Dynesti

"60 Days Notice" is some sort of warning issued by Toronto raised emcee, Dynesti Williams. Highly determined to elevate her craft and plant her foot permanently in the music industry. She is currently out in NY getting ready to demolish any preconceived notions the world may have about her and her skill set.

The fierce, unapologetic rapper teams up with producer Timian, who crafts a hard hitting soundscape for her to state her claim and state it she does effortlessly with lyrics like , ...Drop the facade, which boss is talking? Don't even need to run, I can pass you walking. Not to be taken lightly, she handles the beat like kids in daycare and even flips a little patois for those not familiar with her island roots.

Dynesti Williams aims to in­spire peo­ple to re­con­nect to their higher selves through bold and un­apolo­getic live per­for­mances, lyrics, videos, and sonic ex­pe­ri­ences. She is known as a fierce en­ter­tainer from Toronto ON, Canada with a contagious energy that can raise the vi­bra­tion of any space she performs in. Nick­named The Dyna for de­liv­er­ing en­ergy like food for the soul, Dynesti Williams in­vites you to feast on the bal­ance of unity and chaos through the fla­vor she describes as Rebellious Hip-Hop/​Soul with a "dash" of Reg­gae.

She is currently working on her first full-length project with Dat Gas Music Entertainment in The Bronx, NY. The project, entitled, The Dyna, will be released in 2018. Stream the audio below. - Earmilk

(AllHipHop Music) Dynesti Williams, a Canadian lyricist, has dropped visuals to one one of the most critical topics of this day. Dynesti tackles the subjects of suicide, depression and overall mental health as a reported death from suicide occurring roughly ever 30 seconds. The song is “dedicated to all people suffering with mental health illnesses, and to those experiencing a difficult time in their lives.” However after seeing and hearing the words “I think I’ve lost it, its f**kin’ awesome…Hey,” the positive implications could be life altering.

“Balcony (Lost It)” is the first single off of Dynesti’s soon-coming album entitled The Dyna. - AllHipHop

By mid-afternoon, the Malvern branch of the Toronto Public Library is alive with activity.

Teens stream in from surrounding high schools, moving directly to the loud and colourful youth hub, where they fill plates with vegetables, popcorn and other snacks.

Through double doors, past the friendly security guard, in a massive, brightly painted space that’s just for them, they settle into groups: lounging around a big TV to play video games, studying on loaned laptops, hanging out in the dance studio, or attending a workshop by singer and rapper Dynesti Williams.

“Say something that’s going good for you this week,” Williams says as she opens her discussion with four teens. “Every single day, you’re building, you have a purpose … you have abilities.”

This library figured out how to be a cool place to hang out — no easy feat in the heart of a lowrise Scarborough community that is often portrayed as dangerous and crime-ridden. More than anything, it presents itself as a safe place.

In a rapidly growing city struggling with escalating violence and poverty, Toronto’s libraries increasingly serve as community centres and shelters, as well as offering social interaction that counters the isolation of the digital age. - Toronto Star

This week we have Toronto west end rapper Dynesti Williams as our guest. The fierce entertainer also goes by the name Dyna as she plans to feed her audience with soulful sounds that’ll make you feel good. As a child, her mother was diagnosed with depression and since then her understanding of happiness has been altered. Since then she’s centered her fo­cus on men­tal health sta­bil­ity as the foun­da­tion of her art, in­spir­ing the ti­tle of her 2016 EP release, The Bal­ance, and her latest single “Balcony (Lost It)”.
Dynesti told us more about her story and her upbringing, we talked about the importance of originality and why the entertainment value sucks right now. She talked about her new single that’s dedicated to mental health awareness and suicide prevention, her lowest points in her career, and so much more.

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June 1, 2017

Words by Tim Hakki @TimHakki

The message to Dynesti Williams’s new song ‘Balcony (Lost It) is a stark one: “approximately one million people die from suicide per year. That is 1 death every 30 seconds” reads the intro to the video. But Dynesti uses music, lyricism and dance as a form of ascension, channeling the darkness of her subject matter into something invigorating and beautiful to behold. Her lyrics take us into the fictionalised mind of a suicidal person whose outlet is music and melody. The christian symbolism (appealing to God) and frequently twisted imagery (“I’ll be singing on the fall from my balcony”) all work up an atmosphere that is at once spellbinding and inspiring. Dynesti isn’t just thinking person’s music, she’s also an awe inspiring new artist. - Lost In the Manor

The production on “Balcony (Lost it),” which is provided by Timian and Frank Dukes, creeps in as it crawls with a melancholy that is desperately trying to be fought off. You eventually come face-to-face with this, and the words about situations that seem to only become more burdensome, regardless of how hard the antagonist works to fight the feelings off, flow from Dynesti Williams.

