Sean Leon

March 10, 2018 in male, music, toronto, CLASH, 2, OAK ISLAND, ffso

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.

Jahmal Padmore

March 09, 2018 in dj, male, toronto, music, 2, 416, RHUM CORNER, BOND

Jahmal Padmore is a creative multi-hyphenate living and working in Toronto. In true millennial fashion, Jahmal’s day-to-day is filled with multiple projects for multiple clients, all while balancing his own creative career. With lululemon, Jahmal works as the community lead and with Tokyo Smoke, he produces podcasts. Meanwhile, his band miracles creates music music that merges R&B with synthy pop so that you can catch a futuristic vibe.

Sy Blake

March 05, 2018 in toronto, male, graphic designer, london, england, 2

Sy Blake is an imaginative artist who prioritizes diverse representation by presenting Black life through a fantastical lens in his graphic design and 3D animation. Since mastering a variety of character styles, the UK-export has continued to craft some characters so intricate that they look cartoon ready and others so unique that look like they are “straight from the space continuum”, as his Twitter bio suggests.

Jamie Webster

March 03, 2018 in toronto, male, graphic designer, art, music, 2

Jamie Webster is a multidisciplinary creative at the helm of some of the coolest video content coming out of Toronto. As creative director for OVO superstars, Majid Jordan, Jamie Webster’s expertise in fashion, photography and graphic design are always on full display. In addition to this, Jamie is the founder of Common Good, a Toronto-based directing collective and full service animation, design and VFX studio.

Paul Pusha

February 27, 2018 in new york, creative consultant, events, male, 2

Paul Pusha is a creative consultant and accessory designer living and working in NYC. After a career in fashion, where he worked for the likes of Alife and Hood By Air, he transitioned into consulting and designing masks and jewelry because he believed that they were better suited for his skills. Today, he runs AK Cartel, where he sells bags, chains, masks and bustiers, which merge high fashion and hypebeast seamlessly.

Shaquille Gilbert

January 13, 2018 in 1, male, toronto

Shaquille Gilbert is a writer and model based in Toronto. Since migrating from Montreal, he has made strides in journalism and fashion, with ambitions to merge both industries by eventually highlighting queer people of colour in the arts.

DJ GetLive!

January 12, 2018 in dj, new york, music, male, 1

GetLive is a New York-based DJ who spins everything from classic boom bap to high-tempo club mixes. The Queens native embodies the American Dream, having flipped his SoundCloud mixes into a residency at Schimanski, where he holds court in their Hip-Hop Room.

Stats: 13.8k Instagram followers

Sam Houston

January 10, 2018 in male, fashion, toronto, 1

Sam Houston is a photographer and art director based in Toronto. When he isn’t working towards his Publications degree at OCAD or updating his aesthetically-pleasing Instagram, Sam works retail.

Joseph of Mercury

January 07, 2018 in toronto, music, male, 1

Between his retro style and timeless tunes, Joseph of Mercury has managed to stand out in Toronto’s dense music scene. Before pursuing a solo career, Joseph had an impressive resume behind the scenes, penning and producing songs for Majid Jordan, Nelly Furtado, and Blood Orange. Today, he has a buzzy EP and unique visuals under his belt that has caught the attention of Globe Style and Billboard.

Though Joseph of Mercury’s has over 5k followers, his online reach is over 13k, with 25k impressions. His audience is main demographic is between 25 and 34 years old in Toronto, LA, London, Mexico City and New York.

Mimi Harris

January 06, 2018 in los angeles, new york, music, male, female, 1

Mimi Harris is a native New Yorker conquering marketing, modelling and motherhood simultaneously. She also paints and has a passion for music education, adding to the strong multi-hyphenate culture in NYC.

Darren Messam

January 05, 2018 in toronto, male, 1

You can follow Darren here.

Who are you?

Darren Messam, Father, Fiance, top shotta.

Where are you from?

Brampton, Ontario

Freetown, Jamaica
Living in Toronto now.

