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Like mentor and fellow Toronto native
Drake,
Roy Wood$ pursues a moody and atmospheric fusion of R&B and rap and frequently comes across as a sullen hedonist, though his approach is less pop-oriented.
Within the span of one year, the singer, songwriter, and occasional rapper, born Denzel Spencer in Brampton, Ontario, signed to
Drake's Warner-supported OVO Sound, premiered on the boutique label's radio show, and released his debut EP. Issued when Spencer was 20 years old, that six-track set registered at number 27 on Billboard's R&B/Hip-Hop chart, boosted by the
Drake-assisted single "Drama."
Waking at Dawn,
Wood$' first full-length mixtape, followed in July 2016, synchronized with a U.S. tour beside
Drake,
Future, and labelmates
dvsn. The album debuted at number 30 in Canada and at number 11 on Billboard's Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart. An EP titled
Nocturnal was out by the end of the year. In November 2017,
Wood$ appeared on
PnB Rock's "Low Key" around the same time
PnB was featured on
Wood$' own "Balance." The latter was among the tracks that led to the December release of
Wood$' official debut LP,
Say Less. The set broke into the Top 100 of the Billboard 200 and featured additional guests
Jessie Ware,
dvsn, and
PartyNextDoor. ~ Andy Kellman