Keynes Woods

Kēynes is a French-Congolese artist born in Kinshasa, DRC in 1995 where he spent the first eight years of his life before migrating to Ottawa, Ontario Canada. He grew up in a musical household where he found his voice in rap music and began to write his own lyrics at the age of sixteen.

Now based in Toronto, Keynes has grown into a versatile, clever and fiery vocalist. He can be aggressive with lyrics that cut, smooth and introspective over R&B grooves and a verbal gymnast over giant EDM drums that pound without missing a beat.

With collaborations with Francis Novotny on Sinner, Dream Girl & Groovy both with Deelo Avery and in his solo work on Threat as featured on Colors Studios that racked up an impressive 350K views, Woods paints vivid cinematic soundscapes that take inspiration from his rich African heritage and his international influences. Not one to be boxed in you’ll notice hints of the aforementioned R&B chords and Jazz phrases as much as you’ll hear the dusty New York drums of the 90’s golden era, New Wave synths, Grime flows and Kwassa Kwassa bass lines - Keynes is a true style bender. Reflecting his identity as part of the new school of musicians coming out of the Diaspora, Keynes Woods is set to be one of the most exciting artists to rise from Toronto’s alternative and underground scene.