Lexxicon is a dancehall/Afropop artist from Toronto by way of Jamaica and the UK.
On his new album, Tropicon Island, he strays away from his dancehall roots and dives head-first into a rich Afrobeats sound.
Guest co-host Amanie Illfated and I talked to Lexxicon about his new album and novel, the third season of Netflix's You, and why Canadian musicians often have to move to another country in order to make it.
Read MoreLeila Dey is a Toronto R&B singer/songwriter who has shared the stage with Little Simz, K'Naan, and Melanie Fiona.
Her latest EP Detour explores the disintegration of a romantic relationship and its subsequent aftermath.
Guest co-host Amanie Illfated and I talked to Leila about the allegorical nature of her new EP, how the passing of her younger sister impacted her approach to making music, and her adoration for Ms. Lauryn Hill.
Read MoreZorana Sadiq wears a lot of hats, including multidisciplinary artist, soprano, actor and music teacher.
Her latest project, MixTape, is a visceral one-person play that is "part memoir, part scientific inquiry, and part love song to listening."
I talk to Zorana about the art of making a great mixtape, her tenure at Regent Park School of Music where she taught Polaris Prize-nominated Mustafa, and the annoying popularity of Kidz Bop.
Read MoreAt the beginning of the pandemic, roller skating culture experienced a resurgence on social media and beyond. However, the recreational activity is more than just another nostalgic phenomenon gone viral; there's a rich history of black and brown skating communities that date all the way back to the '70s.
Jared and Deejah, aka Rollerouge and Deesh, are two rising talents from Toronto's jam skating scene.
I sat down with them to talk about the cultural significance of roller skating in the black community, their unfortunate reality of having to navigate safe spaces, and their preferred soundtrack to jam skating sessions.
Meagan De Lima is A Toronto-based r&b/pop artist that was recently awarded the Top Artist for Social Change in Canada.
She has performed at "The Future Series: A Conversation with President Barack Obama, the Invictus Games, Canadian Music Week, and opened for Kehlani.
I talked to Meagan about performing for President Obama last year, writing songs about coping with mental health issues, and working with famed rock producer, Bob Ezrin.
Read MoreComedians Big Norm and Keith Pedro are like the Filipino counterparts to Method Man and Redman.
As the hosts of the live cannabis comedy show Bare Jokes and members of the hip-hop comedy group Runnin' at the Mouth, their comedy offers hilarious observations about race relations, multiculturalism, and pop culture.
In the second part of our extremely blunted interview, I talk to the homies about when they first realized they were funny, classic Canadian PSAs ("People think I eat too Many Chocolate Bars"), and who they believe to be the funniest rappers in the game.
Read MoreComedians Big Norm and Keith Pedro are like the Filipino counterparts to Method Man and Redman.
As the hosts of the live cannabis comedy show Bare Jokes and members of the hip-hop comedy group Runnin' at the Mouth, their comedy offers hilarious observations about race relations, multiculturalism, and pop culture.
In the first of a two-part blunted interview, I talked to the homies about performing a PG set at a Jewish camp, Keith's trio of new albums, and how aspirations of becoming rappers eventually led them to comedy.
Read MoreVince Jamal is a Toronto-based Barbadian R&B/soul singer who is as much influenced by his ancestral island riddims as the classic American soul music he was raised on.
Somewhere in his complicated music DNA, you'll find soul legends like Marvin Gaye and Bill Withers, classic neo-soul ala D'Angelo and Maxwell, the contemporary hip-hop sounds of Anderson Paak, and calypso and soca music.
I talked to Vince about recording an album during a pandemic, the misconceptions of performing on a cruise ship, and his many takeaways from Prince's unparalleled artistry.
Read MoreErika Iri5 is a Chicago-based multimedia artist that works with various audio media, such as audiotape, VHS reel, and vinyl.
Over the past 15 years, she's created a countless number of portraits of music icons like Prince, David Bowie, Amy Winehouse, Kurt Cobain, and Madonna.
I talked to Erika about her creative process, making mixtapes as a teenager, and working on a Bruno Mars music video.
Read MoreCalgary R&B/pop artist Justine Tyrell was named one of Exclaim magazine's "Top 8 Emerging Canadian Artists You Need to Hear".
She recently released her debut EP entitled While You Were Sleeping.
I talk to Justine about Calgary's burgeoning R&B scene, how the music of Amy Winehouse inspired her to find her own voice, and how the title of her EP has more to do with insomnia than the Sandra Bullock rom-com.
