Drop the Beat

Drop the Beat is a Canadian television series produced by Back Alley Film Productions that aired on CBC Television in 2000 and 2001.<ref name=spotlight>"TV show puts spotlight on hip-hop". Sudbury Star, February 9, 2000.</ref> A short-run dramatic series, the show was one of the first television series in the world centred around hip hop music and culture.<ref name=spotlight/>

A spinoff of the earlier CBC teen drama series Straight Up,<ref>"CBC finds a home for good and bad of the hip-hop scene". Ottawa Citizen, February 7, 2000.</ref> the show starred Mark Taylor as Jeff and Merwin Mondesir as Dennis, the hosts of a hip hop show on CIBJ-FM, a fictional campus radio station in Toronto, Ontario.<ref>"Yo, big up -- CBC goes hip-hop urban". The Globe and Mail, February 7, 2000.</ref> Michie Mee also starred as Divine, a rapper who was part of Jeff and Dennis' crew, and Ingrid Veninger played the station manager. The supporting cast also included Arlene Duncan, Vanessa Ford, Jennifer Baxter, Jason Harrow, Shamann Williams and Omari Forrester.

The use of a campus radio station was a deliberate reflection of Canadian reality — until Toronto's Flow 93.5 hit the airwaves in early 2001, Canada did not have any radio stations dedicated specifically to urban music.

Production

As a tie-in to help promote emerging hip hop musicians, the series released a soundtrack album in conjunction with the first season, featuring artists such as Maestro Fresh Wes, Infinite, Frankie Ano, Bahamadia, Ja Rule, Black Child, Choclair, Rahzel, Jully Black and Erykah Badu.<ref>"Drop the Beat becomes a CD: Canada's first hip hop TV show releases soundtrack". National Post, March 7, 2000.</ref>

The show was also released as one of the first "interactive" dramatic television series on WebTV.<ref name=interactive>"Interactive TV arrives, a decade late, and turns out to be another sales job". National Post, February 10, 2000.</ref> Viewers on that platform could call up character biographies, post messages on an interactive user forum, or buy the soundtrack album through embedded sales links.<ref name=interactive/>

Episode directors included John Greyson, Paul Fox, Daniel Grou, Eleanore Lindo, T. W. Peacocke, Frances-Anne Solomon and Sudz Sutherland.

Awards

The series received two Gemini Award nominations for Best Dramatic Series, at the 15th Gemini Awards in 2000<ref name=gemini2000>"Complete list of Gemini nominees". Toronto Star, September 20, 2000.</ref> and at the 16th Gemini Awards in 2001.<ref>"Gemini show sinks to new levels". Ottawa Citizen, October 30, 2001.</ref> Sutherland received a nomination for Best Writing in a Drama Series in 2000 for the episode "Battle Royale",<ref name=gemini2000/> and Taylor received a nomination for Best Actor in a Drama Series in 2001.<ref>"LaFlamme among nominated eyeing a Gemini tonight". Waterloo Region Record, October 29, 2001.</ref>

Soundtrack album

1. Saukrates, "Drop the Beat" (4:06)
2. Kardinal Offishall, "Husslin'" (3:43)
3. Ja Rule, Black Child and Caddillac Tah, "4 Life" (4:24)
4. Rahzel, Jully Black and Choclair, "What You Do to Me" (4:19)
5. Erykah Badu and Rahzel, "Southern Gul" (3:07)
6. Marvel, "Red Light District" (3:57)
7. Infinite, "Addicted" (3:36)
8. Common, "Dooinit" (4:12)
9. Rascalz, "C-IV" (3:18)
10. Bahamadia and Frankie Ano, "Droppin' Gems" (4:14)
11. Mathematik feat. Dub-Ill, "Illmath (Weapons)" (3:19)
12. Canibus, "100 Bars" (4:58)
13. Kardinal Offishall and Thrust, "The Chosen Are Few" (3:22)
14. Maestro and Infinite, "We Came Wid It" (3:24)
15. Ivana Santilli and Natcha, "New World" (4:21)
16. Lil' Troy feat. Fat Pat, Yungstar, Lil' Wil, Big T and H.A.W.K., "Wanna Be a Baller" (5:55)

External links

• [https://www.imdb.com/{{#if: 0220223

 | title/{{#if: {{#invoke:ustring|match|1=0220223|2=^tt}}
   | Template:Trim/
   | tt0220223/
   }}
 | {{#if: {{#property:P345|from=}}
   | title/Template:First word/
   | find?q=%5B%5B%3ATemplate%3APAGENAMEBASE%5D%5D&s=tt
   }}
 }}{{#ifeq: {{#invoke:If any equal|main|Q618779|Q67325957|Q33999|value=Template:Wikidata}} | yes 
     | {{#switch: Template:Wikidata 
       | Q618779 
       | Q67325957  = awards Awards for
       | Q33999  = fullcredits Full cast and crew of
       }}
   | {{#if: Template:Wikidata 
     | {{#switch: Template:Wikidata
       | Q63032896 
       | Q66763446  = fullcredits Full cast and crew of
       | Q107974527 
       | Q482994  = soundtrack Soundtrack of
       }}
     }}
   }} Template:Trim] at {{#if: | IMDb | IMDb }}Template:EditAtWikidata{{#invoke:Check for unknown parameters|check|unknown=Template:Main other|preview=Page using Template:IMDb title with unknown parameter "_VALUE_"|showblankpositional=1| 1 | 2 | 3 | description | id | link_hide | qid | quotes | title }}{{#switch: {{#invoke:String2|matchAny|^tt.........|^tt.......|tt|.........|source=0220223|plain=false}}| 1 | 3 = Template:Main otherTemplate:Preview warning| 4 = Template:Main otherTemplate:Preview warning}}{{#if: 0220223 {{#property:P345}} || Template:Preview warningTemplate:Main other }}{{#switch: Template:Wikidata 

| Q21191270 | Q21664088 | Q50062923 | Q50914552 | Q99079902 | Q123186929 | Q55422400 | Q61220733 =Template:Preview warning | Q3464665 =Template:Preview warning }}{{#ifeq: Template:Wikidata | Q21191270 |Template:Preview warning }}{{#if: 0220223 | Template:WikidataCheck }}