Junia-T

I don’t know about the rest of you, but when Toronto’s full-bloom music scene comes to mind, it’s not exactly the purest visual. But as we’ve been trying to show you over the past few months, Junia T isn’t exactly your usual suspect. The masterfully stringing together the raw soul of Golden Era proper with vibe-centric lyricism in a rare blend of MP proficiency and verbal judo that hits all the truest notes of the cultural scale. His debut full-length piece Eye See You boasts all of the sunny sentiments of your favorite backpackers in a brilliant array of blazing productions that take all of the roots to heart.What do you think?

From the bluesy & introspective boom-bap balladry of “How Can I” to the hazy swing of the Little Simz-assisted “Sleep Paralysis” to the psychedelic soul of “Swisher Sweet,” Eye See You proves to be a stunning, 15-song strong compendium of funk, neo-soul and boogie-blessed cuts reminiscent of J Dilla or Pete Rock, managing to seamlessly hop in and out of the cut in the endless balancing act of maintaining behind-the-board and microphone duties. It all proves that one thing is certain; that T isn’t getting pegged-down by the Molly&melancholy left-field ism that’s taken over his city.What do you think?

And OKP is proud to usher in this new era of north-of-the-border bangers. Put your L’s up and bless the air to what is no doubt one of the illest soundtracks to the post-work-day burn-down that’s come my way in some time. Stream Junia T’s Eye See You LP down below and once your ears are pleased and that screw-face is gets stuck, cop the album via Bandcamp. Keep it locked for more on the Junia-of-all-trades in the weeks and months to come. - Okayplayer.com

I’m very hesitant when I come across a rapper who also produces, or vice versa. Canada’s Junia-T is a rare exception. He is a prime example of the ideal combination of a rapper and producer in one. He knows what kind of beat to produce to match his flows. They’re not exclusive from each other, a point where many artists tend to trip up. On top of the smooth production, Junia-T waxes rhymes that you can ponder long after you hear them and the music stops.

Junia-T had this to say about his album:

This project is a collage of vibes reflecting all that I’ve been through in the past year and a half. A big thank you to the Universe for holding a brova down… Eye See You.
You can buy a hard copy HERE and download it for free HERE. Junia is also working on an instrumental album, Pour, No Mix. - The Source

We've grown to champion the new musician do-it-yourself mentality made convenient by technology and necessary by shrinking profits. But too often, that same DIY ethic betrays the collaborative nature of music. Fortunately, Mississauga MC/producer Junia-T works well with others. Eye See You speaks to both Junia-T's talent as an artist and his vision in bringing good people together for a common goal. The result is one of the best independent Canadian hip-hop releases in some time.

Production-wise, Junia shows a healthy range while keeping to traditional hip-hop and soul beat-making styles. Sample- and drumroll-heavy, Junia frequently employs the help of musicians HMLT, Octavio Santos, Kiercy Rand and Marlon James. Fellow rapper/beatmaker LordQuest makes an appearance and assisted in engineering the project. On the mic, Junia demonstrates a relaxed confidence that at times sounds like an amalgamation of both halves of EPMD. Subject matters rarely stray far from rapping about rapping, producing and the usual vices, but it's all done well enough there's no risk of losing listeners' interest.

That interest begins with the slow cinematic build of "Head Nod," on which Bob Marley reflections on richness make way for a "Woo Hah!!"-era Busta Rhymes sample that braces us for Junia-T's entrance. Things take a more introspective turn on "How Can I" that darkly plays off of Mary J. Blige's "Be Happy." California emcees Yancy Deron and Tassnata join Junia for the oddly prominent flute-driven party anthem "LEGOLEGOLEGO (Get UP!)."

While the majority of Eye See You presents Junia-T as a solo act, a third of the album showcases his production chops for other artists. One of the best cameos comes from London's Little Simz and Toronto's Emerson Brooks on the butter-smooth "Sleep Paralysis." The same vibe is later carried over to the superb Jessie Reyez ballad, "Asi."

And yet even with a cast of skilled international collaborators, Junia-T is never outshone, his fingerprints ever present. While there are a couple of humdrum tracks, the vast majority of this album is a polished tour de force that solidly places Junia-T on the list of artists you should already have been checking for. Now's the time to rectify that. (Independent) - Exclaim!

Junia-T is an old soul living in the new school. And really, who knew that the Sauga city cat would let it do what it do.

