With the 2006 release of The Truth About Rap, Toronto emcee More Or Les dishes out another healthy serving of his trademark socially conscious alternative to materialistic “thug rap.” Says Scott C. of the Montreal Mirror, “More or Les is a real jack of all trades, crafting funky, sample-heavy beats backed with well-delivered cornball rhymes strictly for the haters.” Serious one moment, joking the next, More Or Les commands audiences to think and shake it, never apologizing for his point of view or his stick-in-your-head rhymes.

The release of The Truth About Rap catches More Or Les between European touring engagements with The Herbaliser. Currently slated to record with the supergroup this July between festival performances in Belgium and France, More or Les connected with The Herbaliser over three shows (Toronto, Ottawa & Montreal) on their 2005 Canadian tour and a weeklong gig in London, UK in November.

More Or Les toured two editions of his debut album I only stop for the Red Ants between 2003 and 2005. A critical success, Red Ants also generated an embarrassment of new performance and recording opportunities. In addition to IOSFTRA and The Truth About Rap, Les can be found emceeing on tracks by the UK’s Bryn “Dusty” Griffiths, Toronto’s Rhymicru, SJ the Wordburglar and Mindbender, and West Coasters Ndidi Cascade, Green TaRA and Dragon Fli Empire. (For complete credits, please visit www.moreorles.ca/discs.)

IOSFTRA also generated a video, A Little Too Much Weed, produced by Soft Citizen (dir.: Matt Eastman) in 2004. The video earned a coveted screening at The 2004 NEXT Festival, honoring the year’s most innovative international videos and was aired on Book TV but was ultimately deemed too controversial for MuchMusic. Today it enjoys viral popularity on YouTube. (To view A Little Too Much Weed, please visit www.moreorles.ca/media.)

More Or Les’ decade-long performance career has included such highlights as Canadian appearances with the 2004 Vans Warped Tour, opening for Eyedea & Abilities, a tour of Eastern Canada with SJ the Wordburglar, appearances at The Second City, Style In Progress at Dundas Square, a trip to each coast with the Perpetual Motion Roadshow, many local clubs around Toronto, not to mention the 2003 World Cycling Championships, the Canadian National Exhibition and busking on the streets.

With “crates steeped deep in hip hop history,” Les is a resident DJ at Toronto’s monthly classic Hip Hop celebration, Never Forgive Action with Numeric and DJ Dalia. He was the resident DJ at Toronto’s most influential underground hip hop showcase, In Divine Style, which ran weekly from 2001-2006 as well as spinning at Much Vibe’s Xposed Tour, Milk, and Hot Times.
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