Dance Appeal

Can't Repress The Cause, originally titled Dance Appeal: Can't Repress The Cause, better-known as Can't Repress The Cause, was a Toronto-based supergroup of politically-motivated Canadian hip hop, rap, reggae and soul artists that made up the monumental 1991 Can't Repress The Causecampaign^[1] for greater recognition and representation of historically Black cultural-rooted artistic works within the Canadian music industry.^[2] Led with the release of the soundtrack single titled Can't Repress The Cause,^[3] the carefully crafted song title composed to capitalize on the dualities of "CRTC" initialism,^[4] the socio-politically driven public campaign was sparked as a direct response to the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission's 1990 decision that denied an FM radio license to Milestone Radio for what would have become Canada's first urban music station.^[5]

Participating artists included Maestro Fresh Wes, Dream Warriors, Michie Mee, B-Kool, Eria Fachin, Lillian Allen, Devon, HDV,^[6] Dionne, Thando Hyman, Carla Marshall, Messenjah, Jillian Mendez, Lorraine Scott, Lorraine Segato, Candy Pennella, Self Defense, Leroy Sibbles, Zama and Thyron Lee White.^[7]

The song, Can't Repress The Cause, received a Juno Award nomination for Best R&B/Soul Recording at the Juno Awards of 1991,^[8] and the music Video Can't Repress The Cause won the MuchMusic Video Award for Best Dance Video.^[9][10]