DL Incognito

 

DL Incognito is an acclaimed Canadian artist, songwriter, producer and entrepreneur. He first broke into the independent music scene nearly 20 years ago and has since released multiple projects which have earned him a total of three Juno nominations over the years. 

 

Born Olivier Nestor in Ottawa, Ontario and raised solely by his Haitian mother, DL is of Haitian and French Canadian heritage. He now resides in Toronto with his family. His influences mainly stem from the boom bap and east coast style of hip-hop, practiced by artists such as Nas, Jay-Z, Q-Tip and Mos Def just to name a few. 

 

The release of his seminal debut album A Sample and a Drum Machine in 2002, anchored by certified classics like “Audio Coke” and “Rugged Raw”, helped solidify DL’s reputation as one of Canada's most respected lyricists. His reputation was further solidified with the release in 2004 of his sophomore album Life's a Collection of Experiences. This release would earn him his second Juno nod in the Best Rap Recording category. While A Sample and a Drum Machine introduced us to a young MC armed with fierce word play and even smoother flows. Life’s A Collection of Experiences showed us to a different side of DL. It featured a more mature artist, who this time around shared more of himself with the public. The more personal tone of the writing touched on topics ranging from his mother's fight with cancer, to failed relationships and his perspective on hip-hop. This would allow him to connect to his audience in a brand new way and would become the hallmark of his following releases. 

 

The release of Organic Music for a Digital World (2006) and A Captured Moment in Time (2008), which continued the trend of expert lyricism coupled with poignant personal stories would earn DL two more Juno nominations. 

After a brief break, he would return in 2013 with his fifth studio album Someday is Less Than a Second Away. The album which would feature two singles “Super” and “Simple Math” featuring Adam Bomb saw DL collaborating with an amazing collection of new and more established artists including D-Sisive, Geneva B and Caliph. Not one to stand still, he remained active behind the scenes working diligently to bring his newly formed record label and private label Orng Peel Laab to life. The label is focused on crafting a cohesive alternative sound in addition to providing quality physical goods ranging from vinyl to apparel. The company is operated with co-founder and longtime contributor Techtwelve.