Hip-hop just turned 50 two years ago. Over five decades, this form of music has grown from a new art to a culture-defining revolution, with various artists, singers, and songwriters evolving and making waves across a music genre that has taken the world by storm.
Fifty years ago, if you asked anybody about hip-hop, the results would have been fanciful at best. Today, hip-hop is garnering the world’s attention, enabling Black artists to raise their voices and discuss some of the most controversial topics affecting marginalized communities.
The story of hip-hop’s influence extends beyond the United States. A few Canadian artists have played a significant role in shaping the country’s music scene since the genre’s explosion in the early 90s. Here are a few names igniting Canada’s music scene like never before.
K’Naan
Who could forget the ripples of the renowned hit song “Wavin’ Flag,” which took the world by storm at the 2009 World Cup? The single chosen as Coca-Cola’s promotional anthem is by K’naan, a Somali-born Canadian artist. Born in Mogadishu in 1978, K’naan relocated from the US to Canada when he was just 13, and since then, the rest is history. Besides hip-hop, K’naan’s songs are influenced by elements of Somali music. K’naan received the FIPRESCI Prize and is a Grammy Award-winning artist. Although he achieved remarkable strides in the Canadian music industry, it wasn’t until the mid-2000s that his music took centre stage in the Canadian music scene and enabled a new generation of young Black hip-hop artists to follow suit.
Amaal Nuux
Ammal Nuux, who goes professionally by Amaal, has always had a passion for writing lyrics. When she turned 20, she signed with Noah “40” Shebib, the legendary Canadian record producer. When she was just a young girl, Amaal would release songs that she would write and sing for her friends and family. One of her favourite songs made the rounds on YouTube, and not long afterward, she discovered that it had more than 100,000 views. Today, Amaal is an influential artist with several albums to her name. Growing up as a strict Muslim has been one of the biggest challenges for her to break out of the shell into the entertainment industry. Initially, many of the songs she sang reflected her traditional upbringing. Now as a grown woman, the self-made artist crafts soulful tunes, uncovering the passion and depth of her fine-tuned voice.
Friyie
From an early age, Friyie loved rapping. Born in December 1994, David Afriyie Obeng is originally of Ghanaian descent. When he was in the ninth grade, Friyie recorded himself rapping in response to a high school diss track; since then, he has been addicted to music and songwriting. He bought a mic and started recording songs at home after school. For Friyie, music has always been a big part of life. Growing up in a Seventh-Day Adventist church, Soul, Gospel songs, and Afro Jazz were his biggest inspiration. In July 2020, Friyie was featured on the Dexta Daps Vent album, which reached the top 10 list on the Billboard Reggae Chart.
Chxrry22
Chxrry22’s musical roots run deep. Her parents were both in a choir, and she grew up singing Christian Ethiopian songs. Over time, Chxrry22, whose real name is Lydia, was known for singing at weddings and festivals in her hometown Toronto. In 2017, Chxrry22’s career took off. She moved to Atlanta, signed with XO Records, and started her own record label. In 2023, she released her album Siren, which she says reflects her personal style in music.
David Messiha | Staff Writer