Toronto sound (hip hop): Difference between revisions - Wikipedia

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{{Short description|Style of rap and R&B}}

'''Toronto Sound''' (sometimes referred to as '''New Toronto Sound''') refers to a style of [[Rapping|rap]] and [[Rhythm and blues|R&B]] that emerged from [[Toronto]] in the late 2000s and early 2010s. Notable for its moody, atmospheric production techniques and its often reflective and hedonistic lyrical themes, it was popularized by artists like [[Drake (musician)|Drake]], [[The Weeknd]], and [[PartyNextDoor|PARTYNEXTDOOR]], [[Nav (rapper)|Nav]], along with producers such as [[40 (record producer)|Noah "40" Shebib]], [[Boi-1da]], [[Frank Dukes]], [[Nineteen85]], [[Doc McKinney]], [[Illangelo]], [[Vinylz|Vinlyz]], Eric Dingus, Zodiac, among others.<ref name="Rolling Stone">{{Cite magazine |title= |magazine=[[Rolling Stone]] |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/drake-ovo-sound-influence-883658/}}{{dead link|date=August 2024|fix-attempted=yes}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title= |website=[[NPR]] |url=https://www.npr.org/2018/03/22/596830952/inside-the-world-of-noah-40-shebib}}{{dead link|date=August 2024|fix-attempted=yes}}</ref><ref>https://www.vice.com/en/article/doc-mckinney-interview-2018/</ref> Toronto Sound significantly shaped Toronto's 21st-century musical identity as a major global music exporter. Its elements are ubiquitous with [[Pop music|pop]] music in the 2020s. Over 100 million records with Toronto Sound elements have been sold globally.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.riaa.com/gold-platinum/?tab_active=top_tallies&ttt=TAS#search_section|title=Gold & Platinum|website=RIAA}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/newsbeat-50743503|title=Ed Sheeran, Drake and Justin Bieber: What were they doing 10 years ago?|date=December 12, 2019|via=www.bbc.com}}</ref>▼

{{About|the modern hip hop style|the 1960s R&B style|Toronto sound}}

▲The '''Toronto Soundsound''' (sometimes referred to as the '''Newnew Toronto Soundsound''') refers to a style of [[RappingHip hop music|rap]] and [[RhythmContemporary and bluesR&B|R&B]] that emerged from [[Toronto]] in the late 2000s and early 2010s. Notable for its moody, atmospheric production techniques and its often reflective and hedonistic lyrical themes, it was popularized by artists like [[Drake (musician)|Drake]], [[The Weeknd]], and [[PartyNextDoor|PARTYNEXTDOOR]], and [[Nav (rapper)|Nav]], along with producers such as [[40 (record producer)|Noah "40" Shebib]], [[Boi-1da]], [[Frank Dukes]], [[DaHeala]], [[Nineteen85]], [[Doc McKinney]], [[Cirkut]], [[Illangelo]], [[Vinylz|Vinlyz]], Eric Dingus, Crada, and Zodiac, among others.<ref name="Rolling Stone">{{Cite magazine |title=Brent Faiyaz, Drake, and the OVO-ification of Male R&B |magazine=[[RollingThe Stone]]Ringer |url=https://www.rollingstonetheringer.com/music/music-news2022/8/19/23309793/brent-faiyaz-wasteland-album-drake-ovoweekend-soundrnb-influence |access-883658/}}{{deaddate=2024-08-27 link|archive-date=August2022-08-20 2024|fixarchive-attemptedurl=yeshttps://web.archive.org/web/20220820084729/https://www.theringer.com/music/2022/8/19/23309793/brent-faiyaz-wasteland-album-drake-weekend-rnb-influence |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Noah "40" Shebib Explains How He Created His Sound with Drake, Shares Production Secrets in Mini-Doc |website=[[NPR]]Complex |url=https://www.nprcomplex.com/pigeons-and-planes/a/eric-skelton/noah-40-shebib-drake-mini-documentary |access-date=2024-08-27 |archive-date=2023-09-14 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/2018web/0320230914025841/22https:/596830952/insidewww.complex.com/pigeons-theand-world-ofplanes/a/eric-skelton/noah-40-shebib-drake-mini-documentary |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{deadcite web link| url=https://www.vice.com/en/article/doc-mckinney-interview-2018/ | title=Doc McKinney Bridged the Gap from 90s Trip-Hop to the Weeknd's 'Trilogy' | date=15 May 2018 | access-date=27 August 2024 |fix archive-attempteddate=yes}}<16 August 2024 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240816223826/ref><ref>https://www.vice.com/en/article/doc-mckinney-interview-2018/ | url-status=live }}</ref> The Toronto Soundsound significantly shaped Toronto's 21st-century musical identity as a major global music exporter. Its elements are ubiquitous with [[Pop music|pop]] music in the 2020s. Over 100 million records with Toronto Soundsound elements have been sold globally.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.riaa.com/gold-platinum/?tab_active=top_tallies&ttt=TAS#search_section|title=Gold & Platinum|website=RIAA|access-date=2024-08-16|archive-date=2016-01-26|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160126081620/http://www.riaa.com/gold-platinum/?tab_active=top_tallies&ttt=TAS#search_section|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/newsbeat-50743503|title=Ed Sheeran, Drake and Justin Bieber: What were they doing 10 years ago?|date=December 12, 2019|via=BBC|access-date=August 16, 2024|archive-date=December 12, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191212112830/https://www.bbc.com/news/newsbeat-50743503|url-status=live}}</ref>