Read MoreR&B artist Seyblu, aka Chelsey Bennett, has spent the majority of the past year writing and recording her new EP.
Entitled the Silk Sessions EP, it is her first major project in more than four years.
I talk to Chelsey about overcoming her recording anxieties at a secluded cabin up north, her favourite dance movies, and how she's been discovering both new and old soul/funk in the last year.
Read MoreFion Liu, aka Sad Stab , is a multidisciplinary artist who is best known for their "abjectly adorable" tattoo art.
They set an ambitious goal in 2016 to tattoo 50 touring music acts, which they successfully reached last year.
I talk to Sad Stab about why they prefer using the stick and poke method over a tattoo gun, collecting rare vintage records, and their penchant for fixing vintage audio equipment.
Read MoreMiya Adout is the founder and executive director of Miya Music Therapy.
Along with her fellow music therapists, Miya uses music purposefully within therapeutic relationships to support development, health, and well-being.
We talk to Miya about how a middle school career aptitude test planted the seed of music therapy, how writing and listening to music helped an elderly man and an autistic teenager, and how Alanis Morrissette inspired her to get into songwriting.
Read MoreStacy Darko, aka KÔSA, is a Toronto-based classically-trained R&B/soul artist and producer.
After having undergone an early music education at the Regent Park School of Music and the Etobicoke School of the Arts, she continued her studies at the University of British Columbia.
I talk to KÔSA about how RPSM helped to nurture her passion for music; how she grew up on an eclectic diet of classical, top-40 pop, and Afrofuturistic R&B; and her latest EP entitled Tempest Love.
Read MoreElectro-pop artist Aiko Tomi’s music is equally comprised of M.I.A.'s manic hip-hop energy, the lush dream-pop sensibilities of Caroline Polachek, and the undeniable joy of an infectious J-pop hook.
After a long hiatus from music, she's back with a brand new EP entitled 'For the Love' and plenty of more new music on the way.
I talk to Aiko about her new EP, the disconcerting rise in Asian-targeted hate crimes during the pandemic, and her unapologetic bubble tea addiction.
Read MoreOn March 22, 2016, Malik Izaak Taylor, aka Phife Dawg from A Tribe Called Quest, died at the age of 45 due to complications related to diabetes.
He left a massive void in hip hop music and culture, forever changing the way hip hop sounds, breathes, and lives on.
I talk to Phife's longtime manager, producer, and friend -- DJ Rasta Root -- about his personal and professional relationship with Phife, the five-year journey of completing Phife's sophomore album, and what we can expect from the upcoming posthumous release.
Read MoreTo quote Nia Long in Love Jones, Kazeem Kuteyi is something of "a Renaissance Black Man".
As a DJ, promoter, creative director, photographer, and cultural curator, Kazeem is perhaps best known as the co-founder of youth cultural incubator called New Currency.
I talk to Kazeem about the cultural shift that came with moving from Canada to Nigeria during his adolescence, what we can expect from the first issue of New Currency magazine, and launching the Toronto chapter of an international BIPOC birdwatching group.
Read MoreToronto’s Rich Kidd is a two-time Juno nominated rapper/producer and one-third of hip-hop group Naturally Born Strangers.
Over the past 15 years, Rich Kidd has produced tracks for artists like Kendrick Lamar, Drake, Busta Rhymes, Shad, and K-os.
We talk to Rich about his legendary production sessions with Kendrick and Jay Electronica, serving as the Recording Arts program leader of The Remix Project, and the pro's and con's of hip-hop producer tags.
Read MoreFashion designer Natalya Amres transforms everyday objects like basketballs and duffle bags into custom wearable art.
In the past few years, Remixed by Tal has rose from virtual obscurity to partnering with brands like Nike, Adidas Tango, and Kappa.
We talk to Natalya about creating custom pieces for Migos, Savannah Ré, and Kennedy Rd; attending a Nike female entrepreneurial event during NBA All-star weekend; and her favourite song remix.
Read MoreBorn in Paris, Chef Romain Avril has trained at some of France's top Michelin Star restaurants.
As the former Executive Chef at La Societe Bistro and Lavelle, he was set to open his own restaurant, only to have his plans on hold as the result of the pandemic.
We talk to Chef Avril about the ongoing toxicity in restaurant kitchens, discovering Florence and the Machine during their busking days in London's Hyde Park, and his highly-anticipated upcoming vegan cookbook.
