Montréal's Next: Artists You Should Know

Don't sleep on Montréal. Here are the artists you should know from the 514.

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Complex Original

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montrealsnext

Six hours east of Toronto and nestled against the St. Lawrence river, is the metropolis of Montréal​​. The cultural hub is unabashedly unique and exists as Canada’s most populous, French-speaking city. It’s comparatively diverse to Toronto and Vancouver, yet its vibrant music scene is often overlooked. In spite of this, many artists have been working tirelessly on their craft, and putting their city on the map. 

Superproducers like Kaytranada, Lunice, and High Klassified, have begun to shape the sounds of their city. And rappers like the Dead Obies, Loud Lary Ajust, and Wasiu, are all holding it down as well. Blogs like Montreality have kept it real for ages, and have done amazing work to bring attention to their hometown. Despite the progress made by these proud locals, many are still sleeping on the 514.

To help get you acquainted with the city's dynamic scene, we’ve compiled a list of our favourite artists from Montréal​. Get to know their names. 

Naadei

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Charlotte Cardin

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Frap Boyz

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MB

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Montréal​ seems to love its drill and trap artists, especially from its French-speaking contingent. MB punches us in the face with triplet flows in his remix of the Sch cut "La Mallette". Also deserving of a shoutout here is Kevin Shayne who, without exaggeration, practically shoots the videos for half of the rappers in the city. “Remonter Ma Braguette”​ is a great intro to this rapper, and if it doesn't make you dance around like Big Quint, we don't know what will.

The Posterz

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Rap collective, The Posterz, have been making noise in the city for their off-kilter sonics and excellent visuals. Armed with a deal at Dine Alone Records, the group’s momentum will keep on growing. They’ll continue to grab comparisons to Odd Future, but don’t be fooled, these dudes are on their own wave.

KROY

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Breaking away from her duo, Milk & Bone, singer KROY confidently steps into the spotlight with her own eerily beautiful music. The artist channels influences like Björk and UK trip hop acts like Portishead and Massive Attack, to form her own unique take on experimental pop.

CJ Flemings

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TK

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TK is a young rapper who clearly embraces the warble trap aesthetic. If you’re looking for a dope "Uber Everywhere" remix that’s entirely in French, then you’ve come to the right place. Aside from his take on popular tracks, TK is making a name for himself with bouncy and emphatic original cuts.

Zeina

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Seven LC

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Big Dreams

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Heartstreets

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Matthew Chaim

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