Dirty Circus

After three successful independent albums as part of the critically-acclaimed Sweatshop Union crew, the Dirty Circus are close to releasing their new album and reaching more people than ever with their brand of patented party-rocking yet conscious hip hop music. The Circus, made up of DJ ItchyRon, Mos Eisley and Metty the Dert Merchant, got their start in the late 90s performing, collaborating with other artists, creating underground tapes and selling them hand to hand. Taking the collaborations a step further, they pooled resources with four other Vancouver-based rappers to assemble their first professionally recorded and manufactured album, Sweatshop Union's Local 604. After selling over a thousand copies of the project without distribution, the newly-formed Sweatshop Union caught the attention of independent record label Battle Axe Records, who picked up the album and gave it formal distribution.



With the Battle Axe release of the debut Sweatshop Union album in 2002, the crew created several music videos and hit the road hard, touring and rocking shows. Building further upon the momentum they established, they recorded two more albums, continued their relentless touring, released more videos and even saw commercial radio play. Creating a reputation for their strong live shows, they toured and performed with the Black Eyed Peas, Jurassic 5, Blackalicious, De La Soul, Treble Charger, and Swollen Members. They were nominated for multiple awards including Juno Awards (Canadian Grammy), MuchMusic Video Awards, and more. All of this ultimately secured Sweatshop Union's position as the second-best selling independent hip hop artists in Canada, selling a total of over 25,000 albums worldwide.



In 2005, the seven members of Sweatshop Union began looking at branching out and working on projects within the crew. Dirty Circus, who wrote and performed a significant portion of the Sweatshop Union singles, set to the task of putting together their next album. They aimed to create a positive, smart, musically-satisfying hip hop record that draws influences from hip hop's golden age while still remaining current and progressive. The other members of Sweatshop Union are all also featured on the album, which is nearing completion. And so, a new chapter of quality music is on the horizon as Sweatshop Union presents Dirty Circus.