We all know about our Toronto hip-hop hero Drake. Whether you know him sitting court side to the Raptors or for his hip-hop career there is no denying he is a household Canadian name. Now our very own Halifax R&B artist Keonté Beals has decided to take on one of Drake’s well known songs “Don’t Matter To Me” and making it his own.
“It’s so crazy how this actually came about. I usually do writing exercises everyday just to keep that writing tool sharpened and my exercise for that day was to take a song that I like and re-write the lyrics and some arrangements. Basically to remix a tune,” explained Beals.
“I ended up liking this one so much that I decided to share it with a few close folks and once I saw their reactions to it, me and my team went straight to work to mix/master and release it!”
Taking pieces of Drake’s song to suit his own style while still keeping the message behind the original is something Beals has executed beautifully in this track. The lyrics come across like they’ve gained a deeper meaning, and come with a humorous backstory.
“That part is funny. I actually had just recently watched Tyler Perry’s ‘A Madea Family Funeral’ and in that movie there were two characters who were brothers. Both were married but one of the brothers was cheating on their wife with his brother’s wife. So, I kind of took bits and pieces of that situation, mixed with Drake’s original message of the song and ran with it,” says Beals.
Bringing us back to the 90’s era of R&B with his voice and enthusiasm, Keonté has made a name for himself in Halifax. He’s already taken home the Bronze for Best R&B artist for The Coast and a Rising Star award from the African Nova Scotian Music Association, but says we can expect more to come.
“You can expect lots of music. There will be no more holding back on the music for me and my team. We have so much new material and I can’t wait to share it with everybody. It’s been a long time coming.”
Show Dates:
10.25.19 – Cole Harbour, NS @ Cole Harbour District High School – African Heritage Ceremony
11.07.19 – Truro, NS @ Nova Scotia Music Week
11.30.19 – Halifax, NS @ The Marquee Ballroom – The Last Waltz
12.01.19 – Halifax, NS @ The Marquee Ballroom – The Last Waltz
11.07.19 – Halifax, NS @ Christmas Daddies