“Oh how the world is lost / To find a dream that’s small and achieve it is nearly impossible / But why do we live? / Not to achieve our
goals / Not to accomplish our task / We’ve searched for miles and miles to reach the Stars.”
Straight from the intro of BDT’s album Stars, a combination of powerful lyricism backed by unique beats substantiates that Montreal’s very own up-and-coming rap group is nothing less than real.
Also known as Big Dreams Team, the group consists of four close friends ranging in age from 19 to 21: Myles Guénin, a.k.a. Myles, Matthew John, a.k.a. Timeliss, Terrell Mcleod Richardson, a.k.a. TasK The RaDD, and Alex Burrows, a.k.a. Rowz. At the foundation of this rap group is one the most important qualities according to Guénin: their friendship.
“I’d say it’s our team that sets us apart from other young rappers,” he said.
Each of the four possesses undeniable talent and their own personal taste, giving their music a fresh sound unlike any other. Their appreciation for a variety of music genres, including hip hop, indie rock, R&B, jazz and techno translates into their own sound which Guénin describes as “something dreamy, dark, and as real as it gets for rappers our age.”
Putting an image to the sound is their debut video, “Home,” directed by Vinoth Varatharajan, delivering visuals that effortlessly mirror their natural flow and ambient beats.
“That’s the cool thing about being so many people,” said Richardson. “We all come together and create something we all love: that BDT sound.”
From start to finish, BDT is entirely self-sufficient when it comes to the production of their music. Guénin even taught himself to play piano, stimulating the lyrical progression of his crew. Every track is a glimpse into their source of consistent motivation and the story they strive to share.
BDT’s formation in itself is a story to be told. In 2009, the group’s founder, Guénin, was diagnosed with the systemic autoimmune disease lupus, leaving him in the Montreal Children’s Hospital for six months. Throughout his long and difficult journey to remission, Guénin, an avid hip hop fan, heard Drake’s third official mixtape, So Far Gone, and was profoundly influenced to start making his own music.
Helping him transform his dreams into reality, the Make a Wish Foundation granted Guénin’s wish of having his own home studio. From there, the BDT vision came to life.
This experience fueled their motivation, as does each and every moment they live. When asked about their inspiration behind the music, Guénin said, “Everything. Life. Our day-to-day lives. The good music out there motivates us to go harder so we can show the world what Big Dreams has to offer. Music is everything.”
Four years after coming together, BDT has developed a sense of confidence in their musical abilities, and have finally identified what they stand for.
“We all bring something different to the table,” said Guénin. “So I do me on the track and everyone just does them.”
The result: a strong individual sense of each rapper in an impressive collaborative effort.
What can fans expect from BDT in the future? The group plans to release their second mixtape titled Real before June rolls around.
“We’ve been working really hard on our new material so we’re hoping to make some noise with these next few releases,” said BDT’s DJ Anthony Salvo.
The band’s driving passion and enthusiasm is a clear indicator of their forthcoming success.
“It’s our dream, our wish, our goal and over these four years, it has slowly become the main focus in our lives. We feed off of that,” said Richardson. “We inspire each other to do better so the energy will never stop flowing.”
BDT plays Cabaret Underworld located at 1403 Ste-Élisabeth St. with Rockie Fresh Thursday, Apr. 18 at 9 p.m.
