15 South Asian Canadian artists to listen to right now
There's a plethora of musicians making groundbreaking music in all kinds of genres
This post has been updated from an earlier version.
South Asian Canadian musicians have been on the scene long before rapper and singer AP Dhillon took the Juno Awards stage in March 2023, when he became the first-ever act to perform entirely in Punjabi in the awards' more than 50-year history. Still, that moment signified a monumental shift. In the last year, we've seen a huge surge in interest from the Canadian music industry, and although South Asian Canadian artists aren't no strangers to rampant international success and awe-inducing streaming numbers, the new eyes and ears have led to even more wins.
In August, Warner Music's Canadian and Indian divisions came together to launch 91 North Records, to help bolster South Asian artists in Canada. At the most recent Juno Awards, 91 North signee Karan Aujla and creative director Ikky took the stage in Halifax, proving Dhillon's performance in 2023 wasn't a one-off.
There are so many South Asian artists making music across the country, in myriad genres — some who have been grinding for years, and others who have popped up recently. Not all of them have astronomical streaming numbers, but musical success can also be measured by innovation, and a lot of them are doing some pretty groundbreaking stuff. From fiery Punjabi trap to blissed-out psychedelic folk, heart-pumping drum and bass to luscious neo-soul, there is so much to discover.
Dive into the list below and let us know who you've been listening to on Instagram @cbc_music.
AR Paisley
AR Paisley got his start freestyling and battle rapping in high school, and went all in when he realized he had a real penchant for it, releasing a steady stream of music that includes four albums since 2017. The influence of late '90s and early 2000s hip-hop is all over his music, from his flow to his music videos: his 2023 single "Let's Slide," is a shot-for-shot recreation of the video for Cam'ron and Juelz Santana's "Hey Ma." The Mississauga rapper has mastered delivering summer jams that you want to blast out of your car on a hot day, as well as more incisive cuts that embolden listeners to overcome life's adversities. Two of his biggest hits to date are "Legends Never Die," a tribute to the late Sidhu Moose Wala, off of his 2022 album Pressure and 2023 single "What's Beef" featuring Chani Nattan and Inderpal Moga.
Cartel Madras
Eboshi and Contra, the sibling duo born in Chennai, India, and raised in Calgary, make music that shakes you to your very core. The three releases in Cartel Madras's the Goonda Project trilogy (Trapistan, Age of the Goonda and The Serpent and the Tiger) are rooted in experimentalism, from dark trap and vibey house to irreverent punk. Regardless of the genres they're toying with, Cartel Madras bring an unrelenting fervor and adaptable vocal delivery that is immensely thrilling. The duo's 2023 single, "MMM," takes the siblings on a new trajectory yet again, this time into an industrial junkyard of biting synths and razor-sharp percussion.
Chippy Nonstop
A Chippy Nonstop DJ set is never for the faint-hearted — the Toronto-based producer operates exclusively in a world above 150 beats per minute. Her own music, however, isn't always so intense. Take "To Myself," off her self-titled album with dj genderfluid: it's a drum and bass-lite number that sounds delicate in comparison to her typical heart-pumping bangers. Back when she lived in Oakland, Calif., Chippy Nonstop was a rapper, but now you're more likely to hear her spitting on the mic over a thrashing techno beat.
Edwin Raphael
Edwin Raphael crafts nebulous and soaring worlds with his brand of folk. He was born in Dubai to parents who had immigrated from Kerala, India, and eventually found his way to Montreal for undergrad. The disparate environs he has called home influence the melding of East and West in his music. For the five-year anniversary of his debut album, Will You Think of Me Later, Raphael recently released reimagined versions of some of the songs. His 2023 album Warm Terracotta is soothing and serene, inspired by Indian classical music, psychedelic folk, ambient soundscapes and spaced-out '80s pop. In short, it imaginatively defies convention.
Harman
For fans of catchy hooks and heart-fluttering crooning, look no further than Toronto's Harman. His downtempo R&B is rife with poppy melodies that give it ultimate replay value, and his stunning falsetto elevates the sound to another stratosphere — it's hard to tire of such a perfect formula. Harman writes about love in all its infinite forms, but he's really in a lane of his own when he sings about heartbreak, like on "Love Crimes."
Ikky
Ikwinder "Ikky" Singh is a producer and singer who has been behind the scenes, ushering in a new sound that blends Punjabi Bhangra music with pop, hip-hop and Caribbean rhythms. He's been singing and playing instruments since he was six years old, but things took off for him at 15 when he started ghost producing for artists in Toronto. He ended up on the radar of major labels in India and worked with heavyweights in the Bhangra scene including Amrit Maan and Garry Sandhu. In 2021, he launched his own imprint within Warner Music Canada, called 4N Records, to continue his mission. With billions of streams and major hits featuring Sidhu Moose Wala and Karan Aujla under his belt, it's safe to say he's succeeding.
