Toronto’s cult-favourite vintage spot, Northern Touch Vintage, is co-hosting a pop-up and celebration for the 25th anniversary of Rascalz’s game-changing single “Northern Touch” with Canadian lifestyle brand Caked. The best part? The shop will be filled with some of Toronto’s greatest hip-hop and rap performers.

The vintage store opened just two years ago, proudly calling Raptors guard Fred VanVleet their first customer. On Feb. 25, Northern Touch Vintage’s storefront will turn into a party space dedicated to vintage clothing lovers and hip-hop fanatics.

The event is set to be a stomping ground for some of Toronto’s greatest talents. Juno award-winning Red 1 from Rascalz will make an appearance, accompanied by rapper and Canada’s Got Talent judge Kardinal Offishall, along with DJ Rxcks who will be spinning all night. The team behind the event has also teased a guest appearance from a Toronto hip-hip icon with ties ranging from the original Northern Touch to Drake. 

Aly Jamal is the owner and founder of Northern Touch Vintage. For Jamal, this event is a full-circle moment. “I’m a big hip-hop guy, so I’m hugely inspired by hip-hop in the ’90s. My brand started off of the song “Northern Touch.” I lived in Ottawa at the time and it was a really big part of my growing up.”

Northern Touch Vintage has quickly grown to become the go-to space for content creation, community-driven events and extensive vintage clothing curation. The store has seen the likes of Pressa and Denzel Curry come through the door, as well as accomplished Canadian athletes like Andre De Grasse and Penny Oleksiak. 

Some of the shop’s biggest customers, both in size and dollars spent, are Toronto Raptors. Just like Freddie on the court, gaining this notoriety was a blur. “I don’t know. To be real, I don’t know how it happened,” Jamal says. “I guess it started when I first opened my store. My first customer was Fred VanVleet. He posted us on his Instagram, and since then it hasn’t stopped. It seems like we get a phone call every week, and it hasn’t stopped for two years.”

Swing by 612 Richmond St. W. on Feb. 25 from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. to partake in the RSVP-only exclusive event.