Exco Levi | |
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 Exco Levi photographed in Montréal , Québec, Canada in La Sala Rossa. | |
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Wayne Ford Levy |
| Born | c.1981 Harmons, Jamaica |
| Genres | Reggae |
| Years active | 2007–present |
| Labels | VP, Penthouse, High Priest |
| Website | www |
Wayne Ford Levy (born c.1981), [1] known by his stage name Exco Levi, is a Brampton-based, Jamaican-Canadian reggae musician. [2] [3] [4] Levi has won five Juno Awards. [5]
Born in Harmons in Manchester Parish, Jamaica, Levi's early singing experience came from the school choir. [1] His father, Michael 'Mr Cool' Levy worked as a selector on the Super Soul sound system in Clarendon. [6] He moved to Canada in 2005, and started his recording career in 2007, releasing the single "O' Canada" that year. [7] His 'Exco' stage name is a reference to his football idol, Andrés Escobar. [7]
Levi was introduced to producer Donovan Germain by Richie Stephens, and the two began working together. [4] His track "Bleaching Shop", recorded with Germain, won the Juno Award for Reggae Recording of the Year in 2012. [8] He also won Junos for "Storms of Life" (2013), and "Strive" (2014). [9] He has also worked with German producers Silly Walks. [4]
In December 2014 he performed at Sting, and in January 2015 he was on the bill of Rebel Salute. [4] In March 2015 he released his second album, Country Man. [10] He won a fourth Juno Award for 2015's "Welcome the King". [4] [11]
In 2016, Levi was living and maintaining a studio in Brampton, Ontario, while also working at times in Jamaica. That year he was inducted into the Brampton Arts Walk of Fame. [7]
In 2017, Levi won a fifth Juno Award for his reggae song "Siren". [5] [12] In November 2017, Levi released his third album, Narrative, featuring guest contributions from Raging Fyah and Sizzla. [2]
In 2019, Levi was nominated for a Juno Award for the seventh time in eight years for his Narrative album [13] which was produced by Silly Walks from Germany.
In 2020, the song "Wah Gwaan" earned Levi his eighth Juno nomination. [14]
Most recently Levi received his ninth Juno Award nomination [15] in 2022, for the song "By Any Means".
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