Let’s just get it out of the way now: this list will piss some of you off. Chances are you’ll let us know about it in the comments section. “Y’all left out [insert name of local rapper with a decent Instagram following here]!! This whole list trash,” you’ll write. Maybe you’ll use an expletive; maybe you'll add a clown emoji.
And you know what? We're good with that. Because it's a great sign. It means that right now, Canada's ripping at the seams with so many notable up-and-coming artists that it's friggin' impossible to name them all. And not just any artists, mind you, but one's worth trolling for. Artists people give a shit about.
Last decade, the world paid more attention to Canada's music scene than it did, well, ever. Thanks to the likes of Drake and The Weeknd, our country gained a rep for being a leading cultural hotbed, with exports more diverse than rootsy folk singers and goateed grunt-rock bands. Finally, outsiders—and even insiders—started looking at us and saying, "Hey, maybe there's more to Canada than we thought."
Well, turns out they were right. The North is entering 2020 with an embarrassment of exceptional talent from coast to coast, spanning many different cultures and genres. What's more, since the world is watching, these artists are wasting no time making noise. Some of the ones on this list already have Grammy nods; some have already gone platinum. Some have collaborated with Kanye West; some are massive in Asia. So what do they all have in common? They're all still on the come-up, and all still have the potential to go supernova this decade. You know, like what Drake did in the last one.
Without further ado, here's our list of 20 Canadian artists to look out for this year. Go ahead and @ us.
TOBi
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With his weathered and wizened voice that effortlessly oscillates between singing and MCing atop butter-smooth, jazzy production, TOBi has been winning the attention of music lovers everywhere. Not content to rest on the laurels he’s collected with his polished 2019 debut Still, where he fixated his own lens on the concerns and vulnerabilities of the African diaspora with linguistic depth, he’s been forging ahead with new projects. The Nigerian-Canadian issued a visual album version of Still and ended 2019 dropping fresh new tracks produced by Harrison and Sango, hinting at an intriguing left-field approach in the future. Meanwhile, his remix of "City Blues," featuring West Coast heavyweight The Game (who recruited TOBi for his latest album), dropped this week. —Del Cowie
Houdini
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Houdini took his game to another level in the last year, cashing out 2019 with over 19 million streams throughout his Spotify catalogue. The MC reps himself hard and has accomplished cult status in the Toronto rap scene without a label or management. (He did get a little help from a Nav cosign on Genius, though.) Hailing from Jane and Driftwood, Houdini captures the highs and lows of rolling through the 6ix, from trapping to life beyond the grind. He tells us he's currently residing in LA and fielding offers from multiple labels, though he's in no rush to sign with anyone just yet. Thankfully, he is in a rush to release more music—he just dropped the deluxe version of his 2019 record HOU WOULDA THOUGHT, and says his new tape is coming out in February. —Akeena Legall
88Glam
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“Bali” hitmakers and XO signees 88Glam steadily built momentum throughout last year with their trap-infused sound. Riding the success of 88Glam2 and its repackaged version 88Glam2.5, the duo appeared on labelmate and frequent collaborator Nav’s Bad Habits album and kept busy on the touring circuit. While their single “Lil Boat” has maintained popularity through its Lil Yachty assisted-remix and gone on to become a popular TikTok meme, the group have kept things moving with their eyes on future projects, dropping “Bankroll” with Young Thug protege Lil Keed at the tail end of 2019 to tease their upcoming release. —Del Cowie
Shay Lia
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With her infectious 2019 EP Dangerous, Montreal R&B singer Shay Lia emerged from under the wing of frequent collaborator Kaytranada (see 99.9%’s “Leave Me Alone”), establishing herself as a formidable force in her own right. Riding impeccable production from the likes of the aforementioned Kaytra and BADBADNOTGOOD among others, Lia’s emotive voice refused to be overshadowed. Now, fresh off a successful European tour, she’s skedded for a homecoming headlining February show with Jon Vinyl in Montreal. And she’s just getting started. On New Year’s Day she tweeted “2020: A Lot of New Music For You.” Turns out she wasn't kidding—we're told she's got a new project on the way, as well as some surprises in between. —Del Cowie