What do you do?

Day Job: IT guy for some pro sports teams and dabble as an Actor also a Father

Night Job: Professional Ad-libber.

What is your dream creative project?

Want to able to be multifaceted. Podcast, Acting, etc....

What's your strategy for creative block?

Keep at it. Start slow and keep it simple.

If your life was a movie what would be on the soundtrack?

R&B specifically the New Jack Swing era and early 90s Dancehall

Jhanelle Peters

January 04, 2018 in toronto, male, 1

Where are you from? Toronto

What do you do? Day Job: Social Housing Manager / Night Job: Netflix and No-Chill Specialist

Do you consider yourself a freshman, sophomore or senior? Sophomore

What needs to happen before you can "graduate"? I can finally say I graduated when I can look back at marginalized communities in Toronto and see less stigma and stereotype surrounding the need for psychological support. In order to do that, I will need to finish this Masters!

What is your dream creative project? And what's stopping you from it? What do you need? Creating a program in the Afro-Canadian community where youth can receive psychological support for direct/in-direct contact to trauma. Many of these youths are overlooked, and then penalized later on in life for their behaviour, when they received no outlet support during their hardest times. There is nothing stopping me from getting this done, I'm on my way.

What's your strategy for creative block? Don't force it. Inspiration has no expiration date.

If your life was a movie what would be on the soundtrack? 90's R&B, remixes and dancehall

Where can we find you on a Friday night? Roaming the streets of Toronto looking for a new food spot.

You can follow Nelly here.

Matthew Medeiros

January 04, 2018 in fashion, toronto, male, 1

You can follow Matt here.

Who are you?

I am 29 years old and live with my guy Ryan and our dog, Nomi. I am a lover for all things beautiful. I enjoy coffee, interior design and weed. I love working out and run with a Nike Crew that focuses on bringing awareness LGBTQI in fitness.

Where are you from?

I grew up in Brampton and moved to Toronto in 2009. I live at Queen and Ossington.

What do you do?

I work in fashion.

What is your dream creative project?

To have a small collection and present it in Paris.

What's your strategy for a creative block?

To immediately seek inspiration.

Where can we find you on a Friday night?

You can find me at home with friends.

Carlos Achoy

November 29, 2017 in 1, toronto, male

Who are you?

I am Carlos, 37 a hospitality professional and gym enthusiast with interests in music, films, fashion and arts.

Where are you from and where do you live?

I am from Culiacan, Sinaloa in Mexico. I moved to Toronto, a place I now call home, in 2004. I live in Corktown.

What do you do?

I manage a Mexican restaurant in the entertainment District. MIlagro, a traditional Mexican eatery inspired by the great Mexico City cantinas of the golden era.

What is your dream creative project?

Musicalize fashion shows, run parties and/or coordinate events for a big art gallery or museum.

What are your top 5 songs of the moment?

1. - Arisen my senses by Bjork

2. - Visions of Gideon by Sufjan Stevens from the Call Me By Your Name Soundtrack

3. – Orcus by Kaiserdisco

4. – Sanctuary by Anja Schneider

5. – Speak to silence by Ghost Note

Where can we find you on a Friday night?

At Milagro Mercer and if I am not too tired after work I am either hanging at one of my friend’s place or entertaining at home ;)

Louis Cremades

January 02, 2017 in toronto, music, male, france, 1

Louis Cremades is a French expat living in Toronto. As a songwriter, producer and vocalist he seeks to transcended beyond sonic limits and norms, just as he has travelled beyond borders.

Karim Olen Ash

January 01, 2017 in toronto, music, dj, events, male, 1, ff founders, sybil, Nike

Karim Olen Ash is a Toronto-based DJ and content creator who has established himself as a staple in Toronto’s emerging art scene, and is gradually taking his influence beyond his hometown and into other markets. In addition to DJing, Karim curates events with Something Special and is one of the creative heads of Freshman Friday!