The Joy: Black Canadian Artists for Juneteenth

In honour of Juneteenth and Bandcamp donating their share of sales to the NAACP Legal Defense Fund, we put together this mix of incredible artists from the Black Canadian community — an extended set of favourite tracks, recent releases, and new discoveries.

Across provinces and genres, it's more than a hour and a half of mind-bending work, from the turntable magic of Toronto's own SlowPitchSound, to the many sides of Montréal's music scene with artists like Ouri and Yves Jarvis; innovative beatmakers like OBUXUM and Engone Endong; the soulful songs of Cedric Noel and Tonye Aganaba — plus marvelous work from trans artists light-years ahead of their time: Jackie Shane and Beverly Glenn-Copeland.

Named after Prince Josh's stunning ode to club culture ("The Joy"), with its sense of inclusivity and liberation — a kind of beacon of hope and happiness amidst hardships — the music here is a wild night out; rapturous, esoteric, moving and so much more. Leave your expectations at the door.

Last but not least, if you like what you hear, please support the artists. All Bandcamp pages have been linked above and below via the Buy Music Club, so listen through, browse around and buy what you like.

With love and respect, thank you.