Part of a relatively unknown, yet growing cadre of Canadian hip-hop performers, Montreal's Shades of Culture are considered pioneers of the genre by many in the region. This trio from Notre-Dame-de-Grâce, consisting of DJ Shade, Revolution, and ? labored steadily throughout the '80s and '90s to perfect their considerable rap skills. The result was Mindstate, a full-length CD on 2112 Records. By early 1999, Shades of Culture had formed their own label, Windmill Records. ~ Roxanne Blanford, Rovi