In Essence, Ghetto Concept - Rest In Peace ft. Ray Smoove, Angel

What this video is

Released in 2002 on Vik Recordings/BMG Canada, 'Rest In Peace' emerged from Toronto's Rexdale and Lawrence Heights neighbourhoods — the home turf of two-time Juno Award-winning duo Ghetto Concept. The track was an explicit community tribute to victims of gun violence, with Ghetto Concept's Dolo stating the song was dedicated to at least 16 people lost by end of 2001, including victims of street violence and 9/11.…

Why it matters

A landmark of early-2000s Canadian socially conscious rap, 'Rest In Peace' demonstrates the genre's capacity for community elegy within a commercial single format. The fusion of dancehall-inflected rap flows (a Ghetto Concept signature), R&B harmonics from In Essence, and dual MC cadences from Ray…