Residing in Toronto, Canada, up and coming rapper and lyricist NTY ZANDER. He’s established his craft from the ground up and is always gaining more and more attention. NTY ZANDER released his first single in April 2018 entitled "1 Am Freestyle" which depicts his of depth knowledge in hip-hop culture and rhythm. NTY ZANDER's love for his music is an authentic passion as he speaks his truth in his music.
“My City” is an insane new track from NTY ZANDER. His rap ability is incomparable! I’m blasting this track on repeat so I don’t miss one word of it. NTY ZANDER spits facts about his hometown of Toronto, Canada. He’s loyal to his city, his fans and knows that it’s because of these things that he’s become who he is today. The precision and timing of every word is incredible as NTY ZANDER weaves through reasons why Toronto is an amazing city. The heavy backbeat is addicting and catchy and NTY ZANDER knows that he has a unique sound that needs to be spread in the music industry. His listeners and fans are instantly addicted to NTY ZANDER’s sound and there are big things coming for NTY ZANDER in the future. Stay on the lookout for the prolific rhyme slinger, rap artist extraordinaire, NTY ZANDER.
Check out “My City” here and read more below in our exclusive interview!
Hey NTY ZANDER! Welcome to BuzzMusic! Can you tells us more about your upbringing and how you got started in music?
For me as an artist my artistic interests are deeply rooted by R&B, Hip-hop and Dance hall culture.
At an early age of 4 on my birthday which coincidentally falls on Christmas Eve, I received Lil Bow Wow’s, “Doggy Bag” album as a gift and it would become a pivotal moment in sparking my passion for music.
One of my favourite memories as a young adult growing up in a close knit family was attending family BBQ’s in the summer where the music being played would set the tone for the party, ranging from rambunctious to groovy rhythms from famous dancehall artists such as Vybz Kartel, Buju Banton, Sizzla and Busy Signal just to name a few. Just like these artists I aim to make songs that can be played at parties and can allow people to vibe freely.
But at the age of 19, I experienced my first heartbreak, which came as a surprise to me and those who knew me as I was the one that was known for breaking hearts. This experience would change my music drastically as my lyrics would came closer from my broken heart and my sound would become more potent. I began to take my craft more seriously and as I invested more time into my passion, my cadence, delivery, and flow which would make my latest music more vulnerable and more relatable to my fans.
What does your track “My City” mean to you? What do you want your listeners to take away from it?
I feel strongly about all my singles but “My City” holds a little more weight as I am rapping about my perspective of the city and essentially my country as a whole. Growing up in an urban community I have always had an utmost passion for the sport of Basketball, but the city of Toronto wasn’t always able to put forth a team that was a championship contender, but that all changed after the Raptors were able to acquire Kawhi Leonard last summer. The Raptors season brought forth a lot of excitement in the city and that reached a manic peak when the Raptors were able to stop the Golden State Warriors from a 3-peat and captured their first NBA Championship. The excitement in the city was a contagious vibe and the release of “My City” was just perfect timing, a song that all Torontonians can relate to but also when heard by an outsider they would be able to understand the importance of the time in “My City”.
What challenges have you faced as an up and coming artist? How do you overcome those challenges?
As the only one pursuing a career in music in my family, the challenges as an up and coming artist start for me right at home. My mother lacks patience for my vision, coming from a single parent household my mother wants for me to succeed in the conventional way by pursuing a post-secondary degree but my passion lies deeply in creating music. Though this is a definite challenge I am able to overcome it by reprogramming my mental state by ultimately understanding that there is power in silence. This quote by Pele really relays the message in my mind of how I look at any challenges I have faced as an up and coming artist.
"Success is no accident. It is hard work, perseverance, learning, studying, sacrifice and most of all, love of what you are doing or learning to do."
-Pele
How do you feed your passion for music everyday?
Those around me know that there isn’t a day without me recording a new melody, listening to new beats or studying the greats before me. Though I don’t like labels, I envision myself as songwriter, singer, producer and director, and I work on improving myself in each category everyday as I want my fans to be able to experience the best from me in all aspects.
What’s next for NTY ZANDER?
Next I would like to announce that my first mixtape entitled “Mixed Feelings” will be coming soon and will be a 30 minute piece of work. Look forward to the mixtape dropping sometime in the fall as the music created would suit the vibe entirely. “Mixed Feelings” will be my most impressive work yet, due to the fact that I challenged myself to step out of my comfort zone and sort of reinvent my sound. The fans really loved my single, “Confessions” and the music video for it, and I have decided to create “Confessions Pt.II” for them on the mixtape. The songs on my highly anticipated first mixtape, “Mixed Feelings” were created to be enjoyed without an expiry date and each song will have a narrative along with a visual to support it. I am excited to share “Mixed Feelings” with the world and it will be available for streaming on all major streaming platforms.
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