Toronto producer, 16, lands on Drake's new trilogy
Markham teen Arham Paul helped craft an '80s-style intro for one of the rapper's tracks on an overnight studio session last summer.
Arham Paul was getting ready for bed on a school night last summer when his phone rang. A beatmaker friend working on Drake's new projects needed help building an '80s-style intro for a track—and they weren't waiting until morning.
The 16-year-old producer, who records under the moniker ap.melodies, spent the night alongside Miami-based producer Sebas Lopez crafting the slow, sensual opening instead of sleeping before class. The session paid off: Paul's work now appears on Drake's new trilogy, a remarkable achievement for a Markham teen still navigating high school.
When word of his contribution reached his principal, the response was telling. "'Are you on the Drake album?'" the principal asked him in the hallway. The moment captures the gravity of Paul's accomplishment in the eyes of his community—a teenager who went from a regular school night to collaborating on one of Canada's biggest rap releases.
Drake's trilogy marks another high-profile collaboration featuring emerging Canadian producers, signalling how the artist continues to shape the country's creative landscape by working with up-and-coming talent.