== History ==

[[File:65 Spencer in Parkdale, Toronto (House of Balloons).png|thumb|The Weeknd's mixtape ''[[House of Balloons]]'' is named after a residence he had lived in the [[Parkdale, Toronto|Parkdale]] neighborhood of Toronto, Canada.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.capitalxtra.com/features/lists/the-weeknd-facts/is-the-house-of-balloons-a-real-place/|title=The Weeknd's 'House of Balloons' is a real place.|website=Capital XTRA}}</ref>]]

Drake's [[So Far Gone (mixtape)|So Far Gone]] (2009), [[Thank Me Later]] (2010) and [[Take Care (album)|Take Care]] (2011) and The Weeknd's trio of mixtapes [[House of Balloons]], [[Thursday (album)|Thursday]] and [[Echoes of Silence]] (2011) played pivotal roles in popularizing this sound. So Far Gone introduced a blend of rap and R&B with introspective lyrics and atmospheric production, while Take Care further refined this style, with Drake collaborating with The Weeknd on several songs. The Weeknd’s early mixtapes complemented this evolution with its dark, ethereal production. Together, these releases defined Toronto Sound, influencing global music trends and artists to integrate its elements into their own work.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://observer.com/2017/03/how-toronto-took-over-music-drake/|title=How Toronto Took Over the Music Charts|date=March 14, 2017}}</ref> ▼

=== Beginnings ===

The city’s cultural diversity, particularly its Caribbean and African communities, has also shaped the sound, incorporating elements of [[dancehall]], [[reggae]], [[Afrobeats|Afrobeat]] and [[downtempo]]. This fusion, combined with a minimalist production style that emphasizes atmosphere over complexity, has contributed to the character of style.▼

▲Drake's ''[[So Far Gone (mixtape)|So Far Gone]]'' (2009), ''[[Thank Me Later]]'' (2010) and ''[[Take Care (album)|Take Care]]'' (2011) and The Weeknd's trio of mixtapes ''[[House of Balloons]]'', ''[[Thursday (album)|Thursday]]'' and ''[[Echoes of Silence]]'' (2011) played pivotal roles in popularizing this sound. ''So Far Gone'' introduced a blend of rap and R&B with introspective lyrics and atmospheric production, while ''Take Care'' further refined this style, with Drake collaborating with The Weeknd on several songs. The Weeknd’sWeeknd's early mixtapes complemented this evolution with its dark, ethereal production. Together, these releases defined the Toronto Soundsound, influencing global music trends and artists to integrate its elements into their own work.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://observer.com/2017/03/how-toronto-took-over-music-drake/|title=How Toronto Took Over the Music Charts|website=[[The New York Observer]] |date=March 14, 2017}}</ref>

▲The city’scity's cultural diversity, particularly its Caribbean and African communities, has also shaped the sound, incorporating elements of [[dancehall]], [[reggae]], [[Afrobeats|Afrobeatafrobeat]] and [[downtempo]]. This fusion, combined with a minimalist production style that emphasizes atmosphere over complexity, has contributed to the character of style.

