Wolf Castle is a Mi’kmaq rapper, producer, and singer from Pabineau First Nation, New Brunswick - an unlikely place for a rap career to come to fruition, but everything about Wolf Castle defies the odds.

Growing up on the reserve with a supportive family of artists, movie directors, and musicians, going for a career in the arts seemed like the natural choice. Heralded as “The Maritimes’ most promising young MC” by Complex and “one of this country's most promising young rappers” by CBC Music, his music carries an energy and wisdom beyond his years, covering topics about love, loss, celebration, and perseverance.

Tell us a little bit about yourself, and when you first realized you had a passion for rap.

I grew up on-reserve in Pabineau First Nation, New Brunswick. Also known in our language as Oinpegitjoig. My entire upbringing, I was surrounded by artists, storytellers, and musicians. It was common for everyone to participate in the arts, be it singing in a circle during the holiday seasons or painting on canvases with tools acquired from the Dollar Store with my siblings. Art and creating it was part of daily life. 

Around age 12, I was lucky enough to have a small TV in my room with cable. This opened my entire world to channels like MTV and Much Music. It was during this time of my life that I became entranced by music. One night, I was trying to fall asleep with Much Music on in the background, and “Juicy” by Notorious B.I.G. began to play. Something about that sound jolted me awake, and I watched the music video intently. It reached some deep part of me I wasn’t even aware of, and led me towards dreaming about creating music. 

What’s the story behind your rap name, and how does it reflect who you are today?

At the very beginning of my career, I released music under my government name – Tristan Grant. After a year or so, it just didn’t feel right. I wanted a name that stood out and felt more like a larger-than-life character I could express myself through. 

I wanted an interesting name that would conjure some sort of powerful image. And honestly… luckily, I didn’t think too hard about it. Two words that came to me were “Wolf” and “Castle”. I thought it evoked a mysterious, interesting persona. There was so much potential to what that name could become – so I stuck the words together, and from that point forward I was Wolf Castle. 

What inspires or excites you in your work?

I’ve always been a music fan first. The only reason I began to create it was because I was so moved and so inspired by artists who came before me. Not only lyricism, but also instrumentation.

I desperately wanted to be good enough to play music and perform it, but at the beginning of my music journey, I was far from a skilled player. It’s been a long process to learn how to create songs. But I am motivated to always get better. The feeling I get deep in my soul when I can arrange certain chords, notes, or musical ideas together is like no other. Pair it with rap lyrics that fit within those sounds – and I can create forever. It’s always nice to continually work on your craft and pick up new skills along the way.

What are your biggest musical influences or sources of inspiration, and how have they shaped your sound?

Biggest influences musically are Mac Miller and Tyler the Creator. I really admire the work they did as independent artists that rose to stardom because of their creative output. It’s just creativity to the max. I also really love the art of writing a catchy hook or melody, which Pop music as a genre is so good at doing. 

I always strive to create songs that are deep lyrically but catchy on the surface, because it’s the kind of music I enjoy – songs that balance those elements together. 

More artists that inspire me – 

Daft Punk
Anderson .Paak 
k-os 
Kendrick Lamar
Justin Bieber

How does your creative process unfold as you write and compose new songs?

I always write songs with music, never without. The actual instrumentation must come first. For me, this is where I draw inspiration. I ask myself how a certain chord progression or sound is making me feel in the moment, and it unfolds from there. 

Typically, I write as fast as possible to get the ideas down and then trim from there.

What themes, stories, or experiences tend to show up repeatedly in your music?

Since Rap as a genre originates from the lead vocalist telling their own stories and representing their community – that’s what lies at the root of my songs. I am a Mi’kmaq man who grew up on a small reserve. I’ve always felt like I’ve lived in two separate worlds, and my music reflects that. 

Because of the type of person that I am, I always try to see the silver lining, the positive side of my experiences, and my music generally carries those themes. It’s all about overcoming odds, becoming a better version of yourself that you may not have thought possible, and remaining hopeful for the future. 

How do you prepare for a show or concert?