“Balcony (Lost It)” has quiet builds that lead to snares offering a quick snap before pulling itself back into the shadows. You hear Williams say “I’m done” – so simple, but absolutely poignant in its meaning and ability to convey so much.

Inhaling and exhaling, the synth and beat work has a pressure tied to it, suffocating as it fights against the uncontrollable. Hooks and backing vocals place you right into a scene where you find yourself feeling the urgency and panic of this situation. Then… an ending like a heartbeat slowly fighting.

As for the video, it was created to raise awareness for mental health and dedicated to suicide prevention. The stories that lie within are various movements of artistic expression – spontaneous dancing, isolation in an apartment where it seems like nothing can go right, and the choreographed piece. Directed by Williams, there are interspersed shots of her in front of a black screen delivering striking contrasts that only heighten the hypnotic intensity of the other performances. Prepare to be taken in. - SoundChips

"Dynesti is one of those artists that you absolutely need to watch perform live. Only listening to her music through headphones is cool and all, but you'd be doing a disservice to yourself by not being able to marvel at her awe inspiring stage presence. Dynesti is able to have an audience eating out of the palm of her hands by using confident flows and passionate performance sensibilities. " - Kenneth Asafo

Latest Single:

“Balcony (Lost It)” (Prod. by Timian, and Frank Dukes)

Favourite Restaurant:

Any 1st or 2nd generation family restaurant in Toronto with home cooking from their country of origin.

Favourite band as teenager:

Destiny’s Child

Favourite band now:

Anderson Paak

Guilty Pleasure Song:

“Give It To Me Baby” – Rick James

Live Show Ritual:

Rock start hair whipping with my dredlocks

Favourite local artist:

There is too much diverse world class talent in Toronto for me to choose a favorite local artist.

Sneaky Dees nachos, Hey Meatball spaghetti or a superfood salad from Fresh?

Sneaky Dees nachos

Queen or College St?

Queen St all day erryday.

Trinity Bellwoods or Highpark?

I grew up near high park, so it will always be my favorite one in the city

EP or LP?

LP

Early bird or night owl?

Total night owl

Road or studio?

Road. I love meeting new people and experiencing new places.

Swiss Chalet or Roti?

Roti… to choose Swiss Chalet as a person of Caribbean decent would be a sacrilegious abomination!

Favourite Music Video?

“Work It” – Missy Elliott - Toronto Guardian

Miss Dynesti Williams truly represents what it is to be a performer. With Vostok Productions behind the lens, Dynesti took the stage at Honey Jam 2015 (Toronto) with choreography from Bizzy Boom (@BizzyBoom) and delivered an epic set.

"To 'Dun Da Place' is to done the place. Finish it. To do something so well that no one can do it like you." Is the beginning of the description of the video, this is appropriate. The song starts off light, "boom bam bim" then producer, Timian's (@TimianBeats) beat drops. She bounces toward center stage, simply dressed, with her face and arms painted.

"In the ring but can't fight like me" is the start of the journey Ms. Williams is about to take the viewer on. The choreography adds tremendous entertainment value, it's not often you see an emcee dancing during their set. As the first verse ends, Dynesti is joined by two more dancers for the remainder of the video. The dancers are in all black and painted in a similar fashion to miss Dynesti. Great performance- So good that this viewer had to go search for the raw performance tribal mix video and compare, turns out the only difference is the sound quality, very impressive.

The song itself is wicked, Dynesti brings an incredible energy and strength through her music. The song features samples from a performance of "Dun Da Place" at the Scarborough based open mic event, R.I.S.E (Reaching Intelligent Souls Everywhere), where sounds of the crowd singing the track gives it something extra. Great camera work, great performance, great song- this is a work of art on so many levels. For more on Dynesti Williams, check out links below, everything she's put out has been consistent. This young emcee is very talented and we truly look forward to hearing more. - Desean Jackson (@d_jaackson)

Watch: "DUN DA PLACE (Live Performance Music Video)"
https://youtu.be/aRfmCooJiUU

Stream/Download: "DUN DA PLACE (Prod. By Timian)"
soundcloud.com/dynesti/dun-da-place - YYZ Hilightz

Dynesti Williams is a powerhouse. It’s not every show you get the chance to experience an emcee that can provoke your mind and have you moshing at the same damn time! A lot of talk about her performances have been going around the local hip-hop scene, now Dynesti brings her live show to the Alley V and we can hardly wait. Find out what makes Dynesti tick below.

