Hometown/Homebase: Toronto, Ontario, Canada

What inspired you to make music, and start rapping, in particular?

I always had a love for music. I was an avid Hip-Hop fan first. I was a fan of pop and R&B. My parents put me on to Michael Jackson. So still up until now, I think Michael Jackson is the greatest of all time. I used to share the same room with my brother. He was into Hip-Hop. He would play music by Fabolous, Jadakiss, and other East Coast rappers at the time who were coming up. I didn't want to listen to it, really but he was the older one, so I had no choice. Eventually, I developed a love for it.

Who are some of the people, or rappers, that naturally influenced you?

I'd have to say, Fabolous.

What was the vibe like in Toronto when you were coming up? Was the city friendly? Did you go out a lot? Were you the homebody? How would you describe what it was like, coming up for you?

Sometimes it was cool, and sometimes it was crazy. When you were downtown, you never know what you were going to get. A few minutes away, you have the biggest tourist attraction, which is the [CN] Tower. But a few minutes from there, there's the projects and other hoods. Growing up here, I saw crazy things. I just had to adapt to it. I had no choice because it was where I'm from. I always said to myself at a young age 'I can't be scared to be where I'm from because this is where I live. I just gotta suck it up. That's how I adapted to the streets.

If you were given the opportunity to be on reality television but it wasn't the ratchet kind, and it focused on music, artistry, and creativity, would you be interested?

Most definitely. I would want to do something like that. I would like to make a reality documentary, building up to my first album. I think it was great to show my recording process, and how I get my writing done. I feel like that would be kind of dope.

Has your music played on the local radio yet?

In the States, yes. Over here, no.

I'm looking at your interview with XXL, where you say you are the next superstar. When you get to where you want to be, will you change? What would your music sound like when you're in that moment?

I feel like, at that level, I won't even lie... When people say they won't change, I feel like they are not being real. I feel like people who have a 360 flip—that are kind of just extra with it—that's because money does change you. It does change you a little bit. I would be more accomplished. I think the music would sound different but one thing that would never change is the authenticity. I would be telling my fans what I had to do to get to that level. Money doesn't change everything. It would change a lot of things but it doesn't solve all of your problems. I feel the realness will still be there, whether I'm talking about how I just bought a quarter [of a] million dollar car or if I'm talking about why I don't want it anymore. No matter what, I'll still keep it real.

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