Saukrates' Pager is Burnin' Up

Life would be perfect for Canada’s famed hip hop man if …..

By Stephen Weir

If it weren’t for PanMaster losing at Pan Alive by just 1 point, this would have been a perfect summer for Saukrates. His favorite B-Boy won an Olympic medal in Paris, his July release, My Pager Burnin' Up (Easide of Thangs), is blowing up on YouTube with his 1.1 million followers, he moved to new digs (don’t worry, he’s still in Scarborough), and he’s looking forward to his new release Bad Addiction, set for September.

“I can’t talk about it.” There’s just one summer downer for Saukrates: PanMaster lost at the Pan Alive competition on August 2nd at the Caribbean Carnival outdoor stage at Exhibition Place.

Saukrates has been a PanMaster fan for years and believes it’s time the Scarborough steel orchestra gets its proper dues. “There are some kids (in PanMaster) who have been playing for eight years without a win,” said the singer. He even designed the band’s performance T-shirts for the Pan Alive competition. The shirt is now a collector’s item, but none of the band players seems to be selling.

Never mind the shirts, did we mention that Saukrates’s dad plays for PanMaster and edits the Caribbean Camera? Saukrates is a hometown guy like no other. This summer, he was also cheering for Olympian Phil Kim. The 27-year-old Torontonian (who now lives in Vancouver), known in breaking circles as B-Boy Phil Wizard, captured gold at Place de la Concorde during this month’s Olympics.

“I was on the phone the next morning (after he won) to congratulate him,” recalls Saukrates. “His phone was jammed, but hey, my call got through!”

Phil Wizard isn’t the only Toronto athlete Saukrates is cheering for. Born in Ottawa and raised in Toronto with strong Guyanese roots, Saukrates is also following Osaze De Rosario, a Canadian soccer forward now playing for the Guyanese national football team, the Golden Jaguars.

Despite his personal interests, Saukrates' music career remains his top priority. He's preparing remarkable projects set to be unveiled in the coming months. Known for his eclectic hip-hop style, Saukrates recently released a new single in late July titled "My Pager Burnin' Up (Easide of Thangs)," featuring renowned artists Redman (New Jersey) and Masta Ace (Brooklyn).

“We’ve been together since the 1900s,” he said. “They’re both from New York, but between the three of us, there are no borders!” Together, they’ve created a sardonic and humorous take on the hip-hop club scene, with references to "the spy that shagged you," and talk of "open-toed shoes and pinky rings."

Saukrates recently signed with Frostbyte Media Ltd and launched his MySeat app, featuring exclusive content on Google Play and iOS. His upcoming album, Bad Addiction, showcases his growth and cements his status as a key figure in Canadian music.

As Saukrates gets ready for the new release, according to his PR team, he is also planning a truly special release that pays homage to his debut studio album. It all goes back to 1999 when Saukrates released The Underground Tapes, an album where the artist infused his self-produced tracks with jazzy synthesizers and strings, standing out lyrically with a captivating flow on the mic. As the 25th anniversary of this influential album approaches, the artist has crafted a retrospective 42-track album. This anniversary edition features 21 songs and 21 narrations by Saukrates, offering a personal exploration of each music track.

One last phone question and answer for the busy busy hip hop man. How do you do it? Family (he and his partner have 20 – year old son at home), eating right, sobriety and exercise” he tells the Caaribbean Camera as he puts down the phone and heads out the door for a pick-up basketball game!