Although those may be lyrics from the Toronto artist’s single “Too Smoove” off his latest album Eye See You, the playful bars could easily pass as accurate lines from the emcee’s elaborate bio. After years of meticulous groundwork put into helping cultivate the Canadian hip-hop community, Junia-T has recently been reaping the benefits of his musical efforts in the form of international nods. And all it took was a few risks.

Whether it be as one half of the Smash Brovaz duo, as a solo act or as a prominent producer, Junia-T has stood as a household name on the Canadian rap front-lines for a decade, delivering familiar energy and fervent lyrical skill on every stage in the budding northern metropolis. But despite the local veteran status that the emcee has earned, Junia’s city has remained hesitant about sticking him on the pedestal he’s worked so hard for.

Just when it seemed certain that the rest of Toronto had moved on to newer hypebeast-adored acts and moodier music, Junia-T flew to the UK this past fall to drop his first solo album Eye See You to authentic support from those outside of the Canadian borders, from prominent publications to OGs like Snoop Dogg.

The risky decision to release his project on English soil was the result of a new solution-based mentality that the Toronto-native had previously been missing to create a worldwide imprint, proving that patience is an invaluable part of the grind and the independent hustle can either break a rapper, or turn them into a strong, wise and focused artist.

With grind comes knowledge and Junia-T is no stranger to either. From gems on the process, the risks and the rewards that come from them, Junia-T lays the truth on smoove:

Eye See You is getting a lot of love, where does that project stand for you in your career and life right now? I feel like it was more of a personal goal that I’ve been wanting to achieve for a long time. It is me getting to represent myself creatively, just as Junia-T, on all fronts. I feel like I put this project together, not to be perceived as a rapper, but to be perceived as a musician in the most traditional sense. That’s why I have all the RnB and I have that funk and all these different elements of what make up Junia-T. I didn’t want to feel like I had to give it to them in little pieces. So moving forward, they can expect any version of that from me. And I was just happy that I was able to pull it off in a cohesive manner, that it is a consistent listen. That’s what I wanted more than anything. I wanted people to be able to press play and be able to leave it. To me, that’s what makes an album. Because I come from that era of albums, where it was a cassette and all you had to do was press play. If it was a wack album that means you had to fast-forward through some tracks.

You’ve been putting in a lot of work through the years in this industry, especially in Toronto, you’re an OG when it comes to the rap community, so with this album, were you expecting this new organic love, even from the young blogs, bigger publications and people like Snoop Dogg? I really wasn’t, to be honest. Not because I didn’t believe in the music, it’s just that, I don’t have the same access that an artist on a label would have. I don’t have those different departments that are in constant communication with each other to move a project forward. It’s really just me in the centre of things and I must say that I’m lucky to have made the time to travel to network and a lot of these new opportunities are products of people that I have met along the way. But it wasn’t really like, I hit somebody up and this is coming now, so can you try and get this. It wasn’t really masterminded. It was really just the universe responding to be doing the best I could to get the music out. It’s been good. I can’t say that I expected it to be this good, but I’m not surprised.



The fact that it isn’t masterminded is a different look for you, because you are a very organized artist willing to do your due diligence to make sure things run the way you had them planned. But this time, it seems like it happened naturally. That’s how it happened. It’s been progressively growing. It’s interesting. I feel like me releasing the album in England was the best thing I could have done, because it made me realize that Toronto is not really watching me as much as I thought they were. Because I dropped the album November 4 and a lot of people hadn’t even heard the album until the night of the release party. I had been gone a whole month and a lot had happened in that month, at least online. So it reminded me that I still need to exist in the tangible world as well, as much as I may be taking care of all these things online. For those few people that are still rebelling against this technological routine, I’ve got to make sure that I have those people too. So that’s why I did the release party, because it was my opportunity to catch Toronto up to speed. And it did its job