1. Introduce yourself and tell us why you make music?

Wha gwan OL?! My name is Dynesti Williams. I provide hip-hop/soul with a “dash” of reggae, and I make music to help people learn to love the differences in themselves so they can be more accepting of differences in the world.

2. What has had the greatest influence on your art?

My mom was clinically diagnosed with depression when I was very young. As the oldest sibling, I grew up really quickly providing for everyone including her. Since then I was always trying to understand the emotions behind people’s actions. Music was therapy through the confusion.

3. What are your thoughts on the Toronto Music Scene and where do you stand as a young artist?

Toronto music is dope and we need more friends out here. I’ve BEEN saying we need a block out. We gotta block out all these American artists for a while. Block em from headlining shows and from dominating radio. If Toronto could hear/see how great the talent here really is, we could actually eat as urban music artists instead of relying on day jobs or social assistance with the small honorariums offered.

4. Why should people come see you at The Alley, what should they expect?

Expect dredlocks flailing in high energy, and therapeutic mixed messages of unity and chaos.

5.Tell us more about your latest release?

I’ve got a new song out called “Dun The Place” that’s getting crowds TURNT! Most importantly my new EP entitled “The Balance” is on the way. My heart and soul are being poured into this one and I know you’ll feel it. It should be out by this September. I’ll keep you posted. - Omit Limitation

A dynamic blend of reggae, hip-hop, and R&B is on full display in Dynesti Williams’ powerful record “Dun The Place” – a song which serves as a spirited audio representation of the mindset held by an individual motivated to rise and overcome.

Just by hearing the passionate way that the lyrics are presented, you can tell that they carry some real weight for Dynesti

She is an enthusiastic artist urging listeners to refrain from succumbing to whatever limitations and restrictions may have been placed on them in life. That’s what make’s “Dun The Place” so powerful. It’s a record that encourages mental breakthroughs and growth.

Just by hearing the passionate way that the lyrics are presented, you can tell that they carry some real weight for Dynesti – who intends to inspire others with this meaningful melody.

Alongside Toronto producer Timian, Dynesti shows a different side of what the city has to offer musically, proving that she isn’t afraid to step outside of the box. - Andre Mclean

The best way to succeed is to try one more time.

Since age 12, Dynesti Williams has been auditioning for Honey Jam, an eagerly anticipated summer event for young women aspiring to showcase their artistic talents in myriad musical genres.

After several failed attempts, the multi-talented performer was among 17 artists selected to participate in this year’s program that culminates with a concert on August 13.

Barely able to contain her excitement at a reception hosted by TD Bank recently to unveil this year’s participants, Williams said she’s thrilled to be part of the Honey Jam movement.

“I skipped a few years along the way, but I kept coming back because I was determined to be part of this program,” said the 24-year-old performer. “When I look at the large amount of people lining up to be on Honey Jam and the quality of the individuals who graduate from it, I couldn’t help but want to be part of that experience. I am so happy to be among a group of highly ambitious and talented women.”

The eldest of three children raised in a single parent home by a mother who was diagnosed with clinical depression, Williams started singing at a young age.

“My singing combined with hearing music lifted my mother’s spirits,” she said. “It was therapy for her and it made her and my family happy.”

Last October, Williams graduated from the City of Toronto-funded Coalition Music 10-week artist entrepreneur program that covers every facet of the music business from branding and social media to technical aspects for performers.

“Being part of that program was a life-changing experience for me,” she said. “I now see music as a business and I am in a better position to handle myself professionally than just going with the flow.”

The Weston Collegiate Institute graduate, who spent two years in the University of Windsor’s communication & media studies program, has high expectations.

“I want to touch millions of people through my music, art and brand doing things that are outside the box,” said Williams, a former spoken word co-ordinator.

Hip hop and soul with a tinge of reggae are her musical genres.

“I grew up listening to reggae in my home and I absolutely love the messages,” said Toronto-born Williams, whose parents migrated from Trinidad & Tobago and Jamaica. “My melody is influenced by reggae and soca music. Everything I do has an island touch.” - Admin of Share Newspaper

As Smooth Jazz Therapy continues to follow the career of funky flautist Jef Kearns with more than a passing interest, the good news is that his sophomore album is now well and truly in the works. As well as mega smooth covers of the Nicki Minaj track ‘Right By My Side’ and an equally beguiling take on Ciara’s ‘Promise’ the CD is rumored to include this all original (and extremely mellifluous) slice of hip hop which features great vocals from Dynesti. Titled ‘No One Like You’ its worth checking out. - Smooth Jazz Therapy