About

What This Is Walder Is All About

There was a moment — maybe around 2012, probably somewhere between a Drake show at Sound Academy and a late-night scroll through WorldStarHipHop — when it became painfully obvious that Toronto hip hop was not getting the coverage it deserved. The city was producing some of the most interesting music in North America, and the mainstream media response was basically \”oh, Drake is from there.\”

That gap is why This Is Walder exists.

Our Mission

We cover Toronto hip hop and the broader culture around it — the shows, the new releases, the exclusives, the behind-the-scenes moments that never make it to the big publications. Our focus has always been the local scene first, because that is where the energy is. The major outlets will eventually catch on to whoever blows up next, but we are here for the artists grinding it out in Toronto clubs and studios right now.

Coverage here is not filtered through corporate editorial boards or chasing whatever algorithm rewards this week. If a show was electric, we say so. If a track is underwhelming, we are honest about that too — though we would rather spotlight what excites us than tear down what does not.

What You Will Find Here

Exclusive interviews and performances are the backbone of what we do. We have been backstage and front-row for some legendary Toronto moments — from Wu-Tang celebrating 36 Chambers at the Danforth to Kendrick Lamar headlining rooms that seem impossibly small in hindsight. We document these moments because someone should, and because the artists and fans who were there deserve more than a tweet thread.

Beyond the show coverage, we track new music, highlight emerging artists from the Toronto scene, and occasionally venture into the broader hip hop landscape when something is too good to ignore. We are not trying to compete with Pitchfork or Complex. We are doing something those outlets cannot — covering our city with the depth and attention it has earned.

Thanks for reading. If you have been following the Toronto scene for years or just discovering it now, you are in the right place.

Last updated: March 2026