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80PURPPP

Born in the UK but raised in Canada, 20-year-old rapper/singer 80purppp is blessed with a smooth, gentle voice that sets him apart from the DIY-rap pack. His breezy breakthrough single “Hex” has earned him fans all over the world including Canada, the US and Australia. 80purppp exhibits great depth and nuances to his music by combining singing, rapping and playing the piano, which keeps his listeners intrigued and following his journey. Today, 80purppp’s music has amassed more than 115 million streams worldwide with Hex now certified Gold in Canada. 

— Read our interview with 80purppp —

CHIIILD

Multi-talented artist Chiiild crafts beautiful and thought-provoking hymns that transcend genre, while still retaining the integrity of Soul, Jazz, and R&B. As an artist influenced by everyone from Pink Floyd to Marvin Gaye, Chiiild has a knack for melding sounds and coupling them with songwriting that is rooted in both storytelling and social commentary. In early 2020, Chiiild released his debut EP Synthetic Soul. He followed with his debut album Hope For Sale in 2021, which earned a a Juno Award nomination for Alternative Album of the Year. His upcoming 2023 release Better Luck in the Next Life is a culmination of Chiiild’s influences and experiences, mixed with a graduated level of experimentation. At the heart of it, Better Luck in the Next Life matches passion with energy from an artist who isn’t afraid to take risks in his sound and evolve with every lyric and note.

— Read our interview with Chiiild —

SYLO

Raised in Toronto, ON, Sylo‘s take on R&B is inspired by his environment. He was born into a Korean family with religious roots. This inspired him to sing as a child in church services, leading him to learn several instruments at once. Sylo’s musical talents were further enhanced by his older sister who played 90s R&B and hip-hop to full effect. Once he learned how to apply his inspirations into his own productions, he became driven to write and perform his own songs for the world. Sylo has now become known for his silky records that were created in his own bedroom studio. The work has received global recognition, charting virally on both Spotify and Apple Music. Additionally, his songwriting skills have placed him in studios amongst GRAMMY-winning/nominated songwriters in Los Angeles, London and Toronto. 

CHARMAINE

Zimbabwe born, Charmaine and her family immigrated to North America in search of a better life. Calling Toronto home was not easy as her family lost their house shortly after they arrived after her father got laid off from his job, turning all six of her family members to live in a dirty motel room. A kitchen so small, only one person could fit in there at a time; no stove, just a little hot plate. The silver lining is that her struggle inspired the young Charmaine to sit on the floor with her notebook and write songs, dreaming of being any place but within the walls of a Motel 6. Out of her tough upbringing was birthed survival and a hard work ethic that led to a confident rapper with all the accompanying strut and swagger, and a brilliant R&B vocalist able to deliver a heart-stopping ballad. The Zimbabwe-born Toronto Juno Award winning rapper with a fairly “Rags to Riches” story revealed herself to the world with her debut EP “Hood Avant Garde” in April 2021 and has been on the rise ever since with over 13 million streams and counting.

— Read our interview with Charmaine —

SNOTTY NOSE REZ KIDS

Snotty Nose Rez Kids is a Canadian hip-hop duo of Haisla (Indigenous) descent from Kitimat, BC. Rappers Yung Trybez and Young D formed the duo in 2016, releasing two albums in 2017 with their second, The Average Savage, winning them them Best Hip-Hop Artist at the Western Canadian Music Awards, a spot on 2018’s Polaris Music Prize shortlist, and a 2019 Juno Nomination for best Indigenous Music Album. In October 2021, SNRK dropped their most personal project to date, LIFE AFTER. The release landed them on the covers of RANGE Magazine, Exclaim! and The Georgia Straight. Their hit single, “Uncle Rico,” debuted on BET Jams and went into rotation on MTV. Their new album, I’M GOOD HBU? is out now. 

— Read our interview with SNRK—

LEX LEOSIS

Known for her dynamic flows, aggressive stage presence and elaborate storytelling, Lex Leosis is a name you don’t forget. With a unique gravely vocal delivery, acrobatic flows, and a mastery of her instrumentation, Lex breathes life into contemporary hip-hop and mesmerizes with her rapping abilities. Setting herself uniquely apart by holding space for various causes and using her platform to support other women and non-binary artists and creatives, Lex is not afraid to give props where it’s due. She’s got an attack in her flow, juxtaposed with a finesse in her lyricism, and a hunger in her vocal tone. Her family gave her traditions, Toronto shaped her, and California helped form her sound.