This is a list of hip hop musicians from Canada.
The Nitwitz
Wesley "Wes" Williams is a Canadian rapper, record producer, actor, and author. He is known professionally by his stage names Maestro Fresh Wes or Maestro as a musician, and is credited by his birth name as an actor. One of the earliest Canadian rappers to achieve mainstream success, he is credited as the "Godfather of Canadian hip hop". His debut album, Symphony in Effect (1989), was the first certified platinum album by a Black Canadian artist.
The Canadian hip hop scene was established in the 1980s. Through a variety of factors, it developed much slower than Canada's popular rock music scene, and apart from a short-lived burst of mainstream popularity from 1989 to 1991, it remained largely an underground phenomenon until the early 2000s.
The Hip Hop Honors is an annual event that airs on VH1. The television special honors old school and golden age hip hop rappers and contributors for their long-term influence and importance in the history of hip hop culture. It features live performances by most of the honorees along with new artists who have been influenced by them in tribute. The show is taped at the Hammerstein Ballroom in Manhattan, New York City.
Tone Mason is a Canadian hip-hop and R&B production team from Toronto, Ontario, composed of Mellenius, Don D, and formerly, Aloysius Brown. Tone Mason speaks to a deep-rooted dedication to craftsmanship, quality and originality. With over 15 years of experience in the music industry as a collective, they have contributed their eclectic brand of music to MuchMusic & MuchVibe, Barbershop: The Next Cut, BET, EA Sports, Russell Peters' Red, White and Brown and many more.
Ahmad Balshe, known professionally as Belly, is a Palestinian-Canadian rapper, singer, songwriter, and record producer. Born in Jenin, Balshe was raised in Ottawa. At 21 years old, he moved on to his main love hip-hop with the release of his debut mixtape, Death Before Dishonor: Vol. 1. He then released eight additional projects in a span of six years, including his debut studio album The Revolution (2007), as well as two collaborative mixtapes, The Lost Tapes and The Greatest Dream I Never Had, with Kurupt and DJ Drama, respectively.
Aubrey Drake Graham, known professionally as Drake, is a Canadian rapper and singer. An influential figure in contemporary popular music, Drake has been credited for popularizing singing and R&B sensibilities in hip hop. Gaining recognition by starring as Jimmy Brooks in the CTV teen drama series Degrassi: The Next Generation (2001–08), he pursued a recording career in 2006, releasing his debut mixtape Room for Improvement in February of that year. He followed up with the mixtapes Comeback Season (2007) and So Far Gone (2009) before signing with Young Money Entertainment.
Ritchie Acheampong, better known as Rich Kidd, is a Canadian hip hop recording artist, record producer and film/video director from Toronto, Ontario. He is a two-time nominee for the Juno Award for Rap Recording of the Year as a solo artist, garnering nominations at the Juno Awards of 2013 for The Closers and at the Juno Awards of 2014 for In My Opinion. In 2013, he formed the project Naturally Born Strangers with collaborators Tona and Adam Bomb. That group's debut release, The Legends League Presents: Naturally Born Strangers, won the Juno Award for Rap Recording of the Year at the Juno Awards of 2015.
Brandon George Dickinson, better known by his stage name Lil Bibby, is an American rapper and record executive. Beginning his career in 2011, Bibby released his debut mixtape in 2013 titled Free Crack. After signing with Kemosabe Records, he followed up the project with two sequels: Free Crack 2 (2014) and Free Crack 3 (2015). In 2017, he eventually switched focus onto his record label, Grade A Productions. Through the label, Bibby would sign fellow Chicago native, rapper and singer Juice Wrld as well as Australian rapper and singer The Kid Laroi—both artists would go on to achieve success globally.
JD Era is a Canadian rapper and lyricist. He has worked with artists such as Nas, Gza, Kardinal Offishall, The Clipse, and has also cut several tracks with longtime friend Drake. In 2008 he won Best Rap at the Toronto Independent Music Awards, and also won the TAG Records’ Survival of The Freshest competition. He has also released a number of mixtapes and singles, and in the Juno Awards of 2013 his album No Handouts was nominated for Rap Recording of the Year.
Adam King Feeney, better known as Ging and by his former stage name Frank Dukes, is a Canadian musician, record producer, and songwriter. A prolific producer, he has worked with artists including Lorde for Melodrama, Camila Cabello, Post Malone and The Weeknd. Following a two decade production career, he retired as Frank Dukes in 2021 to pursue his own music and art as Ging; he released his debut solo album We're Here, My Dear in 2022.
Durk Derrick Banks, known professionally as Lil Durk, is an American rapper and singer. He is the lead member and founder of the collective and record label Only the Family (OTF). Durk garnered a cult following with the release of his Signed to the Streets mixtape series (2013–2014), which led to a record deal with Def Jam Recordings. The company would release his debut studio albums, Remember My Name (2015) and Lil Durk 2X (2016) before parting ways with the label in 2018.
Brittany Talia Hazzard, professionally known as Starrah, is an American songwriter, singer and rapper. She has written or co-written multiple songs that have reached the top 20 on the US Billboard Hot 100, including Rihanna's "Needed Me", Normani's "Wild Side", Halsey's "Now or Never", Kevin Gates' "2 Phones", Nicki Minaj, Drake and Lil Wayne's "No Frauds", and Drake's "Fake Love". Three songs she's co-written have reached number one, Camila Cabello's "Havana", Maroon 5's "Girls Like You", and "Savage Remix" by Megan Thee Stallion, with the latter winning her the Grammy award for Best Rap Song.
Shane Lee Lindstrom, known professionally as Murda Beatz, is a Canadian record producer. He has produced hit singles like "Butterfly Effect" by Travis Scott, "Back on Road" by Gucci Mane, "Nice for What" by Drake, "Motorsport" by Migos, and "Fefe", which was a collaboration between Murda, 6ix9ine, and Nicki Minaj.
The 2017 iHeartRadio Much Music Video Awards were held on June 18, 2017, outside 299 Queen Street West in Toronto, Canada. It was hosted by Joe Jonas and Alessia Cara. Initial announcements were made on April 26, 2017. This is the final ceremony to be held in June and on Father's Day.
American rapper BlocBoy JB has released one studio album, ten mixtapes, one EP, and multiple singles.
Quinton Armani Gardner, professionally known as Pressa, is a rapper and singer from Toronto.
Livingston Allen more commonly known as DJ Akademiks, Akademiks, or simply by his rapper alter-ego Lil AK is a Jamaican-American podcaster, Internet personality and live streamer. DJ Akademiks rose to fame for his YouTube channel which covers the latest news in the hip hop music genre, and also for being a co-host of Everyday Struggle, a daily show by Complex Networks. He also hosts his own podcast, Off the Record with DJ Akademiks on Spotify.
