Matthew Progress masterfully blends house and hip-hop to craft a unique sound that goes beyond Toronto’s signature moody vibe. As his haunting deep voice flows over bass-heavy beats, he gets personal on most tracks, giving listeners a glimpse into his insightful thoughts. His years of experience in the music industry could easily classify him as an OG but his constant reinvention makes him just as fresh and exciting as a newcomer.
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Jimmy Prime
Jimmy Prime is an emerging rapper who has already made a huge impact. Drake has credited him for originally christening Toronto as The Six and his own music career has been gaining steady traction since his music leaked to an OVO blog over 4 years ago. Since then, Jimmy and the Prime Boyz have gradually been carving out own signature gritty sound in Toronto’s competitive hip-hop scene.
Stats: 28.8k on Instagram, 20.5k on Soundcloud
Read MoreSean Leon
In a post-Drake Toronto, Sean Leon goes beyond the city’s signature moody sound. His diverse sound teeters between grungy and bubbly and his persona is authentic and irreverent. Sean’s projects include CCWMTT and I Think You’ve Gone Mad, a song ‘Matthew in the Middle’ with vocals from his dear friend and collaborator Daniel Caesar, was featured on the soundtrack for HBO’s Insecure. Beyond his own music, Sean is the founder of the IXXI collective, which is responsible for launching and developing Daniel Caesar’s meteoric career and fostering other Toronto talent.
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