Toronto rapper DijahSB is nominated for Rap Album of the Year and Dance Recording of the Year at the 2025 Juno Awards.
If you are tapped into Canada’s underground rap scene, then you are familiar with DijahSB. The acclaimed rapper’s steady rise to national recognition was years in the making—a single Google search reveals how they’ve performed (or is scheduled to perform) on just about every stage, in just about every province. They were nominated for Canada’s Polaris Music Prize—a cash prize awarded to the best full-length Canadian album judged solely on artistic merit—in 2021 and 2024. Now, they have nabbed two nominations at Canada’s most prestigious night in music—the JUNOS.
Rappers are known to be braggadocious, and Dijah fits the bill (in their music). Off the record (pun intended), they seemed much more relaxed, almost unassuming, if not subdued. I kickstarted our interview by asking Dijah about the day they learned about the noms.
“I was at home, and I started receiving ‘congratulations’ text messages. I was like, ‘congratulations?’ I went on the JUNOS website and there I was. That was a big shock to me,” they said.
“My mom is probably more excited than I am. She has been talking about it nonstop. I’m going to take her to [the ceremony]. Everybody around me has felt such pride. Whenever they see me win, it magnifies everything for me. I feel a lot of love and everybody’s really excited,” they added.
In 2021, Dijah performed at the JUNO Block Party—an anticipatory showcase of emerging and/or JUNO-nominated artists scheduled the weekend before the award show. They will hit the stage again this year, this time as a nominee.
“It’s really great to see [my] trajectory, have it documented, so that nobody could ever say I never worked hard for it. It’s been a grind. It makes me understand that I’m headed in the right direction. To go from [being showcased] to being [nominated] shows that I’m only going further and further. It’s a great feeling to have both under my belt,” they said.
“I was at home, and I started receiving ‘congratulations’ text messages. I was like, ‘congratulations?’ I went on the JUNOS website and there I was. That was a big shock to me,” they said.
The Toronto-based emcee is nominated for Rap Album of the Year and Dance Recording of the Year at this year’s ceremony. Their album The Flower That Knew (2023) explores themes of growth, resilience, and overcoming adversity. Despite not owning any, Dijah felt a strong need to use plant imagery to depict their progression as an artist.
“I feel like the flower’s journey is such a great metaphor for the journey of anybody trying to pursue anything in life. I love a good metaphor. The flower’s journey is so similar to the journey of humans and the process of growth and patience and eventually blooming. And when you do bloom, sometimes people like to take you out of your natural habitat, and they don’t want to admire you where you’re at. They want to take you and mold you into something that they want you to be,” they said.
Dijah is non-binary. To be nominated for Best Rap Album, a category that is traditionally cisgendered and heteronormative, is huge for non-binary representation. Dijah sees it as a privilege and is conscious of the responsibility weighing on their shoulders.
“It’s a great honour to be that representation, because I didn’t have that growing up. If I did, I feel like I would have been much more comfortable with my gender expression. So if there’s anybody that I can do that for, help them find that comfort and knowing it’s okay to be themselves, then I feel like I fulfilled what I’m destined to do while on this earth. It’s really important for me to have a platform as big as the JUNOS. I don’t take it for granted,” they said.
“It’s a great honour to be that representation, because I didn’t have that growing up.”
Dijah wrote and recorded songs for The Flower That Knew within a month. That’s an impressive feat considering many albums take months, if not years, to complete. But when the inspiration flows freely and you are surrounded by the right collaborators, miracles do happen. Dijah gave a shout out to fellow Torontonian rapper Clairmont II Humphrey for his contributions to the project.
“I had Clairmont with me in the studio adding to production, ad libs, and background vocals. Usually, I receive beats from producers, I write in my bedroom, I go to the studio and I record the album, and that’s it. But this time, I wanted to be a lot more collaborative. It really enhances the sound and makes the process a bit more fun,” they said.
Among the standouts tracks from the album are “Chantel’s Garden”, “Fertilize”, and “The Flower That Knew” because of how they exhibit what it means to bloom in different ways. There’s the nurturing power of love, the necessity of receiving support from outer forces, the belief in one’s inherent power and destiny. When I asked Dijah, they said the title/closing track and “Forest” were their top picks.
“I agree with you—[“The Flower That Knew”] is probably my favourite. But also, the track with Kwncy (“Forest”), is the deepest for me. I am laying it bare, what I was going through at the time. And Kwncy’s hook is one of the best hooks I’ve had the pleasure of [co-creating],” they said.
The production on the album leans heavily into dance music, a deliberate choice Dijah has been making since their first album, 2020 the Album. Drawing inspiration from Kaytranada’s Grammy Award-winning Bubba (2019), Dijah aimed to give listeners an escape from the harshness of living through COVID-19. It has since become their signature sound.
“My first album allowed me to punch into a specific sound that I feel is my best version of myself. I continue to specifically seek that kind of production. People need to dance,” they said.
“UH HUH,” Dijah’s collaboration with duo Keys N Krates, is a lively, club-ready dance track bound to get you moving. Hence its nomination for Dance Recording of the Year.
“It was released through Snakehips’ label (Never Worry Records). Adam and I, from Keys N Krates, we collaborated on [the production]. It was intentional—a really basic hook, uplifting production,” Dijah said.
We closed out our interview by talking about what’s next for Dijah—from their dream collaborations with rap’s biggest stars and producers, to new music slated for release this Spring.
“Kaytranada is big on my list. Kid Cudi obviously. Vince Staples, Doja Cat—I adore a lot of the people that are popular right now. I’m working on new music—I have a song coming out in April. I’m focusing on visuals as well, because I know a big thing right now is catching the eye,” they said.
The Juno Awards of 2025 will be held on March 30 at the Rogers Arena in Vancouver. You can watch live on CBC or CBC Gem.
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