Soul, passion, positive content, and cleverly crafted lyricism – these elements are vividly embodied in the music of Orijin aka Jordan Heywood, a Toronto-based emcee.
Beyond just punchlines and witty wordplay, Orijin’s lyrics are infused with relevant and thought-provoking commentary on faith, identity, and life. The seamless blend of Orijin’s lyrical flow with soulful hip-hop instrumentals makes for an infectious sound that appeals to many.
Since 2009, Orijin has presented a combination of hip hop performance and motivational speech at a variety of venues including schools, community events, pubs, churches and more.
Orijin identifies his greatest achievement to date as being invited by Polaris and Juno Award- winning artist Shad to participate in a showcase for Canadian Music Week in 2012.
Talented
“He’s talented, he has a positive vibe and approach, and he’s consistently working hard […] His rhymes are well-crafted and he delivers them with conviction. If he keeps working there is no reason why he wouldn’t be able to move forward in his career and speak to more people,” shared Shad when he was asked about Heywood.
In 2013, Orijin teamed up with producer Jeremy Rodney-Hall to release his first full-length album Bread Crumbs. In 2014, Heywood co-founded signed a record label deal with local company LSTNFND Music. There, he’s released two full-length projects called In Good Hands in 2014 and Re:Percussions in 2016.
Province-Wide Tours
Orijin has completed two province-wide tours including the In Good Hands Tour in 2015 (12 cities) and the Inside the Box tour in 2016 (nine cities). Orijin has shared the stage with artists including Jon Corbin, Mark Durksen, S.O., God’s Servant, Propaganda and JGivens.
As Orijin continues to grow as an MC and as a man, so does his desire to reach people. When asked about his why he does music, he broke it down like this: “When I write and perform, the goal is two-fold. First, I want to bring God glory by putting the gifts he’s given me to good use. Second, I want to move people. Literally, I want them to have no choice but to bob their head, raise their hands, do the running man. In another sense, I want my music to move them forward intellectually, spiritually, socially. If I can present a statement of truth that leaves even the smallest positive imprint on the way a listener thinks, lives, and relates to God and people around them, I’ve done my job.”
Be on the look out for more positive music from this growing MC.