour program to again expose music and the arts to NWT students who may not otherwise have the opportunity to see live performances.

Northern musician Dylan Jones, also known as Crook the Kid, is headlining the multi-community tour and with him, bringing a message of understanding, hope and perseverance to kids who, like him, didnSA国际影视传媒檛 always have an easy time growing up in a small, isolated community.

SA国际影视传媒淲here ISA国际影视传媒檓 going is where ISA国际影视传媒檓 from,SA国际影视传媒� Jones said of his small-community roots. SA国际影视传媒淚SA国际影视传媒檓 hoping to see some familiar faces and to see whatSA国际影视传媒檚 itSA国际影视传媒檚 like to be a young person where I was a young person.SA国际影视传媒�

SA国际影视传媒淢aybe I will spark some interest and the next one of me is in one of those audiences.SA国际影视传媒�

Post-pandemic tour revival

DylanSA国际影视传媒檚 school outreach tour is a post-pandemic project for NACC and a way to introduce performances to NWT communities, according to Marie Coderre, executive and artistic director of the centre.

She said NACC is helping reintroduce live performances to the communities after the hiatus that Covid caused.

SA国际影视传媒淚tSA国际影视传媒檚 so important to go to the schools and bring shows to them and increase exposure to the arts so they can be inspired and see what a live show is all about,SA国际影视传媒� Coderre said.

Previously, Jones was part of NACCSA国际影视传媒檚 mentorship program for four years and was just starting to be recognized for his talent and getting attention in the south when the pandemic started, Coderre said.

At that time, she said people were SA国际影视传媒渂lown away by his natural talentSA国际影视传媒� and it was unfortunate that performances had to be shut down.

SA国际影视传媒淗is hip-hop show is a way for him to heal and to use art as a vehicle for his messages and channel down what he has been through in his life,SA国际影视传媒� Coderre said.

WhatSA国际影视传媒檚 in a name

The difficulties Jones went through in his life while growing up in Fort Good Hope actually became the inspiration for his stage name, he said.

SA国际影视传媒淲hen youSA国际影视传媒檙e a musician, your name is the first thing that people notice and I wanted it to be memorable. A lot of hip-hop artists donSA国际影视传媒檛 use their real names but people often are tagged with nicknames in small communities,SA国际影视传媒� he said of the inspiration behind the name, while adding that he was a fan of watching SA国际影视传媒渟paghetti westernSA国际影视传媒� movies and hence the appeal.

And so, the rising star SA国际影视传媒楥rook the KidSA国际影视传媒� was born.

As for the genre of music he chose to express his thoughts and philosophies about life when growing up, Jones said he picked rap for the same reason most like-minded musicians do.

SA国际影视传媒淪omeone can be musically-inclined and creative, but donSA国际影视传媒檛 always have instruments or equipment. ThatSA国际影视传媒檚 the glory of being a songwriter SA国际影视传媒� all you really need is paper,SA国际影视传媒� he said.

When performing on stage, because the instrumentals are prepared in a studio prior to the show, he said all he needs is a microphone and his biggest prop: the microphone stand.

Form of expression

Coderre said hip-hop has become a popular form of expression with kids.

SA国际影视传媒淚t is a real artform and a way of doing poetry where you can express your creativity. I want this tour to be a way for Dylan to inspire youth so they can start to create.SA国际影视传媒�

Add to that the fact that Jones has lived through many of the experiences that kids may now be undergoing, she said they can relate to him and feel that they, too, can realize their aspirations and dreams.

Coderre described Jones as a strong storyteller with a SA国际影视传媒渧ery passionate stage presenceSA国际影视传媒� who conveys strength in overcoming barriers.

SA国际影视传媒淵ou really feel his words because he has lived them. ItSA国际影视传媒檚 a lived experience. Everything he is telling is from his own story and he has a story to tell.SA国际影视传媒�

Jones said while stereotypical hip-hop music is about excessive living, money, women or drugs, he chooses not to write about those topics, but instead he focuses on a story or part of his life that actually happened. That resonates with many people, he said.

SA国际影视传媒淵ou live fast and hard up in the communities and youSA国际影视传媒檙e not a kid for very long.SA国际影视传媒�

But that form of confessional-type songwriting is often deemed the least popular style of rap in the music world, he noted.

Northern advantage

SA国际影视传媒淭hat is why living in the North definitely has a distinct advantage. ItSA国际影视传媒檚 the type of music that people here like and appreciate and connect with. ItSA国际影视传媒檚 Northern hip-hop.SA国际影视传媒� he said. SA国际影视传媒淲riting songs about being in an inner-city scenario or nightclub just wouldnSA国际影视传媒檛 hold the same appeal.SA国际影视传媒�

JonesSA国际影视传媒� shows will be an hour long and afterwards, audiences will have the opportunity to ask him questions about the genre of hip-hop or topics he raises in his songs. He said one of the goals of his tour is to connect with fans through shared experiences and an interest in music and it can be a very emotional and positive occasion.

Crook the Kid will be performing in schools in Fort Smith, Fort Simpson, Hay River, Ndilo, Inuvik, and in Norman Wells for a community-wide performance. His first studio-produced album is near completion.