Brampton, Ontario hip-hop artist Kwazii calls his sound “raw trap with soulful melodies.” While that’s definitely what you hear when listening to his latest mixtape, I Was Perfect to Someone, there’s more to his music than that.
The 21 year-old augments his sound with a lyrical approach that unapologetically expresses emotional vulnerability, and his songwriting – among handling many other subjects – breaks down the minutiae of Gen Z relationship dynamics, using melodic flows and cadences.
Select the image to access the YouTube video of the Kwazii song “Leaving”
“I’m talking about things with more of a heightened perspective,” says Kwazii. “I call it the bird’s-eye, and you’ll see it evolve. It’s a writing method I use, but it’s like you’re writing about something so specifically, but so far removed from it. You’re just giving a summary. You’re just giving somebody the tools to be able to paint their own picture.”
This vivid approach to songwriting – which incorporates what Kwazii terms “sparkly thoughts” – is evident on I Was Perfect To Someone, whose songs have been cumulatively streamed more than 1.7 million times on Spotify. Standout songs include “Full Circle,” which finds Kwazii wrestling with the nuances of what seems like a toxic relationship, while the hypnotic “Leaving” (now viewed almost 1.5 million times on YouTube) defiantly asserts his relevance as an artist.
“I was feeling the pressure of ‘I am the underdog.’ I’m the guy with no ties that a lot of people feel like – I’m the ticket – that’s gonna do this shit,” says Kwazii. “I want to promote a real message in my music. Along with the fly visuals, along with the gal dem, I want to promote real sauce, real things you can walk with throughout the day.”
The fact that “Leaving” weaves a warped Bitty McLean reggae sample into its hypnotic mix speaks directly to Kwazii’s cultural heritage and lineage. His grandfather is Toronto-based reggae legend Leroy Sibbles, who figures in Kwazii’s musical inspirations as a youth. Sibbles, known as the king of the reggae basslines, and lead singer of the legendary group The Heptones, gifted Kwazii a guitar as a young boy, and also had a young Kwazii sit in on some of his studio sessions in Jamaica. In his video for “Eglinton,” which preceded his latest mixtape, Kwazii pays tribute to his grandfather’s musical legacy by pointing at his face on the Reggae Lane mural honouring Toronto’s legends of the genre, in the aforementioned Eglinton West area – a focal point of Toronto’s Caribbean disapora community, known as “Little Jamaica.”
“When they were putting up that mural, when I was standing there in the middle of it, seeing all these people celebrate a history that is of the Jamaican culture, I’m, like, it’s beyond me,” says Kwazii, reflecting on his familial legacy. “That was one of the first times I understood what a legacy [is], what a legacy looks like. I grew up seeing my grandfather do shows, [on the side of the stage]. It wasn’t until I understood the pull of what he was doing at his age, what he was doing at my age, [that allowed] for me to understand.”
Select the image to access the YouTube video of the Kwazii song “Eglinton”
Kwazii’s knowledge of, and reverence for, historical significance is genuine. Check the nods to Toronto hip hop icon Maestro Fresh Wes, Skydome, and ‘90s hip-hop group TLC on “Leaving.” Our conversation touches on his affinity for artists like Stevie Wonder, Aretha Franklin, and Lalah Hathaway, and respect for historical figures like Frederick Douglass and Malcolm X. It all feeds into his wiser-than-his-years philosophy.
“I guess my shortened philosophy is sonder, which is, you know, nobody lives a life that’s more important than anybody else’s,” says Kwazii, referring to the invented word from The Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows. “And so, you deduce that, down to the core, we all come from some pretty similar principles and morals. So in that way, living your most authentic [life] helps you to output the most universal things.”
Consequently, Kwazii’s music is resonating with an ever-growing audience because people can relate to it so strongly. He’s grown impressively, from his beginnings under the Kid Kwazii moniker, under which he issued his 2021 Problem Child mixtape. But his focus is on the future, building on the promising foundation he’s laid, and making 2025 his year.
“I believe this is my real rookie year. I got in the game late last year, just before the fourth quarter,” says Kwazii referring to his mixtape release. “And so, I feel as the season is fresh, it’s my time to continue to drop on their heads.”