DL Incognito

Oliver Nestor, better known as DL Incognito, is a Canadian hip hop rapper and producer from Ottawa, Ontario. He is currently signed to URBNET Records but also operates his independent label Nine Planets Hip Hop along with his brother. In 2007 and 2009, he was nominated for a Juno for Best Rap Recording.[1][2]

DL Incognito
Birth nameOliver Nestor
OriginOttawa, Ontario
GenresHip hop
Occupation(s)Rapper, record producer
Years active1999-present
LabelsURBNET, Nine Planets Hip Hop, Universal Music Canada
Associated actsD-Sisive, Classified, Techtwelve,
Websitedlincognito.bandcamp.com

Musical career

DL first started his career in 1999 when he appeared on the Nine Planets Hip Hop compilation Welcome To The Land Of The Lost.[3]

His first solo release was his 2002 release, A Sample and a Drum Machine. Two years later, he released the album Life's a Collection of Experiences.

In 2006, he released Organic Music for a Digital World. Rowald Pruyn of RapReviews gave the album a very favorable 8.5/10, saying "DL Incognito, whose name he interprets as 'delivering lyrics on the down low,' has skills on the mic which are surpassed only by his ability for self-reflection."[4] The album received a Juno nomination.[1]

Following this, he released A Captured Moment in Time in 2008, which like his last albums, also received a Juno nomination.[2]

In 2013, he released the album Someday Is Less Than a Second Away, which features D-Sisive, along with others. Exclaim! gave the album a very favorable review and Chayne Japal said: "His recent efforts have resulted in a fifth album, Someday is Less than a Second Away, a tight, potent record that utilizes his and his collaborators' strengths."[5]

DL Incognito said in an interview that his main goal is "just trying to give Canadian hip-hop an identity."[6] In another interview, he said what inspires him to rap is life: "Life inspires me, all the ups & downs that people go through, current events, happiness, pain, everything is an inspiration. As I continue on this journey I've realized that life's a collection of experiences and my albums are captured moments in time."[7]

Name

The name 'DL Incognito' means "Deliverying Lyrics on the Low".[8]

Lyrics

In many songs, DL talks about personal issues such as the loss of his mother:

  • On the track "The Ending" off of Life's A Collection..., DL raps 'If I never really make it mom it ain't your fault you gave me everything.'
  • On the first song "Welcome" off the Organic Music... album, DL raps 'While I was fightin' for radio spins, my mother was fighting a battle she couldn't win, found the strength within, then I lost her to cancer, there's your answer if you ask me where the promos been.'
  • 'Make A Difference' (Organic Music) DL raps 'And when I go I'll finally see my mommy again, Miss you mommy twenty four seven.'
  • 'Live In My Element' (Organic Music) DL raps 'My brother has my mother's tattoo upon his arm, a portrait of her so life like I, can feel her charm, We will always remember, through us you will live on.'
  • 'Reality Bites' (Organic Music) DL raps 'Raise your kids, my mother did, struggled for a bit, plus she raised her twins, strong black woman rest in peace mom I love ya.'

Personal life

Nestor is of Haitian and French-Canadian descent.[9]

Discography

Solo albums

Singles
  • "Rugged Raw"
  • "Spit Forever 2"
  • "Proof"
  • "Verbalerity"
  • "Live In My Element"
  • "Make a Difference"
  • "Air Play"

References
  1. "2007 | Rap Recording of the Year | DL Incognito | The JUNO Awards". The JUNO Awards. Retrieved 2017-02-18.
  2. "2009 | Rap Recording of the Year | DL Incognito | The JUNO Awards". The JUNO Awards. Retrieved 2017-02-18.
  3. "CapCityHipHop Ottawa's #1 Urban Media Site Exclusive Interview with DL Incognito at Winterfest - CapCityHipHop". www.capcityhiphop.com. Archived from the original on 2014-02-13. Retrieved 2017-02-18.
  4. "RapReviews.com Feature for October 17, 2006 - DL Incognito's "Organic Music for a Digital World"". www.rapreviews.com. Retrieved 2017-02-18.
  5. "DL Incognito Someday is Less than a Second Away". Retrieved 2017-02-18.
  6. DL Incognito Interview with MVRemix Urban | Online Rap Magazine | US and Canadian Underground Hip Hop and Soul - exclusive interviews, reviews, articles
  7. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2009-06-25. Retrieved 2009-01-19.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  8. Urbnet DL Incognito Biography.
  9. "DL Incognito | Biography & History | AllMusic". AllMusic. Retrieved 2017-02-18.
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