Sled Island and 10 at 10 present: Akintoye, K-Riz & The Family, 86LOVE and Temia

Akintoye

Toronto rapper Akintoye became an “overnight sensation” when his catchy track “Pizzazz” blew up on TikTok last year. In fact, the 23-year-old artist has been working since he was in high school and has three full-length albums to his name: Vertigo (2020), Centrepiece (2021) and Anxiety & Circumstance (2022).

Akintoye’s signature style includes explorations of mental illness — he’s the opposite of shy when it comes to his own experiences with anxiety — a raspy, lightning-fast flow and richly fleshed out instrumentals that hop between classic hip-hop, trap and even rock-adjacent compositions.

The aforementioned “Pizzazz” went viral in part due to its relatability and positive outlook. “If I'ma be sad, I'ma do it with pizzazz / And shake these feelings off my ass / They'll find me in some glitter if I crash,” he raps. And though the song is not included on Anxiety & Circumstance, there are many similar gems to be discovered on that album.

Thanks to his online success, including being named one of TikTok’s Black Trailblazers and one of BET’s favourite TikTok creators in 2022, Akintoye is now a full-time musician. The attention has also brought him some prominent feature opportunities, including alongside Idris Elba and others on the banging “Aces.”

Sled Island 2023 will be Calgarians’ first chance to see Akintoye on stage. And so they should. His high energy performances come complete with a live band, and we’re convinced this could be one of the most exciting hip-hop shows in the city this year.

Maky Lavender

Maky Lavender is a bilingual rapper that drops lyrics over a variety of beats, from deep emotional synths to dancefloor trap. His music is both pop-forward and laid back, while newer tracks are straight-up club bangers. Maky L’s music is dynamic with a worldly influence, and listeners can hear London, NYC and Montreal influences from track to track.

 

K-Riz & The Family

K-Riz, a rapper originally based in Edmonton, is making waves in the global hip-hop community with his mellow vocals and jazz-influenced beats. His music has a Bay Area hyphy feel that would be at home at the legendary Good Life Café, and covers themes of both joy and sadness, but more so the feeling of being at peace with it all.

 

MixTapper

MixTapper is an independent recording artist that reps both classic and contemporary hip-hop. Utilizing straightforward, fluid melodies with heavier trap rhythms, his rhyming aesthetic is a hybrid of classic rappers and new lyricists. Year after year, MixTapper has proven himself as a rising force in Canada’s hip-hop scene.

  

The Northwest Kid

The Northwest Kid (NWK) is a poet and emcee whose sound ranges from Golden Era hip-hop to nightclub EDM. Using everything from acoustic instruments to pounding sub bass in his music, he’s collaborated with artists such as Kimmortal, Tara Williamson and Tall Paul. You can even find him in a guest appearance on the new album from The Halluci Nation (formerly A Tribe Called Red). 

 

86Love

86LOVE is the answer to what if festivals like Rolling Loud or Hot Summer Jam were happening in Calgary music studios. Skewing trap with a sprinkling of UK grime, his mixtape EVERYDAY is an exercise in maximalism and hedonism, chock full of braggadocio, fatter-than-fuck beats and the occasional foray into AutoTune. He’s living proof that Calgary has a young, hungry rap culture.

 

Temia

Temia is a British-Canadian artist whose music would be equally at home in the streets of Southside Chicago or a Brixton club in South London. Her drill-inspired and 808-heavy beats accentuate her smooth, effortless flow. One part grime, one part UK drill, one part dancehall, her sound defies genre but is instantly recognizable.

 
 

About Sled Island

The Sled Island Music & Arts Festival is a five-day, multi-venue festival taking place June 21 - 25, 2023. For more information, visit SledIsland.com. 

Everyone has the right to feel safe and included at Sled Island. All festival attendees agree to abide by Sled Island's safer spaces and inclusion policy, which can be found at SledIsland.com/SaferSpaces.

Sled Island acknowledges Calgary as the traditional territory of the Blackfoot and the people of the Treaty 7 region in Southern Alberta, which includes the Siksika, the Piikani, the Kainai, the Tsuut’ina and the Ĩyãħé Nakoda First Nations, including the Chiniki, Bearspaw and Wesley First Nations. Calgary is also home to Métis Nation of Alberta, Region III.

Please note: This is an 18+ event.