CMDWN Collective

A few months back, we introduced you to Toronto upstart Fiji, by way of his moody, melodic masterpiece, "Glo." The record featured Fiji's CMDWN collective affiliate, Ca$tro Guapo, who brought a bit of an edge to the record with his rap verse. Whereas Fiji is often heard crooning with slight auto-tune, Ca$tro is typically the grittier, or at least, trappier, of the two. It's definitely evident on his latest release, "Waka Flocka Flame," and it makes sense, given his ATL roots.

The record has Ca$tro quickly reeling off rhymes over jumpy production from Dnny Phntm, hardly ever coming up for air.

Keep your eyes peeled for more from Ca$tro in 2016. - Hot New Hip Hop

Since dropping their breakout single “We Are Not” last summer, Toronto’s CMDWN Collective have become one of the fastest rising forces in the Toronto rap scene. Ca$tro Guapo and FIJI are they dynamic duo behind CMDWN’s string of hits, and they’ve done it again on what will be the first track from upcoming mixtape, Atlanada.

On “Spriteful,” Ca$tro Guapo rattles off two verses in his trademark plaintive wail, while FIJI provides a minimal but effective hook. Booming bass, rapid-fire hi-hats, and a demonic harpsichord lead set a menacing tone for Ca$tro to body the instrumental.

Ca$tro Guapo has roots in Atlanta, and FIJI is a native Torontonian, inspiring the title Atlanada, a fitting portmanteau for their official debut. Listen to “Spriteful” below. According to a countdown on the CMDWN website, Atlanada is set to arrive on April 1st. Be ready. - Complex

As someone who has been going to concerts in order to support Toronto rappers for a long time, what I saw this weekend at the CMDWN show defied all logic. People were lined up down the street before doors opened, fans rushed to the front of the stage instead of posting up around the perimeters, and once the show started, all hell broke loose. Playboi Carti technically opened for the group, coming out to dance to a few of his songs before CMDWN took the stage. The only thing more surprising that how maniacal the audience became was the fact that all of the acts associated with this concert—Castro Guapo, FIJI, Jazz Cartier, and Ram Riddlz—have zero official ties to OVO. The idea that the Toronto rap scene could one day be self-sustaining was once a pipe-dream, but now it appears that it could even happen without a co-sign from Drake. - Noisey / VICE

All ages. Music by Teo Nio. Hosted by Plug Pope. 9 pm. $10. http://facebook.com/events/1529138044064847 - NOW Toronto

Eliminating the uncertainty of what would happen without the missing members was Toronto's own CMDWN collective, rising stars in their own right despite having only a handful of released tracks to their name. The crowd knew just about every lyric of member Ca$tro Guapo's new Tre Mission-produced "What's Her Name?," chanting back the tune's incredibly suggestive hook with glee. They showed the same admiration for Fiji and his single "Wrist" before the stage filled with fans for a raucous rendition of Guapo's "We are Not." With their performance putting to rest the idea of Drake co-signs being essential to Toronto hip-hop, one would be wise to follow their moves. - Exclaim!

Everyone's gotta glo up someday, just ask Chief Keef. Keef may have inadvertently coined the phrase when fielding TMZ's stealthy paparazzi, but since then the term "glo up" has taken on a life of its own, a movement in tangent (or not even) to Keef's Glo Gang.

Today we're introducing you to a new artist out of Toronto, Fiji, who adopted the term to create a fire ass single. "Glo" is pieced together with sombre, xaned-out production led by organ keys, and Fiji's melodic flow. His frequent collaborator Ca$tro Guapo adds a verse, and if you're feeling the chemistry between these two, the good news is that they're working on a full EP. Production on "Glo" comes from Jed Harper, Dnny Phntm and Teo Nio.

The song is a few months old, but we've only discovered it in all it's glo'd up glory. I also suggest listening to Fiji's "Wrist," which has a more typical Toronto vibe, with a slight Caribbean influence. - Hot New Hip Hop

Meet the CMDWN collective by way of their new mixtape, "ATLANADA."
We introduced you to Toronto artist on the rise, FIJI, by way of "Glo" back in November, a watery song about the glo'up, that showcased FIJI's knack for creating melodies. The record featured his crew mate Ca$tro Guapo, and today the two come together for their first official project, ATLANADA. The title gets its name from the fact that FIJI is a Toronto-born artist while Ca$tro is an ATLien who transplanted to Canada. The two are part of the CMDWN collective, a crew of like-minded artists and DJs that are currently making waves locally, and with the release of this new project, they'll likely being making waves on a national level soon. - Hot New Hip Hop

Latest CMDWN News - COMPLEX

Latest CMDWN News - NOISEY / VICE