Golden era taste, current era based.

Tylenol 3 for capitalist migraines. Resistance-based debauchery for disaffected baddies. In the decaying hellscape that is today’s music industry, Super Duty Tough Work have quietly been pushing their radical politic of party, revolution and bullshit for close to a decade. Fed up with the microwavable, readymade “artists” that currently dominate the attention economy, SDTW draw inspiration from the  slow-cooked, dusty jazz sample sound of 90s east coast hip hop, incorporating laidback yet razor-sharp rap action with hypnotic loops and effortless transitions, for methodically curated sets, earning them praise across the country and globe. These 2X Polaris Prize nominees and 2024 WCMA Rap Artist of the Year excel as much live on stage as they do in the studio with their fresh take on tradition in a movement where loops are slayed and jewels are tools of the trade.

Relying on the potency of silky bass lines and honey-soaked horns, paired with exacting lyrics about sky-high ambitions, the eight-piece hybrid rap-jazz-R&B group channeled the beating heart of ‘90s East coast hip-hop into legendary performances across the country. When they finally got around to recording, the response was swift and gushing…

Melissa Vincent
Words & Music, SOCAN

Since its inception in 2014, Super Duty Tough Work has reigned as one of Winnipeg's most exciting and prestigious hip-hop outfits, offering audiences a seven-person backing band that blends jazz with Grey's rap delivery — a style he describes as "Public Enemy meets Griselda [Records] and Sampa the Great," and one that's heavily inspired by the '90s East Coast scene.

Graeme Houssin,
Beyond the 6, CBC Music