Toronto-based neighbors take hip-hop to new heights as the duo known as WinterTimeMusic
TORONTO, CANADA – What started out as something fun to do with a neighbor has grown to become something that JustEs and Reikeem could only dream about as kids.
Growing up in neighboring houses in Toronto, Ontario, the two became fast friends at a young age. In their teenage years they found that they shared a love for music, and would often come together to share in their hobby and create music that they would then share with friends just for fun.
“We would go to house parties with friends and freestyle back and forth and the crowd would stop whatever they were doing or talk about and just listen to us for half an hour,” Reikeem said. “We would always become the life of the party. Eventually we realized we had something and we decided to take the music thing seriously.”
They released their first official mixtape “Airplane Mode” toward the end of their high school career, and quickly gained notoriety within their community and city. They began calling themselves WinterTimeMusic – first because they thought it sounded “super dope,” as well as because it was during the winter that they first came together to make music. But today the name has gone on to take a deeper meaning: giving the cold should to people who aren’t a benefit to your life, or giving a warm shoulder to the people who are. This has become the backbone of what their music is about today … something they’ve been able to perfect as roommates at college at the University of Liverpool in the United Kingdom. That’s right … they chose to move out of their neighboring houses and instead become roommates at college. Their families still live next to each other in Toronto, however, and when they’re not in school they return home to perform their music for their ever-growing fan-base in Canada and the U.S. In fact, they already have a live show booked for July 20 at the Nocturn Club in downtown Toronto.
Their most recent single, “Around Me,” is a good example of the messages and themes the duo tends to explore in their music – something for which their group name takes on deeper meanings.
“It’s about getting older and understand who’s fake and who’s not there and who doesn’t have your back,” JustEs said.
“It’s about the people around you when you were growing up and seeing how much friends from the past can change on you in a moment’s notice,” Reikeem added. “It speaks to your support groups and who’s there and who’s not – about seeing people for what they really are.”
JustEs said the song has more of an upbeat vibe when it comes to the chorus, with harder raps within the verses. The combination of singing and rapping is something the duo says sets them apart from others in the music industry, and which gives them a unique sound that fans will be able to recognize immediately.
“Around Me” is a single that will be featured on a mixtape that they hope to release later this year called “Dinner Party.” The 10 tracks on that mixtape will display more of their musical diversity, while also fusing old-school rap with new-school sounds and vibes.
To listen to their music, or to follow them on social media, please visit the following links:
Facebook: WinterTimeMusic Twitter: @WinterTimeMusic Instagram: @WinterTimeMusic
