Dillan Alexander Richard King (born November 11, 1991) known professionally by his
stage name
A stage name is a pseudonym used by performers and entertainers—such as actors, comedians, singers, and musicians. Such professional aliases are adopted for a wide variety of reasons and they may be similar, or nearly identical, to an individu ...
DillanPonders, is a Canadian rapper from Toronto, Ontario. Ponders has performed across North America, as part of festivals like SXSW, Mondo. NYC and on the Smoker’s Club tours, as well as alongside some of hip hop’s left field leaders, including Flatbush ZOMBIES, Pouya and Father. He’s been featured in some of the genre’s top publications, including Complex, Noisey, XXL and has headlined Spotify’s Northern Bars and Hip Hop Central playlists.
Musical career
2011–13: Career beginnings, ''Dopamine'', ''Overdose'' and ''NUMB''
DillanPonders started writing and recording songs professionally in 2011, a year later he released his first body of work titled ''Dopamine'', an 18-tracks album which was released on June 10, 2012. In November 2012, he released ''Comatose'', an EP he is credited to have also engineered and mix and mastered. March 1, 2013 saw DillanPonders release ''LUST'', his third project, under Creative REbels World.
Through Creative REbels, he released ''Overdose'', a mixtape that was well received and won the first ''Rkulture'' "Mixtape of the Year" award in 2013. The mixtape literarily highlights the experiences of DillanPonders and his growth as a songwriter. It features production credits from BiirdxLahghost, BlackOut, HOLYDAY, Kaos, LEF7Y, MindBlown, MYCbeats, Protishead, and Runsbeatz. The mixtape also credits guest appearances from Aay Cee, ADAN, Guapo and T.City. In October, DillanPonders revealed the album cover of his
trap
A trap is a mechanical device used to capture or restrain an animal for purposes such as hunting, pest control, or ecological research.
Trap or TRAP may also refer to:
Art and entertainment Films and television
* ''Trap'' (2015 film), Fil ...
-infused mixtape titled ''NUMB''. Described as a "gem of rap music" by Christian Courtois of ''IX Daily'', the mixtape was executively produced by Tay Lewis and was released on 13 November under SmashMouth Music Group.
2014–15: ''The Boy Who Lived'', ''You're Welcome'' and ''Retox''
DillanPonders started recording his sophomore album '' The Boy Who Lived'' in April 2014. On August 4, RESPECT. premiered "SmashMouth CReW Gang" and "Swallow", two drug-themed lead singles from the album. In an interview with '' Vice'', he revealed that the album is "about me knowing when to go hard and when not to" following questions raised around his use of drugs and smoking of
marijuana
Cannabis, also known as marijuana among other names, is a psychoactive drug from the cannabis plant. Native to Central or South Asia, the cannabis plant has been used as a drug for both recreational and entheogenic purposes and in various tra ...
. Upon the release of the 10-track album which features a sole appearance from British singer Ziba, it was met with critical acclaim from mainstream hip hop music critics. ''RKutures Brandon Benguaich described the album as "magical" and "what we have been waiting for"; while Kevin Ahmadi agreed that it is "perfect for a debauched party playlist".
On 1 April 2015, he released the first installment of his ''You're Welcome'' mixtape, a remix project which served as a teaser for his EP '' Retox''. In anticipation of the EP, he released two singles titled "Stamina" which made the cut into ''Retox'' and "Circus" which featured vocals from Omari Shakir. Through SmashMouth Music Group, he finally released ''Retox'' in October to positive critical reception after the release of his popular song "Shroom Daddy".
2016–2018: ''ACID REIGN, ACID JAZZ and NO MANS LAND''
On 20 May 2016, DillanPonders dropped a single titled "Go Daddy Go", off his critically acclaimed project ''
ACID REIGN
Acid Reign are an English thrash metal band, originally active from 1985 to 1991. The band rebooted in 2015 with just H remaining from the original line up. Along with Onslaught, Sabbat and Xentrix, Acid Reign are considered to be one of the ...
'', before releasing another single titled "Mandem" in anticipation of the album. DillianPonders enlisted the services of
Eestbound
Bryan Van Mierlo, professionally known as Eestbound, is a Toronto-based Dutch record producer. He has produced songs for such artists as Travis Scott, Young Thug, Waka Flocka Flame, Lil Dicky, Young Dolph, Smoke DZA, and Sean Leon.
Productio ...
to produce "Heaven", a song he sees as a "representation of where me and my squad are at mentally".
On 29 December, he released ''ACID REIGN'' to positive reviews. The 12-track album featured on ''Boi-1das "Top 50 Toronto Releases of 2016". Leandre Nawej of ''
Exclaim!
''Exclaim!'' is a Canadian music and entertainment publisher based in Toronto, which features in-depth coverage of new music across all genres with a special focus on Canadian and emerging artists. The monthly Exclaim! print magazine publishes 7 ...
'' rated the project 7 stars out of 10 while Kevin Ritchie of '' Now'' rated it 3 out of 5 stars. Six songs from the album were used on the ''ACID JAZZ'' EP, a collaboration between Ponders and JAZZ MONEY that mixed Ponders's raps with live instrumentation.
In spring 2017, Ponders hit the road supporting Pouya and Fat Nick, opening to sellout crowds across Ontario and Quebec. He also released "PLANET PONDERS", which quickly hit 300,000 Spotify streams, and "DOUBTS", which was picked up by Complex Canada as one of the spring's top tracks.
Ponders released his most recent project, ''NO MANS LAND'', in August 2017. Riding its popularity, he headlined his first show in New York City in October.
2018–present: ''THE BOY WHO DIED, KNOWHERE and New Album''
Through 2018 & 2019, DillanPonders released two projects: ''THE BOY WHO DIED'' and ''KNOWHERE''. ''THE BOY WHO DIED'' closed the loop on Ponders' 2014 ''The Boy Who Lived'' project, and represented a musical and personal evolution for Ponders. Through ''KNOWHERE'', Ponders further expanded his international attention, particularly through the track "JURASSIC" which featured IDK, one of the hottest rappers of 2019.
In fall 2020, DillanPonders announced a new album and dropped its first single: "JUNGLE" featuring Métis singer/songwriter