Do you think Toronto hopped on after, because they saw the support you were getting everywhere else? One of those, “you can’t make it in Toronto, unless you’ve made it elsewhere” looks. Definitely. Without mentioning any names, there are a lot of people that I know that know me for making music and not until I came back did they really consider me to be a contender as far as representing Toronto music worldwide. I think they just saw me as a local OG that’s a happy guy that just loves making music. I don’t think they saw me as someone that was seriously trying to take it worldwide until I came back. And then they saw the release party and I think the show was a tipping point for a lot of people. But there’s still a lot of work that needs to be done. That’s the biggest thing I learned when I was in England, I was there for five days before my album dropped. So I showed up, the first day I did my show. I had nothing yet to really show them except the hard copy of my CD, because I had brought them with me and then the tape dropped and I was doing my usual thing that I would do if I was in Toronto. I post the premiere, make sure everyone is dealing with that link. The following day, I send it out to my blogs and start posting my blog shit. And a week and a half passes and I’m like, “Holy shit, what do I do now?” I realized, there’s a lot of work that has to go into this shit. I’ve changed grades of artists, so I can’t be seen hustling CDs anymore, even though I came from that. It’s perception. So in order to preserve the perception, I need to get someone that is going to keep getting me shows and someone that is going to keep the conversation going and getting me press opportunities. So that’s just where I’m at in terms of thinking.



And that strategic thinking has always been your strong-suit in this industry. You seem to be a “big picture” artist and plan things years in advance. I remember in 2012, you shot the video for Too Smoove (shoutout to my cameo) and that came out years later and now it’s a single on this project. You had that planned two-three years ago. How important is that long-term planning to you? As a creative, whenever you make something new, you are very excited to share it with the world, so the first thing you need learn how to do is calm that urge to share it immediately. Because to artists, things become old so fast, because we are the creator of it, we get to see it from its moment of conception. I’m not afraid to say that some of these songs are three years old. When you realize that you want to release something under your terms, sometimes the resources and things aren’t available when you want to do it. So sometimes, it’s just in your best interest to take a step back. When I originally shot that video, it was around the time where Smash Brovaz was breaking up and my confidence was shot. I was so used to functioning as a team member and I didn’t want to make things awkward between the team. So I gracefully removed myself. I just needed to see that I could complete things on my own. I didn’t have a rush for it. I had no vision for a project in sight. But Addy Papa sat me down and he said the biggest thing he learned from the Rich Kidd roll out last year is not to keep releasing music that isn’t leading to something, because people won’t hold on to it. There was no project in mind until Addy told me that. There was some long term planning, but it was more me being open to the universe and change and opportunity and not limiting myself. I used that as my cornerstone.

That’s great to hear, because a lot of people would have given up by now. Especially coming from the Toronto market. It seems like now you’re stronger than ever. Is that fair to say? Yeah, it’s crazy. As much as we get locked in one way of doing it, sometimes it just means you have to think outside the box. It doesn’t mean your original way was wrong or impossible, it just means that you should always keep your eyes open. We let ego get in the way in ways that we don’t even notice and once I started to strip way, I became so solutionary based.

So with your new mind state, has your long-term vision changed? I can say I have an approach now. It’s one thing to have a vision, because your vision is an end goal, but now I have a process and understand the steps that I will actively take. There’s a difference. I understand now how I will actively create these opportunities for myself. One thing that I learned from England is, they have a big signing culture. Artists get signed a lot there. But one thing they don’t have is a big independent culture. The one thing we have the advantage of, since nobody gets signed over here, we have a huge base knowledge of what it takes to push yourself forward. Because those artists get taken care of at labels. When they get dropped, they don’t know what to do, because they’ve never had to do it. From branding to social media, to going somewhere like here and going to the UK, of course we’re going to clean up shop, because I understand the importance of DJs playing my music, I understand the importance of knowing which press people to link up with or which caliber of artist to align myself with. So after I leave, I don’t even have to say anything, my music is going to speak for itself.

And it’s become somewhat of a cliché now that Toronto artists have to leave to make it. So why do you think so many artists are scared to take those risks. Most artists in Toronto are not artists full time. There’s only a handful of us that are actually artists full time. That’s why we’ve been able to make the leaps and bounds that we have, because we don’t do anything else. For example, right now I am looking for a studio to hire LordQuest out of working at the LCBO. This guy is fucking Grammy nominated. But it’s hard when you live somewhere like – I’m not even afraid of being poor in Canada anymore, because it’s so fucking expensive in England that nobody has an excuse. But you have your responsibilities and those things scare people. People don’t realize that that is the main ingredient of success – overcoming the impossible. So if you expect it to be easy, you’ve already failed yourself. So when artists get over that hump, then they will be able to travel. The universe took care of me in ways that I never could of foresaw. Things will present themselves when you believe in yourself. Your vibrations dictate yourself more than anything.

