Toronto has been bubbling this summer with a host of new faces showcasing the city’s freshman class of rap talent including Sha Hustle, Roy Wood$ and TRIPSIXX. DNTFCKRND, the crew that encompasses the NeWAge squad and are affiliated with NEAKO’s LVLYSL movement introduce the latest addition to their roster, namely a slick-talking Weldon Park graduate named FUNDAMENT. After releasing his FAMELESS EP last fall, he submerged himself in the downtown scene and in the studio with DNTFCKRND‘s gifted in-house Producer/Engineer STRETCH. He re-emerges today with a fresh new album campaign entitled 15BLOCKS, a new team and a new single entitled “On The Way Part 2”. Let’s hear the story from the artist himself.
Tell us a bit more about the DNTFCKRND crew.
Right now that’s the click. The fam. The movement. Roy Wood$ just killed a performance, TRIPSIXX and Sha Hustle have been dropping material this summer, STRETCH has been on the boards and keeping it all together. I’ve been on my own buildup but I feel like I found my team at the perfect moment and we’ve all grown together this summer. Power in numbers & smart mthfckers.
How long have you been rapping for?
I got a government grant when I was 17 for the first track I wrote. It was kinda on from then. But in a way you could say I just started dropping with The Fameless EP last fall.
What can your fans expect from your upcoming project 15BLOCKS? Any noteworthy collaborations?
15BLOCKS is the result of three years of hard work with the promo grind, throwing shows, collaborating & just laying real ground work. 15BLOCKS is really just the beginning. On this project Ive got Rittz, High Klassified, Iman Omari, Roshin of Notes to Self, Kxngs outta the UK.. some more.. its pretty loaded up.
You have a track with Coleman Hell who is doing incredibly well right now. How did that collaboration come about?
Cole is one of my real good friends. We’ve been collaborators, homies and both bar-backed together over the last couple of years. Shout out that dude. I had him on my single “Magnifying Glass” and hope to work with him more in the future. Crazy talent.
If I was to turn on your iPod right now what would i find?
I’m mostly into beat wave types of things – shouts to Joe Kay, and Whooligan at Soulection – that kinda dominates what I personally bump. Rapper wise, outside of my crew, I’m pretty selective – Freddie Gibbs, Vic Mensa’s dope… Jay Z always.
Who has influenced your sound rap-wise?
Toronto. The city. The sound. It’s really like that up here right now.
How would you sum up the Toronto hip-hop scene?
Having been on the inside of the promo/show scene here for the last few years, shit’s really on a next level these days. We’re just finding ourselves and it feels like the world is finding us at the same time. It’s different now – We ain’t gotta go nowhere. Toronto all day.
Show some love and check out his latest song below.
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