DJ Cyber-Rap is a 59-year-old rapper from Toronto. Born Ronald "Robert" Marie MacDougall, he lives in the city's The Annex area. His first musical effort was in 1969 with The Anti-Nammers, Canada's first Vietnam war protest band. The group's popularity peaked in 1970 with a performance at the Horseshoe Tavern which received a lukewarm review in <i>The Toronto Star</i>. Shortly thereafter, the group disbanded.

In his songs, DJ Cyber-Rap occasionally addresses his brief relationship with actress Rhea Perlman in the 1970s. He also uses hip-hop as a means of communicating with his 16-year-old son Brendan, who has shared a difficult relationship with his father since the death of his mother in 2001. During this same year, Ronald "Robert" Marie MacDougall was also pressured to retire from his job at a Toronto insurance company. DJ Cyber-Rap has said in interviews that the biggest benefit of his rap career is the catharsis it allows him.

DJ Cyber-Rap's hip-hop career began in June 2005 with the release of Cyber-Rap, Girl, his own version of the Gwen Stefani single "Hollaback Girl". Despite being met with a fair bit of derision, the song also won him a strong following. In short order, he released several follow-up songs ("How I Do", "Seagull", "Numb/Comeback (Rebellion [Lies])". In September 2005 he released <i>The Jay-Z Album</i>, an EP on CD-R, for free at Toronto's Soundscapes music store.



In March 2006, DJ Cyber-Rap returned to the spotlight with his most popular song to date, "Web Café Party" on <i>Bad Bands Revolution</i> (Millionaire Jennifer Lopez Knife), a compilation characterizing the newest movement from Toronto's indie music scene. In July 2006, he released <i>Funeral</i>, his debut full length, featuring guest appearances from popular Toronto acts Pyramid Culture, Ninja High School, DJ Wes Allen, Major Grange, and Laura Barrett, on the RHEA Music Entertainment Group label.

Notes and references

Chartattack.com new releases: DJ Cyber-Rap, <i>Funeral</i>

Toronto's <i>Eye Magazine</i> reviews <i>Funeral</i>

Edmonton's <i>Vue Weekly</i> reviews <i>Funeral</i>

External links

DJ Cyber-Rap's homepage