DillanPonders | |
---|---|
Background information | |
Birth name | Dillan Alexander Richard King |
Born | Toronto, Ontario, Canada | November 11, 1991
Genres | |
Occupations |
|
Instrument | Vocals |
Years active | 2011–present |
Labels | SmashMouth |
Website | www |
Dillan Alexander Richard King (born November 11, 1991) known professionally by his stage name DillanPonders, is a Canadian rapper from Toronto, Ontario. [1] Ponders has performed across North America, as part of festivals like SXSW, Mondo. NYC and on the Smoker's Club tours, as well as alongside some of hip hop's left field leaders, including Flatbush Zombies, Pouya and Father. He's been featured in some of the genre's top publications, including Complex, Noisey, XXL and has headlined Spotify's Northern Bars and Hip Hop Central playlists.
DillanPonders started writing and recording songs professionally in 2011, a year later he released his first body of work titled Dopamine, an 18-tracks album which was released on June 10, 2012. In November 2012, he released Comatose, an EP he is credited to have also engineered and mix and mastered. March 1, 2013 saw DillanPonders release LUST, his third project, under Creative REbels World. [2] [3]
Through Creative REbels, he released Overdose, a mixtape that was well received and won the first Rkulture "Mixtape of the Year" award in 2013. [4] The mixtape literarily highlights the experiences of DillanPonders and his growth as a songwriter. [5] It features production credits from BiirdxLahghost, BlackOut, HOLYDAY, Kaos, LEF7Y, MindBlown, MYCbeats, Protishead, and Runsbeatz. The mixtape also credits guest appearances from Aay Cee, ADAN, Guapo and T.City. [6] [7] In October, DillanPonders revealed the album cover of his trap-infused mixtape titled NUMB. [8] Described as a "gem of rap music" by Christian Courtois of IX Daily, the mixtape was executively produced by Tay Lewis and was released on 13 November under SmashMouth Music Group. [9]
DillanPonders started recording his sophomore album The Boy Who Lived in April 2014. On August 4, RESPECT. premiered "SmashMouth CReW Gang" and "Swallow", two drug-themed lead singles from the album. [10] In an interview with Vice , he revealed that the album is "about me knowing when to go hard and when not to" following questions raised around his use of drugs and smoking of marijuana. [11] Upon the release of the 10-track album which features a sole appearance from British singer Ziba, it was met with critical acclaim from mainstream hip hop music critics. RKuture's Brandon Benguaich described the album as "magical" and "what we have been waiting for"; [12] while Kevin Ahmadi agreed that it is "perfect for a debauched party playlist". [13]
On 1 April 2015, he released the first installment of his You're Welcome mixtape, a remix project which served as a teaser for his EP Retox . [14] In anticipation of the EP, he released two singles titled "Stamina" which made the cut into Retox and "Circus" which featured vocals from Omari Shakir. [15] Through SmashMouth Music Group, he finally released Retox in October to positive critical reception after the release of his popular song "Shroom Daddy". [16]
On 20 May 2016, DillanPonders dropped a single titled "Go Daddy Go", off his critically acclaimed project Acid Reign , before releasing another single titled "Mandem" in anticipation of the album. DillianPonders enlisted the services of Eestbound to produce "Heaven", a song he sees as a "representation of where me and my squad are at mentally". [17]
On 29 December, he released ACID REIGN to positive reviews. The 12-track album featured on Boi-1da's "Top 50 Toronto Releases of 2016". [18] Leandre Nawej of Exclaim! rated the project 7 stars out of 10 while Kevin Ritchie of Now rated it 3 out of 5 stars. [19] [20] Six songs from the album were used on the Acid Jazz EP, a collaboration between Ponders and JAZZ MONEY that mixed Ponders's raps with live instrumentation.
In spring 2017, Ponders hit the road supporting Pouya and Fat Nick, opening to sellout crowds across Ontario and Quebec. He also released "PLANET PONDERS", which quickly hit 300,000 Spotify streams, and "Doubts", which was picked up by Complex Canada as one of the spring's top tracks.
Ponders released his most recent project, No Mans Land, in August 2017. Riding its popularity, he headlined his first show in New York City in October.
Through 2018 & 2019, DillanPonders released two projects: The Boy Who Died and Knowhere. The Boy Who Died closed the loop on Ponders' 2014 The Boy Who Lived project, and represented a musical and personal evolution for Ponders. Through Knowhere, Ponders further expanded his international attention, particularly through the track "JURASSIC" which featured IDK, one of the hottest rappers of 2019.
In fall 2020, DillanPonders announced a new album and dropped its first single: "Jungle" featuring Métis singer/songwriter Ruby Waters. The video was met with positive reviews, particularly in Canada, the United States and Australia, being featured in CBC Music, Lyrical Lemonade, Cultr and other publications. Ponders' new album title and date is yet to be announced but expected in late 2020. [21] [22] [23]
In August 2022, Dillan started releasing one song every week and has been doing so until this very day [24] He has been compiling those weekly releases into albums such as Album Mode Vol. 2 [25] , 28 Grams [26] , Album Mode Vol. 3 [27] , Album Mode Vol. 4 [28] and Album Mode Vol. 5 [29] and plans to continue releasing one song a week for the next decade.
