LISTEN TO SPIRIT OF HIP HOP: ELEMENTS

TORONTO, ON – November 10, 2022 – Renowned Canadian-Indigenous artist, record producer and engineer, David Strickland, has been celebrating the release of his new album, Spirit Of Hip Hop: Elements (August 26, MNRK Music Group). Today, he shares a video for standout track - LVL Up - a motivational song about progress driven by agility, determination and focus, be it your music career, personal life and beyond. Calgary-based Indigenous rapper and activist, Drezus, Ottawa artist and Outlaw By Nature member, Aspects, and Six Nations-based artist Prognosis come together to deliver fierce rhyme and verse as David gets behind the boards to bring forth a foundation of fluid, key-driven, bass-booming, brooding beats. Watch  LVL Up here.  

The video was directed, filmed and produced by ReelWolf Productions at Six Nations of the Grand River. On the song and video, David says: “It’s time to LVL Up in life, in everything. Be the best you possible, otherwise, you ain’t on my level. Positive over Negative. We coming to show and prove on every LVL.” 

Throughout the month of September, David Strickland curated Spotify's Indigenous playlist; a space for Indigenous creators in Canada to curate the playlist with their favourite Indigenous artists of the moment. On National Day for Truth and Reconciliation (Friday, September 30), the playlist graced Spotify’s Yonge & Dundas billboard in Toronto for the entire weekend, featuring David's signature Every Child Matters artwork to honour the day. Check out the art here.

From his hustle in studios across North America, working with industry greats on GRAMMY and JUNO-winning projects, to exploration in the world of NFTs, and giving back to Indigenous communities through charitable endeavours, David blazes his own path.  Spirit Of Hip Hop: Elements continues the journey of 2020 acclaimed project, Spirit Of Hip Hop, and its 2021 counterpart, Spirit Of Hip Hop (Remixes) and is a comprehensive project highlighting North America’s most promising Indigenous rappers, and represents the connection between the Indigenous community and the Hip-Hop community. 

In addition to a powerful opener by David's long-time mentor and iconic photographer, Ernie Paniccioli, you can hear an incredible lineup of guests including: Artson, Que Rock, Divine Brown, Pooky G, Blessed, Stenn Jodi,  J25, Wolf Castle, JRDN, Stump Gets, Skye Stoney,  Jace Martin, Kalem Moses, Wolf Castle, Stun, Crystal Shawanda, Joey Stylez, Q052,  & Tribe NO GANG, Violent Ground, Choclair, Kingcon and Julian Taylor. Listen to the album here.
 
Learn more about David's catalogue and incredible career below.