Jonita Gandhi
Singer-songwriter Jonita Gandhi was born in New Delhi, India and raised in Brampton and Mississauga, Ont. As a teen, she would upload singing videos to Youtube, where many of her videos would go viral, notably the ones covering songs from Hindi films. She had her big break in 2013 as a playback singer for the Bollywood film Chennai Express, and has found much success in that industry in the years since. She predominantly records in Hindi and Tamil but also sings in a range of other languages (Gujarati, Bengali, Punjabi and more) that make her quite a versatile artist. In 2023, she became one of the first signees to 91 North Records and earlier this year she dropped an EP, Love Like That, merging Indian folk and American-style pop.
Karan Aulja
Karan Aujla began his career as a songwriter for other singers like Jessi Gill, Deep Jandu and Elly Mangat, and started releasing his own music 10 years ago. He's become one of the most recognizable Punjabi pop and hip-hop artists thanks to hits like "Softly" and "On Top." Born in Ghurala, India, he eventually made his way to Burnaby, B.C. for high school and is currently based in Vancouver. After years of releasing EPs and singles while building a following, he dropped his debut album B.T.F.U. in 2021. It's a blend of brash hip-hop and Bhangra, while 2023's Making Memories (a joint album with Ikky) is more pop-leaning. It debuted at no. 5 on the Billboard Canadian Album chart and has approximately 430 million streams on Spotify alone.
Lokre
Lokre makes swoon-worthy R&B in the realm of her idols Alicia Keys and Sade. With a voice like crystal and an undeniable pen, this singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist from Toronto is bringing back that old-school, soulful R&B. She released her first single, "Rise Up," in 2016 and has worked closely with producer Adrian X (a collaborator of the Weeknd, Drake and PartyNextDoor) to hone her distinct sound over the years. After a number of singles and EPs, Lokre released her debut album, Elizabeth, in 2022. Most recently, she dropped the simmering track "Body."
MDRA
MDRA's bubblegum rap is highly addictive. There's a playfulness to her lyricism, but it's clear she's not to be taken lightly. Playing any of her higher-energy bops is an instant mood booster, and her more introspective tracks, like "Intuition," really let her songwriting skills shine. MDRA was born and raised in Sri Lanka until she was 10, when her family immigrated to Canada. She has a lot of love for Mississauga, the city she now calls home, and opened for fellow Mississaugan AR Paisley at the Toronto stop of his 2023 tour. Her latest single, "Luv Letter" is the perfect soundtrack for a lover girl summer.
Shanuka
Shanuka started flexing her chops six years ago, when she began uploading covers of songs by Lauryn Hill and Willow Smith. In 2018, she released her debut album, Infatuation, which she produced, recorded and performed all on her own in her bedroom. The warm tone of Shanuka's voice lends itself well to the vibey neo-soul that she creates. Whether singing about falling in or out of love, she's a pro at setting a sonic mood — her songs are intricately layered worlds that you'll want to live in forever.
Sim
Sim's delicate and pleading vocals glide over iced-out synths and 808s in an R&B sound that has become quintessentially Toronto. The tone is cold, the lyrics are full of love gone awry, and realism permeates everything. There is no escapism in Sim's music, but rather a direct look at harsh truths that are sometimes easier to avoid. Since 2019, she's been releasing songs that don't shy away from the melancholy, and it's resonating with her growing fanbase.
Sunny Malton
Sunny Malton is a Punjabi rapper and singer on the rise who reps his neighbourhood of Malton, in Mississauga, Ont., with panache and a bold lyrical style. He began releasing music in 2014 and had a breakout moment in 2017 as a featured artist on Sidhu Moose Wala's song "Issa Jatt." The two continued to release a number of songs together until Sidhu Moose Wala's death in 2022, and Malton has since continued to honour the late artist. His most recent effort is titled "410" with a posthumous verse from Sidhu Moose Wala. The song is an ode to Brampton, Ont. and Sunny Malton mentions Drake, Degrassi and Peel region in his opening verse.
SVDP
SVDP, formerly known as Shan Vincent de Paul, has long paid his dues. He started releasing music way back in 2005, as part of numerous now-defunct groups, but it wasn't until 2016 that he released his solo debut, Saviours. The Tamil rapper grew up in Brampton after his family left Sri Lanka as refugees when he was six, and subsisted on heavy doses of Outkast, A Tribe Called Quest and De La Soul as a teenager. In 2019, SVDP decided to blend traditional South Asian sounds with the modern hip-hop he loved, and a collaboration with fellow Tamil Canadian musician Yanchan, titled Mrithangam Raps, was born. SVDP is an immensely flexible artist with an explosive lyrical delivery that stops you in your tracks — his recent single with Polaris Prize winner Backxwash "Blvck" and the boisterous "Aiyo!" from his 2022 album, VVV, are just a taste.
2Yung
A casual scroll through 2Yung's YouTube uploads will reveal dozens of beats for sale, going back four years. All the Drake, Weeknd, Nav and Roy Woods-type beats show that the Surrey-based producer has been steadily developing his skills. The practice of emulating tried-and-true sounds is common in the world of internet hip-hop, and it's clear that 2Yung is now ready to discover his own sound. Working with artists including Juvek and Straight Bank, his latest uploads are original songs, and he's dominating the Punjabi trap vein that he's carved out for himself.