Rappers, basketball players and Toronto get spotlight on NBA All-Star Weekend
The 6ix gets its due
Drake has not only christened Toronto "The 6ix" but the rapper from Forest Hill also made it cool to be from here.
Now with the NBA's All-Star Game taking place in the city this weekend, Toronto's brand is getting another boost.
Bryan Brock has been thinking a lot about Toronto's cool factor for that last few years. He's the creative director and co-founder of 1LoveTO, a website and movement to recognize Toronto's unique character.
"If you're proud of where you're from, it shows," said Brock.
"It started to shift between the years of 2007 to 2010, those were the early stages. From 2010, all the way up until now, obviously with the help of Drake, the momentum has been incredible for this city and how proud people are."
Drake is a major player in city's cool rebirth, the All Star Game and of course the nickname.
The origins of "The Six" or "The 6" or even "The 6ix" remain unknown. But Drake started using the nickname in July 2014, when he announced the still-unreleased new album Views from the 6. From there, it took off.
Brock calls it "little brother/little sister syndrome," where we once thought ourselves inferior but have now grown up and gained confidence amongst the New Yorks and Chicagos of the world.
"We were always just that north of the border city that didn't quite live up the standard," he said.
Then, there came Aubrey "Drake" Graham. He released one of his first singles on 1LoveTO, and Brock said the rapper's stature is a big reason why Toronto's finally arrived.
"[Drake] really inspires and motivates a younger generation. Before him, there were only a few storytellers in our city," he said. "I think Drake has really opened the flood gates for young people to say, 'hey, we can make things happen.'"
Song in the 6ix is CBC Toronto's search for the city's new anthem. If you are a GTA musician, you have until Friday, February 19 to submit your original song about Toronto. The winner will receive a $10,000 honorarium, a CBC-produced music video, and a professional recording. For details, visit cbc.ca/the6ix.