DijahSB Is Leveling Up | 5 Senses

The radically real rapper, performing at Manifesto this weekend, tells us what they've been watching, listening to, eating, copping, and double-tapping.

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Publicist

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dijah sb

DijahSB is no stranger to the Manifesto stage. After making their debut on Manifesto’s 2013 lineup, they’re returning alongside Grammy-winning headliner Koffee for a virtual set marking the festival’s 14th annual summer showcase. 

This year, things are drastically different for both Manifesto and DijahSB. While the festival will be continuing its tradition of a stacked lineup, the showcase won’t be taking over Toronto’s Nathan Phillips Square this year. Instead, Manifesto 2020 will take place online with a day-long livestream on August 29th.

Since their last time on the Manifesto stage in 2018, DijahSB has moved up on the bill and has made major strides forward in their career. This summer, they released their first EP, 2020 the Album. The eight-track album is a concise, ultra-relatable meditation on money, or a lack thereof, and imminent success. The album is scored by the upbeat electro-fusion instrumentals that have become synonymous with Dijah’s sound. It debuted to positive reviews and an outpouring of support from Toronto’s creative community, who donated over $3,600 on GoFundMe to bring the project to fruition.

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For DijahSB, returning to the Manifesto stage (virtually) is a full-circle moment. “It’s crazy that throughout the 10 years that I’ve been grinding, Manifesto has always been there to support me and put me on,” they told Complex in a phone convo ahead of the festival. 

Between the support from Manifesto and their online network, DijahSB is feeling the love. They cited the success of the GoFundMe as a career highlight and that honesty is refreshing. A quick scroll on DijahSB’s hilarious Twitter or just a few bars of a track like "I’ll Pay You Back Friday" will highlight their greatest strength: DijahSB is radically real. They have the unique ability to succinctly illustrate their reality without any embarrassment or embellishment. DijahSB’s transparency is especially striking as the emerging class of hip-hop artists’ narratives are often exclusively driven by highlight reels, which is just as monotonous as it is unsustainable.

Get to know the rapper by learning what they’ve been watching, which songs have been on repeat, what foods they’ve been craving, their online obsessions, and their latest cop. These are DijahSB’s 5 Senses:

See

“I’m currently watching I May Destroy You and I’m rewatching Hunter x Hunter. I’m also watching Big Brother. The game is great but they suck at casting. If they had more people of colour, it would make the show so much better. But it’s a really good show when it’s done correctly.”

Hear

“I’ve been listening to a lot of Chloe x Halle. I’m not really into R&B, but I like their album. In terms of rap, I’m listening to Flo Milli and Clairmont The Second. His album slaps. I’m also into the new John Legend album. He has such a unique sound and he doesn’t have one bad album so he is considered GOAT status for me.

Taste

“My favourite spot to eat at is La Carnita. I love their tacos, their churros, literally everything on the damn menu.”

Double-Tap

“I’ve been reading through the Apple Books app. I’m not trying to be LeBron right now but I started reading the Malcolm X book. Recently I watched the Malcolm X movie with Denzel. It’s an incredible movie and it made me want to learn more about Malcolm X, so I bought the book.

Cop

“I copped some Kid Cudi merch the last time it dropped. I’m trying to support artists as much as possible, so I’ve been buying a lot of merch.”

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