The weight of the local hip-hop community rests on the shoulders of Jaykin, a 25-year-old rapper whose On the Humble documents his recent yearlong stint living in Tokyo. Jay’s golden-era flow and metaphor-rich wordplay marks him out as the city’s most thoughtful MC—and its best bet to break out nationally.

Best local release other than yours
“Being in Japan changed things for me. I’m open to different types of music now. I saw this great video for a rock song on YouTube [Electric Indian’s ”˜Kids These Days’] and it really captures this feeling of being in Vancouver in the summer and trying to figure out what’s going on with this new generation.”

Most mind-blowing concert of the year
“Dí£m-Funk did an in-store performance at the Stí¼ssy shop [49 Powell Street, June 10]. He’s a funk DJ from Los Angeles, and most of the beats he played were his own. He captures the funk era and makes it sound relevant today.”

We just found Bruce Allen’s platinum card. Where are we eating?
“Guu in Gastown [105–375 Water Street] really brings me back to Japan. They have a lot of dishes that are hard to find in Canada. And everyone there is Japanese, so I like to practice my Japanese with them.”

With apologies to Katy Perry, who would you like to wake up in Vegas with?
“I’d have to say Bif Naked—the name alone is hilarious. Honestly, all the female singers I know are taken and I’m friends with their boyfriends, so I can’t really go there.”

We’re going to a desertisland. What record are you bringing?
“Naughty by Nature’s 19 Naughty III was the first tape my mother bought me. I remember sitting in my room listening to it; I was nine years old. I took a break, went to the washroom, sat on the toilet, and it hit me: I thought, ”˜Why don’t I try writing music?’ ”

The city has given you a blank cheque. Where are we opening a live-music venue?
“When I was with Central Soul we used to have a studio in Chinatown, at 420 Columbia Street [Leung’s Benevolent Assn building]. There were people in there all the time just having fun, freestyling. It would be a perfect underground after-hours spot. Being in there, you forget all the madness that’s going on outside with the drugs and the prostitution. It’s all boarded up and sealed in real tight, and the vibe is really special.”