Hip hop and rap have had a tough time getting visibility at award shows over the last 20 years. The Juno Awards are no different. Organizers have been criticized for not adequately representing this popular music genre.
This year, however, the awards ceremony is making up for lost time. Hip hop and rap fans will have a lot to sink their teeth into.
Organizers announced just yesterday the list of groups who will perform at JunoFest, the concert series taking place in St. John’s, Newfoundland on the weekend before the ceremony. They now announce the artists who will perform during the Juno Awards being broadcast across Canada live from the Mile One Center on April 18.
Among artists proudly representing the hip hop movement are Drake, Classified and K’naan. Drake is the rising Toronto rapper who performed at the Grammy Awards with Lil Wayne and Eminem.
Other artists slated to perform throughout the evening of April 18 are Michael Bublé, Justin Bieber, Billy Talent, Drake, Metric, Blue Rodeo, Great Lake Swimmers and Johnny Reid.
Michael Bublé is the big favourite coming into the evening. He has six nominations, compared to four for Billy Talent, Drake and Johnny Reid.