DillanPonders

A truly independent artist, DillanPonders has been a prominent name in Canada’s underground hip hop scene for some time. Thanks in large part to FACTOR’s Juried Sound Recording grant, 2020-21 was a breakout year for Dillan – releasing his most popular album, BECAUSE WE’RE ALIVE, which earned accolades nationwide and internationally. Boasting collaborations with notable Canadian artists and producers such as Allan Rayman, Ruby Waters, Bijan Amir, Snotty Nose Rez Kids, lemin. and more, the album was celebrated by industry, fans, DSP, press and radio. To celebrate its release, Spotify featured the album on its Yonge-Dundas Billboard, and soon Amazon Music named DillanPonders one of its “Five Canadian Breakout Artists of 2020”.

The music was praised by media outlets including The Fader, Complex Magazine, CBC Music, Etalk and more, and the lead single “JUNGLE” was added to regular rotation by Toronto’s biggest hip hop radio station Flow 93.5. The album also earned DillanPonders new partnership opportunities, with brand sponsors such as Arc’teryx, Vans and Foot Locker, as well as non-profit Therapsil, Canada’s coalition helping Canadians access legal, psilocybin-assisted psychotherapy. BECAUSE WE’RE ALIVE has pushed DillanPonders’ career to the next level, and his entire team is extremely grateful for FACTOR’s support in this process.

Photo credit: Frank Lin