SonReal

Rapper and singer SonReal incorporates elements of rock and pop into his playful and thoughtful hip-hop. • SonReal grew up in Vancouver and credits skateboarding as his gateway into hip-hop. He was inspired to rap by hip-hop tracks in skate videos. • After releasing a handful of solo mixtapes, SonReal linked up with Rich Kidd for 2012’s Juno-nominated joint project The Closers, featuring the single “Hometown.” • He’s known for his high-concept music videos, like the Peter Huang–directed clip for “Everywhere We Go,” a goofy retro spoof with more than 33 million YouTube views. • SonReal’s 2017 debut album, One Long Dream, was a follow-up to his 2014 mixtape One Long Day. A second album, The Aaron LP, arrived in 2019, showcasing more pop versatility than the artist had displayed before.