We all know our favourite artists and how they have endeared us with their music over the years but do we know the role of producers who help create the magic behind the scenes? Producers are the unsung heroes who play a vital role in crafting the hits we have come to love. Here are 5 of the most influential Black producers in Canada creating unique sounds at home and abroad.
WondaGurl
Ebony Naomi Oshunrinde, aka WondaGurl, is a producer, songwriter, and executive who has been making music since she was 9. WondaGurl was first spotted at the 2011 Battle of the Beatmakers in Toronto, where she caught the attention of producer Boi-1da, who later on mentored her at The Remix Project Studio. In 2012, WondaGurl won the Battle of the Beatmakers competition.
After this, she started working with high-profile artists such as Jay Z and Travis Scott. In 2015, she co-produced her first Top 40 hit single ‘Antidote’ by Travis Scott. Currently, WondaGurl is signed with Travis Scott’s Cactus Jack Publishing and Sony/ATV Music Publishing, a global deal in conjunction with her own record label and publishing company, Wonderchild Music. Most recent projects from the 27-year-old trailblazer include Travis Scott’s ‘Utopia’ and 6LACK’s ‘Since I Have A Lover ‘.
Both projects have been nominated at the 2024 Grammy’s in the Rap and Progressive R&B categories respectively.
Honeydrip
Tiana McLaughlan aka Honeydrip is a producer and DJ based in Montreal, Quebec. After years of establishing her style and a minor in electroacoustic studies from Concordia, she’s established a global fanbase producing experimental club blends sampling a variety of genres from heavy bass, dancehall, and techno.
Honeydrip is highly curious and involved in the creation of her sounds. For her set at MUTEK Montreal, she built custom speakers out of wood. Her latest release is a debut LP, ‘Psychotropical’ and has been described as a hybrid body of work “standing comfortably between the old and new.”
4Korners
International DJ, producer and recording artist, 4Korners, aka Kirk St Cyr, has been in the game for a long time. While touring the world as a club DJ, he developed an appreciation for different music cultures and genres. Since 2005, he has played at every home game of the Toronto Raptors as their official DJ.
4Korners has also played all over the world at memorable events like London Fashion Week, Cannes Film Festival and has hosted popular celebrity events including Michael Jordan, Kanye West and Justin Timberlake. Last year, he made the transition from DJ to artist with the release of his debut album, 4KORNERS of the World. The album celebrates the rich and diverse history of Torontonians while incorporating cultures and genres he’s encountered in his travels including hip hop, electronic, afrobeats, dancehall, soca, J-pop, baile funk and so much more. 4Korners has also recently collaborated with artists Omega Mighty and Havaiah Mighty on the infectious single, ‘Rush Dem’.
OBUXUM
Muxubo Mohamed aka Obuxum is a Toronto-based Somali-Canadian DJ & producer who specializes in electronic, experimental and jungle genres. In 2018, NOW Magazine listed Obuxum as one of Toronto’s “electronic musicians to watch.”
Since then, she’s acquired numerous accolades including performing at numerous festivals such as Wavelength Festival (Toronto), Kazoo! Fest (Guelph, Ontario), Electric Eclectics (Big Head Valley, Ontario) and Venus Fest (Toronto). Her last project ‘Re-Birth’ (2019) was also nominated for the Polaris Music Prize in 2020. Obuxum’s creation practice is inspired by Black history, Black activism and afrofuturist imagination.
LordQuest
Jeffrey Ampofo Nuamah aka LordQuest is a Grammy-nominated writer, producer and artist based in Canada. His writing and production collaboration credits are iconic including artists like Kelly Rowland, SZA, Arin Ray, Juice WRLD, SiR, Isaiah Rashad, ScHoolboy Q and Lu Kala. He’s also contributed to multiple TV and film soundtracks including ‘Creed III’ and HBO’s ‘Insecure’.
LordQuest’s career has worked on multiple sides of the music industry in addition to music creation. He previously served as the A&R OF HipHop/R&B at Warner Music Canada and currently serves as the Creative Executive, Black music at Society of Composers, Authors and Music Publishers of Canada (SOCAN). Finally, LordQuest has made a few personal projects but is mostly engaged in supporting other artists to bring their visions to life through writing, production, A&R and contributing to several community based initiatives aimed at mentoring young artists.
