'A Juno on his tombstone': Hip-hop group to play on after founding member's death
It was supposed to be the one of the best days of Markland Campbell's music career.
Half Size Giants, the Ottawa hip-hop trio Campbell helped form in the 1990s, had just shot a video for a new song on their first album in 15 years.
But hours after learning that song would be played on stations across the country, Campbell — whose stage name was Jahiant Jahh — was shot on a sidewalk in the ByWard Market.
The 42-year-old later died in surgery from his wounds. An 18-year-old man was later charged with second-degree murder.
Now the two remaining members of Half Size Giants, Christopher Wiens and William Moreno, say they're going to promote the song as a tribute to Campbell, with proceeds going to his family.
But at a media conference in the market Friday — not far from the spot where their partner was gunned down — they conceded: it's been a tough week.
"That's the irony of this situation," said Wiens. "We created the best piece of work we believe, all around, to date, and hours ... after we solidify a national radio campaign, our brother was taken from us."
Wiens was just 12, Moreno was 13, and Campbell 14 when they began playing together.
Their careers chart the rise of the hip-hop scene across Canada, but they went their separate ways in their 20s.
This January, however, they released a remake of their song Life Moves Fast — with eerily resonant lyrics like "life in the capital is [becoming] deadly" and "I see a lot of little bad boys who follow blindly."
"He was prophetic'
Campbell was an anti-gun violence advocate, and released his own video in 2016 for his song Them Shoot The Youths.
"He was prophetic," said Wiens. "Our job now is to make sure the world knows his story."
Moreno said the trio bonded quickly after 15 years apart, and that Campbell was thrilled at performing together again.
"Us three, that's when it clicked," said Moreno, "And it just kills me that I waited this long to come back, only to have it stop like this. Jahiant will always be with us."
Moreno said that for now they won't be going on tour to promote the new record, but they might in the future — possibly with Campbell's own son, now the same age as his father was when he began his career.
Wiens said Campbell had hoped the new single Girl U Know, which features Canadian recording artist Danny Fernandes, might even win a Juno.
"This is bigger than just a single release. This is something timeless," Wiens said.
"I want to put a Juno on his tombstone."
