Myst Milano is a Canadian rapper and DJ. [1] Their debut album Shapeshyfter was released in 2021, [2] and was longlisted for the 2022 Polaris Music Prize. [3]
Originally from Edmonton, Alberta, Milano is a longtime DJ in Toronto's ballroom community, and is queer and non-binary. [4] The album was launched in part with a performance at Toronto's Garrison club as an opening act for Cadence Weapon at the venue's first live show since the COVID-19 pandemic shutdown of the live music scene. [5]
In October 2021, they also released the non-album single "No Atlas", a collaboration with Montreal producer Mind Bath. [6]
Beyond the Uncanny Valley was a longlisted nominee for the 2024 Polaris Music Prize. [7]
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.
Shadrach Kabango, known professionally as Shad or Shad K, is a Canadian rapper and broadcaster. Beginning his career in 2005, has released seven studio albums and three extended plays. He won a Juno Award for Rap Recording of the Year in 2011 and five of his albums have been shortlisted for the Polaris Music Prize, the most short-list nominations of any artist in the prize's history. 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.
Afterparty Babies is the second album by Canadian rapper Cadence Weapon, released on March 4, 2008, by Anti-Records and Upper Class Recordings in the United States and Canada and March 10, 2008, by Big Dada in the United Kingdom. After signing with U.S. label Anti- and the re-release of his debut album Breaking Kayfabe, he spent eleven months in his hometown of Edmonton to work on new material for his next record.
Hope in Dirt City is the third album by Canadian rapper Cadence Weapon. It was released on May 29, 2012, on Upper Class Recordings.
Egyptrixx is a Canadian electronic musician from Toronto, Ontario. Psutka also releases music under the names "ACT!" and " Ceramic TL", is a member of experimental folk project Anamai, and works as a studio producer and composer
Pierre Kwenders is the stage name of José Louis Modabi, a Congolese-Canadian musician. His 2014 album Le Dernier empereur bantou was a shortlisted nominee for the Juno Award for World Music Album of the Year at the Juno Awards of 2015, and a longlisted nominee for the 2015 Polaris Music Prize. Kwenders, who sings and raps in English, French, Lingala and Tshiluba, is noted for blending both African music and western pop music influences, including hip hop and electronic music, into his style.
Terra Lightfoot is a Canadian musician and singer-songwriter from Hamilton, Ontario who has released four albums with the independent music label Sonic Unyon Recording Company and is distributed by Universal Music Group in Canada and The Orchard outside of Canada. She performs in a folk and roots rock style known for bold vocals and electric guitar riffs.
Joseph Shabason is a Canadian multi-instrumentalist and composer. He is best known for playing the saxophone. As a band member and session musician, Shabason has contributed to bands such as DIANA, Destroyer and The War on Drugs. Under his own name, Shabason has released experimental ambient jazz albums as a solo project as well as numerous albums with collaborators.
Begonia is the stage name of Alexa Dirks, a Canadian pop singer-songwriter from Winnipeg, Manitoba. She is most noted for her 2019 album Fear, which was longlisted for the 2020 Polaris Music Prize and shortlisted for the Juno Award for Adult Alternative Album of the Year at the Juno Awards of 2021.
Aquakultre is a Canadian soul and R&B musical project from Halifax, Nova Scotia, whose core member is singer and rapper Lance Sampson. They are most noted for their album Legacy, which was a longlisted nominee for the 2020 Polaris Music Prize.
The following musical events and releases that happened in 2021 in Canada.
Parallel World is the fifth studio album by Cadence Weapon, nee Roland Pemberton, released April 30, 2021. The album was the winner of the 2021 Polaris Music Prize.
DijahSB is a rapper based in Toronto, Ontario. They released their debut album 2020 the Album in 2020, followed by their second album Head Above the Waters in 2021.
The 2021 edition of the Canadian Polaris Music Prize was presented on September 27, 2021. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Canada, the award was presented in a livestreamed virtual event hosted by Angeline Tetteh-Wayoe of CBC Music.
Zoon is a Canadian shoegaze band from Hamilton, Ontario, whose core member is Anishinaabe musician Daniel Monkman. They are most noted for their 2020 album Bleached Wavves, which was a shortlisted finalist for the 2021 Polaris Music Prize.
Casey Manierka-Quaile, also known as Casey MQ, is a Canadian singer, musician, film composer, songwriter, and record producer. In 2022, he won the Canadian Screen Award for Best Original Song at the 10th Canadian Screen Awards for "And Then We Don't", a song he co-wrote with Tika Simone for Thyrone Tommy's film Learn to Swim.
Korea Town Acid is the stage name of Jessica Cho, a South Korean-Canadian electronic musician and DJ based in Toronto, Ontario. She is most noted for her single "Sobriety", which was a Juno Award nominee for Underground Dance Single of the Year at the Juno Awards of 2022.
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.
LOONY is the stage name of Kira Huszar, a Canadian rhythm and blues singer from Scarborough, Ontario. She is most noted for her 2021 EP soft thing, which was longlisted for the 2022 Polaris Music Prize.
The 2024 edition of the Canadian Polaris Music Prize will be presented on September 17, 2024 at Massey Hall.