User:Dancard/Mitch Dub

Mitch Dub
Mitch “Dub” Wilson (born March 21, 1989) is a vocalist/ rapper residing in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. He is founder of “The Troopers” rap group also consisting of Cameron Scott Mullen and Daniel Card, and a student at the University of Alberta.

History
Childhood

Wilson was born in Winnipeg, Manitoba, son of Mike and Cheryle Wilson, and younger sibling of Matthew. He lived a quiet, happy childhood, and played competitive sports. In Winnipeg, Wilson manifested the values of middle class life and worked diligently to succeed in school. He remained in Winnipeg until 1999, when his family moved to Edmonton.

Edmonton and The Outs

In Edmonton, Mitch Dub continued to work hard in school and at the hockey rink. He has said that the competitive environment he grew up in is what fueled his desire to start creating music, something which “did not need to be praised by anyone but himself”. In 2005 Wilson started the band “The Outs” with long time friend and classmate Daniel Card. The band quickly grew to over 10 members, and played covers of David Bowie and The Beatles. The Outs were short lived but it is here that Wilson co-wrote his first song “End With You”, heavily influenced by the short catchy songs he heard on the pop charts and radio. Wilson would soon dismantle the band, but would not step away from the studio for long.

The Life and Times of Mitch Dub (2006-2008)

Wilson dropped the influence of his earlier pop idols in 2005 and began listening to the hip-hop acts that were dominating global charts. Wilson was first exposed to rap through artists like Tupac, Dr. Dre, and the Notorious B.I.G. Mitch Dub has also credited Eminem, for his role in breaking race barriers, allowing white artists to be accepted in a largely African American industry. In early 2006 Mitch Dub began scratch recordings of songs that would soon become his first full-length album, “The Life and Times of Mitch Dub, Volume One”. Mitch enlisted brothers Scott and Brad Mullen, and former “The Outs” guitarist Dan Card to help write, record and produce the album. The four of them would become the founding members of the ensemble “The Troopers”. Wilson’s goal was to create a hip-hop based album that was accessible to anyone and easy to listen to. The album would not feature obscene content, or contain vulgar language and would send a positive message back to the community that gave him so much(Card, 2008). The album featured songs that related much to Wilson’s own experiences growing up in the Edmonton suburbs. Wilson touched on a wide array of topics. His first video release, ‘Daniel’ describes an encounter with a boy living in poverty, and ends with a personal reflection of how lucky and ignorant people in North America are. “I Don’t Want Chlamydia”, performed with Daniel Zimmerman, is a comic yet insightful look into the effects and causes of STD’s. Mark “Sticks” Hillier provides supporting vocals on “Do You Believe in Life After Life?” a song that embodies Mitch’s views on faith. In the liner notes of the album Mitch writes, “this is the most honest expression of myself that I can give” (Wilson, 2008). The album took over two years to complete, due largely to scheduling conflicts of guest performers that appear on the album, and Wilson’s desire for perfection which he built in his childhood. On January 5th, 2008, the album was released.

The Future

Since releasing the album, Mitch Dub has focused solely on school, friends and family. Wilson has dreams of attending medical school at the University of Alberta, and is currently Vice President External of the neuro-science students association. Wilson has been quiet on whether or not a second album will be released.

Band Members
Mitch Dub- vocals, keyboard, production

Other Members

The following members have appeared as recording artists on The Life and Times of Mitch Dub.

Brad Mullen- vocals, guitar, production

Scott Mullen- drums, keyboard, vocals, production

Daniel Card- guitar, vocals, piano

Guest Appearances

Mark Hillier- vocals on the song “Do you Believe in Life after Life”

Danny Zimmerman- vocals on the song “I don’t want Chlamydia”

Megan Engel- vocals on the song “The Life and Times of Mitch Dub"

Jamie Weikum- vocals on “Upper Middle Class”

Nicole Larner- vocals on “Smile”