Year | Album Title | Album Details |
---|---|---|
2012 | Dopemine |
|
Comatose |
| |
2013 | LUST |
|
Overdose |
| |
NUMB |
| |
2014 | The Boy Who Lived | |
2015 | You're Welcome |
|
Retox |
| |
2016 | You're Welcome 2 |
|
ACID REIGN |
| |
2017 | Acid Jazz |
|
2017 | No Mans Land |
|
2018 | The Boy Who Died | Released: November 21, 2018 Label: SmashMouth Music Group Formats: Digital Download |
Joseph Anthony Budden II is an American broadcaster and rapper. He first gained recognition in the latter occupation with his 2003 single "Pump It Up", which peaked within the top 40 of the Billboard Hot 100 and preceded the release of his eponymous debut studio album (2003). Met with critical and commercial success, the album peaked within the top ten of the Billboard 200, although it served as his only major label release for Def Jam Recordings; he thereafter released seven albums independently to continued critical praise. While doing so, he performed as a member of the hip hop supergroup Slaughterhouse, which were signed to Eminem's Shady Records in 2012; the group released two studio albums.
Ramone Johnson, better known by his stage name Cashis, is an American rapper who was born and raised in Chicago, but moved to Irvine, California. He was most notably featured on the Shady Records album Eminem Presents: The Re-Up with Eminem and the record label, and released The County Hound EP in 2007. The County Hound EP sold 6,700 copies in its first week and debuted on the US Billboard 200 at number 106. He's best known for appearing on Eminem's song, "You Don't Know", featuring 50 Cent and Lloyd Banks.
Matthew Jehu Samuels, known professionally as Boi-1da is a Canadian record producer and songwriter based in Toronto, Ontario.
In the modern music industry, a mixtape is a musical project, typically with looser constraints than that of an album or EP. Unlike the traditional album or extended play, mixtapes are labeled as laid-back projects that allow artists more creative freedom and less commercial pressure. The term has significantly increased in popularity over the years due to high-profile artists marketing their projects as such. Mixtapes also have been inconsistently referred to as albums by reputable media outlets such as Pitchfork, Rolling Stone and Complex. This has caused notable confusion on the differences between an album and a mixtape.
Mark Julian Felder, more commonly known as Bizzle, is an American Christian hip hop recording artist and entrepreneur.
Chauncey Alexander Hollis Jr., known professionally as Hit-Boy, is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, and record producer. He first signed with fellow producer Polow da Don in 2007 as in-house production staff for his label Zone 4, and later signed with Kanye West's GOOD Music in 2011 to serve a similar role. He first gained major recognition for his work on Lil Wayne's 2009 single "Drop the World", which entered the Billboard Hot 100 at number 18. The following year, he produced West and Jay-Z's 2011 single "Niggas in Paris", which peaked at number five on the chart and received diamond certification by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).
Kirk Jerel Randle, better known by his stage name Kirko Bangz, is an American rapper known for his 2011 single "Drank in My Cup", which peaked at number 28 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and received platinum certification by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). His guest appearance on Meek Mill's 2012 single, "Young & Gettin' It", peaked at number 86. As his following releases have failed to chart, he has been regarded as a one-hit wonder.
Malcolm James McCormick, known professionally as Mac Miller, was an American rapper from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Miller began his career in Pittsburgh's local hip hop scene in 2007, at the age of 15. In 2010, he signed a record deal with independent label Rostrum Records and released his breakthrough mixtapes K.I.D.S. (2010) and Best Day Ever (2011). Miller's debut studio album, Blue Slide Park (2011), became the first independently distributed debut album to top the US Billboard 200 since 1995.
Top Dawg Entertainment (TDE) is an American independent record label. Specializing in hip hop and R&B artists, TDE is based in Carson, California. The label was founded in 2004 by record producer Anthony "Top Dawg" Tiffith, who is the chief executive officer. His son, Anthony "Moosa" Tiffith Jr., and Terrence "Punch" Henderson are the presidents of the label.
Brian Todd Collins, known professionally as Kid Ink, is an American rapper and singer from Los Angeles, California. His debut studio album, Up & Away (2012) was released independently and peaked at number 20 on the Billboard 200. He then signed with RCA Records to release his debut extended play Almost Home (2013), followed by his second album and major label debut, My Own Lane the following year. The latter peaked at number three on the Billboard 200 and was led by the single "Show Me", which peaked at number 13 on the Billboard Hot 100 and received triple platinum certification by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). The album also spawned the follow-up singles "Iz U Down" and "Main Chick". His third album, Full Speed (2015) spawned the singles "Body Language" and "Be Real", both of which received platinum certifications by the RIAA.
