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FYI

Dear-God: Lovin' It

The aggressive cut fuses hip-hop and hardcore, to adrenalizing effect.

Dear-God: Lovin' It

By Kerry Doole

Dear-God - Lovin' It (Dine Alone Records): Dear-God is the project of Robert Ortiz, from Brampton, Ontario. At just 19, he's already creating a stir with a fiery sound that fuses experimental hip-hop and hardcore elements.


“Lovin It’ is his new single. In a press release, he explains that "it's a fun song about winning after years of rejection. Growing up, I never felt like I could succeed or be happy in an academic setting. I ground it out after high school busting my ass doing physically exhausting dirty jobs because I wanted to support my music career. I was greeted with a lot of rejection for a long time, but I kept going. This song should serve as an inspiration to any kid who feels stupid and worthless because of their academic/career failures. Know your worth and do something sick.”

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The track features Ortiz spitting out the lyrics atop abrasive production and aggressive guitar, but there's a melodic quality to his brand of noise that'll draw you in. Previous singles Buck and The Burbs have a similar quality, and reference points include Beastie Boys and King Krule.

Buck premiered on Zane Lowe's Beats 1 show on Apple Music back in July, and in 2019 Dear-God opened for Wu-Tang Clan at Toronto’s MattyFest and joined The Dirty Nil on tour. An act to keep an eye on.

Links

Website

Instagram

Facebook

Twitter

PR: Jessica Santa, Listen Harder

Management: Aaron Miller & Nathan Stein

Booking: Adam Countryman & Nick Storch

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Executive of the Week: Justin West of Secret City Records on the Secrets of Independent Music Success​
FYI

Executive of the Week: Justin West of Secret City Records on the Secrets of Independent Music Success​

The man behind one of Canada's most successful indie labels talks about the late-blooming success of French-language streaming record-holder Patrick Watson, why he builds long-term relationships with artists, and why it's important for the indie sector to work together.

Justin West is a leader and advocate in Canada’s independent music scene, but he didn’t plan it out that way. When he started his record label Secret City Records in Montreal in the mid-2000s, it was out of necessity. He had met an artist he loved and wanted to build a career with, and the label was a means to do it. That artist was Patrick Watson, and 20 years later he — and Secret City — are more successful than ever.

West — a multiple time Billboard Canada Power Player – leads one of the biggest indie labels in Canada while also advocating for the sector on multiple boards both locally and internationally. When we speak to him for this Executive of the Week interview, he’s just returned from Banff for the National Summit on Artificial Intelligence and Culture, and is a central figure in discussions around the Online Streaming Act and collective negotiations with online streaming platforms.

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