Elaquent has spent this decade forging a style all his own, internalizing the sounds of great producers like J Dilla and DJ Premier, but glitching and altering them to the point where his voice became inimitable. With a sprawling catalog that includes dozens of projects and countless remixes, Elaquent has become one of beat music’s most compelling figures–despite living thousands of miles from its Los Angeles epicenter. As Noisey once pointed out, he’s been pivotal in emphasizing the varied influences of beat music;– pushing the genre into new, previously unthinkable spaces and helping to establish a vibrant beat music scene in Toronto.