Polaris shortlist shortcut: DijahSB's vibrant album, The Flower That Knew

DijahSB is one of the most prolific independent rising stars of Toronto's underground hip-hop scene, and their third full-length release, 2023's The Flower That Knew, establishes that DijahSB is in their thriving era. The Flower That Knew is one of this year's 10 Polaris Music Prize-nominated albums, and CBC Music's Shortlist Shortcut series is back to help music fans find out the key details about the shortlisted record.

Dig into the stories behind the albums, the tracks you need to know and the perfect summer activities to complement your listening. You can also listen to The Ten radio special on The Flower That Knew here.

Artist:

DijahSB.

Album:

The Flower That Knew. 

Polaris Music Prize history: 

This is DijahSB's third album and second nomination to the short list. They were shortlisted for their first album, Head Above the Waters, in 2021.

Story behind the nominated album: 

The Flower That Knew feels like a deep breath of a record; a chance to stop and smell the roses, metaphorically. In order to create it, DijahSB eased up on their near-constant musical output — four EPs between 2021's Head Above the Waters and 2023's The Flower That Knew, plus additional singles and collaborations — and took stock. They're still growing, but they've been hustling a long time and the seeds they've sown are in bloom. 

"I love a good metaphor, so comparing my journey to that of any flower seemed perfect," DijahSB told Atwood Magazine. "The patience and upkeep it takes to grow a flower is the most significant part for me."

It's not just a metaphor, though: they've been cultivating their art since they began rapping professionally in 2011, first as Kzaraw and as part of the rap group Class of 93. In 2016, when they "rebranded" to DijahSB, they told Words & Music that they were still figuring out their sound: "I would try everything: house beats, trap beats, boom-bap…. What really made people gravitate to me was the bouncier beats. And it's where I make my best stuff as well … I feel like joy is resistance. Dancing is resistance. That's what I'm trying to contribute."

On The Flower That Knew, they've also perfected their lyricism. DijahSB has always been praised for their wit and candour, but this record levels up the memorable lines with rhymes that balance wry jokes and gut punches. Their wordplay is a gift, as is their ability to get real and revelatory in the space of a few bars. DijahSB delivers on the promise of the album's title: their keenly observed lines about humanity, as well as their unabashed honesty about their own experiences, allow the listener to leave the record feeling like not only do they have a better understanding of the artist, but a better understanding of the world, too.

"I understand the elements of making a good song, but also, putting your heart into it," DijahSB told Words & Music. "Putting what you're going through into it as well…. That's what most of my favourite artists have done for me. What is music if not vulnerability, and being relatable?"

This isn't to say DijahSB still can't flex with the best of them. "You guys know how I know my album is special?" DijahSB said via X. "I can listen to it and I actually want to listen to it. As a creative you know most of us hate seeing or hearing the s*** we created lmao. But I bump my own album cause this shit is HARD." 

In January 2024, DijahSB told the Toronto Star that they "definitely want to be on grind mode this year. Even though I put out a brilliant album, I still feel like it went under the radar. I want to be out there doing more collabs, doing more travelling, and making my imprint on the industry." Six months later and The Flower That Knew is on everybody's radar. Before the short list was even announced, DijahSB was still grappling with their album's inclusion on the long list. 

"That kind of stuff is so surreal to me," DijahSB told Words & Music. "That 200-odd people sat down and listened to all of the best Canadian albums that came out that year, and said, 'Dijah's is one of those albums that deserves to be in the long list of 40.' You dream about things like that, as an artist."

Notable players:

The Flower That Knew is stacked with DijahSB's regular collaborators and featured guests including producer Cheap Limousine, Clairmont the Second, Oh Hi Ali, King Kwn, Mina Lioness, Kyle Wildfern and Terrell Morris.

Standout songs: 

'How R U'

I don't know how to react these days when people ask 'how are you'
Tell you I'm fine but my eyes tell you the truth
The world keeps spinnin' around
So I dig a couple holes to keep my feet on the ground.

This song is the sonic embodiment of the ubiquitous cartoon meme of a massive fire burning all around someone while they sit perfectly still saying, "This is fine." In other words, DijahSB is serving up highly relatable content for these horribly fraught times. From anxiety and isolation to trying to survive multiple pandemics, "How R U" is the song we all need right now.  

'Don't Touch!'

This feel-good bounce of boundaries! DijahSB is playful but firm as their rhymes flow back and forth with equal ability to elicit laughs and tears. "You could look, but don't touch though/ you can smell, but don't pick me up/ leave me where I am/ just leave me where I am/ why can't you just leave me as I am though?" they ask over and over throughout the song, the rhetorical question getting more poignant each time it's uttered. When DijahSB raps, "I could grow wherever/ I be breaking through the pavement/ You really think when you took me that you saved me/ that's crazy," their delivery is equal parts incredulous and bemused in the "I can laugh about it now" kind of way.

'Fertilize'

DijahSB knows what it is to make mistakes. Their glow-up has been hard-fought, but they've made the most of every single moment — especially the hardest ones. Against a stomping drum and smooth synths, they rap, "I crash sometimes/ and I feel like I gotta get my mouth wired/ I ain't seen growth in a while/ it's delicate, this shit is like holding a child/ that's my garden, if you want I can show you around/ I'm from the bottom/ yes, I really had to grow from the ground." These soul-baring confessionals are juxtaposed with the rich warmth of Kyle Wildfern's sweetly sassy hook, "Everything's a blessin' baby, even when it aint." It's the joy and liberation of honesty, of real talk rather than toxic positivity. It's making space for pleasure while still acknowledging hardship, and the listener feels it in every bounce, bop and groove. 

Recommended if you like:

De La Soul, Shad, TheeSatisfaction, Kid Cudi, Queen Latifah.

Summer activity pairing:

DijahSB gave us a lush garden that's full of laid-back beauty that's ours to discover. Take it out into the world — camping, stargazing, beachcombing — and turn it up and give DijahSB their flowers.

Don't miss Shortlist Summer: a season-long showcase of the 10 albums shortlisted for the 2024 Polaris Music Prize. Read the weekly Polaris Shortlist Shortcut feature at cbcmusic.ca/polaris and tune into The Ten radio special every Sunday night at 6 p.m. (6:30 NT) via cbc.ca/listen.