At this point, it’s virtually impossible not to associate Drake with his city. On the cover of his new album, VIEWS (the album formerly known as Views from the 6), the rapper is Photoshopped sitting on top of Toronto’s most well-known landmark, the CN Tower. The message is loud and clear (and perhaps a tad literal)—he started from the bottom, now he’s here.
While the city has a rich hip-hop history that started in the '80s—with artists like Dream Warriors, Maestro Fresh-Wes, Michie Mee, and Kardinal Offishall achieving some level of mainstream success—it wasn’t until Aubrey Graham came along that U.S. and international audiences and media really started paying attention.
Drake’s chart-topping 2013 third albumNothing Was the Same marked a new plateau for the rapper, but his Toronto stranglehold on the world stage has only tightened since. With the help of his longtime producer Noah “40” Shebib and manager Oliver El-Khatib, he founded OVO Sound in 2012, partnering with major label Warner Bros. for distribution. This created a cottage industry of acts including Majid Jordan, PARTYNEXTDOOR, and The Weeknd, the latter of which has gone to launch his own massively successful career. There’s also the annual OVO Sound Festival, a Beats 1 radio show, and Drake's own “Global Ambassador” position with the Toronto Raptors.
Lurking in the shadows of Drake’s omnipresent spotlight, though, is a flood of artists ready for their moment, ranging from hard-nosed grime to sweet R&B, all of which showcase the city’s multicultural diversity. While the infrastructure to support these rising acts is still catching up, here are 20 Toronto names you should get familiar with now, along with their best songs.
Alessia Cara, “Here” (2015)
Although she’s from the Greater Toronto Area suburb of Brampton, Alessia Cara has contributed immensely to both Toronto’s rising R&B prominence and Canada’s recent pop domination. Her debut single “Here” is a rebellion against partying and drinking, an anthem for “anti-social pessimists” that unabashedly reveled in being uncool, conversely transforming Cara into one of the coolest rising artists of last year.—Melody Lau
BADBADNOTGOOD & Ghostface Killah feat. Danny Brown, “Six Degrees” (2015)
This pick’s cheating slightly, but last year’scollaborativealbum with the Wu-Tang veteran confirmed what Torontonians have known for a minute: If you’re a rapper looking for a live band to add Morricone soundtrack meets Stax Records instrumentation, there’s nobody better for the job than experimental jazz trioBADBADNOTGOOD. Sour Soul highlight “Six Degrees,” which features a typically manic Danny Brown guest verse, proves these twenty-somethings have come a long way fromcovering Gucci Mane and Odd Future songs.—Max Mertens
Birthday Boy & allie, “I Can’t Wait” (2015)
R&B artist Allie’s gorgeously soulful voice is a hot commodity in Toronto, and she’s been putting it to good collaborative use alongside producers like Elaquent, Da-P, and TOKiMONSTA. On “I Can’t Wait,” Allie teams up with fellow Toronto producer Birthday Boy for a simmering duet about the pursuit of romance, a track that’s comparable to contemporaries like Tinashe or Jhené Aiko.—ML
Bizzarh, “Pluto.wav” (2014)
Writing about Bizzarh’s “Dragon” last year for Pitchfork, Anupa Mistry described the track as “Bahamadia raw meets Willow Smith earnestness and a cosmic call-to-arms.” While they’ve yet to release a proper full-length album, the young duo of Charli Champ and Dollar Paris have been building a steady buzz from one-offs. Originally appearing on the free 2014 compilationGod Bless Toronto alongside tracks from other up-and-comers like Drew Howard,Jimmy Prime, andSean Leon, “Pluto.wav" is featherlight, Soulquarians-influenced R&B that’s unlike anything coming out of the city right now.—MM
Ca$tro Guapo feat. FIJI, “We Are Not” (2015)
A bi-national collaboration between Ca$tro Guapo of Toronto collectiveCMDWN and Atlanta’s FIJI, “We Are Not” sees the rappers trading screw-face boasts over an ominous, starkly minimalist beat. In a just world, it would have been a massive radio hit last summer, but it found its way into plenty of club DJs’ sets regardless.—MM
