Kitchener rapper picks up first-ever Juno nomination

From Kitchener to cross-country recognition, a rapper from the city is nominated for the Juno Awards’ rap single of the year.

The nomination marks a milestone for Dom Vallie, who is re-visiting his roots for “BEEN HIMMA,” the single that earned the rapper his first major recognition in music. Although he was born in Scarborough, he moved to Kitchener when he was six years old, which is where he spent much of his time growing up.

Vallie said the song was originally made as a joke of sorts, but it quickly gained popularity, climbing to over 5 million streams on Spotify.

“I did not think that would be the song to get me the Juno nom,” he said.

As for the award ceremony, Himma said he’s looking forward to being surrounded by other top Canadian talent.

“Avril Lavigne might be there. I might be a little star-struck by her. Nickelback is going be there, that’s pretty hard,” Vallie said.

The official music video for “BEEN HIMMA” posted to Vallie’s YouTube page on April 15, 2022 has over 210,000 views.

Dom Vallie shoots a music video. (Dom Vallie/YouTube)

The local connection doesn't end with the voice you hear on the track. The producing pair who helped bring the song to life are also from Waterloo Region. Together, they run the production company Just Ideas.

“This is kind of as top of the top you can get in the Canadian music industry, and for them to say that we deserve to be there, it’s a really good feeling,” said producer Jorge Pineda.

While it may be the first time you're hearing of Vallie and his team, they're hard at work making sure it won't be the last.

“We’ve just been on the come up with a lot of people that are from around here,” producer Josh Polasz said.

The recognition is still sinking in for Vallie. But his confidence is building that this is just the beginning.

“Ok,” he said to CTV News, nodding. “It’s happening.”