Main Source was a Canadian and American East Coast hip hop group based in New York City/Toronto, composed of Toronto-born DJs and producers, K-Cut and Sir Scratch, Queens DJ J.O.D and Queens MC and producer Large Professor. Later, another Queens MC, Mikey D, replaced Large Professor.
Breaking Atoms is the debut album of American/Canadian hip hop group Main Source, released July 23, 1991, on Wild Pitch Records. Production was handled by the group, primarily by member Large Professor, and took place during 1990 to 1991 at Homeboy Studio, Power Play Studios, and Libra Digital in New York City. Recorded during the golden age of hip hop, Breaking Atoms is distinguished stylistically by its incorporation of jazz and soul music samples. The album has been highly regarded by music writers due mostly to its production, whose heavy and original use of sampling influenced hip hop producers for a considerable portion of the 1990s.
Roland "Rollie" Pemberton, better known by his stage name Cadence Weapon, is a Canadian-American rapper based in Toronto, Ontario. Born and raised in Edmonton, Alberta, Pemberton released his first album, Breaking Kayfabe, in 2005 with positive reviews. He subsequently signed with the American record label ANTI-, releasing the albums Afterparty Babies in 2008 and Hope in Dirt City in 2012. In 2009, Cadence Weapon was named Edmonton's Poet Laureate. His first book Magnetic Days was published by Metatron in 2014. Cadence Weapon released a self-titled album in 2018.
Eternia is a Canadian rapper who has released several albums of hip-hop music.
Shadrach Kabango, better known as Shad or Shad K, is a Canadian rapper and broadcaster. He has released 7 full-length albums and 3 EP's since his debut in 2005. He won a Juno Award for Rap Recording of the Year in 2011 and 5 of his albums have been shortlisted for the Polaris Music Prize, the most short-list nominations of any artist since the prize's creation in 2006. In 2013, CBC Music named Shad the second-greatest Canadian rapper of all time. Shad hosted Q on CBC Radio One from 2015 to 2016 and hosts the International Emmy and Peabody Award-winning documentary series Hip-Hop Evolution on HBO Canada and Netflix.
LGBT representations in hip hop music have existed since the birth of the genre even while enduring blatant discrimination. Due to its adjacency to disco, the earliest days of hip hop had a close relation to LGBT subcultures, and multiple LGBT DJs have played a role in popularizing hip hop. Despite this early involvement, hip hop has long been portrayed as one of the least LGBT-friendly genres of music, with a significant body of the genre containing homophobic views and anti-gay lyrics, with mainstream artists such as Eminem and Tyler, the Creator having used homophobia in their lyrics. Attitudes towards homosexuality in hip hop culture have historically been negative, with slang that uses homosexuality as a punchline such as "sus", "no homo", and "pause" being heard in hip hop lyrics from some of the industry's biggest artists. Since the early 2000s there has been a flourishing community of LGBTQ+ hip hop artists, activists, and performers breaking barriers in the mainstream music industry.
Julie Frost is an American songwriter, singer, guitarist and record producer. She is the recipient of Golden Globe and Eurovision Song Contest awards for songs written, as well as a Parent's Choice Award for album production and performance. She is also the founder of the non-profit "Songs For Elephants", with the mission to help mobilize the music and entertainment industry in support of the world's elephants.
"Monster" is a song by American hip hop recording artist Kanye West, released as the third single from his fifth studio album, My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy (2010). The song features rappers Jay-Z, Rick Ross, and Nicki Minaj, along with indie folk group Bon Iver. All five credited acts have writing credits on the posse cut, with the production handled by West and Mike Dean. The instrumental is atmospheric and drum-heavy, and the lyrics reflect influences from horror films, creating an eerie composition which drew critical comparisons to the Michael Jackson track "Thriller".
Alaclair Ensemble is a Canadian hip hop musical collective based in Quebec. Their musical style draws on traditional Québécois folk music as well as contemporary Hip hop music and Electronic music. They are known for PR stunts and tongue-in-cheek lyrics that border on the comedic.
Safia Nolin is a French Canadian folk-pop singer-songwriter from Quebec City, Quebec.
Loud is the stage name of Simon Cliche Trudeau, a Canadian rapper from Quebec.
Haviah Mighty is a Canadian rapper from Brampton, Ontario. She rose to prominence in 2016 as a member of the hip hop group the Sorority, before releasing several EPs on her own, most notably Flower City, in 2017. Her first album, 13th Floor, was released in 2019 and won the Polaris Music Prize. After her debut, XXL named her one of the "15 Toronto rappers you should know" and CBC Music called her one of the "New Faces of Canadian Hip Hop".
The following musical events and releases that happened in 2020 in Canada.
Etmet Musa, also known by her alias Ayo Leilani and her stage name Witch Prophet, is an Ethiopian/Eritrean musician based in Toronto, Ontario. As Witch Prophet, she has released 3 albums: The Golden Octave (2018), DNA Activation (2020), and Gateway Experience (2023). She co-founded and is the co-director of 88 Days of Fortune, a collective based in Toronto since 2009 that rebranded as Heart Lake Records in 2018. She also is a member of Above Top Secret, an electro-hip hop group. Above Top Secret has released three studio albums since 2010. DNA Activation was shortlisted for the 2020 Polaris Music Prize. In 2021, she released a new song "Leilani", which appeared on the deluxe edition of DNA Activation. The deluxe edition was released July 23, 2021. Her third album as Witch Prophet, entitled Gateway Experience, was released May 1st, 2023. The first single from the album, "Energy Vampire", was released on February 23, 2023 and featured DillanPonders. Gateway Experience was longlisted for the 2023 Polaris Music Prize.
The 2020 edition of the Canadian Polaris Music Prize was presented on October 19, 2020. The longlist was announced on June 15, 2020, with the shortlist following on July 15, 2020 and the winner announced on October 19, 2020. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the traditional winner's gala did not take place this year, and instead a special cinematic tribute to the shortlist was streamed online by CBC Music and CBC Gem, following which the winner was announced.
God Has Nothing to Do with This Leave Him Out of It is the second studio album by Zambian-Canadian rapper Backxwash. It was self-released on May 28, 2020 through Grimalkin Records. Production was primarily handled by Backxwash herself, along with Fatherfake, Skin, and Will Owen Bennett, who are featured on the project as well as Black Dresses and Malldate. The album won the 2020 Polaris Music Prize.
I Lie Here Buried with My Rings and My Dresses is the third studio album by Zambian-Canadian rapper and producer Backxwash. The album was self released on June 20, 2021, through Ugly Hag Records. The album features guest appearances with artists such as Ada Rook, Censored Dialogue, Sad13 and features extra production from NOWHERE2RUN, Will Owen Bennett, and clipping. The first single of the album, titled "I Lie Here Buried With My Rings and My Dresses", was released on May 6, 2021.
The 2022 edition of the Canadian Polaris Music Prize was presented on September 19, 2022. The longlist was announced on June 14, with the shortlist following on July 14.
His Happiness Shall Come First Even Though We Are Suffering is the fourth studio album by Zambian-Canadian rapper Backxwash. The album was announced on July 14 and released on October 31, 2022, via the Ugly Hag label. The album concludes Backxwash's three album trilogy and features collaborations from various vocalists.
Planet Giza is a Canadian hip hop trio from Montreal, Quebec. Consisting of rapper Tony Stone and producers Rami B and DoomX, the band create music influenced by funk and jazz.
