With the exceptions of Scott Storch and Sarah McLachlan, Nova Scotia's pretty low on hip-hop contributions. But with remixes from Grimes to Groundislava, and a stunning new EP on Wedidit, Halifax-native Ryan Hemsworth might be one of the fastest rising stars in the post-dub/future R&B scene. We figured now was as good a time as ever to set our sights on the up-and-comer, so we picked Hemsworth's brain on everything from Max B to the perpetually encroaching #future. Words and music below!Noisey: When was the last time you watched The Matrix?
Ryan: I'm pretty sure I saw it in theaters with my brothers because we've still got the movie-sized soda cups with Keanu Reeves on it. Or maybe it was one of the sequels where it's that big gay tribal rave thing going on.That makes for a great question: What would you spin if you were DJing the big gay tribal rave in the Matrix sequels?
Pure 80-minute hardstyle set of Kitty Pryde remixes.Oh, we in this. No Max B though? And speaking of, what's this infatuation I'm hearing about?
Max is just one of those artists with the perfect voice/rhythm/ear for beats. He also exhibits all these different emotions that I definitely try to get across in my stuff—one minute he's goofy and drunk, the next he's sad and reflective. And in a perfect world he'd be where Drake is, 'cause he's been doing that sing-song shit for ages, and in a much more humanly way.Real talk. You think the Hip-Hop Illuminati's out to get him?
I'm t. Next question please.Who would you love to work with right now?
Any of the really aggressive rappers killing it right now: Gunplay, Meek Mill, King Louie, Alley Boy. But I'd like to secretly get them on a beat that samples some really soft shit, like a Secret of Mana sample or something. I love to incorporate that stuff into my sets, so I can look up and be like, "Haha, you're dancing to Pokemon music right now!"Do you get a "kick" out of "pranking" your adoring fans?
Haha, it's never on that Andy Kaufman tip. I'm always looking to help people have a good time, but if I can make people subconsciously get down to something nerdy or different from what they'd hear every other night in club, that's cool to me.I dig it. Alright, what's next?
Lots more remixes and stuff are on the way. Now, I'm just figuring out what the next release will be. It's fun because I've got lots of options—might do a full EP with one of my favorite rappers right now from Chicago. And damn, shows in the US are finally coming together, so I'm excited about everything really!Us too. This #future thing looks bright. Thanks!@emersonyeah
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Ryan: I'm pretty sure I saw it in theaters with my brothers because we've still got the movie-sized soda cups with Keanu Reeves on it. Or maybe it was one of the sequels where it's that big gay tribal rave thing going on.That makes for a great question: What would you spin if you were DJing the big gay tribal rave in the Matrix sequels?
Pure 80-minute hardstyle set of Kitty Pryde remixes.Oh, we in this. No Max B though? And speaking of, what's this infatuation I'm hearing about?
Max is just one of those artists with the perfect voice/rhythm/ear for beats. He also exhibits all these different emotions that I definitely try to get across in my stuff—one minute he's goofy and drunk, the next he's sad and reflective. And in a perfect world he'd be where Drake is, 'cause he's been doing that sing-song shit for ages, and in a much more humanly way.Real talk. You think the Hip-Hop Illuminati's out to get him?
I'm t. Next question please.Who would you love to work with right now?
Any of the really aggressive rappers killing it right now: Gunplay, Meek Mill, King Louie, Alley Boy. But I'd like to secretly get them on a beat that samples some really soft shit, like a Secret of Mana sample or something. I love to incorporate that stuff into my sets, so I can look up and be like, "Haha, you're dancing to Pokemon music right now!"Do you get a "kick" out of "pranking" your adoring fans?
Haha, it's never on that Andy Kaufman tip. I'm always looking to help people have a good time, but if I can make people subconsciously get down to something nerdy or different from what they'd hear every other night in club, that's cool to me.I dig it. Alright, what's next?
Lots more remixes and stuff are on the way. Now, I'm just figuring out what the next release will be. It's fun because I've got lots of options—might do a full EP with one of my favorite rappers right now from Chicago. And damn, shows in the US are finally coming together, so I'm excited about everything really!Us too. This #future thing looks bright. Thanks!@emersonyeah