Not the Ones You Expect: Who Really Shaped Toronto’s Sound
Toronto doesn’t have one sound.
It never did.
What it has is contrast and the artists who survive it.
Cold nights and warm basements. Ambition and restraint. Melody and menace. The artists who define Toronto today aren’t just making music; they’re shaping identity, mood, and movement.
This list isn’t about trends or algorithms.
It’s about who carries the city’s DNA right now.
Not definitive.
Not exhaustive.
Just honest.
Honourable Mentions
Artists shaping Toronto’s identity outside the mainstream spotlight.
Mustafa
A poet first, a musician second — and it shows. His writing is globally respected, deeply human, and spiritually tied to the city. Influence earned through meaning, not volume.
Burna Bandz
A staple in Toronto’s street music ecosystem. Consistent, authentic, and directly connected to the city’s heartbeat.
Duvy
Rapid momentum and emotional honesty. His voice reflects the next generation’s reality, backed by one of the city’s most engaged young fanbases.
KILLY
A futuristic presence with global cult appeal. Sound and aesthetic that continue to push Toronto forward sonically.
dvsn
A cornerstone of Toronto R&B. Their catalogue helped define the late-night, emotionally charged sound long associated with the city.
Toronto’s sound wasn’t formed by chasing charts.
It came from restraint. From patience. From artists learning how to sit with silence and tension before turning it into melody or menace.
What separates this city isn’t volume it’s control.
The artists below didn’t just react to the culture around them.
They set the temperature for it.
Our List
Toronto’s sound wasn’t formed by chasing charts.
It came from restraint. From patience. From artists learning how to sit with silence and tension before turning it into melody or menace.
What separates this city isn’t volume it’s control.
The artists below didn’t just react to the culture around them.
They set the temperature for it.
10. Casper TNG
A storyteller rooted in Toronto’s streets. Casper’s music reflects struggle, hope, and lived reality. These are songs built from memory and the city remembers its own.
9. Saya Gray
An experimental visionary. Saya moves effortlessly across genres and aesthetics, creating music that feels future-facing and unconcerned with validation. Creativity that sounds like it’s already one step ahead.
8. Smiley
A true Toronto character. Loved, memed, misunderstood but always himself. His cadence and delivery feel unmistakably local, the kind of presence you only get from being outside the margins.
7. Roy Woods
An OVO alum who carved his own lane. Roy Woods lives where dark R&B meets alternative pop music that feels like it was recorded after midnight. Quietly influential. Lasting.
6. Daniel Caesar
One of the most important voices in modern R&B. His pen, tone, and restraint represent a timeless layer of Toronto’s musical DNA. Music that doesn’t chase moments it lets them arrive.
5. Jessie Reyez
Raw emotion as currency. Jessie’s songwriting is fearless, exposed, and deeply human. Her work proves that vulnerability, when honest, can travel just as far as ambition.
4. NorthSideBenji
Quality over quantity in its purest form. Benji moves patiently, releasing music only when it’s ready. Every verse feels observed, lived-in, and deliberate. Minimal output. Maximum weight.
3. Pressa
One of the most distinct voices Toronto has produced. Pressa’s evolution musically, visually, culturally mirrors the city itself. A sound shaped by pressure, exposure, and survival.
2. Tory Lanez
Few artists in the world can move across rap, R&B, pop, and dancehall with this level of control. Regardless of controversy, the versatility and musical imprint remain undeniable.
1. NAV
Arguably the most globally consistent Toronto export post-OVO wave. From producer to superstar, NAV redefined independence and scale for artists from the city. His sound is unmistakable, his reach undeniable, and his influence patient built over time.
Final Thoughts
Toronto’s sound isn’t singular.
It’s layered, evolving, and often contradictory.
These artists don’t explain the city.
They leave evidence of it.
This list will change.
The city will keep moving.
For now this is the sound of Toronto.
Culture doesn’t announce itself. It accumulates.
