Fredericton's hip-hop scene is growing almost as fast as a new weekly local tradition - Hip-Hop Night at The Capital Bar. Every Wednesday of every week, open mics and turntables bring DJs from New Brunswick's capital city out to spin records, while their counterparts in rhyme, the emcees, appear to drop fresh freestyles or pre-written verses.

Co-organizer, DJ STV is quick to point out that "we just wanted to give a venue for heads to come out and do their thing. We try to keep it positive and not battle, but sometimes egos clash and cats get personal. I've had to turn off the beat on emcees that get too personal. Our main goal is to build and not have people afraid to come up and rap."

So as this hip-hop night continues to grow, so do the skills of the emcees and DJs who venture out in front of the ever-hungry crowd. It's one night per week where Fredericton's conventional rock scene takes a back seat to the ever-growing trend of hip-hop music.

In the spirit of the local scene, here's a little rundown of who's who in Fredericton hip-hop:

2BAD is a female group from the Lincoln area consisting of an emcee named Lady Lee, and a singer name Caramel Goddess aka Cleopatra Kierstead. They bring a fresh flavour to the table and are currently working on a debut LP produced out of Halifax. cleopatrakierstead12@hotmail.com

Above aka Adam Lockhart is one quarter of First Words. His flow is amazing and his voice is aggressively distinctive. He's appeared on numerous albums and is currently working on his first solo EP.

Apostrophe aka Terry Thomas is one of the original four members of the Illogic crew. He started rapping 9 years ago when he hooked up DJ STV and Jed Nice who at the time were known as Prophets of Rhyme - a Canadian version of Public Enemy. He started out freestyling, but has evolved into a writer and producer. apause27@yahoo.com

Bonshah aka Jerome Smith - A veteran emcee from Halifax who started breaking back in 1985. He soon got into emceeing and has since done a ton of shows. He was nominated for a 2002 ECMA Award and has been featured on many of Classified's album. nosonrecording@hotmail.com

Bro D aka Brody Hanson started out as a DJ in high school at Oromocto in 1997, but was forced to sell his equipment to attend university at UNB. In the last year and a half he's rekindled his hip-hop bug and managed to write and record a few songs. j7y61@unb.ca

BSJ aka Brian St. John might not be a stalwart in the hip-hop scene, but has put together an impressive remix CD called 'Mixin Business with Pleasure.' nightstick_records@hotmail.com

Originally from Oromocto, Ceeb aka Eric Claybourne learned to rap in French & English during his 16 years in Montreal. This veteran emcee is a faithful hip-hop night visitor, never afraid to pick up the microphone and fill any void with endless freestyles. ceeb2002@msn.com

At 16 years of age, Da Nemesis Attraction has been rapping for 3 years. He claims he can rip any emcee apart, holds down a show on 95.7 'The Beat' and has a full LP coming out in a couple months. da_nemesis_attraction@hotmail.com

Element Kontrol first formed out of Moncton 4.5 years now and has managed to release four albums on their own label, Genius in the Dark. The trio is composed of emcee/DJ/Producer Toenayles The Oddfellow aka Andy; emcee/producer Intuit th' Discordian aka Jason Cole and DJ/Producer Kastion Rubberfingers. They performed at the Moncton DMCs and represent all five hip-hop elements grafitti art, breaking, emceeing, producing and DJing. www.geniusinthedark.cjb.net

Envy aka Joel Hogan has an exceptionally diverse flow ranging from rap to reggae. Originally from Halifax, he's renowned for running over from work during his breaks just to drop a fresh flow.

First Words is composed of STV, Sean One, Above and DJ Jorun (Halifax). Their song 'Down with Putting Raps Down' was chosen to appear on the prestigious Dig Your Roots compilation, receiving National exposure. Their debut album will is nearing completion and by all accounts stands to be one of the best indie releases out of Atlantic Canada. bigseanone@hotmail.com

Ill Logic Crew is composed of DJ STV, Jed Nice, Apostrophe, Monarch, Symphantry, Mike Ill, Phakt and honorary member, Master Mixxx D. They've performed at the Canada Winter Games and have their debut album in the works. dalab@nbnet.nb.ca

Jed N.I.C.E. aka Jeff Jewett is a member of the Illogic crew. He's been rapping for 14 years, and got his start in grade 7 when he started rhyming over a friend's beatboxing beats. He's got a solo album on the fritz until he finishes the Illogic album.

Loc Dog aka Thomas Seamans has been DJing for almost 3 years now. Originally from Saint John, NB, he competed in 2003 DJ Olympics and 2002 DMCs in Halifax. He also stands as the winner of the 2001 DJ Warz in Moncton. locdogjr@hotmail.com

Master Mixx D aka Dwight was of the original four members of the Illogic crew, and has moved on to hosting a show at 95.7 FM The Beat.

