Toronto Rappers Find a New Home in St. Thomas

A simple wrong turn by a tour bus led longtime barber and rapper Malichi Male to leave Toronto for good.

In 2016, Male, 47, was set to perform in London, Ont., but ended up 30 minutes south of the city in St. Thomas.

That unexpected detour completely altered Male’s life.

“I was dumbfounded because I seen stuff I never seen before,” he recalls, mentioning he has seven kids.

In St. Thomas, he noticed children playing outside alone and friendly strangers greeting him on the street-something that’s less common in Toronto.

Submitted by Malichi Male

Male’s family fled Uganda when he was young and spent several years living in New York before moving to Toronto.

“I lived in some of the roughest housing projects: Rexdale, Parkdale, and Jane and Finch,” he reflected about his time in Toronto.

Just weeks after that stop in St. Thomas-and with a successful barber shop and clothing store he’d started in Mississauga at age 19-Male decided to move his family to this railway town.

A couple of years later, he opened a barber shop in St. Thomas and launched a clothing line called Saint T Apparel that honors the city, adding two more locations in Rodney and Ingersoll.

“When I first got to St. Thomas, many people, especially teens, felt embarrassed about being from here,” he said.

“Sometimes when you live in a place, you don’t appreciate it until someone else comes along and tells you, ‘The grass is not greener.’

“You’re living on very green grass right now,'” he explained.

It’s also the core message behind his songSt. Thomas Proud.

Opens recording studio with Juno Award winner

Last year , Male persuaded his friend , Juno Award winnerChoclair, to leave Toronto as well , and now the rapper lives just down the street from Male’s barbershop in St. Thomas.

” The only issue I’ve had since moving here is that my couch still hasn’t arrived ,” Choclair joked during a recent call with .

The pair recently set up a recording studio at the back of Male’s shop.

” It’s a professional studio , it’s going to be fantastic , and it’s going to make an excellent addition ,” Choclair shared.

Choclair/Instagram

” My goal is to discover untapped talent from around the globe – take it up a notch ,” said Male. ” The teens could potentially be the next Justin Bieber but lack an outlet.”

MALE WHO IS A VOCAL CRITIC OF JUSTIN TRUDEAU ALSO HAS POLITICAL ASPIRATIONS HE RAN FOR MAYOR IN 2018 BUT DIDN’T PARTICIPATE IN THE LAST ELECTION AS HE SUPPORTED AND ENDORSED JOE PRESTON WHO WON A SECOND TERM.

“HE’S AN EXCELLENT AMBASSADOR FOR ST. THOMAS AND LOVES HIS COMMUNITY SO WE’RE HAPPY TO HAVE HIM AS ONE OF OUR CITIZENS,” SAID PRESTON. “HE CARES ABOUT HIS COMMUNITY AND ALMOST EVERYTHING HE DOES REFLECTS ST. THOMAS PRIDE.”

MALE ALSO ENTERED THIS YEAR’S ONTARIO ELECTION WITH THE CONSENSUS PARTY OF ONTARIO IN ELGIN-MIDDLESEX-LONDON A RIDING WON BY PROGRESSIVE CONSERVATIVE ROB FLACK.

LISTEN | MALICHI MALE DISCUSSES A FORTUNATE WRONG TURN THAT LED HIM TO ST. THO MAS:

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