Why Toronto is taking over U.S. music scene

Long a staple on mainstream radio, Canadian music artists, mostly from Toronto, are taking over the air waves across the United States.
Newcomer Melanie Fiona's "It Kills Me" is the No. 1 song this winter, knocking Mr. "sex inventor" Trey Songz from the top perch (even with a hot remix out) that he's held down for a month now.
But even before Fiona's meteoric rise on the charts, Young Money rapper Drake, who also hails from the T.O. had the summer's only true anthem, "Best I Ever Had," which was also a No. 1 single. (And dude didn't even have an album.)
Is T.O. taking over?
Another Toronto artist Keisha Chante, a decent singer and artist in her own right, landed the coveted role of Aaliyah for the "Rock the Boat" singer's biopic, which is due in late 2010.
If Chante can pull it off, then it will catapult her to instant stardom across the world, easily making her the world's No. 1 female star.
When did this seismic shift take place? T.O. used to be a sleepy little city that deferred to New York City for coolness. What's up?
Well, folks, while New York music scene has been in flux, T.O. has been on the grind. And it's show time.

Keisha Chante regrets Chris Brown link

Canadian-born singer Keisha Chante has been trying to distance herself from the Chris Brown-Rihanna fracas ever since she was named as one of the girls that texted him before the big blowup.
The news was not all that damaging, except that Chante wants to be known for her biggest project-in-the-making: the lead role in the Aaliyah biopic.
The bad press did little to American audiences because she's not as famous (though she is known) here as she is in Canada, where the news soured many of her fans.
Her reps quickly jumped to deny the rumors"I think they met a few years back, probably three or four years ago in Canada... but that's it," her manager is quoted as saying.

The Aaliyah film will feature Hype Williams (who will direct the video that Aaliyah died before finishing) as well as choreographer Fatima Robinson Timbaland, Ginuwine, and Missy Elliott.
While Chante may not be a household name in the U.S., she is basically the Canadian Rihanna with quite a few underground hits under her belt including songs with Usher, R. Kelly and Alicia Keys).