11.03.2021
Album: Pressa – Gardner Express (Deluxe)
The Toronto Native Adds Five New Tracks to the Deluxe Version of His 2020 Project, Including Collabs with Swae Lee, Coi Leray, and Rowdy Rebel
Critical Praise:
“Not a lot of musicians can claim to have the attention of the biggest music names in their country, or have toured with one of the most successful acts of all time and have released an album all before the age of 24. But Canadian artist Pressa is one of the few that would fit the description.” – Complex
“Pressa’s come a long way from his native of Driftwood and is approaching the business and art of music making like a seasoned veteran.” – Vice
“Be it the whip, the club, the speaker, or casual listening, you simply won’t regret pressing play on this project. Each of them bangers with plenty of replay value…” – Lyrical Lemonade
“Holy F*CK this is insane, this guy has one of the craziest voices I’ve ever heard.” – No Jumper
The Album:
At only 25 years old, Pressa has garnered recognition from both sides of the border with the help of his street smart lyrics and distinctive melodies. Debuting his first full-length major label project, Pressa shares Gardner Express (Deluxe), an expansion of his successful 2020 EP. The title of the project is a play on words referring to Pressa’s last name (Gardner) and the Gardiner Expressway, a major highway running through his hometown, Toronto. Featuring collabs from Swae Lee, Coi Leray, and Rowdy Rebel, the Deluxe adds seven tracks that tackle the concepts of a challenging upbringing in the Driftwood neighborhood and the strains that come from feeling tied to his hometown, but L.A. being the best for his career. Delving into his cross-cultural conflict on “Chocolate Audemars,” Pressa raps, “California ain’t really for everyone / Chocolate not vanilla uh / I’m a gypsy, I’m a traveler.” Complete with spatial audio mixing by the legendary Mike Dean, Gardner Express (Deluxe) is available everywhere via Sony Music Canada.
In the run up to his Deluxe project, Pressa shared “Second Hand Smoke,” a bad-kid-made-good anthem and “Attachments (Remix)” ft. Coi Leray, a single detailing Pressa’s experiences in the trenches. Originally released on the first version of Gardner Express in December 2020, “Attachments” ft. Taliban Glizzy became a breakout hit from the project, with fans gravitating towards Pressa’s infectious hook and gritty lyrics about a deadly day in Driftwood. In the spring, Pressa hooked up with Coi Leray to deliver “Attachments (Remix),” further building buzz and generating over 6.1 million YouTube views on the sultry video. “Attachments” has become Pressa’s biggest global hit to date, generating over 44.3 million global streams across both versions and earning Platinum certification in his native Canada.
With over 90 million global streams to date, the original version of Gardner Express is home to multiple high profile collaborations, including “Head Tap” featuring Brooklyn drill rappers, Sheff G and Sleepy Hallow and “Blackberry Zap” ft. Jackboy. The project features additional appearances from Flipp Dinero, D Block Europe and Taliban Glizzy. With coverage in outlets like Complex and HotNewHipHop, and interviews with Ebro Darden on Apple Music, No Jumper, Montreality, and more, Gardner Express is a deeply personal, speaker-knocking project from one of the hottest emcees north of the border.
Buy/Stream Gardner Express (Deluxe): https://Pressa.lnk.to/GardnerExpressDeluxe
Gardner Express (Deluxe) tracklist (* denotes new Deluxe track):
- Attachments ft. Coi Leray*
- Chocolate Audemars*
- Cool, Calm and Collected ft. Swae Lee*
- Second Hand Smoke*
- Beenie*
- Dead Body ft. Rowdy Rebel*
- 50 Wass Bars*
- Blackberry Zap ft. Jackboy
- O.T.M. (Out The Mud)
- Ouija Board ft. D-Block Europe
- Head Tap ft. Sleepy Hallow & Sheff G
- Dracula ft. Flipp Dinero
- 96 Freestyle
- Attachments ft. Taliban Glizzy
Please contact Michelle or Kevin for more info.
The Background:
Pressa captured rap fans’ attention in Canada and the U.K. by garnering millions of YouTube views for 2016’s “Wass Gang,” landed on a tour with Drake, and emerged as a local cultural sensation. Pressa made his mark with the inimitable mix of his street-oriented lyrics, melodic hooks and high-pitched voice, making him a fixture in the Toronto hip-hop scene.
Recognized for an impressive list of collaborations (Murda Beatz, UK hip-hop don, Giggs, Lil Uzi Vert) over the years, the Canadian rapper continued his hot streak in 2020 with features from Sheff G and Sleepy Hallow, Jackboy, Flipp Dinero and more. Aligned with the new crop of artists dubbed “ones to watch,” Pressa is on track in his journey to becoming a household name.
No stranger to releasing full bodies of work with mixtapes such as, Press Machine, Press A Brick, and Prestige, 2020 was a prime display of Pressa’s growth and versatility as an artist, culminating with the release of his EP, Gardner Express. The EP features “OTM,” “96 Freestyle,” and “Head Tap” ft. Sheff G and Sleepy Hallow, which resulted in coverage from media juggernauts like Complex, a global Apple Music Beats 1 premiere with Ebro Darden, and over 44M worldwide global streams, together to date.
Pressa is applying a renewed vigor to his music and collaborating with likeminded writers, producers and artists on the rise. Inspired by the diverse streets of Toronto and a multicultural Jamaican/Filipino upbringing, Pressa is eager to share his passion and unique music style with the world.
Links:
instagram | twitter | youtube | spotify
Gardner Express (Deluxe): https://Pressa.lnk.to/GardnerExpressDeluxe
“Attachments” ft. Coi Leray: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZxGYS11DIdM
“Second Hand Smoke”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8wWaq-104-c
“Attachments” ft. Taliban Glizzy: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GgXc-hhtN7I
“Blackberry Zap” ft. Jackboy: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=POoQIE35dRQ
Gardner Express (Official Film): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V_PeFTPXeRQ
“Head Tap” ft. Sheff G & Sleepy Hallow: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3pbeegimfTc
“OTM”: https://youtu.be/–ZbWzmU-lI
“96 Freestyle”: https://youtu.be/wqMW57_RO7Q
Bio, photos, and streams available here: https://audibletreats.com/pressa/