In the days leading up to the show, I always rehearse at least twice a day. I ensure that I remember all my lyrics and stay on top of my breath control. I also exercise several times a week to keep up the stamina, as I tend to have high-energy performances! 

Day of the show, I try my best not to think about the fact that I have a show later that day! I usually do some squats to warm up my legs, take deep breaths, and drink lots of water. The only things I refuse to do on a show day are drink coffee or eat hamburgers. 

Which song in your catalog feels the most personal to you, and why?

“Gravity / Levity” hands down. It summarizes where I’m from, why I create the music I create, and is a love letter to the people and the towns that raised me. <3 

Do you have a favourite song to perform live? If yes, what song and why?

My song “Ulgimoo”. It’s one of my best songs I’ve written, plus it’s a reference to an old Mi’kmaq story. Plus, the guitar parts on it are satisfying to hear. It gets me excited every time. 

As a Mi'kmaq artist, how has your upbringing and life experience influenced your music?

It’s infused in my music like DNA. Everything I talk about, every sound I make, all come from my first reference point – which is the lived experience of an indigenous person living in a modern world. It doesn’t matter if I write a song that’s on-the-nose or make no reference to it, no matter what, it’s Mi’kmaq music. 

I love my culture, my background, and I try to share it as proudly as I can because I feel a lot of happiness from it. 

What do you hope audiences feel or learn from your music?

I want audiences to have a lot of fun. Thinking about their own life, the good and the bad things, and accepting that all of it is part of our experience. There’s no need to chase happiness or shy away from sadness, anger, etc. It’s all an ebb and flow. That’s part of my personal values and way of thinking. I strive to live a full life, which means taking it all in. 

That’s something I try to get across in the music. And that you can still have a lot of fun while doing it. 

What has been your biggest success and/or biggest mistake in your journey as an artist, and how did you grow or learn from that?

Biggest success is hard to categorize, but probably just making my very first song on day one of my career. That felt impossible to me before I was a musician. 

Biggest mistake would be listening to other people trying to tell me what to do with my music or with my career. Always take everything with a grain of salt, and money/fame is meaningless. You gotta always approach art with love and emotion!

How has living and working in New Brunswick helped and/or inspired you on your journey?

This area is my home and has been the home to my ancestors and relatives longer than the existence of “Canada”. To me, there’s no question that I remain in this area and live my life as an artist. Honestly, I feel like there’s pressure as a young person coming up to move away from home, but nowhere else has felt right. This is my home, and because I come from this place, I can tell stories only someone from the Atlantic can tell. And that is something no one else could do authentically. I think it’s cool to be a rapper from the Woods.

How has your journey as an artist evolved over time? Were there key moments or experiences that shaped how you work and create today? 

Let’s look at the beginning of my career. My uncle Raymond is a musician who taught me how to write songs, but also how to record them and perform. The best thing I ever learned was to not be too precious about anything I made. Just create it. If you only ever made one song in your life, there’s no room to improve. If you make 50 – there’s more of a chance you might learn something, maybe even make a great track! I carry that with me to this day. 

Describe what you are most proud of in your career.

The “Gravity / Levity” music video. We filmed it on my home reserve of Pabineau First Nation during a live show I was doing with the community. My entire family and relatives are in the video! Including my lovely fiancée Allison, my brother and sister, my mom and countless aunties and uncles. Filming that day was a beautiful thing, to be supported so much by my community, for them to be so cool with the art I make and welcome me back home… it was incredible. And I have it all on tape.

What would your dream project look like?

A dream project would be to make a mainstream album with a huge budget, lots of big artists on it and it’s some sort of pop-funk-jazz album. Is it possible to make that work? Who knows. Just put Stevie Wonder on there and I wouldn’t care what the reception would be hahaha. 

What advice would you give to aspiring musicians?

A few rapid fire answers: 

Make what YOU want to make. 

No one has the exact same story as you, so you are special! Share it with the world.

There’s a difference between making music as an artist and making it into a career! 

Own your Masters / publishing (trust me)