Bijaan

BIO/DESCRIPTION

With roots stretching across India, East Africa, and Canada, Bijaan is the definition of a global artist. Born and raised in Calgary, Alberta as a first generation Canadian to immigrant parents, Bijaan’s love for music was evident at a young age. Not overly intrigued by the dominant country music landscape in Western Canada, Bijaan was instead drawn to the warmth and soul of his father’s Motown record collection and the grit and lyricism of late 90’s hip-hop.

Penning his first song in the 6th grade, hip-hop music soon grew from a hobby and pastime into a lifelong pursuit. Since then, Bijaan has gone on to play numerous live shows, record and write countless songs, and even finished in fourth place on Shaw TV’s Urban Star talent show in 2011. In 2015, Bijaan went viral on social media after publishing a spoken word piece entitled They Are Not Me, condemning ISIS attacks in Europe and the resulting Islamophobia in the West, garnering over four million views online.

Inspired by the lyricism and authenticity of the early pioneers of hip-hop (Jay-Z, Mos Def, and Shad) and the poise and polish of the modern era (J. Cole, Mac Miller, and Saba), Bijaan’s music transcends generations of hip-hop fans by creating a unique blend of old school authenticity with new school swagger.