Charlotte Day Wilson, “Work” (2016)
Artist and producer Charlotte Day Wilson cut her teeth in the R&B group the Wayo before going solo this past year. On her own, Wilson is able to channel her influences—most notably, vocals mirroring those of Rhye on her debut single “After All”—into exquisite downtempo compositions. “Work” is her latest single, a slow-burning mediation that nearly veers into gospel territory.—ML
Devontée, “Bare Tings” (2015)
He might be responsible for coining the phrase “WOE”—not to mention he's related to NBA superstar Steph Curry, who made a cameo in this “0-100”spoof video—but with last year’s District Vibe mixtape,Devontée established himself as one to watch. Thanks to his gravelly flow, his detail-oriented tales of growing up broke, chasing girls, and experiencing police violence, plus his bottom-heavy production, Devontée shouldn’t remain unsigned for long.—MM
dvsn, “Too Deep” (2015)
Paul “Nineteen85” Jeffries has been a key OVO affiliate in recent years, having produced two of Drake’s most notable hits, “Hold On, We’re Going Home” and “Hotline Bling.” Although it wasn’t made clear upon debut, Jeffries is behind OVO Sound’s latest signee, dvsn (alongside singer Daniel Delay). “Too Deep” is one of their first singles to have surfaced online, a brazenly sensual sex ballad that features a choir belting out the enrapturing chorus, “I think we’re too deep/ Don’t wanna pull out.”—ML
Harrison feat. Clairmont the Second, “It’s Okay, I Promise” (2016)
Clairmont the Second may have just graduated from high school, but the Toronto artist—whose flow and style has already earned comparisons to Chance the Rapper—wants to stake his claim in the city’s booming hip-hop scene. On his mixtape last year, Clairmont told listeners to “take your eyes off Drake for a second/ He’s not the only artist in the city reppin’ this section.” But it’s on his collaboration with Toronto producer Harrison, “It’s Okay, I Promise,” that he proves his potential most, delivering a sweet love story over a swirling galactic mix of piano chords and ticking rhythm.—ML
Jazz Cartier, “Switch/The Downtown Cliche” (2014)
Proving you don’t need a boldface co-sign to achieve success,Jazz Cartier’s self-released Marauding In Paradise is one of the most confident, fully-realized debuts from a Toronto artist in recent years. Loaded with sinister orchestral post-trap beats courtesy of producer Michael Lantz, it’s a portrait of a city that’s more Joseph Conrad’s Heart Of Darkness than “Hold On, We’re Going Home.” The rapper navigates drug-fueled night clubs, grimy basement parties, and smoky after-hours all over Marauding In Paradise, but the centerpiece is “Switch/The Downtown Cliche,” a take-no-prisoners anthem where Cartier stakes his territory with braggadocious bars and blood-curling yelps.—MM
Keita Juma feat. Brendan Philip, “Come Over” (2014)
Drawing on influences including grime, jungle, and Portishead, Bristol, UK-born, Mississauga-based MC and producerKeita Juma had a prolific 2015, dropping two well-received tapes,Chaos TheoryandNights In Space A Short Film. A hypnotic standout from the former project, “Come Over” works a four-on-the-floor house groove, with a key assist from fellow Toronto singer-songwriterBrendan Philip.—MM
Majid Jordan, “Something About You” (2015)
In the three years since our introduction to Majid Jordan on Drake’s “Hold On, We’re Going Home,” Majid Al Maskati and Jordan Ullman have diligently implanted themselves deeper into OVO’s network of players, working closely with longtime Weeknd collaborator Illangelo, Nineteen85, and 40. While their output—an EP and a self-titled full-length that came out earlier this year—finds them still fine-tuning their balance between R&B and pop, LP cut “Something About You” is among some of Majid Jordan’s best tracks so far, and positions Al Maskati’s soaring falsetto up there with the likes of the Weeknd’s Abel Tesfaye.—ML