Sean Leon
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Last year, Toronto's Sean Leon actualized a dream by collaborating with Kanye West on his Jesus Is King album, penning the song “Use This Gospel" (excluding the Clipse verses), and contributing to "Selah” and “Jesus Is Lord.” Say what you will about latter-day Kanye, but the experience was clearly something akin to transcendental for Leon, who, in an ebullient Instagram post about the collab, wrote, "Over 10 years, no one would fuck with me, and then in 6 months, everything changed." Leon's evidently still riding that high, teasing new music that sounds charged with the energy of a man who just discovered his own boundless potential. Leon's already hella talented as it is—to think he may have unlocked some new, Super Saiyan-esque form is a scary thought. He recently posted a snippet of a new tune on Instagram, with the caption: "Sean wants childish gambino, young thug and post malone on this." We concur with Sean. —Alex Nino Gheciu
Pressa
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With a proven track record of making absolute slappers—“Novacane,” “420 in London,” and “Canada Goose” are just some of his biggest releases to date—and with a cosign from none other than Drake himself, Pressa doesn’t seem to be slowing down any time soon. He recently performed at the coveted Rolling Loud Festival and has since been seen in the studio with the legendary Scott Scorch. The 23-year-old Driftwood rapper began taking music seriously in 2015, after his friend, Wassi, was killed in a shootout with the police. Soon after, he and rising Toronto rappers Robin Banks, GD, and FB released "Wass Gang," a tribute to Wassi that immediately went viral—especially garnering attention because of Pressa's gentle-yet-menacing flow. Last year’s The Prestige let fans know Pressa's capable of crafting a cohesive full-length project; now, boasting a freshly-inked deal with Sony Music and "a package" on the way (according to Pressa himself), 2020 looks like it could be his wassiest year yet. —JJ Bottineau
Jessie Reyez
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Yet to drop her debut album, Toronto singer Jessie Reyez has already changed the game a few times. Her frank and emotionally raw “Gatekeeper” presaged the #MeToo movement and recent single “Far Away” pointedly addressed right-wing immigration policy. Over the course of her two EPs and countless high profile collaborations (Eminem, Calvin Harris, Kehlani), Colombian-Canadian Reyez’ meticulous approach was recently rewarded with a Grammy nomination. Yet her fearless streak remains. Reyez recently covered Patsy Cline’s “Crazy”—a legendary country song by a legendary singer—and reconfigured it on her own terms. Expect more of the same when her debut LP Before Love Came to Kill Us finally comes out on March 27. —Del Cowie
KILLY
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Since coming out the gate hot in 2017 with his certified platinum banger “Killamonjaro,” KILLY has been tipped as the next Toronto artist to blow up. The 22-year-old has leveraged this success to form his own record label Secret Sound Club, through which he's cranked out a string of hit records like Surrender Your Soul, Kill Streak, and Light Path 8. Since signing with Epic Records last year, the rapper's reportedly been cooking non-stop. He closed out 2019 with a string of fire singles—"Triple Helix," "Vendetta," and "Drought"—and has more new music on the way. Armed with a unique lens and knack for stupidly catchy melodies, KILLY is primed to slay this decade. Between his South Asian-Caribbean mixed background and propensity for blending genres across hip-hop, trap, and R&B, he represents the best of Canada’s diversity and how that multiculturalism continues to improve and innovate the entire music industry. All of which is to say, we're excited for what this kid's got up his sleeve. —Akeena Legall
Tommy Genesis
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Vancouver-born Genesis Mohanraj is better known as Tommy Genesis—a singer-rapper who has been making waves for years now with her lawless, self-coined "fetish rap," while staying in good company with the likes of Charli XCX, Deb Never, Abra, and Father. In 2018, Genesis released her self-titled debut followed by a 2019 EP of remixes and a couple of singles. Recently, she’s also become a Fenty Beauty ambassador while reportedly gearing up to release something new this year. Rihanna even handpicked Genesis for Rihannazine—a collaboration between the pop star and i-D, meant to highlight a cast of changemakers set to reshape culture in 2020. If she's good enough for RiRi, she's good enough for us. —JJ Bottineau
