349A College Street [see on map]

PLANET MARS was a regular series for hip-hop music and culture performance that ran from 1997 to 1998 in several locations around College Street, including the basement of the South African Centre on Augusta in Kensington Market.

Produced by various parties in the Toronto underground scene, it celebrated the four elements of hip-hop: MCs, DJs, graffiti artists and breakdancers, and became known for its fierce freestyle battles between up and coming MCs. The who's who of the second wave of Toronto hip-hop made regular appearances at Planet Mars, including Brassmunk, Cryptic Souls Crew and DJ Serious.

In 1999, a Planet Mars EP was released by KneeDeep Records, featuring Kardinal Offishall, Thrust, K-os and others who had at one time or another been part of the series.

It was short-lived but fondly remembered for its important part in contributing to the explosion of Canadian hip-hop.