Canada, as a whole, has seen more success in hip-hop in the last decade than any other previous era, largely due to Drake's success. But outside of Toronto, cities like Montreal, Vancouver, and Ottawa have delivered some strong exports who've planted the flag for their city in hopes of gaining similar respect as the hometown of artists like Drake, Tory Lanez, and The Weeknd.
City Fidelia has played a pivotal role in shaping Ottawa's hip-hop scene for a decade-plus, as a community leader and an artist, earning him the title of Ottawa's "Mayor." Today, he celebrates the culmination of his hard work with the release, Painkiller. Led by the previously released singles, "College Dropout," "Therapeudick," and the Shelley-assisted, "Soulmate," Ottawa's Mayor's latest body of work captures his growth and versatility through honest penmanship.
Painkiller confronts many personal issues that City Fidelia's grappled with over the past few years, from the COVID-19 pandemic to losing his older brother.
"My upcoming album is meant to be a self-imposed therapy. I explore my inner child and express the different ways my friends and I numbed the pain with topics related to growing up in a broken home, depression, love lost, but also a spiritual experience. This project is to let anybody dealing with pain know that they are not alone," he said of the project in a statement.
Painkiller boasts a range of collaborators including YNR DaVinci, Will, Jeff Sanon, and of course, Shelley f.k.a DRAM.
Press play on Painkiller below and sound off with your thoughts in the comments.