As the world continues to self-isolate, the music industry has almost ground to a halt. We took this time to ask our Instagram followers one simple question- “Name a Canadian artist people are sleeping on”.
We received a lot of responses and discovered some dope artists from across Canada, so we decided to share the responses right here. As you look for some new music to listen to during your self-isolation, here are the most slept on Canadian hip-hop and R&B artists according to our Instagram followers along with the cities they represent.
We placed them in order based on the number of mentions they received. We also considered regional representation (spreading the love across Canada), as well as the quality of the music.
1. Efflo Tu // Mississauga
Efflo Tu must have a highly engaged fanbase because our Instagram Stories were flooded with fans listing him as a slept on artist. Coming from my hometown of Mississauga, this is an artist we never heard of before, but his latest release “Cashflow” is super dope, as is his biggest song to date, “Be There”, which has over 9000 streams on Spotify. This is definitely an artist to look out for.
Listen to the latest from Efflo Tu on Spotify
2. King Tragedy // Winnipeg
Winnipeg’s King Tragedy garnered the most mentions as a slept on Canadian artist on our main feed. On songs like “Anxiety” he reveals he’s your classic rapper/MC. If you like that classic hip-hop with lots of bars, check out King Tragedy.
Listen to the latest from King Tragedy on Spotify
3. Dip Black // Ottawa
Ottawa’s Dip Black received the third highest amount of votes from our Instagram followers. We agree. Back in 2019, we crowned him the #1 rapper in Ottawa on our top 10 rappers list. Since joining the team at Dreamland he’s been putting out music at a steady clip and hasn’t been slowing down.
Listen to the latest from Dip Black on Spotify
4. Lonelyboyxxo // Ottawa
On our main feed @phillysmiles said, “Ya’ll really be sleeping on this guy”, referring to Ottawa artist Lonely Boy. We checked out the music and we were indeed sleeping. Listening to his latest release “Creep”, Lonely Boy is a throwback to 90’s R&B with smooth vocals and production.
Listen to the latest from Lonelyboyxxo on Spotify
5. Buddah Abusah // Hamilton
Buddah Abusah is another artist we didn’t know about, but a quick scan of his Spotify shows that with songs like “Buddahmonk (Life’s A Mission), he makes music with meaning and is helping to keep lyricism alive.
Listen to the latest from Buddah Abusah on Spotify
6. TheSoulfulPoet // Ottawa
Another name that was mentioned a few times was TheSoufulPoet. This dude is versatile. He can sing. He can give you some bars, and as his name says, he has a lot of soul in his bars and music.
Listen to the latest from TheSoulfulPoet on Spotify
7. Teon Gibbs // Vancouver
Based out of Vancouver, Teon Gibbs creates soulful vibes with both his flow, lyricism and beats. His latest releases “Gem” and “Prophet” belong on anyone’s self-isolation playlist.
Listen to the latest from Teon Gibbs on Spotify
8. Timal Garnier // Gatineau, QC
Having booked himself over 20 shows in 2019, Gatineau, Quebec’s Timal Garnier has to be one of the hardest working artists we know. We saw him perform live in Montreal at the opening of Studio Kampus. Definitely a high energy performer. His biggest song to date, “No Miracle” is a smash.
Listen to the latest from Timal Garnier on Spotify
9. Alsndra // Toronto
If you were to judge a book by its cover, you’ll probably be surprised with what you hear from Alsndra. The Toronto “Trap & B” artist is pretty versatile. She can give you soulful R&B vibes, then switch it up and rap on a trap beat. Looking forward to seeing what she puts out in 2020.
Listen to the latest from Alsndra on Spotify
10. Kenneth Cane // Toronto
I had never heard of Kenneth Cane before, but he was a pleasant surprise. He’s probably my favourite artist on this list (no offence to everyone else). I love his voice and the sound and vibe of his music. “Bag It” has some strong repeat value. He’s definitely an artist to keep an eye on.
Listen to the latest from Kenneth Cane on Spotify
Related article: