SonReal is a new school leader. With a 2013 Juno and MMVA nomination, this young artist has independently put all eyes on him through consistently putting out interesting innovative material. Notorious for releasing mixtapes that have an album feel, it is easy to see why SonReal is at the forefront of not only Vancouver’s hip hop scene, but the Canadian music industry as a whole. With a number of successful releases under his belt, SonReal began 2012 with the release of the final two singles from 2011’s Where’s Waldo?. Both reaching 100,000 views within their first few weeks online, SonReal kept the buzz alive with the release of an 18 track mixtape titled, Words I Said in April 2012. Directed at the promotion of his summer release, Good News, Words I Said spread across the Internet quickly. With support from some of the largest hip hop blogs such as, 2dopeboyz.com, NahRight.com, HipHopDX and more, Words I Said developed an awareness and anticipation for SonReal’s upcoming Good News. Up Up Up was the first single from Good News and the driving force leading into it’s release. A video accompanied the single and was an instant smash once Much Music awarded it ‘heavy rotation’ on their TV network. Good News was released July 25th and has been labeled the largest stepping stone in SonReal’s career. After turning many heads in the industry, the Vancouver rapper signed a recording deal with the independent label, Black Box Records responsible for emcees, Shad and Classified. His first release via Black Box would be a collaborative project with fellow Canadian rapper/producer, Rich Kidd. The Closers was recorded in seven days in a private Hollywood studio. SonReal and Rich Kidd had united East and West and made an 11 track album the country could stand behind. Fans did exactly that. October 16th, The Closers debuted at #3 on iTunes Canada’s hip hop charts, next to Macklemore and Kanye West. The Closers then went on to be nominated for Rap Recording of the Year at the 2013 Juno Awards. SonReal and Rich Kidd celebrated their newfound success by embarking on a nationwide tour in promotion of the project and shared stages with such artists as, Down With Webster, Mac Miller and more. While summer 2013 was coming to an end, SonReal dropped the visuals to his first single, Everywhere We Go from his upcoming solo project. With half a million views in the first month and a top 10 spot on the Much Music Countdown, the single was an instant smash. With more visuals in store and plans to perform on a stage near you, 2014 looks like it will be the introduction of SonReal to an audience greater than he's ever seen before.