If you're looking for a singer-songwriter that seems to transcend love and affection with soulful lyrics and angelical composition, Daniel Caesar is the artist for you.
The 21-year-old Toronto native shot into super-stardom when he released his first EP "Praise Break," which was ranked 19th on the "20 best R&B Albums of 2014" by Rolling Stone.
Similar to Drake, The Weeknd, and PARTYNEXTDOOR, who are also from Toronto, Caesar explores young, emotional love and the hope and demise it provides for all. In an interview with Forbes writer Ogden Payne, Caesar explains his rapid rise to stardom and what he attributes to his success.
"Honestly man, it’s just the music," he explains. "I still ask myself the same question. Sometimes I hear songs on Soundcloud that I think are really dope, but they aren’t doing as well as my stuff is doing."
Caesar's belief in self-realization and the creativity of his own style of music also helped him throughout the beginning of his career.
"I think it comes down to honesty. [My music] is more of an artistic thing as opposed to a business thing. I think the art form [of music] today is in an interesting space. A lot of artists are aspiring to fill an archetype as opposed to being themselves."
His song "Get You" featuring Kali Uchis has been streamed over 43 million times on Spotify.
Caesar's success doesn't overshadow what is important to him, however. He still poses a family-first mentality and promises his wealth will be used wisely, similar to the way Jay Z marketed his own product and accumulated immense amounts of wealth.
"To me, it’s building something that I can give to my children," Caesar tells Ogden. "I want to have a catalogue or a share in a company. I’m trying to take my family’s name from lower-middle class to aristocracy. I have my sights set high. I feel successful now, but I still have a long way to go."
The new voice of Toronto music is here, folks. And I hope you take a listen to this fantastic artist and human being.
His music channel can be located here.
