It's Canadian Music Week and that means there's an unusually large number of hip hop shows going on. KRS-One will be teachin' at The Opera House on Saturday as he continues his Stop the Violence movement. RZA dons his Bobby Digital mask on Sunday at the Phoenix. There's also grimy New York hip-hop (M.O.P. on Friday), French rap (DJ Orgasmic and Cuizinier on Thursday), and a strong showcase of local talent (Friday's Exclaim! event). Also......

Photo courtesy of WordFest. This Thursday the Toronto Reference Library will host a LongPen event with Margaret Atwood—inventor of the device—who will interview BBC personality and author Kate Mosse (not the model), who will be in Sussex, England. Conducted via video conferencing, Mosse will read from her newest work, Sepulchre, and answer audience questions, and will be able to sign books with the LongPen. Mosse's book will be available through Nicholas Hoare Books at......

How does a newly-opened shopping complex bring in shoppers? Hold a British-themed sale, featuring specials on fine UK products like Orange Julius and Gordon Lightfoot records! The Yonge-Eglinton Centre opened in October 1973 with Dominion and Horizon as its anchors. The short-lived Horizon chain was an attempt by Eaton's to enter the crowded discount department store field. This location was converted to an Eaton's store when the company pulled the plug on Horizon in......

CityPulse. The New Music. Baby Blue Movies. City Lights. Fashion Television. Speaker's Corner. These programs are among the innovative shows that have aired on CityTV since it officially launched way up the dial 35 years ago this evening. CityTV had a short gestation period after the CRTC approved its license in November 1971. Key figures in the station's early ownership included president Edgar Cowan, vice-president Phyllis Switzer, lawyer Jerry Grafstein and managing director/former CBC......

No Film Friday again today, as we’re still too busy with the festival A few of the films that played at the festival are out already, with Neil Jordan’s The Brave One, David Cronenberg’s Eastern Promises and Julie Taymor's Across the Universe all on general release. Not even new release Mr. Woodcock escapes a connection—it’s directed by Craig Gillespie, director of festival film Lars and the Real Girl. Today’s Reviews: The Tracey Fragments Though......

We love giving away free stuff, and since it's Pride Week, why not go with a theme? Thanks to our friends at Morningstar Entertainment, we've got two Pride-related DVD prize packs to give away. Here's what's included in each: A story of two school pals ostracized by their friends and family, The Two of Us was once the most controversial film ever produced by the BBC. Causing an political uproar when first aired in......

The soldier killed Wednesday in Afghanistan has been confirmed as Master Cpl. Darrell Jason Priede. The 30-year-old grew up in Burlington, Ont. but lived in Grand Forks, B.C. until he left for Afghanistan a month ago. He was killed along with six others when a rocket flew into their Chinook helicopter. The Ipperwash Inquiry was released yesterday. Commissioner Sidney Linden says that he believes that both federal and provincial governments were responsible as well as......

Stéphane Dion says that the Tories should pull the attack ads targeting him in Quebec. Because god knows the best possible way to deal with an unprecedented and unpopular attack ad is to whine about it. That makes Dion look like a strong leader, all right. With a possible spring election looming, the Star does some math and points out that the Tories have announced nearly ten billion dollars in new spending since December.......

Ah, convergence. It's a word fraught with different meanings, competing motives, and opinions up the proverbial wazoo. To some, convergence is a paradise of synergy, cross-promotion, and massive profits. To others, it's confirmation that more and more information is being disseminated by less and less people. Wherever you stand, however, the world of Toronto media overlords might be on the verge of becoming a whole lot smaller, as Alliance Atlantis confirmed today that one......

Hey there George Stroupo... George Stoppogrop... George Stroumboulopoulos (lordy, there's a candidate for taking your partner's name in marriage), in shocking us with your return to the Ceeb, you also proudly imply that you took out your nose ring and forced the damn thing through your... uh... Little George. What, The L.A. producers didn't think you were edgy enough? We here at Torontoist feel that getting your body modification was most likely paid for by......

Celebrate Ben Franklin's 300th birthday with the Bikini Bandits and Phillyist! (NSFW). Speaking of Mr. Franklin, send in a picture of Ben (or Ed Rendell) with a red tongue and win a free t-shirt. And they might have the next YearlyKos in Philly. You know who's going to be upset about those Bikini Bandits? The Houston school system. Houstonist also reports on some redevelopment shenanigans over a landmark theater. LAist's sex advice column on......

LAist has so much fun this week! They go to E3, where they overhear the timeless remark "Man, this is where nerdy girls get laid." Is that a promise? They also give us this week's best CDs and make us realize that LA is the best place to use Zillow. Ah, Houstonist. They're biking to work, that is, if they can figure out how to get there. That's right, Mapquest says "Houston had the......

The two Canadians and one British members of peace group Christian Peacemakers have been rescued after four months of captivity. One of them includes Toronto activist James Loney (pictured here). Their captivity also led to a number of peace rallies in the Toronto area. We're just glad to hear that the three men will be coming home soon and a little bit sad that the fourth hostage, American Tom Fox won't be joining them. He......

Sometimes, on Torontoist’s laziest days, it will drag itself out of bed just long enough to flick on the BBC’s 6 music internet radio service, the BBC’s gift to the world’s fans of British indie music, to listen to the 6 music breakfast show, which for ages was almost always preceded by a Don Letts introduction, (if it wasn’t someone doing a bad impression of David Bowie doing the intro.) Which, to be honest, is......

The last time Torontoist set foot in the Ontario Science Centre, it was 3 a.m. and thousands of ravers were trashing the place. Glowstick juice smeared over slanted furniture in the Krazy Kitchen and candy kids gapped out to liquid nitrogen demonstrations in wide-pupiled awe. We may have hung up our phat pants, but the Science Centre remains an authority on waves of destruction. This Saturday and Sunday at 2 p.m., David Sugarman will explain......

Chalk it up to the parade of pap that we've been watching of late, but TOist is going to go dramatically serious for this evening's marquee film recommendation. Hotel Rwanda won the audience award at TIFF, which could mean as little as it could mean a lot. But you go to a film like Hotel Rwanda not so much to like it as to feel it. It won't be a Sunday at the pool in......

We're glad that the Globe's trying to get all young and hip on us, but it looks as if they're also vying for the grand prize in the 'World's Busiest Cover Competition.' Each week brings a new collage of close-cropped heads, excessive text and weirdly useless lines. Maybe they're trying to catch up to the Post, which has reefered its close-cropped heads since the Conrad era. Regardless, we're hoping they'll tone it down a bit.......