DJ Maz aka Scott Mazerall played an integral part in helping launch Fredericton's first urban radio station - 95.7 FM The Beat. As music director for the station, he's made connects at major labels like Def Jam, Universal and Aftermath while receiving exclusive material. He reports to renowned charts such as Insomniac, Rap Attack Lives, New Music Weekly and Canadian Music Network. DJ Maz is just one part of BOS Entertainment, along with Master Mixx D. DJMaz@rogers.com

Mickey D "Tha Golden Child" aka Mick Carpenter has been rapping seriously for 6 years now. His DTC crew hails from Digby, Nova Scotia, but Mickey D is currently in his 2nd year at UNB. His unique style stands out in Fredericton, gaining comparisons to Bone Thugs-N-Harmony. His crew recorded an 8 song EP this summer, and he's featured on PIMP-T's upcoming single, 'P. Titty.' mickeyd42@hotmail.com

Mike Ill aka Mike Hodgson is a behind the scenes member of Illlogic Crew. Has been making beats for about 2 years and is a driving force behind Jed Nice's solo LP.

Monarch aka Jarrod Thomas is one of Fredericton's most promising up & comers. He's only been rapping for 3 years now, but as a member of the Illogic crew, he stands strong on the mic. He's got 14 songs done and is just waiting for the right beats. kommonprofits@hotmail.com

Nasty Naz aka Naz Ali was recently featured on Much News as a VJ hopeful. His audition was overheard to be one of the best in New Brunswick. He's become a well-recognized DJ & radio personality with his work at the local hip-hop station 95.7 FM The Beat. He's a proctor at the University of New Brunswick and also does some producing and promoting on the side. - nastynaz@thebeat957.tk

Phakt aka Mike Washington is New Brunswick's best kept secret. He's fresh off winning the 2003 Freestyle Battle at the DJ Olympics in Halifax, defeating Low Pressure Record's Tachichi. Hailing from Saint John, he's been rhyming for 10 years and reps the Allie Crew, Illogic and All Ears Ent. mikewashing10@hotmail.com

PIMP-T has worked hard to lock down the business side of the rap game, in the hopes of providing support for other indie artists in the future. He's been nominated for an ECMA and a UMAC award; performed on MusiquePlus and the Canada Winter Games; and had his video played on MuchMusic & MusiquePlus. He's also a senior writer under the moniker 'Trizoy' for www.HipHopCanada.com - the 2002 & 2003 UMAC winning website. www.pimpt.com

Rory Borealis aka Ben Conoley is PIMP-T's trusty dancing sidekick, but has become hooked on grabbing the mic to drop rhymes at The Capital's hip-hop night. Watch for his rapping debut on PIMP-T's upcoming album 'An Urbal Remedy' in September 2004. w63n6@unb.ca

Sean One aka Sean McInerney is one of Fredericton's hardest working emcees. A former member of the illustrious Vet Cru out of Saint John, he's released two solo albums over the past three years with a 12" release on the way. He's appeared on numerous compilations and is one quarter of First Words. bigseanone@hotmail.com

Scout aka Jody Wagstaff is the mastermind behind the burgeoning weekly hip-hop night in Fredericton. He's been DJing for a year now and launched Urban Scout Productions in a professional attempt to help promote and unite a hip-hop community with enormous potential. jowag311@yahoo.ca

Sherloc Colmes aka Matt Comeau has been rhyming for 3 years. A former member of E-sential – a now defunct group with Monarch, Symphantry and Da Nemesis Attraction, he’s now performing on the solo tip. colmenator@yahoo.ca

Slim is the voice of hip-hop during most afternoons and rush hour jams on Fredericton's only urban commercial radio station - 95.7 FM The Beat.

DJ STV aka Steve Hodgson, has had the Fredericton hip-hop scene locked down for nearly 20 years. Back in 1984 he started breakdancing and shortly after that he donned the emcee name of King Cash. He hooked up with Jed Nice and DJs Lloyd Payne and Stayfresh J aka Jason Lyons, to form the group P.O.R. (Prophets of Rhyme). After losing his rhyme book, he switched from an emcee to a DJ and has been holding it down with his weekly hip-hop radio show 'Strictly Hip Hop' for almost 10 years on CHSR. He's an integral part of the Illogic crew and First Words. dalab@nbnet.nb.ca

Symphantry aka Joey Stewart stands strong along side friend and crew member, Monarch. He's got a standout flow, which when combined with unique arm movements, makes you take notice. joeystewart187@msn.com

Toxik aka Steve Moores has been rapping and freestyling in Fredericton for the past four years.