So what’s your role in the Toronto hip-hop community now? I think it’s the same, but I feel like the way people perceive my opinion may be more respected. Toronto is not really my concern anymore. I should be Toronto’s concern. If Toronto wants me to be successful, they will support me now. I’ve done everything I could to make the scene better. I’ve contributed through action. I’ve contributed by setting an example. I’ve contributed by helping build foundations for out community. I’ve done my part now. I’ve shared all my great ideas with people in the community that had the ability to do so. And if they don’t do it, that’s on them. I’m done now. Now I’ve got to take care of my career, because nobody stepped forward to me and said “do you need any support Junez?” Even all these super qualified people around me that are still thinking inside the box in Toronto, not even the province, just the city, I can’t deal with it. I did my part.

Why do people need to pay attention to Junia-T in 2015? You need to pay attention if you want to be ahead of the curb creatively, because I’ve always been there. - One Woman Army

On his last Booth feature, Junia-T boasted that he was simply “Too Smoove.” That phrase is also an apt descriptor of the Mississauga representative’s latest promo single. On breezy summer banger Everyday, the result of a night spent “reminiscing on the golden era,” the Smash Brovaz member takes a break from rocking the mic to focus on production. His headnodic breakbeat and warm brass chords accompany guest vocalist pHoenix as she pines after a man who recently walked into her life. T-Dot’s LordQuest rounds out the lineup, lending his laid-back flow to the final verse. Feeling it? Then stay tuned; Everyday isn’t attached to a larger body of work, but we’ll keep you posted on Junia’s plans as we learn more. - DJBooth.net

Junia-T is but the latest left-of-center beatsmith/rhymesmith to make way from Toronto, making his mark with a rooftop dwelling visual for his latest single “Too Smoove.” True to its name, T puts his own words to a track thats dripping in post-Dilla swing, sunny loops and heavy vibe-out sentiments, making this one ideal for your own rooftop burn-downs. No word on whether an album is in the works, but this talented north-of-the-border jack of all trades has plenty to pull on via Soundcloud. Keep your head on a swivel fam, we’ll have plenty more from Junia-T. Hold yourself over with the visuals for his sublime cut “Too Smoove” below. - Okayplayer.com

By Alex Hudson
Toronto rapper Junia-T makes up one half of Smash Brovas, and now the phonetic spelling enthusiast has rolled out a video for his solo single "Too Smoove."

The laid-back track, while is filled with old school keyboards and DJ scratching, was producer by Junia-T himself. As for the video directed by Chris Ak, it captures the summery vibe by showing the rapper hanging out in the sunshine with some buddies and throwing back a few swigs of alcohol. The rapper said in a statement, "The video is just a moment of time, appreciating summer at its best."

Check it out below. - Exclaim!

Toronto’s do-it-all Junia-T comes through with a posse-cut visual for his latest single “Sky Is Falling” featuring Kemikal. The north of the border duo weave intricate verbal over a track that bleeds boom-bap, evoking that Golden Era nostalgia with a barrage of sweet-soul chops and choice lyricism, all orchestrated by Junia himself. The cut comes as a swift taste of the newcomer’s forthcoming Eye See You LP, which will feature guest spots from OKP favorite Little Simz, LordQuest, Frank Grams and more. Get acquainted Junia-T and peep the visual for his latest drop “Sky Is Falling” below. Keep it locked for the latest from one of Toronto’s unspoken sonic sculptors. - Okayplayer.com

Before I say goodbye for 2014, I want to show love to a brother who has helped the saying “Toronto is Awesome” remain true for many, many years. His name is Junia-T, and he just dropped a new album I’d love for you to listen to. It’s amazing. He had his album release party last night at the Drake Underground, and we would like to congradulate him on all his hard work, as well as just getting back from rocking overseas in England! Mindbender Loves Junia-T and hopes you do too! Please enjoy this music, and this video :) one love to you all!



Junia-T
Eye See You





“Possessions make you rich? I don’t have that type of richness. My richness is LIFE.” says the wise Yardie on the intro. Yah-yeh! Let’s take a look at “Eye See You”.

After dropping “Think It’s A Game?” with Smash Brovas, Junia-T brings his new album, and if you love hip hop music with 90’s magic updated for the new school, you will LOVE this, as it creates something sweet that should catch every ear that hears it.

