This year we saw one of Toronto’s most impressive artist/producer expand out of any box people tried to put him in by releasing a strong debut EP. The artist’s name is KTOE and readers may be familiar with his work with Jazz Cartier, but he has been plugging away working with some of the industry’s top talent for years. As many producers branching out to get behind the mic will find, there is often a criticism by those who try to label creatives in one way or another. On his first EP release, KTOE is here to tell the industry I’m Mad and there isn’t much they can do to stop him. This 6-song EP is the perfect introduction for KTOE to get everything off his chest as one of Toronto’s artist working artists. There is a wild variety of energy levels on this project. From the dance-ready “Feel Like It” is set to get people moving to the more introspective telling of his personal journey in “Yellow Bandana” there is something for everybody on this project. Being that this is only his introduction, it will be interesting to see the way KTOE builds out his platform as an artist at …

One of the best new artists to emerge this year out of the West Coast is LA’s J.R Cruise. We have covered him extensively this year due to his effortless style of delivery that could only come out of California. Crusie recently dropped visuals for his track “My Bih Yo Bih” off his debut album Seeds. This album was an outstanding debut from an artist we are sure to see rise quickly in 2020. The video is an ode to a ride or die girl, as an artist on the cusp of stardom that is something that will prove more and more difficult to find. Even the visuals for this song exude Los Angeles in the style of house and a typical day spent for a creative spending a down day in the crib experimenting with new outlets like painting. J.R Cruise’s album is still in rotation for me, with a steady stream of videos it seems that there is still more life in this mixtape before moving on to the next project. Watch the video for “My Bih Yo Bih” below! Directed by DukeVision Produced by Ashton McCreight

Secret Sound Club’s a4 recently released a new single and video that truly showcases the lavish lifestyle he lives. Simple strings allow a4’s futuristic melodies to encapsulate listeners. a4 is an artist to not conform to popular tropes in music, often sticking to unique flows that come to him. This song has a different feel than a lot of his work previously, with the strings and quick-hitting hihat pattern it seems like a4 is moving to use more live instruments in his release. The visuals show off his hometown Vancouver’s wonderful scenery before he hops on a private flight to take care of business. This year has been a big one for a4, releasing a number of impressive singles and a project that has set him up for a big 2020 alongside his SSC brothers. Watch the video for “Bout It” below and listen on all platforms here! directed by sadatr  

THE WAVE IS BACK! The long-awaited return to music from Max B is finally upon us and it could not have come at a better time. The Wave God himself has been incarcerated this entire decade and the rap game has been missing him dearly. As the next decade creeps up we are edging closer to an icon being back to reclaim his place in the industry. If Gucci Mane’s glow up after his stint in prison was something to behold then what Max Biggavelli is about to do will be talked about for generations to come. Releasing a feature-heavy 7 song EP is about the smartest thing Max B could do leading up to his freedom. The roster on House Money is heavy, with features coming from French Montanna, Jadakiss, A Boogie, Wiz Khalifa, Cam’ron, Dave East, and A$AP Ferg all bring an insane level of energy for an artist well respected by his peers. The highlight of this incredible project comes on the intro track “Take My Time” which is a classic Max B cut, instantly reminding me how big his impact will be when he is able to go full throttle. As we wait on more news on the …

On this grey winter Thursday, we’re slowing things down a notch with a calming new single from Canadian artist Mcevoy. His vocals are incredibly soothing and pair beautifully with production that fills up all of your speaker’s real estate. Mcevoy is a master when it comes to sound design and how he creates his music, his latest single “Settle Down” is a perfect example of how his music completely takes over when you listen to it. This one is a natural fit as darkness appears earlier and people always seem to be in a funk before the holidays. Mcevoy is a wildly talented rising artist, capable of creating songs in multiple genres and visuals that bring his sound to life. This single seems to be leading up to something larger, be on the lookout for this powerful Canadian voice in the months to come. Stream “Settle Down” on all platforms here!

Jay Whiss is an established artist out of Toronto who is beginning to hit his stride as he emerges from a tough place with the loss of people close to him in the past few years. Earlier this year, Whiss dropped the EP Dark Cloud to outline the pain he felt with what was happening around him in his home city. It seems that with the release of his latest single “Valet” he is emerging from the cloud that fogged him to release his greatest piece of work to date. This release is a strong return for Jay Whiss as Murda Beatz provides a thumpin beat that allows Jay to lay down intricate bars and deliver an anthemic chorus. Whiss is joined by a personal favorite of mine, Puffy L’z, whose signature sound embodies Toronto to the fullest. The single was accompanied by a video that had both artists celebrating amongst their people, a regular occurrence simply because the whole crew has been seeing a lot more wins now more than ever. “Valet” serves as the lead single to Jay Whiss’ upcoming album, one that is sure to turn some heads and level up a rapper ready to take on the world. …

Today we have a smooth new cut from Moe Young, a wildly talented up and coming artist out of Arkansas. It’s always exciting to catch an artist at the beginning stages of their career, Moe has exclusively been releasing music on his SoundCloud but has already built up a small collection of quality hits over the past few months. On his latest record “TRUST”, that details a complicated relationship with his girl who’s trust issues have deeper roots than first appear. This is a theme most people can relate to, Moe encapsulates the confusion and struggle of being in a relationship that has its fair share of problems due to trust. The singing voice that Moe has lends itself perfectly to this sort of slow jam, hopefully, more to come in his future. The song is produced by Internet Money’s Repko, yet another nod for this intriguing artist on the rise. Stream “TRUST” below!

The reigning Kings of Canada’s West Coast, Soliven and Neeko, have been on quite the tear this year. After finding initial success in 2018 with the video for “Timezones” the R&B duo doubled down on their Filipino-Canadian heritage to begin to absolutely dominate both regions with their futuristic sonics. Coming off the success of their single “Silver Skies”, MANILA GREY embarked on a World Tour that took them across Asia and Canada to perform their hits in front of sold-out crowds. This year has taken their early fame and developed it into the beginnings of an illustrious career for a team that is running on all cylinders in all aspects of their creative output. Their latest album No Saints Loading dropped last week and is their first full-length release since their debut project No Saints Under Palm Shade put them on the map. While this project was intended to be the long-awaited follow up to last year’s debut, it is dense with big songs that are incredibly relatable for all those who listen. What makes this project incredibly special is the way they tie in their home city of Vancouver into each song, something the likes of which the city has really …