TLDR: DJ Agile brings ATL bass and Toronto soul together on “Off Top” featuring Leila Dey, arriving October 16.
Some records take the scenic route to the dancefloor. DJ Agile’s “Off Top,” featuring Leila Dey, started as a television cue, spent years on a hard drive and eventually found its voice in Dey, a collaborator suggested by Kardinal Offishall. Arriving Friday, October 16 through Foundation Media, the single pairs ATL bass energy with Toronto R&B.
The beat first surfaced in “Dirty South,” an episode from the third season of Hip-Hop Evolution on Netflix. Viewers wanted more. For months after it aired, Agile received two to four messages a week on Twitter and Facebook asking about the music. A background cue had found an audience waiting for a full song.
Agile enlisted frequent collaborator Kash K to write it, but the demo remained shelved for a couple of years. In January 2025, he reopened the session, rewrote the verse with Dahlia Fernandes and recruited keyboardist Mark James to add parts and sharpen the arrangement.
DJ Agile (Photo: Jalani Morgan / Supplied)
The missing piece was a singer who understood where the record could go. After months of searching, Agile played it for Kardi, who immediately suggested Leila Dey. Agile already knew her through the late King Reign, his bandmate in legendary Toronto rap group BrassMunk, and had followed her development ever since. Her soulful vocals and layered harmonies finally gave the track its finishing touch.
HipHopCanada’s coverage of Agile stretches back to our earliest days around 2000 or 2001. “Off Top” opens another chapter for the producer and DJ, whose résumé includes work with artists like Nas, Melanie Fiona and Glenn Lewis, alongside his role as Kardinal’s official DJ. It’s the first single from a forthcoming project planned for the second quarter of 2027.
You can find “Off top” on Apple Music, Spotify, and various other digital streaming platforms via Foundation.
Between The Sheets Remixes
Before “Off Top,” Agile teamed up with Ray Robinson for Between The Sheets Remixes, a collaborative EP featuring FaceTyme, OP!, Middlefield, Big Sproxx and Kutcorners. The project, released on Sept. 11, 2026, marks his previous release to hit streaming platforms.
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