“Too Smoove” shows how fully formed and fleshed out freshness with his funky ass beats and fresh ass lyrics. Storytelling and jewel dropping doesn’t come more honest and dope as Junia. This brother is ten million percent Toronto and a Sauga King like few other T-Dot representers, and his tutelage under the wise guides of production in this city has allowed Junia to become a super producer in his own right, now that his time has come and his creative harvest is ripe.







“Time is an amazing thing/ you can build or destroy with every second you get…” Holy shit is the beat for “How Can I” something magnetically magical, taking a classic Mary J Blige sample and taking it to places that nobody has done. Lots of heartfelt honesty in the song about multiple relationships happening simultaneously, and trying to keep romance together.

Christ almighty, Junia got the goods in his fingertips! The sequences and slices of the dusty drum roll alone… DAMN, bruh. It’s generous of Junia to bring a couple guests to the proceedings as well, and the way Little Sims featuring Emerson Brooks rides the dopeness of “Sleep Paralysis” will smack fools awake. The bubbling bassline in that banger isn’t the only thing that keeps fools from snoozing on the truth. And if anyone else ever needed to see the next wave of PERFECTLY PREPARED talent, look not an inch further than pHoenix Pagliacci, the triple-threat superstar singer/rapper/artist who blesses ‘Everyday’ with a sultry sweet voice that carves out a special space for LordQuest to sneak in a little sixteen.

“LEGOLEGO” finds Junia on a double-time tempo that is sprinkled with a lovely flute and Yancy Deron and Tassnata, brothers who came to murk the jumping jam with some more motivational messages to get up! Good times. Kemikal, you fucking destroyed your jam. “My flow Zab Judah him… Conan sword make two of them!” And I wish Curtis Mayfield could enjoy how fucking funnnnnky funkadelic the jam “Swisher Sweet” is. They don’t make rap songs like that too much no more. And that’s before you hear “Wasting Time”. Thank you, fellas.







Next summer, jams like these are getting dusted off, and rinsed. Honestly… the whole damn album is fresh. I could talk about every song, but I’m not gonna ruin any more surprises for you. It’s far past obvious that Junia T knows how to do everything it takes: make banging beats, write sick rhymes, sequence original sonic journeys, and sculpt impressive sounds overall. “All that’s left to do is grow up.” You know what has to be said? Junia-T’s production prowess shows that the brother is highly adept at making all kinds of genres of music: hip hop, R&B, soul, funk, jazz, reggae, techno and pop, and still keep the integrity of the vibes intact. He stretches his sound across the entire album, but there isn’t a single song that I personally thought was beyond his creative capabilities. So dope is his shit.

The album ends on the proper note, with a feature from his long time bredren Crooklin from Smash Brovaz. It’s so amazing to intake, the album closer “Henny Sippaz”. “We’re burning ganja/ honoring our native spirits/ guiding along in this world that has to rape and pillage/ anti-mile high: I don’t give a flying fuck/ you can gobbler a diz-nick, eat ‘em with a side of nuts!” Hell yeah, Junia! This whole verse captures the multi-talented man bouncing and bobbing and weaving through the sweet vocals of the sample and sway of the sonic styling. There’s so much variety and differences between the chunes and jams pon this album, I proudly proclaim it shall certainly last the test of time and be enjoyed by heads around the world for years to come, as they discover this Mississauga King, Junia-T. Eye See You, hear you, and salute you highly, big brother! - Toronto Is Awesome

The most telling lyric on Junia-T’s ambitious 15-track solo debut is nestled in the hook of Too Smoove, where he boasts about being an “old soul living in this new school.” On Eye See You, the producer/emcee comes across as a humble aficionado of hip-hop’s jazz- and soul-obsessed 1990s, with a clear love for the gritty, -infectious work of the Native Tongues collective and Wu-Tang Clan.

Delivered in his laid-back flow and edgy tone, Junia-T’s lyrics are world-weary; his is a daily grind, and he raps about working hard. Occasionally he steps back, handing the mic off to an array of MCs and singers, but the results are uneven. He belongs in the spotlight.

Eye See You is full of pent-up tension. For the most part, Junia-T presents himself as a chill dude, but when he excitedly goes in behind one of his layered, inspired beats, that’s where he’s meant to be.

Top track: The Day - NOW Magazine