UMAC

One of the most substantial influences on youth in Canada is urban culture and music.

Urban is much more than the music ... it is a culture. It is a culture that is as prevalent among teens in metropolitan and rural communities as it is among young professionals. Urban culture encompasses music, film, sports, fashion, technology, vehicles, food and beverage, media. But “urban music” is more than just rap, r&b and reggae!

The urban audience consists of today's tastemakers who set lifestyle trends. They are a youthful and active demographic. They like to have fun, and they invest in the music and entertainment value that will enable them to enjoy life to the fullest.

When it comes to urban music and culture, the key is authenticity and integrity. Fans of urban culture are drawn to the genuineness of the product and/or service. The buying decisions of this audience are largely driven by the urban artists and connoisseurs who represent the lifestyle that they admire and wish to emulate.

Urban artists are increasingly becoming the face and voice of many leading mainstream brands and there are countless other examples of mainstream brands that have used urban music as method of connecting with what is undeniably the most popular culture and lifestyle today!

Since the early-mid 1980’s, urban lifestyle and attitude, inspired originally by rap music culture, has the pre-dominate youth culture, influencing sports, fashion, technology, and entertainment across North America. Urban artists and their music, style & attitude have been used to promote and generate billions of dollars in the sales of clothing, jewelry, cars, phones and other merchandise. Jay-Z, Beyonce, Rihanna & Kanye West, to name a few, command the attention, adoration & most importantly the dollars of this highly influential tween marketplace, with residual ripple effects reaching far beyond that strata. Canadian artists like Drake, Melanie Fiona, K’Naan, Jully Black, k-os and Kardinal Official have successfully climbed to the top of the international urban charts and crossed over into the pop charts, expanding awareness of and increasing the assimilation of urban culture into mainstream life.

Why is urban culture so influential? This is because disenfranchisement is a uniting force among youth and because poverty is relevant. Through much of the rap music business, there is a dream of a successful life based on financial wealth. Urban culture has effectively allowed a street hustler to become a fashion icon and a skateboarder a national hero. While the roots of urban are often referred to as the diverse culture from the inner cities of New York or Los Angeles, today urban culture also resonates in Toronto, Montreal, and Vancouver, smaller suburban areas across Canada and even affluent Canadian communities where the urban influence and inner-city vibe thrives and develops.