TLDR: The Kid From Ottawa finds Taz Bentii putting his hometown at the centre of his latest project, released alongside Atlanta mixtape heavyweight DJ Holiday. The Rising Tides Ent. release features KARENZI, Xav and WorldChamp, along with the July single “CALI.”
Ottawa has spent years watching its rappers fight for attention beyond the 613. On The Kid From Ottawa, Taz Bentii turns that struggle into part of the pitch.
Released today through Rising Tides Entertainment, the new project arrives with Atlanta mixtape heavyweight DJ Holiday attached and seasoned music executive Quincy “Big Heff” Taylor serving as Bentii’s management and creative director. The setup gives the rapper an experienced team while keeping the project’s identity planted firmly in his hometown.
Big Heff, DJ Holiday and Taz Bentii (Photo: LifeofBadNews)
“I made this album to let people know that I am proud to be born and raised here in the city of Ottawa,” Bentii says.
“Although there are lots of obstacles and challenges here in the music scene, it doesn’t mean we can’t change that collectively as artists and turn Ottawa into the next Toronto.”
That hometown ambition is baked into the title, but Bentii has already been putting in work outside city limits. He has recorded in Atlanta, New York and Miami, toured Texas and collaborated with OVO affiliate TVGUCCI.
Last summer’s Eleven Eleven introduced him as a developing melodic voice with an instinct for hooks and mood. The Kid From Ottawa pushes the name and the city closer together.
Photo: LifeofBadNews
Guest appearances from KARENZI, Xav and WorldChamp keep the circle relatively tight. The project also features “CALI,” Bentii’s July 1 single with DJ Holiday, a connection that now carries into the full release.
Holiday sees plenty of room for Bentii to grow:
“Taz is a breath of fresh air for the music community! You can’t really put your finger on what type of music he’s going to dominate! But trust me, the kids will be lining up to see him by the thousands when it’s all said and done!”
For Bentii, though, the bigger statement may be geographical. Canadian rap careers are routinely measured by how quickly an artist can escape the limits of a smaller market. The Kid From Ottawa plants the flag first, then looks outward. If he wants Ottawa to become a stronger music city, this project makes clear he intends to be fully part of that conversation.
Photo: LifeofBadNews
Next up, Bentii is taking the campaign on the road. According to his management, he’ll head to Big Heff’s hometown of Cleveland in late August for a Midwest promotional run that includes approximately 20 radio station stops before continuing through Florida in September as the push behind The Kid From Ottawa gains momentum.
You can stream The Kid From Ottawa on Spotify and various other digital streaming platforms.
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