PARTYNEXTDOOR feat. Drake, “Recognize” (2014)
PARTYNEXTDOOR has been an OVO Sound staple since 2013, when his song “Make A Mil” was featured on Drake’s OVO blog. Drizzy has since extended his support for the rapper by providing guest verses on a number of PND tracks, including the 2014 PARTYNEXTDOOR Two highlight “Recognize,” a commanding bass-driven song where the two commiserate over promiscuous lovers.—ML
Ramriddlz, “Sweeterman” (2015)
Before it was added to the longlist of tracks co-opted by Drake,Rammriddlz’s “Sweeterman” was a cheesy-but-catchy viral hit, made by an unknown 21-year-old from the suburbs singing in a multicultural mashup of Toronto patois, Somali, and Arabic. Don’t worry about over-analyzing the sex-obsessed lyrics (“You know she follow me on that Insta G/I know she wants my insta D”), sit back with a tropical drink (preferably one served out of a pineapple), and let the haziness wash over you.—MM
River Tiber feat. Daniel Caesar, “West” (2016)
River Tiber’s Tommy Paxton-Beesley found himself hurtled into the OVO orbit when his track “No Talk” was sampled on Drake’s If You’re Reading This It’s Too Late cut “No Tellin’” last year. Paxton-Beesley has since maintained a collaborative relationship with that track’s producer Frank Dukes, and on “West,” they’ve expanded their sphere to include R&B singer Daniel Caesar. The song’s dazed Sunday morning flow ruminates on the blissfulness of moving forward, or in this specific case, westbound to California as Caesar and Paxton-Beesley trade slumbering road stories on their respective verses.—ML
Rochelle Jordan, “Follow Me” (2014)
She’s put out a handful of moderately successful mixtapes, but singer-songwriter Rochelle Jordan’s 2014 long-awaited full-length 1021 is one of the best Canadian contemporary R&B albums of the last five years. Start with the airy, masterfully arranged “Follow Me” and the Future-interpolating “Madness (Have It),” and go from there.—MM
Tasha the Amazon, “Thru the Fire” (2013)
Tasha the Amazon is a rapper, producer, and multi-instrumentalist who’s been around since 2007, back when she was in the hip-hop group Candy Coated Killahz. Now a solo artist, she channels her rapid-fire verses into bombastic beats and productions like the one found on her political anthem, “Thru the Fire.”—ML
Tory Lanez, “Say It” (2015)
An industry vet who’s collaborated with big names including Akon, Justin Bieber, and Meek Mill,Tory Lanez is a dual threat performer equally at home delivering blistering dealer paeans (“Diego”) or soulful chart-creeping hits. “Say It,” which samples Brownstone's 1995 R&B hit "If You Love Me," falls into the latter category, providing a tantalizing taste of his forthcoming debut album expected this year.—MM
Tre Mission feat. Thes, “Stigmata” (2014)
Despite being part of the Commonwealth, there’s been relatively few notable grime rappers to come out of Toronto, with Tre Mission being one exception. While he’s hardly a new artist, fans of Skepta, Wiley, JME, et al should check out his massively overlooked 2014 album, Stigmata.—MM
The Weeknd, “The Hills” (2015)
The once-mysterious Abel Tesfaye has become one of Toronto’s biggest exports, quickly catching up to Drake, the man who first gave him the spotlight with a co-sign and a much-touted spot at OVO Fest 2011. The Scarborough native (an Eastern Toronto district that Drake also has an affinity for) found plenty of success this past year with an Oscar nomination and the release of Beauty Behind the Madness, which featured his first stateside No. 1, “Can’t Feel My Face.” Another standout from that album, “The Hills” arrived hot off the heels of Tesfaye’s Fifty Shades of Grey feature; it's a thrillingly dark turn from the smooth veneer of “Earned It” and all-around, a perfect storm of his trademark themes (sex, drugs, and emotional turbulence).—ML
Melody Lau, an associate producer at CBC Music, and Max Mertens, the Canadian editor of VICE’s THUMP, both call Toronto home.