=== Rise in popularity internationally ===

Drake's ''[[Thank Me Later]]'' album charted at number 1 on the [[Billboard 200|''Billboard'' 200]]. It spawned well-performing singles which introduced a broader American audience to this emerging subgenre of [[alternative rap]] and hip hop. The Weeknd's ''[[House of Balloons]]'' was critically acclaimed and written about through several music publications, further introducing the Toronto sound to different audiences.<ref>{{Citation |title=House of Balloons by The Weeknd |url=https://www.metacritic.com/music/house-of-balloons/the-weeknd |access-date=2024-08-16 |language=en |archive-date=2021-01-07 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210107223910/https://www.metacritic.com/music/house-of-balloons/the-weeknd |url-status=live }}</ref>

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| quote = The production on ‘Climax’ lends itself to ‘House of Balloons’ era @theweeknd...When I heard those early [Weeknd] records they blew my mind — soulful in their silences, and a spacey iconic voice that felt uniquely internet. The idea of R&B having dark edges was what I wanted to bring to @usher.

| author = — [[Diplo]], 3x [[Grammy Award]] winner, [[Twitter]]<ref name="Twitter"/>.

| source = <ref>{{Cite web|url=https://variety.com/2020/music/news/usher-weeknd-climax-diplo-acknowledges-influence-king-1234576269/|title=Diplo Acknowledges The Weeknd's Influence on Usher's 'Climax'; Weeknd Calls Usher a 'King'|website=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]|date=9 April 2020 |access-date=2024-08-27|archive-date=2024-08-16|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240816221225/https://variety.com/2020/music/news/usher-weeknd-climax-diplo-acknowledges-influence-king-1234576269/|url-status=live}}</ref>

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Early Toronto Soundsound records by a non-Toronto-born lead artists to chart on the [[Billboard Hot 100|''Billboard'' Hot 100]] include [[Lil Wayne]]'s single "[[I'm Single]]<ref>{{Cite web |title= |url=https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Successful_(song)}}</ref>" and [[Trey Songz]]'s "[[Successful (song)|Successful]]", both of which were produced by [[40 (record producer)|40]]. "Successful" appeared on both Trey Songz's ''[[Ready (Trey Songz album)|Ready]]'' and Drake's ''[[So Far Gone (mixtape)|So Far Gone]]'', releasesreleased in 2009.<ref>{{Cite web |title= |url=https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Successful_(song)}}</ref>

Another notable early Toronto Soundsound recordrecords to crack the [[''Billboard'' Hot 100|Billboard 100]] by a non-Toronto-born leadartists artist isinclude [[Usher (musician)|Usher]]'s single "[[Climax (song)|Climax]]" produced by [[Diplo]] which went 3x platinum in the United States and won a [[Grammy Awards|Grammy Award]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Diplo Acknowledges the Weeknd's Influence on Usher's 'Climax'; Weeknd Calls Usher a 'King' |date=9 April 2020 |url=https://variety.com/2020/music/news/usher-weeknd-climax-diplo-acknowledges-influence-king-1234576269/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240816221225/https://variety.com/2020/music/news/usher-weeknd-climax-diplo-acknowledges-influence-king-1234576269/ |access-date=27 August 2024 |archive-date=16 August 2024 |url-status=live }}</ref> Diplo has directly credited The Weeknd's ''House of Balloons'' as inspiration for the record publicallypublicly via Twitter.<ref>{{Cite web |title= Diplo Says the Weeknd's Sound Influenced Production for Usher's "Climax," Weeknd Responds|website= [[Complex Networks]]|url= https://www.complex.com/music/a/backwoodsaltar/diplo-says-the-weeknd-sound-influenced-production-usher-climax|access-date= 2024-08-27|archive-date= 2024-08-16|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20240816223132/https://www.complex.com/music/a/backwoodsaltar/diplo-says-the-weeknd-sound-influenced-production-usher-climax|url-status= live}}</ref>

An acceleration of artists both influenced by or incorporating the Toronto sound began to emerge throughout 2013-2016. These include [[Bryson Tiller]], [[Tory Lanez]], [[6lack]], [[Nav (rapper)|Nav]] and [[Majid Jordan]].

