As Toronto continues to flex its R&B and hip-hop muscle, producing some of the top artists in music today, there’s a new artist looking to join the ranks of the city’s top R&B and hip-hop exports. His name is Jaiden Lewis and it’s a name you’ll want to remember.
Although he may be fairly new to the music game, he’s no stranger to the limelight. He started dancing at just four years old, taking lessons and performing with the Toronto area dance company DOAHL Academy. Then at 12 years old, while living in New York, he landed the role of Ramone on the animated series Peg + Cat, earning two Emmy nominations along the way.
By 14 years old, he branched out into live theatre, appearing in Crossfield House Productions’ A Little Black Lie and A Little White Lie, and more recently appeared in the company’s latest play 1994 at the Atlanta Black Theatre Festival.
But now Lewis has his sights set on taking the music industry by storm, and he’s beginning to do just that. Although the Scarborough resident and Wexford Collegiate School of the Arts grad hasn’t come from privilege and has had to work for everything he has, he’s got some great support from those around him, including his manager and Crossfield House Productions head, Troy Crossfield, and mom Ruth Lewis. He’s even gained recognition from industry heavyweights like Walter Jones, Universal Music Publishing’s co-head of A&R, responsible for the careers of artists like DaBaby and H.E.R., who listed Lewis as an artist to watch.
After signing with Sony ATV in early 2020 as both an artist and songwriter, and drawing Chris Brown comparisons as a gifted singer and dancer, Lewis recently dropped his debut single and music video “More Than Friends”, an up-tempo R&B track where he reveals both his smooth yet strong vocals and flow. Where a lot of male hip-hop and R&B artists today still hold to messages of misogyny and toxic masculinity, he comes with a different message on the track.
“The song is about having a girl but staying loyal and honest”, he told SHIFTER. “…even when tempted and another girl comes along.”
The single shows off his versatility, letting listeners know he is capable of doing so much more, and we may not have to wait much longer to hear more. We hear he has a few more singles, an EP, and perhaps even some bars, coming in the near future so stay tuned.
But in the meantime, check out his current single “More Than Friends” available on all major streaming platforms.
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