Trio of emerging Ottawa hip-hop artists prepare to showcase in NYC

The mission of the two-day trip to showcase their work to Parks Vallely, a co-host of The Joe Budden Podcast, a popular hip-hop podcast.

Published Jan 12, 2024 • Last updated 2 hours ago • 3 minute read

Ottawa hip hop artist and producer City Fidelia (rear) is taking some of the students from his Frmula program at House of Ensemble Studios to New York City next week to showcase them. They include (from left): Noah Snieckus, Alissa Ariste and Emma Gabriel. Photo by JULIE OLIVER /Postmedia

A trip to New York City this month is a dream come true for three promising Ottawa artists with aspirations to carve out careers in the music industry.

“For me, it really means something,” said Noah Snieckus, a 21-year-old English rapper now living in Ottawa who goes by the stage name S-Realz.

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“It’s my first time in New York City but to be able to travel with friends, companions, fellow creatives, it’s a dream. We’re in the early stages of our development so to have this opportunity at this stage is amazing.”

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Next to him, Arissa Ariste (aka rapper Lia Kloud) and Emma Gabriel, nodded in agreement. The three artists are participants in the third season of FRMLA, a six-month artist-development initiative spearheaded by noted Ottawa producer/rapper Luigi “City” Fidelia, and run out of the Dalhousie Street studio he co-founded in 2020.

“I think it makes things feel more real,” said Gabriel, an 18-year-old R & B singer who’s been playing music most of her life but just dropped her first song last year. “I’m very new to the industry and it feels like everything is starting to fall into place. I think it reaffirms that I’m going in the right direction.”

The mission of the two-day New York trip is to showcase their work to Parks Vallely, a co-host of The Joe Budden Podcast, a popular hip-hop podcast. Vallely, a Grammy-nominated producer/engineer, is one of the cast members alongside Budden, the outspoken former rapper dubbed the Howard Stern of hip hop.

Even if nothing concrete comes of the adventure, the experience and feedback is invaluable, the artists say. Costs are covered by the program, which is administered by the studio’s non-profit organization, Ensemble.

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“Parks critiques music and we’re going to show him a few things we’ve worked on in the last couple of months,” said Ariste, a 24-year-old who’s already gained notice in the local scene. “Whether the feedback is positive or negative, I’m very grateful. It’s a blessing to me.”

For their Ottawa mentor, Fidelia, giving young hopefuls opportunities is the goal of FRMLA.

“Everything I do now is all the things I wish I had growing up here,” he said.

“We didn’t get opportunities like this so my thing is always to give back and create spaces for people to explore their talent and their dreams. I want to provide opportunities and bridge the gap between Ottawa and everywhere else in the world.”

Each participant who is accepted signs on for a weekly three-hour block of studio time, working one-on-one with a producer/engineer. They attend information sessions to demystify the industry, shoot a music video with a professional videographer and have the chance to showcase their live performances.

In a social-media environment filled with scams, the program seemed almost too good. But the artists applied anyway.

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Snieckus, who moved to Ottawa from England during the pandemic, was enticed by the free studio time and the chance to develop his craft alongside talented professionals. Gabriel was looking for advice on branding and marketing, while Ariste was debating whether to go back to university or continue pursuing music. Upon acceptance, she ended up doing both, and made it work.

The significance of the name FRMLA plays on the fact there is no formula for success in the music biz. “You just grab a couple of blueprints and make your own formula,” said Fidelia. “A lot of the program is them learning about themselves before the music. The moment you learn about yourself is the best time to express your authenticity.”

The Jan. 19 visit to the Big Apple marks a boost in profile for the program, whose participants last year made an industry trip to Toronto.

The joke in the studio is that the perks will keep getting bigger with every season.

“Who knows what will happen next year,” says Snieckus. “Maybe a dinner with Jay Z?”

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