Jay Whiss
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One-third of Toronto's Prime Boys, Jay Whiss has been, ahem, priming himself to be one of Toronto’s next breakthrough artists with his upcoming debut album, set for release this winter. His most recent single “Valet,” boasting a guest verse from Puffy L’z and production by Murda Beatz, provides a swaggy glimpse at what to expect from this solo outing. Last year, Whiss dropped his EP Dark Cloud, which featured hard-hitting, authentic bars influenced by the tragedy of losing two friends to gun violence (Prime Boy assistant manager Kosi Prime and close collaborator Smoke Dawg). If his debut record knocks anywhere near as hard (and why wouldn't it?), then expect Whiss to put the Esplanade rap scene on the map fast. —JJ Bottineau
Tizzo
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Y'all really need to stop sleeping on the Quebec rap scene. Hear us out: after years of the province's hip-hop output sounding derivative and homogenous (read: white), French Canada is now producing some of the hardest and hypest trap anthems in the world. Case in point: "On Fouette" by Tizzo, a Haitian-Canadian rapper from Montreal's Ahuntsic district. The menacing, mesmerizing banger is a product of the street rap scene that's recently emerged from Montreal North—and Tizzo may well be the first MC from his area to crack the mainstream. "On Fouette" dominated Montreal airwaves last year, and went on to win the 2019 SOCAN Songwriting Prize for the French category. This year he's looking to keep the momentum going, which means more shows (including a headlining slot at Montreal's Run It Fest), more music, and more work. Dormez pas indeed. —Alex Nino Gheciu
Haviah Mighty
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To say that Haviah Mighty had a great 2019 would be an understatement. As the first hip-hop artist to win the Polaris Music Prize with 13th Floor, an unapologetic album that forcefully addressed racism, sexism and colorism with adroit rhyme skills, Mighty’s significant achievements cannot be dismissed. While the Brampton, Ontario native’s membership in The Sorority with Keysha Freshh and Lex Leosis has ended due to the much-beloved crew’s dissolution, Mighty is now poised to capitalize on the momentum of her Polaris win. Anyone who has seen her creative drive up close knows she’s going in for the kill. —Del Cowie
Manila Grey
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At the moment, Vancouver’s Manila Grey are hotter than the very city they’re named after. The first-gen Filipino kids—who are very deliberate in making sure their heritage gets a shout in their music (hence the name)—have been winning over audiences globally with their gauzy, pop-infused, electronica-flecked R&B sound (and, let’s face it, fairly good looks). The duo—consisting of velvety-voiced singer Soliven playing the foil to gruff rapper Neeko, over azel north's atmospheric beats—recently came off an international tour that featured several sold-out spots across Asia. When they touched back down in Canada, they dropped the moody, hook-laden No Saints Loading mixtape. With another cross-continental tour said to be on the horizon, as well as new music, these dudes are on a (lumpia) roll. —Akeena Legall
Daniela Andrade
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Daniela Andrade released one of 2019’s best projects when she dropped her Tamale EP back in October. Primarily self-produced and self-written, Tamale is a sizzling slow-burn that has since cemented her in the who’s who of R&B singers to look out for in 2020. This year will hopefully see her capitalize on that momentum and reach even greater heights. Andrade made a name for herself singing covers on YouTube before moving on to original compositions. After some time in Edmonton, the Honduran-Canadian returned to her birthplace in Montreal to continue making music and hit her stride. If Canada is considered a mosaic, Tamale is Andrade’s first piece of the puzzle. We're now eagerly awaiting that next piece—and as her latest Instagram post suggests, we shouldn't have to wait too long. —JJ Bottineau
Snotty Nose Rez Kids
