Lost

While Toronto has established itself as a force to be reckoned with in hip-hop, approximately six hours away, the francophone rapper Lost has shown that Montreal's also got something to say. After introducing himself through the 5sang14 collective he formed with four childhood friends in 2012, the Cameroon native has used percussive flows, spurts of melody, and introspective lyrics written in French to produce authentic street music that’s reverberated through the community. On the solo end of things, Lost left his mark with a series of dynamic projects he released between 2016 (Bonhomme pendu (Chapitre 2)) and 2020 (LOSTALGIK), dabbling in Afro trap, conventional hip-hop, and dancehall, injecting philosophical lyrics into the tracks all the while. Through passionate songwriting that can be as melodic as it is earnest, and a focus on representing his area, Lost has shed light on the region, helping give an identity to Montreal hip-hop.