Naya Ali is an Ethiopian Canadian rapper based in Montreal, Quebec. She released the first half of her debut album, Godspeed: Baptism (Prelude), in 2020. [1]
Ali was born in Ethiopia and immigrated to Canada as a preschooler, growing up in Notre-Dame-de-Grâce. [2] She originally started writing poetry and rapping as a teenager, however she had stopped by her early 20's. [3] She attended both McGill and Concordia universities, studied public relations and held a job in marketing, before leaving to pursue a music career. [4] [3] [5] She released the single "Ra Ra" in 2017 and her debut EP Higher Self in 2018. [6] [7] She released her debut album Godspeed: Baptism (Prelude) in 2020, through Coyote Records. [8] [9] The second half of the album is due in spring 2021. [10] In 2021, she was one of five artists to receive a prize at the Black Canadian Music Awards, presented by the SOCAN Foundation. [1] She was also named one of the 25 Canadian Artists to Watch Out For in 2021, by Complex. [11]
In January 2021, she was named one of the winners of SOCAN's inaugural Black Canadian Music Awards alongside Dylan Sinclair, Tobi, RAAHiiM and Hunnah. [12]
In 2023, she participated in an all-star recording of Serena Ryder's single " What I Wouldn't Do", which was released as a charity single to benefit Kids Help Phone's Feel Out Loud campaign for youth mental health. [13]
Naya Ali is an Ethiopian Canadian rapper based in Montreal, Quebec. She released the first half of her debut album, Godspeed: Baptism (Prelude), in 2020. [1]
Ali was born in Ethiopia and immigrated to Canada as a preschooler, growing up in Notre-Dame-de-Grâce. [2] She originally started writing poetry and rapping as a teenager, however she had stopped by her early 20's. [3] She attended both McGill and Concordia universities, studied public relations and held a job in marketing, before leaving to pursue a music career. [4] [3] [5] She released the single "Ra Ra" in 2017 and her debut EP Higher Self in 2018. [6] [7] She released her debut album Godspeed: Baptism (Prelude) in 2020, through Coyote Records. [8] [9] The second half of the album is due in spring 2021. [10] In 2021, she was one of five artists to receive a prize at the Black Canadian Music Awards, presented by the SOCAN Foundation. [1] She was also named one of the 25 Canadian Artists to Watch Out For in 2021, by Complex. [11]
In January 2021, she was named one of the winners of SOCAN's inaugural Black Canadian Music Awards alongside Dylan Sinclair, Tobi, RAAHiiM and Hunnah. [12]
In 2023, she participated in an all-star recording of Serena Ryder's single " What I Wouldn't Do", which was released as a charity single to benefit Kids Help Phone's Feel Out Loud campaign for youth mental health. [13]