The Sorority (rap group)

The Sorority was a Canadian hip hop group founded in Toronto, Ontario in 2016. The group originally comprised Keysha Freshh, Lex Leosis, Haviah Mighty, and pHoenix Pagliacci. They released their debut album, Pledge, in 2018. Pagliacci left the group in early 2019 to focus on her own R&B project, TRP.P, while the remaining members continued touring. The trio disbanded after their final show on November 24, 2019 to focus on their respective solo careers.[1]

The Sorority
The Sorority performing in 2017
Background information
OriginToronto, Ontario, Canada
GenresHip hop
Years active2016 (2016)–2019
Past members

In 2019, they were named one of "Canada's Greatest Supergroups" by Exclaim! magazine.[2] They were named one of CBC Music's "10 new Canadian artists who ruled 2018" and were profiled as one of The Globe and Mail's next generation of artists breaking through the Toronto hip hop scene.[3][4]

History

Formation (2016–17)

The group was formed in 2016, after collaborating on a cypher for International Women's Day in association with the online hip hop music platform Team Backpack.[5][6] The group's cypher subsequently went viral.[7] This was Team Backpack's first all-female cypher.[8]

The original members included four Toronto-area rappers: Keysha Freshh, Lex Leosis, Haviah Mighty, and pHoenix Pagliacci.[5] Later that year, the group released their first single, "Undun", and were named one of NOW Magazine's "Toronto Musicians to Watch" in early 2017.[9] For International Women's Day 2017, The Sorority released "Ladies Night", a tribute to Lil' Kim's 1997 song "Not Tonight".[10] The video for "Ladies Night" featured an all-female production crew and cast and was deemed a "must see" by Complex magazine.[10][11]

Pledge (2018)

The first single, "SRTY", from their debut album was released alongside a video on International Woman's Day in 2018, two years after their formation.[12][13] The song was positively received, with Complex denoting it an "anthem".[14] A second single, "On Me", was released later that month.[15]

Their debut album, titled Pledge, was released on April 13, 2018.[16] The album was premiered on CBC Music's First Play Live,[17] coinciding with an interview that was nationally broadcast on the CBC Radio One program q.[18] The album received favourable reviews, and was named one of CBC Music's "favourite Canadian albums of 2018".[19][20]

After the album release, the group was featured in Exclaim! and won the Stingray Rising Stars Award—presented by Stingray Music, Women in Music Canada, and Music Ontario—receiving a $2,000 cash prize.[21][22] The Sorority subsequently embarked on their first North American tour, with dates across Canada and the United States.[23]

Final tour and breakup (2019)

Pagliacci left the group in early 2019 to focus on her own hip hop project called TRP.P. The remaining members continued touring, however.[24] Later that year, The Sorority announced a national tour with the Snotty Nose Rez Kids and released a new single called "Switch".[25] With five shows remaining in the tour, the group announced that they would be breaking up once it was completed, in order to focus on their respective solo careers.[1] Their final show took place on November 24, 2019 in Toronto.[1]

Discography

Studio albums

  • Pledge (2018)

Singles

  • "Undun" (2017)
  • "SRTY" (2018)
  • "On Me" (2018)
  • "Switch" (2019)

References
  1. "Toronto hip-hop group the Sorority is breaking up". CBC Music. October 21, 2019.
  2. "Canada's Greatest Supergroups". exclaim.ca. Retrieved December 8, 2019.
  3. Siu, Michelle (January 18, 2019). "Meet the next generation of artists breaking through Toronto's hip-hop scene". The Globe and Mail. Retrieved May 13, 2019.
  4. "10 new Canadian artists who ruled 2018". CBC Music. December 7, 2018. Retrieved May 13, 2019.
  5. Lowers, Erin (April 25, 2018). "The Sorority, A Rare Four-MC Hip-hop Group, Introduce Themselves on 'Pledge'". Exclaim!. Retrieved May 13, 2019.
  6. Addawoo, Lindsey (March 8, 2017). "This all-female rap group is promoting solidarity through hip-hop". CBC Arts. Retrieved May 13, 2019.
  7. Ritchie, Kevin (April 11, 2018). "The Sorority are ready to shake up the world of hip-hop". Now. Retrieved May 13, 2019.
  8. "INTL Women's Day | Keysha Freshh, Lex Leosis, Haviah Mighty, pHoenix Pagliacci | Little Sister". YouTube. March 8, 2016.
  9. Ritchie, Kevin (January 31, 2017). "Toronto musicians to watch in 2017: hip-hop edition". Now. Retrieved May 13, 2019.
  10. Seshadri, Pooja (March 8, 2017). "The Sorority Pays Tribute To The Women Of Rap With "Ladies Night"". The Fader. Retrieved May 14, 2019.
  11. Cruz, Josephine (March 8, 2017). "The Sorority Updated "Ladies Night" for 2017 and It's a Must-See". Complex. Retrieved May 14, 2019.
  12. Slingerland, Calum (March 8, 2018). "The Sorority "SRTY" (video)". Exclaim!. Retrieved May 14, 2019.
  13. Weekes, Jabbari; Taylor, Sharine (March 8, 2018). "The Sorority Pledge Good Vibes and Safer Spaces On New Anthem "SRTY"". Vice. Retrieved May 13, 2019.
  14. Cruz, Josephine (March 9, 2018). "The Sorority's "SRTY" Is an Anthem for Every Day". Complex. Retrieved May 14, 2019.
  15. Kevito (March 28, 2018). "The Sorority Breaks Down Love And Lust In New Single "On Me" [Premiere]". Okayplayer. Retrieved May 13, 2019.
  16. Cruz, Josephine (April 13, 2018). "The Sorority's Debut Album, "The Pledge" Is Here". Complex. Retrieved May 13, 2019.
  17. "First Play Live: The Sorority, Pledge". CBC Music. May 2, 2018. Retrieved May 13, 2019.
  18. CBC Radio (July 12, 2018). "The Sorority is an all-female rap crew that just want room to be great". CBC Music.
  19. "Our favourite Canadian albums of 2018". CBC Music. December 3, 2018. Retrieved May 13, 2019.
  20. Lowers, Erin (April 16, 2018). "The Sorority Pledge". Exclaim!. Retrieved May 13, 2019.
  21. Lowers, Erin (May 9, 2018). "The Sorority Kicking Down Doors". Exclaim!. Retrieved May 14, 2019.
  22. "The Sorority are the Winners of the Stingray Rising Stars Award". Music Ontario. September 12, 2018. Retrieved May 13, 2019.
  23. Warner, Andrea (May 4, 2018). "The Sorority: The feminist future of Hip Hop". CBC Music.
  24. Mullin, Morgan (March 7, 2019). "Pledge allegiance to The Sorority". The Coast. Halifax. Retrieved May 13, 2019.
  25. Slingerland, Calum (September 13, 2019). "The Sorority and Snotty Nose Rez Kids Team Up for Canadian Tour". exclaim.ca. Retrieved September 25, 2019.
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