Toronto's own 6am delivers a deeply introspective and emotionally charged project with What Goes Around, a collection of songs that serve as a personal diary and a universal truth. With this release, 6am sheds the weight of external judgment, stepping into a space of vulnerability where he expresses his truths without hesitation.
From the start, What Goes Around immerses listeners in the cyclical nature of life—its highs, its betrayals, and the eventual return to balance. Sonically, the album is a seamless blend of raw hip-hop and melodic storytelling, fusing the grit of Toronto's streets with moments of heartfelt introspection. His signature ability to weave between hard-hitting verses and smooth, almost hypnotic melodies is on full display, reinforcing the project's theme of contrast and duality.
Lyrically, 6am pulls no punches. He speaks on the struggles of navigating a world where fairness is anything but linear, yet he remains steadfast in believing that life ultimately evens the score. Tracks unfold like confessions, each peeling back another layer of his journey, from moments of pain and perseverance to acceptance and divine faith.
What makes What Goes Around stand out is its authenticity. This is not just music—it's lived experience, poured into every bar and harmony. For anyone searching for music that speaks to life's unpredictability while offering a sense of resolve, 6am delivers a project that truly resonates.
What Goes Around feels like a deeply personal and introspective project. You’ve described it as your way of opening your soul to the world for the first time. What made you ready to take that step, and what was the most challenging part of that process?
I’ve always been the type of person to reflect on my actions, the things I’ve experienced, always trying to find the “why it happened” in everything - almost to a fault. What made me ready to take that step was the frustration of not knowing what I was truly capable of. I’d listen to my older music and as good as it was, I would always feel like I hadn’t dug deep enough into my soul when creating it. I needed to be honest with, and about, my experiences. An example of this was “Mad@him (Blue Version)” the reason this is the “Blue Version” is because there is an original single I dropped titled “Mad@him”. I ended up making this rendition and putting it on the album instead because I felt like it was a truer reflection of my soul, that I had accurately articulated the feeling I was intending for - since the lyrics I used were 90% from the original song.
It’s tough, when you’re chasing the dream of becoming an artist, there is a constant battle of making something you love vs what you think people will love. I had reached the point with my art where I felt like I had to let go of everything and allowed myself to experience music the way I felt it in my soul, and leaving that to the masses. Creating music is a divine experience, I trusted God with whatever happened with this project, I didn’t think about the results, I thought about connecting with people, making something I wanted to show my kids one day and having them say “hey my dad was dope”. To accept that you must give to get, because in life, even heaven demands death. The most challenging part of that was fighting the “voice of reason”. It’s taken years, but I’ve learnt to talk to myself like how I talk to my best friend and constantly encouraged myself to be proud and confident in who I am.
The album explores the idea that everything comes full circle, whether it’s life, relationships, or personal growth. Was there a particular moment or experience that really solidified this message for you?
It was honestly a collection of moments that compounded into shaping this mentality for me. I believe the cycle of life is the symbol of how everything is a balance - which is where I thought of the concept for “Yin and Yang”. There is sunshine, and there is rain, there is life and there is death, there is happiness, and there is sadness. We always want life to be an upward trend, and when things don’t go as planned we become stagnant. In a generation where we merely watch the highlight reels of people’s lives, we forget that we are human. It’s a bit ironic, but the moment I let go of perfection, and committed to giving every ounce of my soul in whatever I did was the moment I felt the most complete as a person and an artist.
There is liberation in doing your best, letting go, and just being yourself. Trusting all your experiences and testing how great you really are. Then you can build on what you’ve learnt and really make adjustments. A quote by Kobe Bryant that resonates with me and exemplifies the balance of greatness and being human is: “I chased perfection, knowing I'd never reach it because in the pursuit, I became unstoppable.” I believe that encapsulated how I approach my art. I grew a lot from and since dropping this album. And even though that chapter is done, everything does come full circle. There is another half of the cycle that I have yet to explore with my listeners, and until then I’ll be dropping every 2 weeks to continue to explore that process with them.
You started out in battle rap and freestyling before evolving into the artist you are today, blending hip-hop and melodic singing. How did your early experiences shape your approach to making What Goes Around?
I started off as a freestyler, the type where you gave me words or topics and I’d turn them into a song on the spot - it’s a party trick now haha. Transitioning into battle rap shaped me in a lot of ways because there is immense preparation that goes into it. It’s just like a song, you have to get into a mode, tap into something within your soul, and at times it’s even harder than making music because it isn’t as subjective. You’re memorizing 3 long verses, and if you mess up, there is a very good chance you’ll lose. Someone is coming for your head, It’s like preparing for war… It was a massive pillar in what shaped me into the artist I am today by not only honing into both the lyrical facet of my game as well as the performance side of it, as well as handling the pressure of that performance.
I look at music a lot like sports, and having those pieces of my game was like having a middy and being able to drive before adding a 3, which is the melodic side of my sound. It helped shaped the album because I strived to avoid compromising the music sonically, while maintaining lyrical integrity. I wanted to paint a picture, tell a story of what I saw, and experienced, while leaving enough room for interpretation for the listener to make their own connections. At the same time, I wanted to create a sound that people who didn’t speak English could enjoy just for the melodies and feeling. This isn’t my final form, and till the day I die, I will always be working on my game.
Toronto’s energy is a big part of your sound—its beauty, its coldness, and everything in between. How has the city influenced this album, and do you feel like it plays a role in your storytelling?
The city absolutely played a part in influencing both the album, and my sound as a whole. Toronto has a certain feeling to it. The cold, the darkness, the “dark-blueish-purple type” feeling you get from the city. I believe that my art falls into that vibe. And the album doesn’t shy away from that either. The stories I tell come from my experiences, as well as the experiences I’ve witnessed in the city. Songs like “Jokes On Me” and “Irreplaceable” exemplify that. The city is also a melting pot of cultures and “WantU” was inspired by that feeling you get when you go to Cabana in the summer.
All in all Toronto is a beautiful city and I’m grateful for the endless inspiration it provides me - even though I despise the cold. When I try to paint these pictures for my listeners, the first people I do think about, are the people in my city. Because I know how they feel, and I want those people to feel heard.
5. You talk about letting go of the fear of what people think and allowing God and the listeners to take in your message as it is. Now that the album has been out for a while, how do you feel about the response, and what do you hope people take away from it?
The response with the plays/views has also been great (300k+ streams across all platforms), and I feel like that plays a huge part in why there was any form of success. I set a goal for myself last year that I would have someone tell me that my music helped them through something - it was for me to know that I really connected with someone because a majority of my music is inspired by my pain. And after dropping this album, I was told that by multiple people, it made me feel like I truly accomplished something, the views didn’t matter as much as the connections I built through my art.
I want to be timeless, I want my music to live beyond me, and the only way to do that is by leaving an impact. By letting people feel heard, as an artist, I’m given a privilege and gift to communicate for those that don’t share that same ability.
“Took Over the World” was made for the people who took an L and bounced back with a bigger W. What I hope people take away from the album is that we have multiple facets to our being and to embrace all of them. Songs like “Gassed Up” and “Dance Now” are made for the sides of us that get insecure, and even when we have knots in our stomachs, we just got to push through and dance, vibe, chill, because regardless, life is good. We’ve all been portrayed as the fool, and cheered on as the victor.
Don’t get too high, or too low, because the cycle will complete itself. The only constant in “good” and “bad” experiences, is the word experience. So give yourself, and life some grace. Life is long, and karma is real. Make the best of every second you have on this planet, and do right by people, because you never know when it’s your turn.