A year ago no one knew who The Lytics were. Today, everyone from Winnipeg’s BMX community to campus radio station managers to Toronto hip-hop fans are singing their praises.

By way of explanation, Alex “B-Flat” Sannie, the eldest Lytic, offers this: “If it’s authentic and it’s good, people will listen to it and enjoy it.”

Sannie, 28, is joined in the group by his brothers Anthony “Ashy” Sannie and Andrew “A-Nice” Sannie, as well as their cousin Mungala “Munga” Londe and friend Gavin “DJ Action Rick” Kalansky, all of whom are in their early 20s.

The group began writing music together six years ago, with B-Flat creating the beats and everyone else writing rhymes over top.

“I crashed my parents’ computer several times making beats and I’ve blown a few of their speakers too,” B-Flat said over drinks at the Toad in the Hole last week with A-Nice. “Considering they hated the music, they were pretty supportive.”
The reason behind Mr. and Mrs. Sannie’s hesitance to embrace hip hop is the same reason many people hate it: It’s too negative.

Not The Lytics’ songs, though.

“Our parents hate hip hop but they really like our music,” B-Flat said. “There are some good messages in our music and that’s because of them.”

A-Nice agrees.

“Positivity comes out because that’s how we were raised. When it comes to swearing, I just don’t need to.”

B-Flat said the band is happy to provide an alternative in a time when most music seems to be aimed at identifying with people who are depressed.

“Your crack house got robbed or the rival pimp steals all your bitches – there’s anthems up and down for that sort of thing,” he said, only half joking. “We want people to chill out and relax. That’s where Stay Humble comes from.”

Stay Humble is the standout track on the group’s self-titled debut EP. The group recorded it at home and quietly released it last December.

When it began to pick up some steam, the band remastered and repackaged it, throwing a CD release party at the Royal Albert last month.

All of the money they made from the release party went towards buying plane tickets to Toronto, where The Lytics recently performed a 15-minute set at a hip-hop festival.

That’s a long way to travel for such a short period of time, but B-Flat said the positive response from the crowd was worth it.

It also affirmed what he wants to do with his life.

Most of The Lytics are students at the University of Winnipeg. B-Flat spends his days working with children.

“It’s good,” he said. “But it’s time to start doing music for a living.”

Published in Volume 64, Number 5 of The Uniter (October 1, 2009)