== Characteristics ==

{{Quote box

| quote = He [Noah "40" Shebib] had a unique way of working with space and vocals. He would filter the highs off the drums to make them more muffled-sounding, so you could really hear Drake cut through. So there was nothing competing with the vocals, they would just sit on top of it...That’s one of the things he brought that influenced the whole music business.

| author = — [[Mike Dean (record producer)|Mike Dean]], 7x [[Grammy Award]] winner, for ''[[Rolling Stone]]''<ref name="Rolling Stone"/>

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=== Production ===

The Toronto Soundsound is characterized by its unique production mechanics, which include several key techniques that contribute to its moody and atmospheric qualities. A hallmark of this sound is the use of lo-fi textures and low-pass filters. Lo-fi textures introduce a vintage quality by incorporating subtle background noise and imperfections, which add warmth and depth.<ref name="auto1">{{Cite web|url=https://laikablogsitewww.wordpressrap-up.com/2017article/2016/03/2116/noah-40-shebib-how-to-sound-liketalks-drake-with-underwater-production/sound|title=Noah ’40’'40' Shebib: HowOpens ToUp SoundAbout LikeCreating Drake's with'Underwater “Underwater” ProductionSound'|date=March 2116, 20172016|website=[[Rap-Up]]|access-date=August 27, 2024|archive-date=August 27, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240827002136/https://www.rap-up.com/article/2016/03/16/noah-40-shebib-talks-drake-underwater-sound|url-status=live}}</ref> Low-pass filters attenuate high frequencies, creating a muffled effect that enhances the introspective and immersive nature of the music. Deep, resonant bass lines anchor the tracks, complemented by minimalistic beats that maintain focus on the core elements. Reverb is extensively used to create a spacious, lush sound, while am-bientambient textures and atmospheric sounds add to the overall moodiness.<ref name="auto1"/> Additionally, beat switches are a prominent feature, where shifts in rhythm or beat structure occur within a track.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mzI98cB_DdI|title=What makes Noah 40's Production So Incredible??|date=August 23, 2022|via=YouTube}}</ref> A clear example of this is Drake's "[[0 to 100 / The Catch Up]]", where a distinct beat transition is heard at the record's 2:40 timestamp mark until its end.

Prominent atmospheric synths with slowed, downtempo elements are evident on records like "[[Marvins Room]]", "[[Crew Love]]", "[[The Zone (song)|The Zone,]]", "[[King of the Fall]]", and ''[[Care Package (album)|Days in the East]]''.<ref name="auto">{{Cite web|url=https://www.vice.com/en/article/a-guide-to-torontos-dark-emotional-hip-hop-sound/|title=A Guide to Toronto's Dark, Emotional Hip-Hop Sound|first=Phil|last=Witmer|date=November 21, 2017|access-date=August 16, 2024|archive-date=August 16, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240816131909/https://www.vice.com/en/article/a-guide-to-torontos-dark-emotional-hip-hop-sound/|url-status=live}}</ref> The sparse instrumental arrangementarrangements, with minimal hi-hats, kick drums, and snare hits, contributes to a mood that is often compelling or disconcerting, depending on the artist's intent<ref name="auto"/>—a novelty for [[Rapping|rap]] and [[Rhythm andContemporary bluesR&B|R&B]] in the late 2000s and early 2010s.

== References ==

{{reflist}}

[[Category:Music of Toronto]]

[[Category:Canadian styles of music]]

[[Category:Music scenes]]