Buck 65

If you travel along the Number 1 highway (two lanes) in Nova Scotia, you'll pass through a town called Mt. Uniacke. As you enter the town, you'll see a sign that reads, "Home Of Buck 65". Buck 65 is the code name of one Ricardo Terfry. He used to wander the dirt roads of Mt. Uniacke wearing an Adidas one-piece wrestling outfit. He thought it gave him hip hop credibility, but he was wrong. He started DJing and rapping at the same time, when he was approximately 13 years of age. In 1990, he shared his work with the public for the first time. 

Since then, he has released more than 20 full-length albums and all kinds of EPs, singles and whatnot. He has also scored a handful of films (including one x-rated feature). He has recorded with Tortoise (post-rock muscular geniuses), Gonzales (the world's greatest living musician), Sage Francis (indie hip hop overlord), Olivia Ruiz (kind of a big deal in France) and god-knows-who-else. Name an important festival or event and there's a good 70% chance he's played it. The latest addition to Buck 65's awe-inspiring oeuvre is an album called 20 Odd Years. It features guest appearances by Gord Downie, Nick Thorburn, Jenn Grant, Hannah Georgas, Emily Wells, Marie-Pierrie Arthur and more. 20 Odd Years is probably the most beautiful hip hop album ever made.