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Haisla Nation duo Snotty Nose Rez Kids thrive on subverting stereotypes and preserving cultural traditions. With fierce rhymes committed to the cause of decolonization, Young Trybez and Young D playfully used their latest album Trapline’s title to simultaneously nod to the contemporary hip-hop sound they employ and to environmental issues directly affecting Indigenous people in British Columbia and elsewhere. After landing on the Polaris Music Prize shortlist and wrapping the Family Ties tour with The Sorority, SNRK are reportedly back in the studio building on the sonic template of Trapline by collaborating with like-minded artists across different genres. —Del Cowie
Sylo Nozra
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Sylo Nozra is probably a name you’re not too familiar with, but with the success of last year’s mellow and melodic Mud Mask, alongside a looming promise of more to come, Nozra is definitely one to watch out for this year. The Thornhill, Ontario native has been honing his craft since childhood and is currently scheduled to perform alongside the likes of Yuna, Jhené Aiko, and Phum Viphurit at California's Overpass Festival in March. Nozra's influences as a Korean-Canadian are vast, ranging from his time spent in church, to indie rock, rap, and K-pop. That said, it’s only a matter of time until this R&B visionary becomes influential in his own right. —JJ Bottineau
Dax
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Last December, Dax impressively hit 1.8 million subscribers on YouTube—not a simple feat for a rapper from Ottawa. It comes after a wondrous year of singles and video releases racking up millions of plays, his first North American tour, and a grand total of 68 million streams on Spotify across 79 countries. Dax had a viral moment early last year when he dropped a Tory Lanez diss track, which Lanez later made him publicly apologize for. Still, Dax's numbers only continued to pop afterwards, and it's not hard to tell why—his versatile, dextrous lyricism is undeniably impressive, even catching the attention of rap heavyweights like OT Genesis and Hopsin, both of whom he's recently collaborated with. Dax capped off 2019 with his “XXL Freshman” freestyle, so it’s easy to see what the man is trying to accomplish in 2020. —JJ Bottineau
bbno$
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After becoming a bona fide viral sensation last year, bbno$ is going for broke in 2020. Following up on the freak success of 2019’s hit single with Y2K, "Lalala"—which started as a TikTok meme last June before shooting to the top of Spotify's Viral 50 list, and eventually, going platinum—the Vancouver rapper is now rubbing elbows with other players in the hip-hop scene at several festivals across the world. He's set to embark on a globe-spanning tour next month, with many dates already sold out. Whether or not his music's your bag, you cannot argue with the man's numbers—most his YouTube videos have views in the millions. Last December, bbno$ tweeted, "3 albums next year?" Given the ever-shortening attention spans of his target demographic, we're inclined to believe he was being serious. —Akeena Legall
Burna Bandz
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As his name would suggest, Burna Bandz is heating up. The 20-year-old rapper came up quick out of Toronto's west end, serving us gritty bars over melodic trap earworms like “My Team” and “Late Nights.” Four years in the game have paid off well for Burna—he’s racked up millions of plays on Spotify, is enjoying critical acclaim for his new album Don't Play With Fire, and just dropped a video for "Back Against the Wall" that's been viewed over 80,000 times in one week. Mans is hot. We're not saying he's the most promising talent on the UpTown Movement Inc. roster, but we're not not saying that either. —Akeena Legall
Bambii
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For the past few years, Toronto's Kirsten Azan (aka Bambii) has been causing an international ruckus with her genre-bending DJ sets, slaying dancefloors from Sydney to Shenzhen. Back home, Bambii's just as much of a force; she's a celebrated voice for queer people of colour, and her long-running, bi-annual party JERK—popular for blending Caribbean and electronic music culture—is a Toronto institution. But in 2020, Bambii's decided to take a break from DJing to focus on producing her own music. Her recently released debut single, "Nitevision" (featuring dancehall star Pamputtae) is a glitchy, futuristic bashment anthem that one imagines is what Andromedans would dance to if they learned how to twerk. She plans on dropping more singles this year, saying they'll sound similar to her DJ sets—in other words, completely out of this world. —Alex Nino Gheciu