Church Clothes is the first mixtape by Christian hip hop artist Lecrae, released for free on May 10, 2012, and hosted by DJ Don Cannon. It featured No Malice of Clipse on the song "Darkest Hour", and included production work by 9th Wonder, Boi-1da, S1 and Street Symphony. Label-mates Tedashii and Andy Mineo, as well as other fellow Christian hip-hop artists such as Dre Murray, Thi'sl, Swoope, Christon Gray, and Braille, also made appearances on the album. The mixtape was downloaded 100,000 times in 48 hours, and met with critical acclaim. It received controversy in Christian media upon its release due to its condemnation of hypocrisy in the Christian Church and Lecrae's collaboration with the mainstream producer Don Cannon. A shorter, remastered EP version was released on iTunes on June 25, 2012. The EP debuted at number 10 on the Billboard Christian Albums and Gospel Albums charts.
La'Reonte Wright, known professionally as Dizzy Wright, is an American rapper and record producer.
Nathan John Feuerstein, known by his initials NF, is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, and record producer. He has released two EPs, I'm Free (2012), and a self-titled EP in 2014 with Capitol CMG. His second and first major-label studio album, Mansion, was released on March 31, 2015. His third studio album, Therapy Session, was released on April 22, 2016, and peaked at number 12 on the US Billboard 200. His albums have earned several accolades, some of which include the Gospel Music Association Dove Award for Rap/Hip Hop Album of the Year in 2016 and the Rap/Hip Hop Recorded Song of the Year in 2017.
Higher Brothers are a Chinese hip hop group from Chengdu consisting of four members: MaSiWei, KnowKnow, Psy.P, and Melo. The group is known for their songs in Standard Mandarin and Sichuan Dialect, such as "Made in China", "Black Cab" and "WeChat".
Calvin Lashon Woods, better known by his stage name Calboy, is an American rapper from Calumet City, Illinois. He is best known for his 2018 single "Envy Me", which received quintuple platinum certification by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) and peaked within the top 40 of the Billboard Hot 100. Its success led him to sign with Polo Grounds Music, an imprint of RCA Records, who issued the song as lead single for his debut extended play (EP), Wildboy (2019). The EP peaked at number 30 on the Billboard 200, while his second, Love Live the Kings (2020), lukewarmly entered the chart.
Tavoris Javon Hollins Jr., known professionally as Vory, is an American rapper, singer, and songwriter. Raised in Louisville, Kentucky, he won a Grammy Award for his work on The Carters' album Everything Is Love (2018), and co-wrote hometown native Bryson Tiller's 2015 single "Don't". The song peaked at number 13 on the Billboard Hot 100, along with Drake's 2018 single "Mob Ties", which he also co-wrote. His further songwriting credits led him to wider recognition as he pursued his recording career, which he first began in 2015. Hollins signed a recording contract with Capitol Records and Electric Feel Entertainment in 2018, which entered a joint venture with Meek Mill's record label, Dream Chasers Records in 2020.
Deante' Van Hitchcock, is an American rapper from Riverdale, Georgia. He initially gained recognition as a rapper following the releases of three mixtapes: 19 Summers (2012), Wishful Thinking (2015) and Good (2016). He received widespread attention on the internet in 2016 after a weekly series of freestyles called New Atlanta Tuesday's. In 2017, he signed to ByStorm and RCA Records. His debut album Better was released on May 13, 2020.
Javorius Tykies Scott, known professionally as JayDaYoungan, was an American rapper and singer. He was best known for his 2019 single "23 Island", which received double platinum certification by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). After signing with Atlantic Records, the song was included on both his debut commercial mixtape Misunderstood (2019) and debut studio album, Baby23 (2020)—both of which entered the top 50 of the Billboard 200. He released his second and third commercial mixtapes, Endless Pain (2019) and 23 Is Back (2021), before his death. On July 27, 2022, he was fatally shot in his hometown by five unknown assailants.
Chris Stiliadis, better known by his stage name Chris Yonge, is a Canadian rapper, producer and sound engineer from Toronto, Ontario. His notable accolades include a Grammy nomination for Songwriting and Engineering, as well as a Juno nomination for his work as Producer, Songwriter, Mixer, and Mastering Engineer. Born and raised in Old Toronto, to a Greek father and German mother, he first gained recognition with his debut EP Presence released in 2015. He is perhaps best known for his 2016 single "TGIF", which went on to be featured in his second EP, Negatives, released in 2017. His third EP, SS17, was released later that year.
James Edward Johnson IV, known professionally as BabyTron, is an American rapper and member of rap group ShittyBoyz. Born and raised in Metro Detroit, specifically Ypsilanti, Michigan, he rose to prominence following the release of his 2019 mixtape BIN Reaper, which included the song "Jesus Shuttleworth", which went viral.