SonReal

Born in Vernon, British Columbia, and active since the mid-2000s between Vernon and Vancouver, SonReal, real name Aaron Hoffman, develops Canadian rap that blends hip-hop, alternative hip-hop and pop rap, with writing often narrative and a penchant for melodic hooks. After a series of mixtapes released between 2006 and 2014, including Trapped in the Streets (2006), Good Morning (2008), The Stroll (2009), Where's Waldo (2010), The Lightyear Mixtape (2010), Words I Said (2012), Good News (2012) and One Long Day (2014), SonReal drew more attention with The Closers, a collaborative project with Rich Kidd released in 2012. The subsequent phase includes the EPs For The Town (2015) and The Name (2016), where his style gains pop density without leaving the rap frame, followed by the album One Long Dream (2017). SonReal then expands his range with The Aaron LP (2019), the EP I Can’t Make This Up (2021), Nobody’s Happy All the Time (2022) and All Things Aside (2024). On stage, SonReal has toured Canada, the United States and then Europe, first in a classic rap format before incorporating more live elements into his concerts, which suits music built on the alternation between incisive verses, introspection and accessible production.