Fresh off the release of his surging track “IN THE PAINT” alongside Mvthabrain, (formerly known as Mr. Muthafuckin’ eXquire), enigmatic LA based wordsmith CANYON sat down Remixd Mag to discuss a wealth of topics regarding his music.
Image: Canyon Music (Facebook)
CANYON’s third track since returning “IN THE PAINT” has exceeded his expectations with over 1.28 Million listens on Soundcloud alone, therefore boosting the New York native’s streaming stats on the app to over 2.65 million exclusively on Soundcloud intimating the listeners are enchanted by his artistry.
This is not exclusively new territory for the marauding artist who has been garnering lots of attention from his music since early on in his career, until it was all wiped out due to copyright issues.
“At 11 I started rapping, and by 13 I put out music on the internet and didn’t really tell people. The songs did really well and charted internationally before being taken down for copyright issues.
That’s when I knew I definitely had talent,” he tells Remixd Mag.
The rapper’s triumphant comeback to music has been a statement in itself. His catalog consists of three tracks so far including the vicious “IN THE PAINT,” on following up to going toe to toe with arguably two of the most revered emcees of all time, Jadakiss and Wu Tang’s Raekwon on the records – “Reservations” and “Shark Tank” respectively.
Making a screen debut, “IN THE PAINT” has premiered on YouTube with a depiction of New York captured in the motion picture astutely. From the raw exaltation of CANYON water-whipping in the video holding a half-filled bottle of Hennessy, to the street ball parks where two boys display a showboat of skills with the ball in their hands – metaphorical of the song’s “IN THE PAINT” title and figuratively the ease of which the two artists run rounds around their competition, to the indoor shots that mirror CANYON’s cinematic edge to video production – it’s a solid video that allows us to still enjoy the music, and not dig too deep into the imagery.
“From this song, I want fans to realize I’m going to be making a lot of very creative, fresh
music like this going forward,” he said. “I want them to feel like a fucking beast listening to it.”
View the visual below for “IN THE PAINT” ft. Mvthabrain
At this particular point in time, he is loading up his first ever solo number dubbed “Friends”, that is a completely contrasting offering compared to the already vividly introspective “Shark Tank” with Wu Tang’s gruffy-voiced leading man, and the tenaciously braggadocio piece “Reservations” alongside The Lox’ critically acclaimed and commercially respected, Jada.
Without spilling much, he shares his thought process, how he began making music and having his tracks taken off the internet despite achieving international notoriety early, working for minimum wage before permanently focusing on music entirely , how marijuana has helped him artistically, and ultimately what fans can anticipate during his first official rookie year in 2022.
Check it out the full interview with CANYON below:
What city are you from/ Where are you based now?
I’m from Long Island, New York and I live in Los Angeles now
What is your artist name? What is your real name? How did you get your artist name?
CANYON. Todd is my real name. My artist name is to represent my depth as an artist.
It’s also to signify my 2 home states CA and NY.
At what point in your life did you decide to pursue a career in music?
At 11 I started rapping and by 13 I put out music on the internet and didn’t really tell
people. The songs did really well and charted internationally before being taken down
for copyright issues.
That’s when I knew I definitely had talent.
Has your upbringing played a role in shaping who you are and defining your sound today? If so, how?
2pac for sure was the first person to get me into writing raps when I was a little kid. I’ve
read his biographies and he’s also a hero of mine as a man. I don’t think I sound like
Pac, but I think he’s definitely influenced my rebelliousness, the way I write verses, and
my confident mic presence.
Other than that, the usuals. Eminem, Lil Wayne, Kanye, Wu-Tang. Also love Cudi,
Travis Scott, Mac Miller, Young Thug, Jadakiss. I feel everyone who I listen to and fuck
with kind of automatically subconsciously influence me a little the next time I spit.
How would you describe your sound to readers who may not be familiar with you?
Hard to say because I mix it up a lot. Very creative, raw, unique. I have songs that are
very intense and I have super pleasant jams. I have a heavy raspy voice that I use in a
lot of different ways. I definitely would say my music is very confident but at the same
time vulnerable and introspective. I’m kind of a paradox like that.
What ultimately inspired you to dedicate yourself to a music career?
Every time I rap I really feel something special. To be honest I always loved doing it, but
once I started smoking weed I really fell deeply in love with rapping. Before I smoked I
couldn’t really freestyle too well but since that day 11 or so years ago, I have the ability
to freestyle continuously on any beat as long as I have a puff before. Music really feels
like it’s what I’m meant to do. I feel like I just have these instincts and I just love doing it,
love being at the studio, trying different shit. I have a great time collaborating with artists
I always looked up to as heroes so really just all of it. I think it’s the coolest stuff in the
world.
What’s one reason you are passionate about music and what inspires you?
I feel like music is a microcosm for my life. Like if I’m doing well mentally the music I’m
making is gonna be on point. If I’m struggling or mentally all over the place the music is
gonna reflect that too. So I love that. It makes music feel so important because it’s so
reflective of where my heads at so it’s informative.
Like I mentioned smoking inspires me. Meditation inspires me. Sometimes what will
inspire me is hearing a dope kind of background beat at a restaurant and all the sudden
my mind starts kind of automatically creating a flow to it. So it can be a lot of things.
Do you have any hobbies outside of music? What do you do to stay creative?
I love playing basketball, watching the NBA and NFL. Hanging with my girl. Binging
shows, about to start the last season of The Wire, which has been incredible.
What helps me stay creative? I don’t wanna mention smoking weed for the a billionth
time already but it definitely has helped me get outside myself. Listening to other
rappers helps me stay creative and competitive. Thinking like “How’d he make that
sound I gotta try that” or “I could do what they’re doing in a much flyer way with this
melody.” That type of shit keeps me hungry and leaning forward.
Who are some of your main musical influences?
2pac, Kanye, Jadakiss, Tyler the Creator, Big Krit, ASAP Rocky, Kid Cudi, J. Cole,
Kendrick Lamar
What are some of your music career goals for the future?
I really really want to win a Grammy. That’s been my goal since the beginning but that
said, if I make incredible music that’s worthy of a Grammy and I don’t win one, I’m not
going to let other people define my success.
My biggest goal is really to reach people with my music. I think a lot of people are really
caught up in bullshit and my music has a way of piercing through in a really cool way so
I just want to connect with people.
Overall my goal is to have an impact, leave a legacy, and show who I am.
To stay updated with CANYON, follow his social media on the links below:
https://www.instagram.com/canyonofficialmusic/
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCfB9aLAxKNKE_nc0ib7boWg
https://www.facebook.com/CanyonOfficialMusic https://soundcloud.com/canyonofficialmusic
