MP3: Wasiu x Thomas White x WYLN – “No Tellin'” Remix

07.10.2015

Critical Praise for Wasiu:

“Wasiu is the hip-hop voice of Montreal.” – i-D

“The young Montreal rapper has been working steadily to make a name for himself and it looks like he’s on the right track.” – Pigeons & Planes

“Wasiu is another one to look out for this year.” – Complex

“Many rappers twice his age would be wise to take notes…” – Okayplayer

“Wasiu is pretty much the embodiment of Montreal’s cultural shift.” – Noisey

“Wasiu has exhibited a desire to creatively tackle a variety of topics, and he raps about them in a way that proves he’s a more-than-formidable emcee.” – HYPETRAK

The Song:

Montreal rapper Wasiu and producers Thomas White and WYLN have whipped up a remix of Drake‘s “No Tellin’,” flipping a sample from the original song’s intro and warping their individual styles together for an untraditional track. The trio came together in the studio and individually added layers to the remix, each blending their own styles with one another and also with the OG version of the song. “My signature sound I’d say is emotional aerial, with pitched vocals, piano and the likes,” Thomas White explained to Complex in their premiere post. “For WYLN; banging drums, sliding 808s and he added real percs he records himself.”

“I’m repeating the words ‘No Tellin” in my head and I start to form a triple entendre with it,” says Wasiu, who came into the studio mid-session and began developing a concept and writing his contribution for the remix. “There’s no tellin’ as in no snitching, and if there is snitching then there’s no tellin’ what I’ma do. The other meaning to this no tellin’ is how I’m gonna flow on it. I switched my flow a few times, so there’s no tellin, it’s unexpected what my flow is on here. Just like the sample says, ‘had to switch the flow up for you niggas shit was getting too predictable.'”

Haitian-Canadian rapper Wasiu has been building a name for himself with the release of several tracks this year. He previously released “I Got It,” teaming up with RAW Records co-founder/producer Dear Lola, who remixed Jay-Z and Kanye‘s infectious “What U Need” with a funky bassline and dance floor-ready swing. The 24 year-old rapper first debuted back in January with his Kaytranada-produced video single “Physical,” and has since gone on to show his range of politically-charged, socially conscious, and self-confident rhymes. “My music is empowerment, and defeat. It’s the whole spectrum,” he explains. “I’m showing what people view as both the good and the bad… and how without the bad, you can’t have the good, and so you start to appreciate the bad… for the good.”

Listen to “No Tellin'” (Remix): https://soundcloud.com/thomas-white/drake-no-tellin-thomas-white-x-wyln-x-wasiu-remix/

Check out the Complex premiere: http://www.complex.com/music/2015/07/wasiu-thomas-white-wyln-remix-drake-no-tellin

[soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/213956820″ params=”color=ff5500&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false” width=”100%” height=”166″ iframe=”true” /]

Please contact Michelle or Rory if interested in talking with Wasiu.

Wasiu Background:

For Wasiu, being a pariah has always been a constant. A child of divorce from a Nigerian Muslim father and Haitian Protestant-Christian mother, he was torn between worlds, seen by both communities as impure, and a “mixed breed”—not entirely Haitian, not quite Nigerian. Even though he’s Québecois (a Québec native), his immigrant parents tainted his claim to the province. Raised by his mother after his father moved to Toronto, he felt obliged to fit in with her side of the family. Resentments towards his father’s beliefs and culture led him to drop his father-given middle name—Wasiu—so that he wouldn’t be teased in his predominantly white school, where he battled black stereotypes by pushing his intellect past expectations.

Overcoming adversity and using those lessons as lyrical fuel is Wasiu’s strongest suit. He is preparing his debut album which funnels his life experiences into a culturally defining opus that balances both optimistic and pessimistic perspectives on human themes. “I’m showing what people view as both the good and the bad,” he says, “and how without the bad, you can’t have the good, and so you start to appreciate the bad… for the good.”